Naruto's Next Anime Will Prove That The Fourth Hokage's True Heir Was Never Naruto

Published Jul 24, 2026, 7:00 PM EDT An experienced Editor representing Canada via ScreenRant's Team Anime, J.R. has been reading manga since the first printing of Shonen Jump in North America. This passion drove him to write about anime, manga, and manhwa since 2022, having recently served as Lead Anime Editor for ComicBook.com. His favorite moments in media coverage include reviewing the series premieres of Zom 100 and Bleach: TYBW Part 2 back-to-back and briefly meeting Junji Ito at a VIZ gallery event in 2023. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Despite many years spent staunchly opposed to walking in his father's footsteps even on a meta series-level, Boruto Uzumaki can't seem to escape the legacy of his predecessors. The Naruto franchise carved out plenty of legends among the greatest defenders of the Hidden Leaf, and that's without even discussing the incredible power once held by its Seventh Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki. But, despite being the spitting image of his father, Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze, Naruto ultimately carved out his future in ways only he could, both as the Jinchuriki bearing Kurama, and as a fiercely idealistic ninja, unwilling to compromise and working incredibly hard every step of the way. Naruto was, in many ways, never quite like his father in many significant ways. Minato was a genius, being calmer and more analytical, making more than one incredibly difficult choice Naruto would have struggled to make as a leader. But perhaps these qualities skipped a generation, making Naruto less of a suitable heir than a necessary break from tradition, who heralded a new era for the village. Instead, the Fourth Hokage's qualities are gradually shining more in his grandson, Boruto, on multiple fronts. That is, provided Boruto: Two Blue Vortex's eventual anime properly sets up a parallel for one of Minato's finest moments. Naruto May Not Be The Same Ninja As His Father, But Boruto's Finding Common Ground While younger Boruto Uzumaki pre-timeskip certainly bore plenty of shades of his father, including the usual acts of youthful rebellion, he was different enough to never be quite on track to be just like Naruto. Boruto famously felt he and his sister, Himawari, were neglected in favor of Naruto's duties as Hokage, prompting his views to sour on the position. But Boruto has since shown tremendous talent as a shinobi, with enormous chakra control, quickly learning powerful variants on the Rasengan that took his father much longer to learn. By the time of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, the young ninja was ruthlessly competent, bearing Sasuke's mannerisms and techniques, but one key ability as an homage to the Fourth Hokage. Thanks to the inherent Otsutsuki traits now part of his body, Boruto soon adapted his innate time-space capabilities by binding small amounts of his chakra to distinctive metal objects to which he could teleport. It has become known as his spin on Minato's Flying Raijin Jutsu, getting Boruto out of plenty of binds so far, while making triumphant returns to attack Code, obliterate Matsuri, and hatch a scheme to use Sarada Uchiha as bait. However, that last scheme did not pay off, with Code quickly catching onto Boruto's gambit, removing the marked objects from Sarada in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex chapter 36. But this ruthless plot by Boruto, in its failure, could open him up for a great rescue just like Minato did for Boruto's grandmother once before. Boruto's New Plan Failed, But It Sets Up A Great Throwback Opportunity To the surprise of probably nobody, Boruto's big plan to use Sarada as bait, draw Code out to take her to the Divine Trees' hideout, and use Flying Raijin Jutsu to rescue her and catch his enemies off guard. Instead, though, this sets up a key parallel to how Minato rescued Kushina Uzumaki from the Cloud Village ninjas. Sarada isn't exactly working with long locks of red hair to leave as proverbial breadcrumbs, so Boruto may have to get creative, and unless he also casually embedded some of his chakra on Sarada's new glasses, or finds a way to travel through Code's Claw Marks, it's unsure just how he'll reach her. Hidden Leaf Village · Chunin Exam NarutoTrivia Challenge 🔥 Jinchūriki Believe it! 🔴 Sharingan Copy ninja 🌀 Jutsu Rasengan! 