Minato - Everyone seems to be in awe of this man; Jiraiya, Kakashi, Ay, Bee, Tsunade to name a but a few. Heralded as a once in a decade genius that has not been seen again since his untimely demise [
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], described as having an unparalleled capacity as a shinobi [
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], capable of deducing the mechanics of a jutsu with only a single look [
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][4], Minato also formulated a variety of top tier jutsu such as Rasengan, Hiraishin and Shiki Fūjin. His ability to act under extreme time constraints and pressure was evident during Obito's unexpected assault on the village, with the lives of his wife, newborn son and fellow villagers on the line. Yondaime also had to account for Konoha's military position and status amongst the other Hidden Villages. Smart men know when to gamble and his gamble certainly paid off.
Kakashi - Hyped as being the most analytically sound shinobi alive by Maito Gai [
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]. Quite frankly, his age of accomplishments speak for themselves; graduation at 5, chūnin at 6 and jōnin at 13, although the latter age is merely speculation as many believe Kakashi to actually be three years younger than his teammates Obito and Rin; this would make him a 10 year old jōnin during Kakashi Gaiden. Perhaps he will surpass his Sensei in this very fight.
Itachi - He'd likely be first had his plan not failed so spectacularly. His teacher praised him as being the best student
he had ever taught;
With his father of course heaping the usual biased praised any parent would give to their child. Of course, Itachi was a true prodigy, although he, along with others (such as Sasuke) tended to overestimate his skills [
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][
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]. He benefited from having KKG hax; the others did not. Itachi also admitted that he had failed as was responsible for Sasuke walking down such a dark road [
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] - had he not been so foolish as to do everything himself then perhaps, in his own words, he would have been successful [
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][
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], like Minato was. It's this failure which limits Itachi's place on my list.