Jiraiya failed to be the teacher Naruto deserved, and its time fans accept this

There is no legendary Shonen anime without a training arc, and Naruto is filled with many, just like One Piece and Bleach. These training arcs are often used to prepare characters for an upcoming battle. Some of these training arcs are used as filler in the anime. However, the best use of training arcs in anime is to illustrate a timeskip.

The period between Naruto and Naruto Shippuden marked a significant shift, with characters maturing from children into teenagers. Many characters also advanced in rank and ability: Gaara became the Kazekage, Neji became a Jonin, and Sakura, a Chunin.

The characters whose abilities got bolstered were the ones who took tutelage under an experienced ninja. Sakura became a medical ninja due to her affiliation with Tsunade, and Sasuke got noticeably stronger after he joined forces with Orochimaru. One character who didn't improve despite training with one of the strongest ninjas is the protagonist himself.

When the Uzumaki returned to Konoha, most viewers were thrilled to see him again. However, when a battle came, their thrill turned to gloom; he often felt like a passenger in most battles he faced. This could be tied to Jiraiya, who may have struggled to train students without innate talent.

When it comes to teaching, there is nobody in the entire Narutoverse who has taught ninjas as much as Jiraiya. His students include Minato, Nagato, and Konan, and even his clone, Kashin Koji, is currently training the protagonist of the Boruto saga. Yet despite spending three years with Naruto, Jiraiya failed to teach him a single elemental nature.

Keep reading to learn how Jiraiya let Naruto down.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the author’s opinion and may contain spoilers.

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Jiraiya was a bad teacher to Naruto, here’s why

Kashin Koji is a clone of Jiraiya, and he is teaching Boruto (Image via Shueisha)

The name Jiraiya commands great respect throughout the Narutoverse, and for good reason. He was taught by the Third Hokage, alongside Tsunade and Orochimaru, and the trio later earned fame for their great exploits during the ninja wars.

It was during one of these wars that Jiraiya met the orphans from the Hidden Rain; his first students, who later became absurdly strong. After the war, he trained Minato, who would go on to become the Fourth Hokage.

Jiraiya has a strong track record when it comes to training ninjas, so it is surprising that the Uzumaki spent three years with him and learned nothing. The most significant thing Jiraiya taught the Uzumaki was how to be an adult.

Sure, he learned how to break Genjutsu and utilize his chakra better, but that put him at an elite Genin level. Meanwhile, his peers were getting ahead, and some became specialists in their respective fields. Jiraiya’s tutelage of Naruto was meant to give the Uzumaki a fighting chance against the Akatsuki and any threat that might emerge, but it failed to do so.

Boruto can pick things quickly from Jiraiya's clone because he is a genius (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Naruto never learned how to use any elemental jutsu, and had to be taught later by Kakashi. Jiraiya himself could use at least three elements, and his student would have greatly benefited from learning even one of them.

Ninja basics were also neglected, as the nine-tailed Jinchuriki never understood some simple techniques. This was shown when he was learning how to do the Rasenshurinken. The Uzumaki learned under Jiraiya, a Sannin, and he didn’t know that information could be shared within clones! Totally outrageous!

The Uzumaki became truly powerful after training on Mount Myoboku, a place Jiraiya should have taken him to. The training at Mount Myoboko takes the Uzumaki beyond the Chunin and Jonin level, elevating him to a Kage-level ninja. His elemental techniques also became refined, and the risks that were expressed by Tsunade were nullified.

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Final thoughts

The reason Jiraiya struggled to teach the Uzumaki was his lack of aptitude for ninja techniques. The Uzumaki struggled to learn the most basic concepts from childhood to their teenage years. Where this issue affected him the most was in the academy, as he nearly didn’t graduate. A lot of this was due to the nine tails being in him, as it stopped the Jinchuriki from using jutsu properly.

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