Many fans of the manga and anime series Naruto are often confused about why the Third Hokage did not help their hero. There are many possible answers, but there is one underlying reason that is most likely the real reason. Naruto’s failure to rescue the Kushina clan from the Uchiha clan was a big part of Hiruzen’s atonement. It’s also possible that Hiruzen was never the son of Minato, which would explain his lack of involvement in Naruto’s upbringing.
Naruto’s flashbacks reveal that Naruto’s father is a genin. Apparently, this was done to protect him from the evil Akatsuki. This may have rendered Sarutobi’s plan obsolete. It was also a bad idea to make him the shinobi of Leaf Village, as it could have made him an ideal candidate for a higher rank in the Shinobi Order.
The Third Hokage’s omission to mention the child would have created tension between Naruto, his enemies, and himself. Although his stance against Uchiha was not the best, Kushina’s actions would have encouraged it. The Third Hokage knew that the Sharingan’s genjutsu made it very risky for him to interfere. However, this would not be a major plot hole if the Third’s ominous actions were not related to Shisui’s power.
Kushiha knew of the hardships that would befall Jinchuriki’s orphaned mother and the Third Hokage was the long-term Hokage. Ultimately, the Third Hokage was happy to take care of Naruto and promised to take full responsibility. He was left to his own devices, without knowing his parents and unable to explain his fear of people. His actions and attitude made him the hero he is today.
The Third Hokage is the only Hokage to have participated in all of the Shinobi wars. He was Tobirama’s team leader in the first war. Later, he led the nation through both the second and third wars, which concluded with a peace agreement. In addition to this, he was forced to take part in the fourth war, after reincarnation through Edo Tensei.
The village was the vision of the third Hokage. He believed that if the village was run his way, everything would go smoothly. He had to stop Orochimaru and Danzo trying to change it. Minato was his perfect proxy. He had all the power needed to do so. This decision was not only good for the village, but also for Hiruzen’s personal happiness and well-being.
It’s possible that Jiraiya had other reasons to leave, even if he didn’t return to Naruto. If he was destined to help the child prophecy, he should have been in charge. If he did not return, the third hokage should have done so before it was too late. But it could be possible that he was doing something else that kept him from coming back to help his beloved Naruto.