🌿 Village Will of Fire ⚡ Bonds Unbreakable BELIEVE IT! → 01 Naruto Uzumaki carries an immense burden — a powerful Tailed Beast sealed inside him since birth by the Fourth Hokage. This fox demon’s chakra gives Naruto extraordinary power but also makes him an outcast. What is the name of this Nine-Tailed Beast? AShukaku BMatatabi CKurama DGyuki ✓ Correct! Kurama is the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed within Naruto by his father, the Fourth Hokage. Initially a source of fear and hatred, Kurama eventually becomes one of Naruto’s closest allies. Their bond is one of the most emotional arcs in the entire series. ✗ Substitution jutsu failed! The answer is Kurama. Shukaku is the One-Tail sealed in Gaara, Matatabi is the Two-Tails, and Gyuki is the Eight-Tails sealed in Killer Bee. Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox, is Naruto’s legendary partner. NEXT → 02 Naruto’s greatest rival is a prodigy from a prestigious clan who possesses a powerful eye technique called the Sharingan. Consumed by a desire for vengeance against his older brother, he defects from the Hidden Leaf Village. Who is this rival? ANeji Hyuga BSasuke Uchiha CGaara DRock Lee ✓ Correct! Sasuke Uchiha is Naruto’s eternal rival and best friend. After the Uchiha massacre, Sasuke’s obsession with killing his brother Itachi drives him to leave the village and seek power at any cost. Their rivalry is the emotional backbone of the entire series. ✗ Substitution jutsu failed! The answer is Sasuke Uchiha. Neji is a Hyuga clan genius with the Byakugan, Gaara is the Sand Village’s jinchūriki, and Rock Lee is the taijutsu specialist. Only Sasuke wields the Sharingan and defects to join Orochimaru. NEXT → 03 Naruto’s signature jutsu is a spinning sphere of concentrated chakra formed in the palm of his hand. Originally created by the Fourth Hokage and taught to Naruto by Jiraiya, it becomes the foundation for many of his most powerful attacks. What is this technique called? ARasengan BChidori CShadow Clone Jutsu DSage Art: Lava Rasenshuriken ✓ Correct! The Rasengan is a pure chakra manipulation technique that doesn’t require hand signs. Created by Minato Namikaze and passed down through Jiraiya to Naruto, it evolves into many variations including the devastating Rasenshuriken with added Wind Release nature transformation. ✗ Substitution jutsu failed! The answer is the Rasengan. The Chidori is Sasuke and Kakashi’s lightning technique, Shadow Clone Jutsu is a different Naruto staple, and the Lava Rasenshuriken is a late-series variant. The base Rasengan is Naruto’s iconic spinning chakra sphere. NEXT → 04 Team 7’s leader is a mysterious, mask-wearing jonin known as the “Copy Ninja” for his ability to replicate over a thousand jutsu using his borrowed Sharingan eye. He’s always reading a certain novel. Who is this legendary sensei? AMight Guy BAsuma Sarutobi CJiraiya DKakashi Hatake ✓ Correct! Kakashi Hatake, the Copy Ninja of the Sharingan, leads Team 7 (Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura). His Sharingan was a gift from his dying friend Obito Uchiha. Always cool under pressure and perpetually reading Make-Out Paradise, Kakashi eventually becomes the Sixth Hokage. ✗ Substitution jutsu failed! The answer is Kakashi Hatake. Might Guy leads Team Guy, Asuma leads Team 10, and Jiraiya is one of the Legendary Sannin who later trains Naruto. Only Kakashi is the masked Copy Ninja with a borrowed Sharingan who leads Team 7. NEXT → 05 Sasuke’s older brother massacred nearly the entire Uchiha clan in a single night, then joined the criminal organization Akatsuki. It was later revealed he did it all on orders from the village to prevent a coup — sacrificing everything to protect his brother. Who is this tragic figure? AMadara Uchiha BItachi Uchiha CObito Uchiha DShisui Uchiha ✓ Correct! Itachi Uchiha is one of Naruto’s most complex characters. A pacifist genius forced into an impossible choice, he bore the hatred of the entire world — including his beloved brother Sasuke — to protect the Hidden Leaf from civil war. His final words to Sasuke remain iconic. ✗ Substitution jutsu failed! The answer is Itachi Uchiha. Madara is the legendary clan founder, Obito is the masked man behind much of the war, and Shisui was Itachi’s best friend. Itachi alone carried out the massacre to prevent the Uchiha coup and protect Sasuke. NEXT → 06 From the very first episode, Naruto declares his lifelong dream to earn the respect of his village and prove his worth. He vows to achieve the highest rank in the Hidden Leaf — its supreme leader. What is this title