I don't understand people who dislike Iruka. I have a friend who says "he barely does anything" and "he's not the best shinobi" (though we obviously can't compare him to Kakashi, for example). But honestly, the guy did so much. I feel like, even with the idea of being acknowledged by Sasuke, Naruto wouldn't be who he is if it weren't for Iruka, and that carries a lot of weight.
I mean, the kid had a goal, okay? But at least he had an adult who guided him and showed him affection. They make that especially clear with Gaara, whose own “Iruka” ended up becoming someone who literally told him: “Deep down in my heart, I hate you.”
I know Iruka isn't the coolest guy around (HE IS) or anything, but narratively he's really important. I still think he never had any personal motives for being kind to Naruto (unlike Kakashi or Jiraiya), and he genuinely became a good older brother figure to him.