Kishimoto already explained how Sasuke Uchiha surpassed Naruto Uzumaki

This article contains spoilers from the Naruto series.

It goes without saying that the rivalry between Naruto and Sasuke was one of the most exciting things about the Naruto series as a whole. Over the years, fans saw Naruto and Sasuke engage in many exciting battles, and while some battles were won by Sasuke, Naruto emerged victorious in others. By the end of the main story, it was a widely accepted fact that Naruto Uzumaki was the stronger of the two. This surprises no one, and it's simply because these two have always pulled ahead of the other at various points in the story, but remained largely equal in the grand scheme of things.

As said, i Boruto era, things are very different, and Naruto and Sasuke are no longer equal at this point. Kishimoto has already explained to fans how Sasuke actually went on to surpass Naruto Uzumaki in the new era.

Sasuke and Naruto were evenly matched in Boruto Part 1

• Naruto and Sasuke were equal in Boruto part 1

• Kishimoto felt they were evenly matched

At the beginning of Boruto series, Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha were seen to be roughly equal in power. This was portrayed by Kishimoto himself in the Momoshiki arc. Fans also know that Kishimoto even stated that in adulthood the two of them were equal in terms of power. This means that even though Naruto was stronger than Sasuke at the end of the 4th Great Ninja War, the latter caught up to him by training rigorously and gaining great abilities.

Besides the six paths, the Rinnegan has another great power. It is the difficult seventh path, called the outer path. Those with the power of the fabled Rinnegan have the power to rule over life and death. Nagato gives up his life because he trusts you. — Naruto's wife about the Rinnegan

As adults, at the beginning of Borutothey were even and this was quite clear to see in many battles, like the fight against Momoshiki and later also the fight against Jigen. However, Naruto then surpassed Sasuke in the battle against Isshiki. By acquiring the power of Baryon Mode, Naruto achieved a level that Sasuke could only dream of reaching. He then played a significant role in the defeat of Isshiki Otsutsuki. Unfortunately for fans, this temporary power-up led to Kurama's deathand Naruto was then seriously down. Likewise, Sasuke lost access to his Rinnegan, and both were reduced to weakened versions of themselves.

At this point, a case can already be made for Sasuke being stronger than Naruto. This depends on Sasuke had access to the Eternal Mangekyo Sharinganwhich is truly superior to Sage Mode. For context, Kishimoto equated Sage Mode with Mangekyo Sharingan and Kurama Chakra Mode with Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan in its original manga. Sasuke still has access to all the powers of the eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, while Naruto Uzumaki is only left with his Sage Mode. Anyway, it doesn't matter because Sasuke officially went on to surpass Naruto later on.

Sasuke trained to become stronger during the time jump in Boruto

• Sasuke and Boruto spent a lot of time training

• Boruto Databooks confirm Sasuke's new powers

During the time jump that took place between the first part of Boruto and Two Blue Vortex, Sasuke Uchiha trained Naruto's son, Boruto Uzumaki. Fans already knew this, but what they didn't know was that Sasuke was training himself to prepare for the enemies he would face in the future as well. This is consistent with Sasuke's personality, given that he believes that he is the only one who should carry the burdens of the village above everyone else.

Although he was training Boruto, Sasuke was also training his mind and body to face greater threats. This was confirmed in the first data book of the Boruto series, which clearly stated that both Sasuke and Boruto trained together every day and were stronger than before.

One more thing, a certain special material has also been composed into the sword. It is much more powerful than before now. Yours and Sasuke's chakra is already registered with it, as is mine, as I'm working on it. — Sumire on Boruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha's new sword

Of course it goes without saying Naruto Uzumaki would also have matched Sasuke or potentially even surpassed him if he existed. But fans know very well that Kawaki made sure Naruto didn't get stronger. This depends on Kawaki sealed Naruto Uzumaki in the Daikokuten dimensionand he's been there for about three years now. This removed Naruto's ability to grow stronger, while Sasuke continued to grow in power for a year. Eventually, Sasuke was also incapacitated during the battle against Code, but it is this particular battle that showed that Sasuke was now above Naruto's power level.

Sasuke heavily damaged the code in battle

The perfect demonstration of Sasuke's high level of strength came during his fight against Code. As fans know, Code was incredibly powerful as an Inner of Kara. He eventually went on to receive Karma from Isshiki Otsutsuki, and Amado unlocked his true potential by removing his Limiters. It was said that at this point in the story he was stronger than Jigen, and that's really a big statement to make.

For fans who don't remember, Jigen was so strong that he could overwhelm both Naruto and Sasuke with the Six Paths Powers alone and not even have a single hit land on him. IN Sasuke's fight against Code, he not only injured Code, but also took his eye permanently. Sasuke actually dominated in this fight, but eventually lost due to the increasing number of Claw Grimes that Code used in battle. These Claw Grimes eventually led to Sasuke's defeat, but otherwise he held his own against Code, a monster above the level of an average Otsutsuki.

Naruto still has time to catch up with Sasuke

It is quite clear that right now, Sasuke is even stronger than Naruto Uzumaki. Kishimoto has set the starting point for it and he has explained it very well in his story. However, that doesn't mean that Sasuke will always remain stronger than Naruto. Fans know very well that Kishimoto will eventually give Naruto his well-deserved power-ups as well, and that by the end of the story, both Naruto and Sasuke will eventually be equal again.

For that to happen, Naruto Uzumaki must first return to history. At this point, the return doesn't seem imminent, but it will come eventually. Hopefully, Naruto and Sasuke will get a chance to fight together, and both will showcase new abilities that will propel them to heights never seen before. At the end of the day, Naruto and Sasuke's rivalry is the most exciting part of this entire franchise, and fans can only hope that it continues even in Boruto later on.

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.