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The Naruto franchise sees young ninjas train with their teachers to become strong so that they can survive in the harsh ninja world full of death and war. It's the duty of a sensei to teach new jutsus to their students, molding them into master ninjas. These students, in turn, impart their knowledge to the next generation.
Every sensei wishes for their students to surpass them, securing a brighter future for the village. Kakashi Hatake once stated that it's a never-ending cycle of life and that the next generation will always surpass the previous one. Many students in Naruto have surpassed their teachers, making this statement a reality.
Sasori, Kabuto, and eight other characters who've outperformed their teachers in Naruto
1) Naruto
The protagonist of the series, Naruto, was trained by legendary ninjas like Kakashi and Jiraya. He learned Rasengan from Jiraiya, evolving it further under Kakashi by adding his wind nature to the jutsu creating a Rasenshuriken. Naruto surpassed them both by mastering the Toad Sage Mode and unlocking the full power of Kurama.
Following this, Naruto obtained the power of the Sixth Paths Sage Mode, Ashura Mode, and Baryon Mode. He’s a prime example of the next generation surpassing the previous one. Kakashi openly acknowledged that Naruto had surpassed him, while Jiraiya believed him to be the Child of Prophecy.
2) Sasuke
Sasuke Uchiha is the second strongest ninja in the franchise, only surpassed by his rival and protagonist, Naruto. He was recruited by one of the three legendary Sannin, Orochimaru, who wanted to steal his body and obtain his Sharingan.
By the end of their training, Sasuke had grown powerful enough to easily outclass Orochimaru, even outsmarting and killing him. He gained even more power as the series progressed, eventually reaching a level far beyond Orochimaru's.
3) Sakura
Sakura Haruno developed into one of the strongest female characters by the end of the series. She was trained by the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade Senju, to become a medical ninja. Under her mentorship, Sakura learnt Chakra Enhanced Strength, Creation Rebirth, Byakugou, and other medical ninjutsu techniques.
Sakura honed her skills to perfection, surpassing her mentor Tsunade during the Fourth Great Ninja War. Unlike her mentor, Sakura doesn't suffer adverse effects like aging and weakening after using Byakugou. Being young, she also doesn’t require excess chakra to maintain her power, giving her an edge over Tsunade.
4) Kabuto
Kabuto surpassed both his previous mentors Danzo and Orochimaru with ease by the end of the series. He was able to master Snake Sage Mode and dabbled in a lot of forbidden jutsus. During the Fourth Great Ninja War, he was able to fend off against both Sasuke and Itachi, showing the extent of his powers.
The character's intelligence, allies, and strength made him one of the most feared villains in the series. He was able to form an entire army of undead ninjas with the help of Edo Tensei, which he used to stall the Shinobi Alliance for a considerable amount of time. This was a testament to his chakra control and tenacity, proving him to be far better than his predecessors.
5) Obito
Obito Uchiha had one of the most tragic stories in the entire series. However, this also helped solidify his legacy as one of the most feared antagonists. He went toe-to-toe with his mentor Minato at the age of 14 and was almost able to win the fight. Obito instigated the Nine Tails Attack on Konoha, manipulated the Akatsuki members, and declared the Fourth Great Ninja War.
In the war, he was able to seal the Ten Tails into his body, becoming its jinchūriki. This elevated him to a level of power that was unfathomable for any shinobi to achieve. Thus, it's safe to say that Obito surpassed his mentor Minato Namikaze before getting betrayed by Madara.
6) Minato
The Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, is not only one of the strongest characters in the series but also one of the most popular ones. He was a prodigy in both ninja skills and intelligence and was trained by Jiraiya. Under his tutelage, Minato learned a lot of unique skills, even formulating his own S-Rank jutsu known as Rasengan.
Some of his other abilities included the Flying Thunder God Technique, Fūinjutsu, Shurikenjutsu, Senjutsu, etc. Towards the end of the series, Minato was also able to access the Nine Tails Chakra Mode. He surpassed his mentor Jiraiya and even became a proper successor to him, with the two sharing a great bond.
7) Nagato
Nagato is yet another tragic character who became an antagonist after losing his friend Yahiko. He was one of the founding members of Akatsuki alongside Yahiko and Konan. The trio trained under Jiraiya as kids to survive in Amegakure's harsh conditions.
Nagato had Rinnegan implanted in his eyes by Madara, which gave him the power to access all of the Six Paths Technique. He orchestrated an assault on the Leaf Village, using Shinra Tensei to destroy the village. In combat, he was responsible for killing powerful shinobis like Hanzo, Kakashi, and even his own mentor Jiraiya.
8) Orochimaru
Orochimaru is one of the most diabolical villains in the franchise and still captivates the interest of fans. Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, acted as his mentor, training him alongside Jiraiya and Tsunade. Since childhood, Orochimaru had a fascination towards knowledge and sadism.
He fought in the Second and Third Shinobi World War, making a name for himself and acquiring the title of "Sannin" from Hanzo. However, his quest for immortality made him commit atrocious acts, forcing him to escape Konoha. A few years later, Orochimaru returned to the village during Chūnin exams and killed Hiruzen, while spearheading an assault on Konoha.
9) Killer Bee
The Eight-Tails jinchūriki, Killer Bee, is one of the most entertaining characters in the franchise. He's a master swordsman, can transform into a tailed beast, and has massive chakra reserves. Bee is also proficient in hand-to-hand combat and can be seen using his physical prowess to overwhelm opponents.
Bee trained with his adoptive brother and Fourth Raikage, Ay, becoming his tag partner. During the Fourth Great Ninja War, Ay challenged his brother to a Lariat duel which Bee won, proving him to be physically stronger. Ay finally realized his brother was more powerful than after their duel.
10) Sasori
Sasori of the Red Sand is a member of the Akatsuki and an S-Rank missing ninja. Along with that, he's also an extremely powerful puppeteer who was trained by his grandmother Chiyo. Sasori invented a lot of new techniques, even going as far as making human puppets. These human puppets are capable of using both chakra and kekkei genkai.
He surpassed his grandmother Chiyo and was able to fight against both her and Sakura at the same time, coming close to finishing them both off. However, in the end, he died in the embrace of his mother and father’s lifeless puppets, putting an end to his human suffering.
