After defeating Kiba in the preliminaries to advance to the Chunin Exam finals, Naruto approached Kakashi, desperate for his mentor’s guidance. Hoping to grow stronger for the upcoming battles, Naruto asked him for training. Instead, Kakashi rejected the request, passing him off to Ebisu.
The rejection stung. Furious, Naruto accused Kakashi of playing favorites, claiming he only cared about Sasuke. In truth, Kakashi had chosen to focus entirely on Sasuke, dedicating his time to teaching him the Chidori.
Naruto’s jealousy deepened when he watched Sasuke unleash the technique against Gaara during the finals. Yet, beneath the envy, a begrudging awe remained; he couldn’t help but marvel at his rival’s newfound strength.
1. Naruto Demands to Learn the Chidori
Following the Chunin Exams, Naruto once again begged Kakashi to teach him the Chidori. Kakashi simply replied, “You can ask, but it isn’t going to be easy.” Naruto continued to whine, demanding his teacher treat them equally.
To test Naruto’s resolve, Kakashi ordered him to gather chakra in the palm of his hand. Naruto tried with all his might, screaming “Chidori!” as he thrust his hand skyward. His efforts were completely in vain—the exercise only made him look ridiculous.
2. Jiraiya Offers a Solution
Refusing to be left in his rival’s dust, Naruto threw himself into grueling solo training. He even turned down Jiraiya’s initial invitation to search for Tsunade, preferring to focus on his own growth. He still hoped to learn vital techniques from Kakashi, including the Chidori. Yet, despite his relentless effort, Naruto began to realize that Kakashi had undeniably prioritized Sasuke ever since the exams.
Seeing the boy’s unbreakable resolve, Jiraiya offered a solution. He promised to teach Naruto a jutsu far greater than the Chidori, provided Naruto accompanied him to find Tsunade. Naruto immediately agreed. From that moment on, he spent far more time training under the Toad Sage than with Kakashi.
3. Why Kakashi Chose to Train Sasuke
So, why exactly did Kakashi refuse to train young Naruto? Why did he dedicate all his focus to Sasuke, driving Naruto to feel neglected and slighted?
The truth is, Kakashi’s focus on Sasuke was a direct request from Jiraiya. Upon returning to Konoha after a long absence, Jiraiya met with Kakashi to discuss a critical matter. He asked for permission to take over Naruto’s protection, even though the Third Hokage had officially assigned that duty to Kakashi. Jiraiya bluntly stated that at Kakashi’s current power level, he would be completely overwhelmed if forced to protect Naruto alone.
Kakashi demanded an explanation. Jiraiya revealed that he had been tracking Orochimaru’s movements ever since his former teammate abandoned the village. Initially, Jiraiya left out of fear that Orochimaru would eventually attack Konoha. However, the situation grew far more dire when Orochimaru joined the Akatsuki—a shadowy organization consisting of nine incredibly powerful, S-rank criminal shinobi.
Even though the Akatsuki had only engaged in minor, isolated activities at the time, Jiraiya remained on high alert. His concern stemmed from the fact that every single member was listed in the Bingo Book as a highly lethal S-rank threat. If a group of that caliber ever assembled, their ultimate goal would undoubtedly bring catastrophic disaster.
Jiraiya explained that while Orochimaru had since defected from the Akatsuki, the organization remained a massive threat. They had begun moving in pairs across different regions, hunting down and collecting the Tailed Beasts (Biju). One of their prime targets was the Nine-Tails sealed inside Naruto, as it possessed the most immense chakra of all the Tailed Beasts. This was the true reason Jiraiya stepped in to protect the boy.
Jiraiya also advised Kakashi to focus his efforts on Sasuke. Since Kakashi had firsthand experience with the Sharingan, he was perfectly suited to teach Sasuke how to properly control it—a vital skill needed to survive a threat as monumental as the Akatsuki.
This crucial conversation dictated Kakashi’s decision. Additionally, during the Chunin Exams, Kakashi confessed to Might Guy that Sasuke reminded him a lot of his younger self. This personal connection served as an underlying reason for prioritizing the Uchiha.
4. Kakashi Repays His Debt to Naruto
After two and a half years of rigorous training, Jiraiya returned Naruto to Kakashi’s care, fulfilling their agreement. Kakashi anticipated seeing Naruto’s growth, but Jiraiya offered a stark warning: Naruto had grown exponentially and possessed the potential to defeat Kakashi himself if he wasn’t careful.
To make amends for his past absences as a teacher, Kakashi finally began passing down a true jutsu to Naruto. For years, he hadn’t taught him a signature technique, unlike the Chidori he had given Sasuke.
This time, Kakashi taught Naruto how to evolve the Rasengan by mastering wind-style chakra manipulation. The result was a devastating new jutsu: the Wind Style: Rasenshuriken—a masterful technique that even the Fourth Hokage, Minato, the creator of the Rasengan and Naruto’s father, had failed to perfect.
Through this grueling process, Naruto didn’t just grow physically stronger. He proved that he could rise above the neglect he had once felt, forging an even deeper, unbreakable bond between master and student.