that Naruto dreams of? AKazekage BJonin Commander CHokage DAnbu Captain ✓ Correct! Hokage is the title of the Hidden Leaf Village’s leader, and Naruto’s dream of becoming Hokage drives the entire series. After years of struggle, he finally achieves his dream and becomes the Seventh Hokage in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. ✗ Substitution jutsu failed! The answer is Hokage. The Kazekage leads the Sand Village, Jonin Commander is a military rank, and Anbu Captain leads black ops. The Hokage is the Hidden Leaf’s supreme leader — and Naruto’s lifelong dream since he was a lonely academy student. NEXT → 07 Naruto’s father was the Fourth Hokage, known as the “Yellow Flash of the Leaf” for his incredible speed using the Flying Thunder God technique. He sacrificed his life to seal the Nine-Tails inside his newborn son. What is his name? AMinato Namikaze BHiruzen Sarutobi CTobirama Senju DHashirama Senju ✓ Correct! Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage and Yellow Flash, sacrificed himself using the Reaper Death Seal to seal Kurama inside baby Naruto. His love for his son and faith in Naruto’s potential made him one of the series’ most selfless characters. ✗ Substitution jutsu failed! The answer is Minato Namikaze. Hiruzen Sarutobi is the Third Hokage, Tobirama Senju is the Second, and Hashirama Senju is the First. Minato, the Fourth Hokage, is Naruto’s father who sealed the Nine-Tails at the cost of his own life. NEXT → 08 A shy, kind-hearted kunoichi from the Hyuga clan admired Naruto from afar since their academy days. She boldly confessed her love while fighting Pain to protect him, and eventually became his wife. Who is this character? ASakura Haruno BIno Yamanaka CTemari DHinata Hyuga ✓ Correct! Hinata Hyuga went from a timid girl who could barely speak around Naruto to a fierce warrior who stood against Pain to protect him. Her confession during the Pain arc is one of the series’ most emotional moments. They marry in The Last: Naruto the Movie and have two children, Boruto and Himawari. ✗ Substitution jutsu failed! The answer is Hinata Hyuga. Sakura is Naruto’s teammate who loves Sasuke, Ino is Sakura’s rival from the Yamanaka clan, and Temari is a Sand Village kunoichi who marries Shikamaru. Only Hinata loved Naruto from the very beginning. REVEAL MY SCORE → Mission Complete Your Ninja Record / 8 Are you Hokage material — or still at the academy practicing clone jutsu? ↻ RETRY MISSION Boruto's impulsiveness finally got the better of him in this moment, warping to her position despite Koji Kashin's warnings that his plans would fail. But, crucially, Koji's upgraded Prescience stopped short of predicting Sarada's death, so for now, that possibility seems distant at worst. Regardless of methods used, though, saving Sarada is practically the guaranteed next mission in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, as letting her go almost certainly means losing her to Hidari and, in all likelihood, losing Sasuke in the process. So beyond creating a beautiful parallel between Boruto and Sarada against that of Minato and Kushina's love story, this rescue's stakes are now incredibly high, making the manga's new hiatus all the more painful to wait out to see what comes next. First Film Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow Latest Film Boruto: Naruto the Movie First TV Show Naruto Latest TV Show Boruto: Naruto Next Generations First Episode Air Date October 3, 2002 Cast Junko Takeuchi, Maile Flanagan, Noriaki Sugiyama, Chie Nakamura, Kazuhiko Inoue, Nana Mizuki, Hideo Ishikawa, Yûko Sanpei Naruto is a franchise spawned from the manga series penned by Masashi Kishimoto that began in 1999. Generating several tv series, games, movies, and more, Naruto follows the exploits of a young outcast ninja harboring the spirit of a demon fox who seeks to become the Hokage, the leader of his ninja village, to break the stigma against him. Upon the conclusion of the initial series, Naruto expanded into Boruto, following many series protagonists' children and returning faces. Writer Masashi Kishimoto Writers Masashi Kishimoto Penciler(s) Mikio Ikemoto Inker(s) Mikio Ikemoto Colorist(s) Mikio Ikemoto Publisher(s) Viz Media Years after fleeing his village with Sasuke, Boruto returns to confront the dark changes that have occurred. With memories altered and Kawaki now seen as the hero, Boruto faces a world where he is the outcast. The two rivals must settle their differences as their Otsutsuki powers grow more dangerous.