Being a Hokage has always been Narutoโs dream in the series, but it was a lot more difficult to achieve than he realized. The title is given to the strongest ninja in the Hidden Leaf Village, who serves as its leader and has a mountain of responsibilities. While a Hokage must be powerful, their strength isn’t the only determining factor that decides if they can be good leaders or not. A Hokage shouldnโt only have the trust of the entire village but also possess excellent leadership qualities to make rational decisions, especially in times of crisis. If they fulfill all the requirements that go beyond their physical strength, the village’s council will determine if a candidate is worthy.
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Since its establishment, the Hidden Leaf Village has seen seven Hokage, all of whom have been loved and respected by everyone. However, the village introduced many more powerful Ninja who all had the strength to stand toe to toe with some of the Hokage, but never got. the opportunity to rise through the ranks.
10) Danzo Shimura
Although with the Sharingan and Hashirama’s cells, Danzo was weaker than Hiruzen, the villain still had enough power to become a Hokage. He obsessed over the title his entire life, but was never able to achieve it. However, just because he was powerful, that doesn’t mean he was worthy enough to lead the village.
Danzo was one of the most evil characters in the series who gained massive powers through unspeakable means, even to the point of using powerful forbidden techniques like Izanagi and Izanami.
9) Sakura Haruno
Since the beginning of the story, Sakura had exceptional Chakra control, an innate talent she honed to perfection during her training with Tsunade. She not only learned how to use Medical Ninjutsu but also became one of the toughest fighters in the village.
Just like Tsunade, she can use the Strength of a Hundred Seal to store vast amounts of Chakra in her forehead and release the seal to amplify her powers. By the end of the series, she becomes even more powerful than her teacher, the Fifth Hokage.
8) Shisui Uchiha
Shisui was one of the rarest talents, even in such a powerful clan as the Uchiha. However, Danzo was always eyeing his unique abilities and managed to steal them through treachery and deceit. During the time of his death, he was even stronger than Danzo and Itachi, and wouldnโt have had to kill himself if he didnโt want to save the village.
His genjutsu, Kotoamatsukami, allowed him to control peopleโs minds without detection. However, due to the nature of his power, he didnโt use it much and relied on his other strengths to become one of the members of the Anbu Black Ops.
7) Jiraiya
After the Third Hokage’s death, Jiraiya could’ve easily stepped in, but he believed himself to be unworthy due to his past failures. He felt responsible for not being able to stop Orochimaru and also preferred his life as a wanderer.
Along with Orochimaru and Tsunade, he was called one of the three legendary Sannin, acknowledged by one of the most renowned shinobi in the world, named Hanzo. Jiraiya possessed a vast arsenal of jutsu, but he was best known for his toad-based ninjutsu, powerful sealing abilities, and the formidable Sage Mode.
6) Orochimaru
Orochimaru was one of the most legendary and respected shinobi in the Leaf Village before he abandoned his home in search of immortality and forbidden knowledge without restrictions. Most of his powers come from the relentless research and experimentation he did to become immortal.
His knowledge of countless jutsu is the result of his years of research, and it made him terrifying. During the Chunin Exams, his attack on the Leaf Village was devastating, and not even the Third Hokage was able to stop Orochimaru without sacrificing his own life. While Orochimaru never had the desire to become a Hokage, even if he did, the village would’ve never allowed him to lead them.
5) Might Guy
Might Guy is the best taijutsu user in the series, and his powers didnโt come to him naturally, unlike most ninja. He trained day and night to reach that level, and his efforts paid off. His Eight Inner Gates Formation allowed him to briefly reach a level where he could easily go toe to toe with Madara Uchiha.
Unfortunately, itโs a lethal forbidden technique that damages the body so much that the user dies shortly after using it. The only reason Might Guy survived was thanks to Naruto, who miraculously arrived at the scene and used the Sage of the Six Pathsโ power to save his life.
4) Itachi Uchiha
As a prodigy, Itachi was destined for greatness in life, but his future was ruined by Danzo Shimura, who exploited his power for his selfish gains. He had one of the most powerful genjutsu in the franchise, which allowed him to hack into his target’s mind and control their perception of time.
Through this power, he often trapped his targets in an illusion where they were tortured for days, even though only a few seconds had passed in the real world. Despite his fatal illness, Itachi was able to use all kinds of legendary jutsu, including Susanoo and Amaterasu. If not for getting weaker due to his illness, Itachi could’ve unlocked his true potential.
3) Obito Uchiha
Obito and Naruto shared the same dream as children, but only one of them was able to realize it. As a member of the Uchiha Clan, he always had a hidden power buried within him, which only surfaced when he had a near-death experience after being crushed by a rock.
His Kamui, a space-time dลjutsu, is one of the most powerful abilities in the entire franchise, which truly made him terrifyingly powerful. During the war, he even gained the Rinnegan for a brief time, gaining enough power to bring Madara back to life.
2) Madara Uchiha
As one of the co-founders of the village, Madara always wanted to be a Hokage, and even Hashirama hoped for it. However, influenced by Tobirama’s view on the Uchiha Clan, Madara never became a Hokage and was manipulated by Black Zetsu. Even decades after his supposed death, his name was enough to incite fear across all nations, and the Fourth Great Shinobi War proved just how dangerous he was.
Thanks to his exceptional chakra and his ability to use all kinds of jutsu after awakening his Mangekyล Sharingan, Madara was basically unstoppable. He was a force to be reckoned with, as he single-handedly faced thousands of members of the Shinobi Alliance and overwhelmed every single one of them with his devastating powers.
1) Sasuke Uchiha
Since the beginning of the story, Sasuke has shown unparalleled potential as a shinobi. While he became significantly more powerful during his time training with Orochimaru, Sasuke unlocked his true potential during the Fourth Great Shinobi War.
Thanks to the chakra given to him by the Sage of the Six Paths, Sasuke gained the power of the Rinnegan in one eye while also being capable of using his Mangekyล Sharingan. He was the only ninja in the world who was near Naruto Uzumakiโs level, but he left the village again after the war and protected it from the shadows.
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