In the story of Naruto, the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, gave his very life to confront the nine-tailed fox and drive away Obito Uchiha, all in one night. With his and Kushina's death, the young Naruto was left all alone, and it fell to the retired third Hokage (Hiruzen Sarutobi) to resume office and take care of Naruto. How did that turn out?
In hindsight, Hiruzen Sarutobi's handling of the situation was mixed. The newborn Naruto Uzumaki had no family remaining in the Leaf Village, and everyone feared the demon fox that lived inside of him. The third Hokage didn't shirk from his duty, but then again, he probably could have taken a few extra steps for Naruto's sake.
10 WHAT HIRUZEN SHOULD HAVE DONE: Try To Find A Foster Family
Many ninja families reside in the Hidden Leaf Village, from the Yamanaka Clan to the Hyuga family and the Aburame family. Some of these families have well-guarded secrets and can't easily adopt children, but other ninja families may be open to the idea.
It's true that Naruto faced the stigma of the fox inside of him, and many people shunned him. But surely there was at least one family in the entire Hidden Leaf Village who would have adopted him, perhaps in secret. If the Dursleys can adopt Harry Potter and put up with his freakish magic, someone could have done the same for Naruto.
9 WHAT HIRUZEN DID: He Entrusted Naruto To Kakashi Hatake
When Naruto finally graduated from the ninja academy, he ended up in Team 7, made up of himself, Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura Haruno (though they didn't all get along). But they didn't have an ordinary jonin as their teacher; they ended up with Kakashi Hatake.
It is likely that only the stern but clever (and caring) Kakashi could have handled the likes of Naruto, and the Third Hokage personally made sure that Kakashi, and no one else, was responsible for Naruto's team. Looking back, that was a good call.
8 WHAT HIRUZEN SHOULD HAVE DONE: Introduce Naruto To His Grandson, Konohamaru, Sooner
The Third Hokage's grandson is none other than the boy named Konohamaru, who has Asuma Sarutobi as an uncle. Little Konohamaru never suffered the fear and rejection that Naruto faced daily, but he did resent being in his grandfather's rather long shadow. He felt alone, despite not being a jinchuriki.
Indeed, Naruto and Konohamaru became friendly rivals when they met very early in the story, but one wonders if Hiruzen could have arranged this meeting sooner, and actively make sure that both boys had a friend. This should have been an obvious step to take.
7 WHAT HIRUZEN DID: Sent Ninja To Find Naruto When Mizuki Ambushed Him
In the end, Naruto didn't need that much help against the scheming ninja Mizuki, since he had Iruka Umino looking after him, not to mention the newly-learned shadow clone jutsu. Still, the third Hokage took steps to protect Naruto from the threat of Mizuki.
But that wasn't the only reason. Hiruzen not only wanted to keep Naruto safe, but he also wanted to prevent the nine-tailed fox's escape, and avoid total disaster. For the sake of Naruto and the village, Hiruzen set ninja teams to rescue Naruto in the dead of night.
6 WHAT HIRUZEN SHOULD HAVE DONE: Provide Free Counseling & A Therapist For Naruto
There is no doubt that being a total outcast in the Hidden Leaf Village took an enormous toll on Naruto's mind. Over in the Hidden Sand Village, Gaara of the Sand was suffering in the same way, and his mind was warped and twisted as a result. That could have been Naruto, too.
Surely, Hiruzen would be aware that all this would weigh heavily on the young Naruto, and the Third Hokage definitely should have set up free counseling and personally-appointed therapists to help look after Naruto's mental well-being. Even if Naruto was uncooperative at first, this would have been a fine idea.
5 WHAT HIRUZEN DID: Watching Naruto With An Orb
Hiruzen Sarutobi was watching Naruto from afar, and not just with his minions. Hiruzen used a magic ball to watch Naruto from a distance, something that came up a few times in the first handful of Naruto episodes. It's a fine way to keep tabs on someone.
Arguably, Hiruzen could have done a lot more based on what he saw in that crystal ball, but at least he was trying, and this is how he knew that Naruto was being cornered by Mizuki. Hiruzen also used this crystal ball to watch Naruto and Konohamaru goof off together when Naruto performed the infamous Sexy Jutsu.
4 WHAT HIRUZEN SHOULD HAVE DONE: Give Naruto A Bigger Allowance
If it didn't work out to find an open-minded foster family for the young Naruto Uzumaki, then the Third Hokage could have at least given Naruto a bigger allowance. A young boy doesn't need that much stuff, but Naruto is bitterly lonely and unhappy, so the Hokage could partially fill the void with a better living situation.
Naruto could have been given a nicer apartment in the village, along with a steady allowance for groceries, household items, and clothing. In an early episode, Naruto is seen drinking slightly spoiled milk; perhaps he couldn't afford a fresh carton right away?
3 WHAT HIRUZEN DID: Gave Naruto A Chance To Prove Himself
When Naruto joined Team 7, he started undergoing official ninja missions. D-ranked missions, that is. Such missions don't even involve combat, and instead, they are more like errands and chores for the villagers. Naruto and Sasuke were both frustrated, so when Naruto said something, the Third Hokage did him a favor.
Hiruzen understood that Naruto wanted a chance to prove himself, and Naruto had more than a little need for validation. So, the Third Hokage graciously assigned Team 7 to a C-ranked mission: to escort Tazuna, a bridge builder, back home to the Land of Waves. Now that's a mission.
2 WHAT HIRUZEN COULD HAVE DONE: Hire A Personal Trainer For Naruto
Naruto was allowed to train at the ninja academy like everyone else, but he didn't have a good time there. The other students disliked Naruto's attention-grabbing antics, and the instructors weren't too fond of him, either. Perhaps Naruto needed a different learning environment entirely.
Instead, the Third Hokage could have arranged for a private tutor who's willing and able to deal with Naruto personally and drill some good jutsu into his mind. If Hiruzen could hire Ebisu for Konohamaru, he could have hired someone for Naruto, too.
1 WHAT HIRUZEN DID: Gave Naruto A Shot At The Chunin Exams
After the Land of Waves mission, Naruto his team went back to performing easy D-ranked missions until the third Hokage got an idea. If Naruto could survive facing Zabuza Momochi and Haku, he would stand a chance in the Chunin Exams as well. So, he gave Team 7 a chance to prove themselves once again.
Despite Iruka's apprehension, Hiruzen arranged a few tests for Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura alike, and once the genin passed, Hiruzen made sure that Naruto and his allies had a spot in the Chunin Exams. This would pay off enormously, and through the Third Hokage, Naruto made exponential growth. In fact, this was when Naruto met his future mentor, Jiraiya the toad sage.