Why Didn’t Jiraiya Raise Naruto?

Jiraiya sensei played a crucial role in motivating and influencing Naruto’s life. Jiraiya was Naruto’s godfather as well as his mentor, but he didn’t raise Naruto.

The only reason for this was that Jiraiya had other responsibilities and wanted Naruto to grow on his own to make him a strong personality. Now, we will dive deeper to know why Jiraiya didn’t raise Naruto.

Jiraiya wasn’t just a legendary Saiyan, as people knew him. He was actually one of the closest connections of Naruto’s family. He was Naruto’s father, Minato Namikaze’s teacher, and the same person eventually became Naruto’s godfather.

When the Nine Tail Beast attacked the Hidden Leaf village, Jiraiya was unfortunately absent during those scenes, and we will know the reasons behind his absence.

Reasons Behind Jiraiya’s Absence

Ninja Duties and Responsibilities

1. Ninja Missions: Initially, Jiraiya was known to be an intelligent ninja who would move from one place to another, gathering intelligence that was crucial for the Hidden Leaf village’s safety. So, his role as a ninja also took him away from the village for a long time, which is one of the reasons for his absence.

2. Research and Writing: He was one of the legendary authors of a particular book or series called Icha Icha, which was normally loved the most by one of Naruto’s mentors, Kakashi Hatake. So, Jiraiya had to spend that time researching and travelling to write his book and experiences.

Philosophical Beliefs and Training

1. Belief in Independence: However, although we wanted to see Jiraiya being a huge part of Naruto’s life earlier in this stage, Jiraiya felt like if Naruto had been taken care of by him, he would not have had to face any challenges or difficulties, which would not have made him grow perfectly. And Jiraiya wanted Naruto to have his own path rather than follow the one he was made for.

2. Preparation for Future Training: Jiraiya knew that for Naruto to grow mentally and wisely, he had to experience the harsh realities of the ninja world as that would help him grow as a Jinchuriki perfectly.

Impact of Jiraiya’s Absence on Naruto

Of course, it eventually became significant that Naruto needed a parental figure, and Jiraiya would have been the right person for the role. However, he wanted to see how far Naruto could grow on his own. And how he could overcome challenges thrown at him by the enemies around him.

So the void that neared to be filled by Jiraiya as a parent was eventually filled up by Naruto’s determination to pursue his dreams and hopefully overcome his challenges alone.

Jaraya knew that that void needed to be filled by Naruto himself rather than finding one who Would help him depend on him. So Jariyah’s absence in Naruto’s life was a huge influence because, without that influential decision of not being there for Naruto, Naruto wouldn’t have been the best ninja that we know today.

Despite numerous challenges, Naruto eventually overcomes all those struggles to become the compassionate and loving Hokage we know today.

What If Jiraiya Had Raised Naruto?

1. Different challenges: if Jiraiya had raised Naruto from a young age, the storyline would have taken a different turn where Naruto wouldn’t have to go through the suffering and pain of loneliness.

2. Impact on Naruto’s character: So if Jiraiya had been there from Naruto’s upbringing, it would have altered Naruto’s independent spirit and his connections with his friends and mentors, who also developed a lot through Naruto’s struggles and achievements.

Conclusion

So, now you have got the answer as to why Jiraiya didn’t raise Naruto. Jiraiya had his own responsibilities, and besides that, he wanted Naruto to face the challenges of life and the Ninja world all alone to develop a strong personality. So, I would say that Jiraiya’s decision was taken correctly as a mentor of Naruto.