Naruto: Hiruzen was caught in lie of his own, and a scene proves it

As a character in the Naruto series, Hiruzen seems slightly dishonest. Fans feel this way because of his promise to both Kushina and Minato moments before they died, fighting to save their child and their village from the Nine-Tailed Beast.

Hiruzen was the Third Hokage who returned to this position after Minato’s death. He had a lot on his plate since he not only had to take care of the village, but he also promised Kushina and Minato that their son would be taken care of.

That said, did the Third Hokage actually hold his end of the bargain and take care of this child who never got to interact with his parents? Let’s examine why Hiruzen is unpopular among Naruto fans and why they call him a liar in the series.

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Has Hiruzen lied in the Naruto series?

Hiruzen is by no means a weak character. He has been named the God of Shinobi, a title that Hashirama Senju shares. Despite his impressive feats in the Naruto series, he has been called a liar and isn’t loved by the entire fanbase.

This is mainly because Naruto wasn’t taken care of by the Third Hokage. In the scene below, we see that Hiruzen actually promised Kushina and Minato that their son would be taken care of.

However, when we look into the protagonist’s childhood, we realize that he didn’t have a proper house to live in and barely received any food. Teuchi, the ichiraku ramen store owner, did a better job of feeding him.

One can understand that being a Hokage is not easy, and the responsibilities that come with the job can be time-consuming. This is a valid argument, and it isn’t easy juggling responsibilities.

One of the most common arguments in favor of Hiruzen would be Naruto’s behavior as a father and as a Hokage in the Boruto series. There is no doubt that he isn’t the best father and struggles to spend time with his family since there’s too much work to be completed when running an entire village.

However, let’s assume the protagonist was in a similar situation. Undoubtedly, he would make sure that the child had a decent house and food to sustain him. He wouldn’t have done it personally, but he would have made the necessary arrangements.

Given that Hiruzen was the Hokage of the village, he certainly enjoyed a level of power that not many people did. Therefore, assigning someone to ensure the protagonist receives a few meals daily isn’t far-fetched.

This is the main reason why Hiruzen isn’t as popular as some of the other characters in the series.

That said, he certainly contributed to the village’s safety in the long run. However, fans believe he could have done a better job utilizing his powers and resources more efficiently.