Speed has long been one of the basic tenets of being a shinobi. Even the weakest of genin are capable of traveling at unprecedented speeds, and Kage-level shinobi could quite literally give The Flash a run for his money. It's common knowledge that Minato Namikaze, Konoha's Yellow Flash, is the series' fastest character, although for the purpose of this list, only characters who are alive by the end of Naruto: Shippuden will be ranked.
5) Kakashi Hatake
The Copy Ninja is probably the most well-rounded shinobi in the series. From mastering several chakra natures to bamboozling opponents with genjutsu and even brawling with the best of taijutsu masters; Kakashi can do it all; this ranking would be incomplete without him. Kakashi's base speed is well above that of even jonin-class ninja, allowing him to sneak up on almost anyone for deadly unexpected attacks.
He's also been shown to be able to open at least the first of the eight inner gates, allowing for an even greater boost to his speed just when he needs it most. While using the Chidori, he's capable of reaching the speed of lightning itself. Despite his unassuming appearance, it would be unwise to underestimate the Sixth Hokage in a battle of speed.
4) A - The Fourth Raikage
For a ninja who idolizes strength above all, A is surprisingly quick on his feet. All Raikage are fast, but A is in a league of his own. His base form already possesses speed faster than the eye can follow, but his true speed emerges when he cloaks himself with lightning chakra.
His chakra shield boosts his durability as well as stimulates the Raikage’s nervous system and senses, allowing for reaction times that simply don't make sense. For example, he was able to dodge Sasuke's Amaterasu -- a jutsu whose only activation requirement is looking at its target. When facing the Yellow Flash in battle, he also came the closest that anyone probably got to landing a hit. A boosts his immense raw physical strength with his speed for some truly devastating punches. His unique blend of ninjutsu and taijutsu, dubbed nintaijutsu, was powerful enough to even break through a Susanoo. He certainly deserves his title as a Kage.
3) Might Guy - Konoha's Green Beast
As a master of the Eight Inner Gates, Guy's speed can never be called into question. His dedication to constant improvement and making the most out of his youthful days result in training regimens that, while absurd, certainly put him a cut above most other ninja. Even without opening a gate, his race against Kakashi proved he was no slowpoke.
Activating the Eight Inner Gates takes Guy to a whole new level of speed. His Hirudora at Seven Gates is a taijutsu move created by the air pressure generated after a lightning-fast punch. The shockwave it generates is large enough to eclipse entire islands.
When Guy finally opened the Eighth Gate, his speed rose to supersonic levels and he literally ran circles around Madara, who had become the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki and was virtually a god. Even with the astronomical power boost Madara received, he was helpless in the face of Guy's attacks.
2) Sasuke Uchiha - The Avenger
From a young age, Sasuke was always miles ahead of his peers in every respect. Before he even got a sensei, he was quick enough in combat to handle himself against adult ninja, and under Kakashi's tutelage, he progressed in leaps and bounds.
He became able to replicate Rock Lee's Fifth Gate speed after observing it just once with his Sharingan, and could reach similar speeds to Kakashi when he used the Chidori, all at age 12. During his time with Orochimaru, his physical abilities were heightened again with drugs and forbidden jutsu. When he first encountered Team 7 after abandoning Konoha, his casual movements were so quick that he appeared to be teleporting.
As Sasuke's Sharingan matured, his strength and speed likewise grew, but his biggest power boost arrived after he received Six Paths chakra from Hagoromo Otsutsuki. His speed was almost on par with the Otsutsuki themselves, and his newly awakened Rinnegan's abilities allowed him to cross impossible distances within the blink of an eye.
Similar to the Raikage's nerve stimulation, Sasuke's Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan allows him infinitely greater perception than most ninja. Even at top speed, he's acutely aware of his surroundings at all times and would never fall into a trap trying to take advantage of his speed.
1) Naruto Uzumaki - The Seventh Hokage
Naruto was never known for his speed when he was younger, but what he lacked in that respect, he made up for with numbers and unpredictable strategies. However, his Nine-Tails rampages hinted at just how quick he could become. The higher the number of tails he showed, the faster he would become.
At one tail, he was keeping up with Sasuke at his top speed, and at four, he was more than holding his own against Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin. It wasn't until he learned to control the Nine-Tails chakra that his true speed was revealed.
Suddenly, Naruto was little more than a blur to everyone's eyes. During the Fourth Great Ninja War, he was able to take care of several squads of White Zetsu in seconds, and even more impressive, he dodged a punch from A, the Raikage; a feat that had only been achieved by one other ninja, The Yellow Flash.
Like Sasuke, Naruto also received Six Paths chakra from Hagoromo Otsutsuki, further amplifying his powers. He was able to keep up with and even outmaneuver both Obito and Madara in their Ten-Tails Jinchuriki forms, and showed no fatigue despite moving at inhuman levels. He repeated similar feats of speed against Kaguya Otsutsuki; indeed, his guerrilla tactics and newfound speed were instrumental in her defeat. Naruto's Sage Mode and Nine-Tails' sensory skills make his reaction time comparable to Sasuke's. He's definitely another ninja who's impossible to be caught off guard.
