5 characters who always believed that Naruto will be the Hokage (and 5 who never did)

Naruto's story embodies the freedom to dream as well as the struggle to achieve one's goals, as the Number One Knucklehead Ninja aspired to be the Hokage of the Leaf from day one. He worked hard and passed the most difficult tests to realize his dream.

However, the blonde couldn't have reached where he is today without his friends. Although he starts out alone, he forges friendships that are worth a lifetime. These friends were a constant source of encouragement for him and pushed him to achieve new heights.

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Iruka Umino and 4 other characters who always believed in Naruto's dream

1) Iruka Umino

Iruka Umino as seen in the anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Iruka Umino, Naruto's Academy teacher, was one of his most ardent supporters. Despite his poor performance at the Academy, Iruka never singled him out and always believed in him.

With the passage of time, he realized his student's potential and truly believed that he would one day become Hokage. This made Naruto respect his teacher so much that he asked Iruka to be his father figure on the day he married Hinata.

2) Tsunade Senju

Tsunade Senju (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Tsunade Senju began supporting Naruto after a while. She was initially hesitant, given that the ones she loved and lost had a similar dream. However, after proving himself and standing up to Kabuto, she was all for him. He impressed her by learning the Rasengan in a week's time.

Tsunade believed in his dream of becoming Hokage and stood by his side throughout the series. She cared about him and did everything she could to help him in times of need.

3) Hinata Hyuga

Hinata, who was more of a silent but constant supporter, was too shy to approach the Uzumaki directly. She frequently chose to stand on the sidelines and observe him from a distance.

His drive and determination greatly inspired her and enabled her to raise her voice. She admired what he stood for and believed he could one day become Hokage. Hinata continues to support him and upholds her role as a caring and loving wife and mother.

4) Kakashi Hatake

Kakashi Hatake (Image via Studio Pierrot)

The leader of Team 7, Kakashi Hatake was another character who was always there for Naruto. He did his best to help his students despite the difficult circumstances.

Although he never mentioned it formally, he supported the blonde's dream of leading the village one day. When Naruto did become Hokage, he held Kakashi in high regard and always took his advice seriously.

5) Gaara

Naruto helped Gaara realize what was wrong in his ways. With his help, Gaara freed himself from the darkness. The pair have a great deal of respect for one another, as evidenced by the Sand Shinobi appearing to help the Leaf during the Sasuke Retrieval Mission.

The blonde regarded Gaara as a strong friend and colleague and never questioned the former's dream of becoming Hokage. Moreover, these two later enjoyed each other's company as the leaders of their villages.

Sai and 4 other characters who didn't quite believe in Naruto's dream

1) Sakura Haruno

Sakura Haruno (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Sakura Haruno was Naruto's teammate in Team 7. She was mostly preoccupied with Sasuke and borderline obsessed with him. Despite Naruto's efforts, she did not fully recognize him because when he spoke about his dream, she ignored it and brushed it aside.

This was also one of the reasons why this kunoichi is hated so much by the fandom because her obsession with Sasuke blinded her from even believing in her other teammate.

2) Sasuke Uchiha

Sasuke Uchiha (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Sasuke Uchiha was Naruto's rival. Recognizing his growing power, he sought greater power in order to surpass him. He went over to the dark side and for a long time hated the blonde.

He did not believe in Naruto's dream of becoming Hokage and in fact, decided to strive for the same towards the end of the series, shocking everyone with his decision.

3) Kiba Inuzuka

Rivaling Naruto's Hokage dream was Kiba Unuzuka. He too wanted to one day become the Hokage and make it mandatory for everyone to own a dog. Not much is really shown of him and the Uzumaki together.

As for his rival's dream, he did not support him as such, given that he was aiming for it himself. However, him not believing in the protagonist becoming the Hokage was more of an underestimation.

4) Ino Yamanaka

Ino Yamanaka was another character who did not really pay much heed to the Hokage's dream. Initially, like Sakura, she was also obsessed with Sasuke to notice Naruto and later was drawn to Sai.

Throughout the show, she did little to indicate that she believed in him or supported him as he pursued his goal. However, if she believed in the protagonist, it would have been indicated by the author.

5) Sai

Sai was introduced in Shippuden as a replacement for Sasuke. He began as a character who was almost emotionless and only cared about the mission. He eventually warmed up to his teammates and those around him.

Even so, he did not do anything to demonstrate his belief in or support his teammate's dream. This was mostly due to him being uninterested in the concept of someone close to him becoming responsible for the lives of others.

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Edited by Vinay Agrawal