The Story starts at the Ninja Academy where they are split up into teams of three after their graduation and are called Genin. Each team is assigned an experienced sensei. These characters seem to grow with the series as it carries on through several years. complex personalities and detailed histories allow for many of them to gain some of the spotlight.

Iruka Umino is an instructor at the Ninja Academy. His parents were killed by the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox when he was younger. This is one of the reasons why he can relate to Naruto in his methods of gaining attention. He assumes the role of Naruto's father-figure and becomes over protective of him once he becomes a Ninja himself. Iruka is proficient in basic Ninjutsu and Genjutsu.