8 Naruto Rogue Ninjas Who Could Have Become A Kage

In Naruto, almost every kid aspires to become a great ninja so that they can make their parents proud. Once they get strong, they set their sights on gaining fame and becoming renowned throughout the village.

However, things don’t always end as they envision. In certain cases, a ninja ends up abandoning their village, causing them to be branded as a rogue. Once that happens, their aspirations turn to dust, and they lose the chance of becoming a true great. In fact, a lot of rogue ninjas could actually have become Kage of their respective villages if they had played their cards right.

8

Orochimaru

Orochimaru was a member of the Legendary Sannin, a trio that became famous due to their exploits in multiple wars. Of the three, Orochimaru was believed to be the strongest and most talented. In fact, he was Hiruzen’s favorite student. The Hokage recognized his potential at a young age, which is why he wanted his student to succeed him in the position.

However, things fell apart when Hiruzen found Orochimaru conducting human experiments. Naturally, he had to drive him out of the village. Despite being caught, Orochimaru kept on experimenting and looking for ways to gain immortality. Orochimaru was extremely knowledgeable, but at the same time, he was also very powerful. He had access to various ninjutsu techniques, many of which could turn the tide of battle in the blink of an eye.

7

Sasori

Sasori’s life was tragic and full of disasters. He lost his parents at a very early age, which disturbed him greatly. However, it didn’t stop him from learning and fighting to grow stronger. Sasori also participated in wars for the Hidden Sand Village. The news of his accomplishments soon spread across the world, and he quickly became one of the most feared ninjas.

But eventually, things took a turn for the worse as Sasori’s obsession with creating human puppets grew. He even murdered the Third Kazekage and turned him into a human puppet. Had he stayed in the village and not committed these crimes, Sasori would have had a very good chance of becoming the next Kazekage.

6

Kisame Hoshigaki

Kisame hailed from the Hidden Mist Village, and he was one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. Kisame had little to no understanding of how human emotions seem to work, so he had no idea what camaraderie was.

Kisame only cared about the mission and making sure that it was complete at all costs. It did not matter if it involved killing his teammates. He would do it if it meant ensuring the mission’s success. Kisame certainly had the strength to lead his village, but he would not have been an orthodox leader. Under his rule, the village would have become more dangerous, and the ninjas would have been a lot crueler.

5

Itachi Uchiha

Itachi was the prodigy of the Uchiha clan. From a young age, he displayed qualities that would have made him a great Hokage. He was intelligent and strong, a rare combination. He was also one of the few Uchiha who actually understood the Curse of Hatred and broke free from it.

When it came to strength, Itachi possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan, which granted him access to Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi. With Amaterasu, Itachi could conjure black flames that were potent enough to burn all kinds of things, including regular flames. What’s more is that these flames were set to burn until the target wasn’t completely incinerated. Meanwhile, the Tsukuyomi trapped the victim inside a powerful genjutsu from which escaping was nearly impossible. So his powers prove that Itachi could have easily become one of the greatest ninjas in the history of the Hidden Leaf if Danzo hadn’t framed him for the massacre of the Uchiha clan.

4

Nagato Uzumaki

Nagato was the leader of Akatsuki, and under his guidance the organization became feared throughout the world. Naruto led the group with a firm hand to ensure none of them would do anything that would cause problems for the organization. No one dared to oppose Nagato because he possessed the Rinnegan, which gave him access to six special paths. Each of them was more dangerous than the other.

Despite his strength, Nagato did not want to destroy the world but rather create a place where people understood each other’s pain. It’s safe to say that under different circumstances, Nagato could have easily become a fantastic leader to his people.

3

Obito Uchiha

During his days at the academy, Obito Uchiha was nothing but a sweet and helpful boy who often went out of his way to aid those in need. He didn’t care if his teacher scolded him or if his friends got angry. For him, helping the needy was more important. Considering Obito’s personality, it’s hard to picture him as a cold-blooded killer who launched an attack on the Hidden Leaf that resulted in the deaths of countless people, including that of his teacher.

Obito was manipulated by Madara, who completely destroyed his persona and forced the former into doing his bidding. If Obito had not fallen into the trap set by Madara, he could have easily become the strongest ninja character in the Hidden Leaf, which would have then given him a strong chance at becoming the Hokage.

2

Madara Uchiha

Madara Uchiha was the leader of the Uchiha Clan during the Warring States Period. It was a difficult time for all clans because there was constant fighting due to which the bodies kept on piling up. However, the Uchiha prospered more than the rest due to Madara’s leadership. Madara was an amazing combatant, but he despised fighting. All he wanted was to live with his brother in peace. Unfortunately, that never came to pass.

After being rejected by the Hidden Leaf and his own clan, Madara became a rogue ninja. The world knew about his taijutsu skills and his impeccable control over the Mangekyo Sharingan, so no one in their right mind wanted to cross paths with him. Madara was also able to control the Nine-Tails, and he used the tailed beast while fighting Hashirama Senju. Suffice it to say, the Hidden Leaf Village would have been a lot different if Madara had been accepted as the Hokage.

1

Sasuke Uchiha

Ever since Sasuke witnessed the massacre of the Uchiha Clan at the hands of his brother, he has been driven by his desire for revenge. His yearning to settle the score drove Sasuke to take many harsh steps, one of which was abandoning the Hidden Leaf to train under Orochimaru.

Things went from bad to worse when Sasuke learned that Itachi had been framed by the village elders, so he sought to kill all of them. He even attacked several Kage, which cemented his status as a rogue ninja. Thankfully, he mended his ways.