Naruto’s New Strongest Character Just Surpassed the Fourth Hokage

While Boruto Uzumaki was certainly born with potential for greatness, it's impressive just the extent of his power by Boruto: Two Blue Vortex. The Naruto sequel manga has featured Boruto's troubled return to a Konoha that has branded him a traitor who allegedly killed the Seventh Hokage, but this hasn't stopped Boruto from showing innately Hokage-like qualities.

As the grandson of Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze, Boruto is bound to be weighed against his predecessors. While not wholly the same type of ninja as Minato, or even as his father, Naruto, Boruto has incorporated each of their teachings alongside his own unique spins. The result leaves Boruto poised as a strong successor to Konoha's Yellow Flash, the Fourth Hokage.

Boruto Pays Direct Homage to His Grandfather, Konoha's Yellow Flash

It shouldn't be surprising that Boruto is propped up by the Naruto universe to succeed his absent father and late grandfather, especially since it's been building up all along. Taught the Rasengan at a young age much like his father, Boruto has created variants on the A-rank jutsu, intentionally like the Rasengan Uzuhiko, and unintentionally with Part 1's Vanishing Rasengan.

However, Boruto has increasingly resembled his Grandfather through the Fourth Hokage's most iconic jutsu, the Flying Raijin Jutsu. Created by Tobirama Senju and perfected by Minato, it's a jutsu shared exclusively by Hokage before Boruto. Yet, its distinctive seals are absent from Boruto's Flying Raijin, with him instead relying on his unique Ōtsutsuki powers.

Having space-time abilities conferred to him thanks to Momoshiki Ōtsutsuki, Boruto has created a more limited technique, named Flying Raijin as a nod to Minato. Instead of seals, he uses distinctively-shaped totems to teleport, albeit with greater limitations on distance. Additionally, Boruto appears visibly attached to his grandfather's legacy, wearing a necklace resembling Minato's kunai like on chapter #22's cover.

The result makes Boruto a particularly powerful player in Konoha's new roster of young shinobi. He is continuing to emerge from Naruto and Minato's shadows, too, with early glimpses like his victory against Momoshiki, to more recent cases, like him obliterating two different Ten-Tails reincarnations, both times using techniques that are directly linked to the Fourth Hokage's legacy.

Boruto's Heritage and Possible Future Hint at Incredible Future Generations

Being of Uzumaki, Namikaze, Senju, and Hyuga heritage, Boruto represents a potent Kekkei Genkai cocktail. It's not even just genetic gifts, either; Boruto has demonstrated prodigious potential, such as being able to perform hand seals one-handed in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex chapter #6. It's an uncommon feat usually reserved for veteran shinobi like Granny Chiyo, or geniuses like Haku.

Beyond talent markers like these, though, Boruto's Ōtsutsuki powers lend themselves to a fascinating spin on the Byakugan eye, as recently re-explored in chapter #29. However, despite having honed Rasengan variants powerful enough to kill humanoid Divine Trees, a limited Flying Raijin technique, and being taught the Uchiha Style Blade Technique, Boruto doesn't wish to be Hokage.

Boruto has previously stated that he has no interest in becoming Hokage, no doubt influenced by Naruto's absentee parenting while in the position. Instead, he views Sasuke Uchiha as his role model, wishing to become Konoha's next Supporting Shadow, vowing instead to protect Sarada Uchiha, who wishes to ascend to the role.

This, combined with Boruto's budding potential romance with Sarada (amid a love triangle fully embraced by her and Sumire in chapter #25), paints an interesting picture of Boruto's future. Not only is he incredibly powerful and recognized as a genius by Sasuke; if he were to marry Sarada, their heirs would be a powerful genetic cocktail unseen since Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki.

• 

  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.