This article contains spoilers from the Naruto series.
Naruto Uzumaki ended his journey in the original series by becoming the Hokage of the village, many years after the conclusion of the Fourth Great Ninja War. By this time, he was officially recognized as the strongest shinobi in the world, with the only one capable of rivaling him being none other than Sasuke Uchiha.
Boruto: Naruto's Next Transformation Will Be Overpowered, And Kishimoto Has Already Decided What It Is
Naruto will eventually return in Boruto. Kishimoto has a huge power-up for him in store.
In the Boruto series, Naruto Uzumaki held tight to his throne. At first, he was able to deal with threats such as Momoshiki Otsutsuki, and later down the line, the likes of Kara members as well. However, with time, Naruto Uzumaki certainly lost his touch, and the Boruto writers decided that it was time to cast him aside for a new generation of ninjas.
Naruto Uzumaki had his powers stripped from him one by one, and the biggest loss of them all was Six Paths Sage Mode. Given the direction that the Boruto series has taken, it goes without saying that this is the end of an era for Naruto Uzumaki, and he won't be getting his powers back anymore.
Naruto's Biggest Loss In Boruto Wasn't Kurama
- Naruto Lost Kurama, But Six Paths Senjutsu Was A Bigger Loss
- Kurama died after the usage of Baryon Mode
- Six Paths Senjutsu was non-existent after Kurama's death
When one speaks of Naruto's handling in the Boruto series, it is quite clear to see that his legacy was utterly destroyed here by both Kishimoto and Ikemoto. Naruto Uzumaki was an icon in the ninja world, and his story was one that inspired countless others all over the world. To see him fall from grace the way he did was certainly disappointing for all the fans of the original series.
You be good, Naruto. And don't join me too soon. — Kurama to Naruto Uzumaki
Naruto's fall was first clearly hinted at when the battle against Jigen officially began. For some reason, his greatest powers were not accessible to him anymore, and the same applied to Sasuke as well. Later down the line, in the battle against Isshiki, Naruto officially lost the power of Kurama, which most fans consider the biggest loss of all.
However, looking closely at things, the biggest loss that Naruto suffered wasn't the power of Kurama; In fact, it was the loss of the Six Paths Senjutsu. Often, fans confuse Six Paths Senjutsu with Six Paths Sage Mode and Tailed Beast powers. To properly explain what Naruto actually lost, one has to go back to the Fourth Great Ninja War of the Naruto series. In this arc, Naruto received multiple power-ups:
- Kurama Chakra: The first power-up came through Kurama, who willingly allowed Naruto to utilize all his chakra pool.
- Tailed Beast Power: The second power came through other Tailed Beasts, all of whom shared a portion of their own chakra with Naruto Uzumaki, essentially making him a pseudo Jinchuriki of the Ten Tails.
- Finally, Naruto received Six Paths Senjutsu from none other than the Sage of Six Paths.
There is an important element of distinction that fans need to keep in mind. Naruto Uzumaki can use the power of Six Paths Senjutsu without tapping into Tailed Beast chakra. This was clearly shown in the war immediately after he returned, when he kicked away Madara's truth-seeking orb and then unleashed the power of Lava Release Rasenshuriken on him, chopping both him and the God Tree in half.
Looking at Naruto's eyes, it was quite clear to see that he had the powers of Six Paths Senjutsu activated, and this did not require him to tap into the power of any Tailed Beast. Even if Naruto lost the power of Kurama and the Tailed Beasts, the powers that he received from Hagoromo should have stayed. For some reason, the Boruto writers completely erased this power, because otherwise, they would not be able to sell the narrative of Naruto Uzumaki being weak.
Naruto Also Lost Six Paths Sage Mode Without A Reason
- Boruto Writers Have Nerfed Naruto Tremendously
What followed next was quite disastrous for the character of Naruto Uzumaki. He was only left with the power of regular Sage Mode, and even this power of his was nerfed greatly in the battle against Code. Naruto was not able to do anything and was saved by the next generation, which the Boruto series tried to force down the throats of all the fans.
This isn't like before. I finally feel like I can do anything now. — Naruto using Six Paths Senjutsu
Boruto: How The Writers Nerfed Naruto Uzumaki
Naruto Uzumaki was extremely nerfed in Boruto. Sasuke received similar treatment.
Shortly after this arc, Naruto Uzumaki was officially sealed away by Kawaki, and since then, fans have not seen him at all. It is quite clear to see that the Boruto series has had a disastrous outcome as far as Naruto Uzumaki is concerned, and fans absolutely cannot wait for him to either come back or for the series to conclude before it does any more damage to his character.
The same applies to Sasuke Uchiha as well. Just like Naruto, Sasuke also lost his biggest powers in the Boruto series one by one and was eventually conveniently sealed away. In his case, he was bitten by a Claw Grime and used as a template for the creation of a Shinju named Hidari. Only by the defeat of Hidari can Sasuke be released, and fans absolutely cannot wait for that to happen. But, all fans recognise that the best thing that can happen right now to protect the legacies of the old characters is for Boruto to properly end.
It's Time To Accept Naruto Will Never Be The Same In Boruto
- Naruto Uzumaki Is No Longer The Hero Fans Looked Up To
Quite clearly, Naruto Uzumaki will never be the same again as long as the Boruto series continues. It is quite clear to see that Boruto is focused greatly on the advancement of the next generation plotline, without paying any respect or consideration to the old characters that have worked incredibly hard to establish the ninja world in the first place. Even if Naruto Uzumaki were to return, fans know for a fact that he will not be given the importance that he deserves in this sequel story.
Come, Otsutsuki! I'll show you what the true resolve of a shinobi is like. — Naruto Uzumaki
The same applies to Sasuke Uchiha as well, and fans of other side characters, such as Sakura Haruno, Kakashi Hatake, and others, probably can't even dare to think about their characters receiving important roles in the Boruto series.
At the end of the day, this is a relatively unsuccessful sequel series, and the best thing that it can do right now is simply end its run so it can leave whatever legacy of Naruto Uzumaki remains intact. Based on how things are progressing at the moment, the Boruto series likely won't end before three or four more years, which means fans have a long and grueling wait to endure before Naruto Uzumaki finally comes back.