Was Jiraiya a better mentor to Naruto than Kakashi?

The Naruto fanbase has always loved both Jiraiya and Kakashi throughout the series. While both were great individuals, fans often found themselves debating who was the better mentor.

Both were great teachers in their own right and taught valuable lessons to the protagonist of the series. However, fans have reason to believe that one of the two aforementioned characters was a better mentor.

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Jiraiya vs Kakashi: Who was a better mentor to Naruto?

Fans believe that Jiraiya was a better mentor for Naruto for a good number of reasons. One of the main reasons why they feel Jiraiya was a better mentor was simply because he spent more time with the protagonist. In addition to that, there was a great level of emotional connection between these two characters.

Fans also opt for Jiraiya to be a better mentor simply because he isn’t always late unlike Kakashi. However, when fans realized the truth behind the latter's lack of punctuality, they were forgiving.

Jiraiya helped Naruto learn a jutsu that was developed by his father. The protagonist was able to perfect the Rasengan under his mentorship.

That was extremely important because it ended up becoming his go-to jutsu and he was able to create multiple variations of the same. The legendary Pervy Sage also taught him to summon toads which helped him in several missions.

That being said, Kakashi also helped the protagonist create an incredibly hard jutsu that cannot be mastered by many. It was under Kakashi’s guidance that he was able to achieve and create the Rasenshuriken.

Another reason why fans love Jiraiya as a mentor was because he was quite patient while teaching him. Naruto wasn’t exactly gifted when it came to chakra control or proficiency in performing jutsus. The Pervy Sage spent a lot of time teaching the kid basics that would serve as the foundation for learning some of the more advanced techniques.

Over a period of time, we saw the duo develop a beautiful relationship and the protagonist genuinely seemed to enjoy training with Jiraiya. Furthermore, he was the link between Naruto and Fukasaku, the elder Toad.

It was under his tutelage that he was able to learn Senjutsu (sage arts). Therefore, Jiraiya played a huge role in developing Naruto into one of the most powerful shinobi in Konohagakure. Overall, Jiraiya was a better mentor compared to Kakashi.

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