The Minor Naruto Character Who's More Important Than You Think
The story of "Naruto" is one of rags to riches. Today, we think of its titular character as one of the greatest and most powerful heroes in all of anime. However, in both the context of the story and the real world, this was not always the case. The young, yellow-haired orphan is initially thought to be talentless and dumb, and most people in his village treat him with little more than contempt. Eventually, Naruto comes to prove them all wrong, but it takes a lot of hard work for him to rise up to the level of his village's leader, the Hokage, along with a massive amount of help from friends.
Many of these friends are quite obvious. Characters like Iruka, Kakashi, and Jiraiya serve as mentors to help guide Naruto on his path. Others, like Sakura, Sasuke, and Hinata, prove to be loyal companions and allies (well, maybe not Sasuke). However, there is one minor "Naruto" character who is far more important in aiding our hero than you think. In fact, it's fair to say that he has been there for Naruto longer than most people.
Teuchi the ramen chef is Naruto's oldest supporter
Indeed, Teuchi, the owner of Naruto's favorite eatery, Ichiraku Ramen, is likely his oldest real companion. When it seems like everyone else in the world hates Naruto, Teuchi still feeds the orphan boy, often free of charge (via Naruto wiki). Later in life, Naruto's success bleeds over to the Ichiraku restaurant, where the Narutomaki topping (from which Naruto gets his name) is the most popular. Thankfully, fans on Reddit have picked up on this fact.
"[Teuchi is] one of the few who showed [Naruto] kindness and didn't let him go hungry even though he wouldn't be able to pay for his food at times," wrote u/caninewolf in a thread discussing the character. "Without people like him, Naruto could've turned out like Gaara prior to their fight." Another fan, u/JoelRobbin, commented on a different Reddit post, joking that "The difference between Naruto and pretty much everybody he fights with is that he had ramen in his childhood and they didn't."
Despite the slight joke, the latter of these comments makes a strong point, as Naruto's own life is often compared to those of his opponents. What keeps Naruto from turning evil, however, is the kindness others show him. While this kindness is often traced back to Iruka, Naruto's teacher at the Ninja Academy, it is fair to say that Teuchi has been doing much the same for Naruto for far longer.