The titular hero of Naruto achieved phenomenal power during Masashi Kishimoto’s anime and manga, so why is adult Naruto so much weaker in the Boruto sequel series? When Naruto is The story began in 1997, the enthusiastic ninja remained firmly rooted at the bottom of his class, able to transform into a naked woman but unable to conjure the unique clone needed to graduate from Konoha’s training academy. Very gradually, Naruto Uzumaki was able to overcome his weaknesses. Through hard work, determination, and friendship, Naruto became the strongest ninja in the world. Kurama, the immensely powerful demon fox lurking in his stomach, probably helped as well. In the final chapter, Naruto narrowly defeated his longtime rival Sasuke to prove his strength and complete his journey.
After the end of the original story, the story picks up around 15 years later in the sequel series, Boruto. This story follows the adult Naruto is the Hokage of Konoha Village with his own family. Boruto: Naruto Next Generations focuses on the titular elder of Naruto and the new generation of youngsters protecting Konoha, most of whom are the offspring of characters from the original series.
Fans might expect that in Boruto, adult Naruto would be even stronger. Not only is he Hokage now, but Naruto has had another 15 years to perfect his techniques. Considering how fast Naruto progressed during his teenage years, he should have becoming an even more renowned ninja in your thirties…right?
Why adult Naruto is weaker in Boruto
Adult Naruto actually gets weaker during the pre-Boruto temp worker. In The Seventh Hokage and the Scarlet Source, Naruto confronts Shin – a former experience of Orochimaru who now seeks revenge. After taking damage in the fight, Kurama and Sasuke point out that Naruto has lost his edge, which the Hokage acknowledges. Naruto continues to have a strenuous fight against Kara member Delta before losing to Isshiki and being captured. naruto finally overcomes Isshiki’s power in their rematch, most, he only does so thanks to Kurama revealing the existence of Baryon Mode. This transformation is not a level Naruto has reached recently – he could have used it as a teenager, Kurama had mentioned it and therefore does not count as a power-up for Naruto in Boruto.
There are two main reasons in the story for adult Naruto’s relative lack of strength in the Boruto sequel series. First, Naruto got rusty – as Kurama pointed out in no uncertain terms. During his teenage years, Naruto trained, went on missions, and ate ramen. Driven by the lofty goal of becoming Hokage, he had nothing to do but grow stronger. As an adult, Naruto takes on a lot more responsibilities. Administrative work dominates his time, and Naruto’s job as Hokage is to protect the village, which involves more than just learning new moves. Secondly, the ninja world is currently experiencing an era of peace, which has weakened all villages at all levels. One of BorutoCommon themes are how the new generation aren’t as adept as the old guard without a war to fight, and by the time Kara appears, Naruto hasn’t fought a good chunk in years.
There are also two real reasons for Naruto’s decline. More importantly, Naruto is no longer the protagonist of his own story – he’s a supporting character, and it’s not the sequel’s job to make “Boruto’s father” stronger. With his young son taking center stage, Naruto’s role now is to get captured, have close combat, and facilitate Boruto’s story. On a similar practical level, Naruto and Sasuke were both uncomfortable at the end of the original series. Achieving such grandiose abilities made for an impressive battle against Kaguya, but it’s not exactly conducive to other stories. Naruto’s strength had to be toned down or there was no point in making his son Konoha’s next great hero.
Is Naruto weaker without Kurama?
Adult Naruto is massively weaker without Kurama. As a result of Baryon Mode, Naruto’s Nine-Tailed Fox becomes extinct, stripping him of all abilities associated with being a jinchuriki. His chakra is lower (although still high due to being an Uzumaki), and all levels of Fox Demon Modes are lost, leaving Sage Mode as the best weapon in his Hokage arsenal. the Boruto The manga highlights the seriousness of adult Naruto’s post-Kurama power drop when Shikamaru worries that his boss is taking Code without a backup. Not too long ago, Naruto’s closest adviser wouldn’t have hesitated to let the Seventh Hokage charge into battle alone.
Although it’s still early for Naruto without Kurama in Boruto, one might wonder if the Seventh is even at “Hokage” level right now, having not only rusted over the years, but also relied too much on his inner demon for too long. While he still has a secret up his orange sleeve, there’s no doubt that adult Naruto’s strength isn’t what it used to be.