For the first three phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thanos was the big bad at the center of everything. At first, he stayed in the shadows, but he became a huge threat and beat the MCU heroes personally on their own turf. If Thanos and his Infinity Gauntlet existed in the world of Naruto, he would pose just as much of a threat.
There are, however, quite a few Naruto characters who could give Thanos a good fight. Some of them would even be able to take him on while he had the Infinity Stones.
10 Can: Kaguya Is Naruto's Version Of A God
Much like Thanos, Kaguya is actually an extremely powerful being from another planet. In Naruto, she's essentially a god since it's Kaguya who introduced chakra and shinobi abilities to the world. Without her, the shinobi would be a very different people.
As with Thanos, it takes a team of some of the most powerful people around to take her down. The difference is that Kaguya doesn't need the aid of a gauntlet full of magical stones to enhance her abilities. Because of her adept use of nearly every kind of jutsu, she can counter anything an Infinity Stone can throw at her.
9 Can't: Sakura Has The Strength, But Not The Strategy
Sakura spends years honing her skills as a shinobi to become the best medical-nin in her community. Sakura's dedication is commendable, as is the chakra control that gives her a super strong punch. But neither of those skills are going to give her an edge against a foe like Thanos.
The MCU shows Thanos taking on other characters who are just as strong as Sakura. Any potential opponent needs more than a solid punch to take him down. They would need to have, at the very least, a fighting strategy to get around his prolific use of the Infinity Stones, or a way to prevent him from getting them to begin with.
8 Can: Naruto Is The Most Powerful Shinobi
It's Naruto's world. The rest of the shinobi just live in it. That's clear from the moment he's able to use forbidden jutsu as a kid when he can't even pass his Academy exams. Naruto comes through under pressure — even when he doesn't completely understand the skills he's using.
He also has incredible chakra reserves, allowing him to outlast most opponents no matter what they throw at him. Even without his incredible array of shinobi skills, Naruto also has his signature "Talk no Jutsu" in his back pocket. It's rare for him to fail when talking an enemy down. Naruto might actually be able to get to the root of Thanos' issues and get him to stop once and for all.
7 Can't: Hinata Relies Exclusively On Her Byakugan
Hinata overcomes the bulk of her insecurities to become a strong fighter. Her strengths, however, aren't in offense, since she relies almost entirely on her Byakugan in confrontations. She's a much better tracker than fighter, making her a great teammate for a shinobi with stronger abilities.
One good thing about her relying on that Byakugan is that her sight would mean she would see through any type of twist on reality Thanos attempted to employ with the Infinity Stones. That wouldn't be enough for her to win, though.
6 Can: Pain Has Many Paths To Victory
The very nature of Pain's abilities means that he's never truly alone. Unlike the other shinobi, the Paths Of Pain share the responsibility of attacks, each specializing in a different area. That allows Pain to control an entire shinobi village.
Pain also has very little trouble taking on some of Konoha's most powerful shinobi; he disposes of Jiraiya and even Naruto comes close to being beat. What's more, when Pain comes to see Naruto's point of view, he sacrifices himself and uses his own life to bring others back from the dead. That's something Thanos wouldn't be able to do.
5 Can't: Jiraiya Is Overconfident In His Abilities
With Jiraiya's track record in the shinobi world, it's no wonder that he's confident in his fighting abilities. Jiraiya is also one of the best teachers in the franchise. He fully believes he can take on just about any enemy, which is why he spends so much of his time traveling alone.
That proves to be his downfall in Naruto, and it would prove to be his downfall against Thanos. Without the Infinity Gauntlet, Jiraiya would definitely have the advantage with his numerous mastered skills. With it, however, Thanos would have the upper hand by manipulating reality. Jiraiya always falls for a pretty face, and Thanos would capitalize on that.
4 Can: Madara Is A Shinobi Powerhouse
Madara Uchiha is the mastermind behind much of the ultimate conflict in the Naruto series. It's Madara who pushes Tobi onto his villainous path, and it's Madara who's strong enough to go up against both Sasuke and Naruto.
Madara is one of the few villains in the series smart enough to play the long game and strong enough to make sure his plans are carried out. Thanos spends a few years collecting the Infinity Stones, but Madara spends lifetimes making sure his followers carry out his orders.
3 Can't: Kakashi Doesn't Have The Chakra To Withstand The Fight
Kakashi is an incredibly smart and incredibly skilled shinobi, which is why he becomes Hokage. He would be a great person to advise someone on their fight against Thanos. Unfortunately, all of Kakashi's skills wouldn't help him outlast Thanos in a fight. Eventually, Thanos would tire him out.
That's because Kakashi doesn't have the chakra levels of someone like Naruto to back up his skills. Some of his most powerful abilities drain his chakra levels very quickly. He would have to turn the fight over to someone else if he wanted to live to fight another day.
2 Can: Shikamaru Has The Perfect Strategy To Beat Thanos
As a child, Shikamaru constantly tells people he has no interest in playing the hero or putting in the work to be a shinobi. He just wants to skate by. But when he applies himself, Shikamaru quickly proves himself to be the best strategist in the shinobi world. Nothing can stop him once he puts his mind to something.
It's Shikamaru who figures out how to defeat Hidan, the essentially immortal Akatsuki member, on his own. It's also Shikamaru who begins acting as advisor to a Hokage as a teenager — and takes over as chief strategist during the Fourth Shinobi World War when his father is killed. If Shikamaru went after Thanos, Thanos wouldn't stand a chance. Shikamaru would probably even figure out how to destroy all of the Infinity Stones so Thanos couldn't use them.
1 Can't: Orochimaru Would Put His Own Survival Ahead Of A Win
Orochimaru is certainly a formidable opponent who found a way to prolong his life beyond the normal expectancy. He also loves to experiment with dangerous jutsu. He would certainly be fascinated by the idea of the Infinity Stones, and would probably try to beat Thanos to them.
Ultimately, however, Orochimaru would put his own survival above all else. If his own well-being was threatened, he'd give up on the fight with Thanos to live another day, which is why Thanos would win in the end. He would keep pushing forward when Orochimaru wouldn't.