This article contains spoilers from the Naruto series.
Naruto Uzumaki is one of the most iconic characters in all of anime, known for being the protagonist of Naruto series. The yellow-haired ninja has inspired a generation across the world with his tremendous grip, his spirit of never giving up and rising through all adversity. Naruto Uzumaki is an absolutely incredible protagonist, and fans know that his dream of becoming the Hokage of his village serves as an inspiration to many.
Naruto: Sasuke as Konoha's Next Hokage, Explained
Sasuke could be the next Hokage. He might return to the Boruto story soon.
At the end of his long and arduous journey, Naruto Uzumaki managed to become Konoha's Hokage. Many years after the end of the Fourth Great Ninja War, Naruto was made the village's Seventh Hokage, and to this day he continues to be the Seventh Hokage. However, there is a debate about whether or not Naruto should be the seventh Hokage of the village. While Naruto Uzumaki certainly has the strength to maintain his position, it wastes his other talents, and it is for that very reason that he should actually be kept out of the position of Hokage forever.
Naruto Uzumaki has been cast aside in Boruto as Hokage
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Naruto is wasted in the Hokage office
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Fans want him to get more attention
Becoming Hokage is the highest honor any shinobi in Konoha can receive. Usually the shinobi ranks are classified into Genin, followed by Chunin and finally Jonin. There are a select few individuals among the strongest in a particular village who get to be Kage. Not only must they have immense strength, but their maturity should be on a whole other level, as well as having a desire to protect the innocent. The Hokage is basically a leader and a protector of the village who must see everyone as his own family.
This is not a story about a boy aiming to become Hokage. That was my dad's story. This is none other than my story! — Boruto Uzumaki, Boruto Chapter 1
In that regard, Naruto Uzumaki ticks all the boxes. He is the strongest the village has had until recently. And at the same time, he embodies the will of Fireand he sees everyone in the village as his own family. Naruto is the perfect leader any village could have asked for.
Unfortunately, Naruto becoming Hokage means his other attributes are completely wasted. In it Boruto series, it's pretty clear to see Naruto is rusty from being Hokage. For the strongest combatant in the village, being rusty is unforgivable. Naruto Uzumaki's fight against Shin Uchiha was proof of that. Although extremely powerful, Naruto was easily stabbed in the stomach by a rather weak individual. Seeing this, Kurama clearly told Naruto that he had become rusty and that he should train more. In fact, throughout Boruto series, Kurama has on various occasions told Naruto to train more. Of course, Naruto still went through when needed, like the fight against Momoshiki or the fight against Ishiki. But the fact is that Naruto is not as fit anymoreand that's a big question.
Naruto is the strongest in the world, and he needs to be more active
The world's strongest ninja should always be on the front line and that is an undeniable fact. The ninja world has changed drastically over the past two decades. The threats facing the ninja world right now are not the same as they faced before. A shinobi infiltration could easily have been handled by a Jonin back in the day. But now the threats they have to deal with are Otsutsuki-level aliens and possibly Shinju, who are just as strong. The average Jonin or Chunin cannot handle these matters.
Of course, Boruto's generation has a select few individuals who can combat these threats, such as Sarada Uchiha, Boruto himself, and even Kawaki. But the vast majority of the others are helpless against them. It is imperative for characters like Naruto Uzumaki to be on the front lines as much as possible. If that means giving up the title of Hokage, then so be it.
This power is enormous. It should definitely surpass his. But the disadvantages are too great. You see, the fact that it drains our lifespan is the key here. Since the chakra is connected, the power coming from parts of our lives also shaves off his life on contact. That's the power of Baryon Mode. — Kurama to Naruto Uzumaki
Naruto should not be Hokage and sit in an office where he can do very little. Instead, he should hone his skills day in and day out and be out there on the battlefield, leading from the front and setting an example for the next generation. That's what a true leader would do.
Instead, someone more adept at diplomatic matters, like Shikamaru Nara, should take the title of Hokage. Naruto deserves the position of Hokage, it goes without saying, and there is no better Hokage in the entire series than him. But Koma, he must leave this title behind if he truly wants to help against the greater threats facing the world.
Naruto's best moment comes outside the Hokage office
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Naruto saved the world without being Hokage
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His true powers shine on the battlefield
It's no surprise to know that all of Naruto's best moments in the franchise have come outside of the Hokage office. As Hokage, Naruto gets to do very little. In fact, this is true for the vast majority of Kage. They barely get a chance to shine, and the only time they do is when the village is either under attack or when they are at war. For the supporting characters, like the Second Hokage, this works just fine. But for Naruto this is a problem.
Naruto shined brightly over many battles in the original series because he didn't sit in an office and let his knowledge go to waste. In Boruto, his best moment came when he was forced to leave the office and take matters into his own hands, even when others like Shikamaru advised against it.
Boruto: The New 8th Hokage, Explained
The 8th Hokage will officially replace Naruto Uzumaki. There are some opponents in Boruto.
Naruto's own instinct tells him to take matters into his own hands and lead from the front. Village politics forces him to sit in an office, burdened with paperwork. This should be someone else's problem, not Naruto's, and fans know that once he returns, he would be far better off being out of the Hokage position, just like Sasuke has been over the years.
Fans are hoping for Naruto to return to the front line in the future
Naruto Uzumaki's return will happen eventually. It doesn't seem to be closed at the moment, but it will happen later. Once Naruto returns, it would be much better for the village to put Konohamaru as the next Hokage, or perhaps let Shikamaru continue his position as Hokage. Naruto should instead function as an elite ninja in the village, leading from the front and participating in exciting battles.
This is what Naruto needs at this point, and he, along with Sasuke, could then take on the biggest enemies together, and that's something fans would love to see as well. As great as the honor of being Hokage is, it holds Naruto back, and it should be cast aside. Naruto shouldn't be Konoha's Hokage after his returnand that may be a hard pill for some fans to swallow, but it will make his character even richer.
Boruto: Two Blue Vortex is the sequel to the original Boruto series, written by Mikio Ikemoto and supervised by Masashi Kishimoto. The series follows Boruto Uzumaki's journey, three years after the events of Omnipotence hit the story. Boruto must now work to save the world from the dangers it faces as he deals with his brother Kawaki. Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Chapter 30 will be released on January 20, 2026. The release time of the chapter is 10:00 AM EST/3:00 PM UTC. As always, fans can read the chapter officially for free on the Manga Plus and Shonen Jump apps.
