Naruto fans are rejoiced to know that their beloved manga is making a return very soon. Following the conclusion of the Fourth Great Ninja War, Masashi Kishimoto put his pen down and finally concluded his magnum opus, Naruto. Since then, the story has continued with other illustrators taking the helm with Boruto: Naruto Next Generations.
Even with Kishimoto returning as the story writer, Boruto is a far cry from its predecessor and clearly not as popular. As such, fans have been left starving for more stuff from the Naruto era. Interestingly, now is the time for their wishes to be granted as a spin-off novel focused on Sasuke is about to receive its manga adaptation. Sasuke Retsuden chapter 1 is all set to release and here's what fans should expect from it.
Sasuke Retsuden Chapter 1: When Does It Take Place?
Quite possibly one of the biggest questions that the fans have in their minds is regarding the continuity of the Naruto story with regards to Sasuke Retsuden. With Boruto already being serialized, some fans are sure to be wondering whether the story is set in the Boruto era, which takes place over a decade after the conclusion of the Fourth Great Ninja War, or if it precedes that. Thankfully, Sasuke Retsuden chapter 1 will be set years before the beginning of Bort. As such, it is a part of the Naruto continuity and will see the favorite characters of the fans make a return after nearly a decade.
This will also be the very first spin-off manga from the Naruto series (not including the sequel, Boruto) since Naruto Gaiden: The Seventh Hokage and the Scarlet Spring. Incidentally, that manga also focused quite a bit on Sasuke Uchiha and his family. Sasuke Retsuden precedes even that one-shot and is set some years after the conclusion of the Fourth Great Ninja War where Sasuke is on his journey across the ninja world. Fans saw him set out on his journey in the last chapter of Naruto. In Sasuke Retsuden Chapter 1, he can be seen traveling somewhere far from the Land of Fire, continuing what he calls his redemption journey.
Sasuke Retsuden Chapter 1: Sasuke's Journey
Sasuke Uchiha is quite easily one of the most iconic characters in Naruto and any story centered around him will automatically make the fans interested. After all, Sasuke is arguably just as important as Naruto Uzumaki to the story. Over the years, his character has been through several ups and downs. At one point, he was obsessed with the idea of avenging the massacre of his clan, and, later, he went on a quest to avenge his brother's death. Sasuke was a blank canvas throughout the majority of the Naruto series which different people tried to paint the way they seemed fit for their own purposes. However, close to the conclusion of the series, Sasuke finally started to tread his own path. Wanting to become a protector just like his brother, Sasuke chose to fight Naruto as his idea of peace differed from that of the yellow-haired shinobi. However, after losing to Naruto and realizing all his wrongdoings, Sasuke departed on a journey of redemption.
At some point during this journey, the events of Sasuke Retsuden take place. As fans know, one of his most important missions following the sealing of Kaguya Otsutsuki was to trace down the Otsutsuki clan, including the Rikudo Sennin, Hagoromo Otsutsuki. Sasuke Retsuden Chapter 1 will be centered around this, if the light novel that it is being adapted from is to be closely followed. It is believed that Sasuke heads to the Astronomy Institute of Research, which is located leagues away from the country where Konoha resides – the Land of Fire.
Sasuke Retsuden Chapter 1: Sakura Joins
Sasuke isn't the only character who is going to be prevalent in this manga. Sakura, his wife, is also very crucial to the story. Sasuke joins her on the journey to find the traces of the Sage of Six Paths and this mission of his leads the two into a secret investigation that begins at the Astronomy Institute of Research. While the two are on their secret mission, some dark forces seem to already be planning a life-or-death situation. Evidently, things aren't as peaceful as one would expect them to be following the conclusion of the Fourth Great Ninja War. However, that is precisely what Sasuke and Sakura are there for. Taking things into their own hands, the two must stick together and fight through the mysterious forces to get to the bottom of the research that they're carrying out.
Interestingly, this manga will also deliver the much-needed combo of Sasuke and Sakura. The two hold a very special bond with one another ever since they were part of Team 7 and, as they grew up, they started to develop feelings for one another. Yet, the Naruto story did very little service to their relationship. For the most part, it seemed to be quite one-sided with Sakura being obsessed with Sasuke and the latter not seeming to care much for her. Starting with Sasuke Retsuden Chapter 1, this manga will mend the holes that Kishimoto left behind and certainly add a new layer to their complex yet lovely relationship.
Sasuke Retsuden Chapter 1 Release Date
Sasuke Retsuden is based on a light novel written by Jun Esaka. The upcoming manga is set to be illustrated by Shingo Kimura. Sasuke Retsuden Chapter 1 is set to be released on October 23, 2022. Fans can read the manga on the Shonen Jump+ app. At the moment, no confirmation on whether or not it will be available to read on MangaPlus is given, however, the chances of that being the case are certainly there.