Boruto: Two Blue Vortex marked the beginning of a new arc with Chapter 34's release on May 20, 2026, in V-Jump Issue #7. As the new arc finally begins, the return of Naruto and Sasuke is finally getting closer, which is something we are all eagerly waiting to see. With their official return comes new upgrades, and Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Officially released on June 4, 2026, Volume 8 has already confirmed a significant power upgrade for Sasuke Uchiha.
Similarly, his counterpart, Naruto Uzumaki, is now lined up to receive a significant boost in terms of strength, making him one of the strongest characters in the series once again.
Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Volume 8 Creates A Power Up For Naruto Uzumaki To Rival Sasuke's New Level
Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Volume 8 was officially released in Japan on June 4, 2026. This new volume release came with its own information corner, where Mikio Ikemoto tackled various fan questions. Specifically in this episode, he confirmed that Sasuke Uchiha underwent training during the time jump and became significantly stronger. This was previously confirmed in an older volume edition by Mikio Ikemoto as well, and now, again, highlighted by the author in the volume 8 edition. Sasuke, along with having trained Boruto Uzumaki, improved his own skill, and his overall increase in power is very obvious to see.
“During their training together to become stronger, Boruto and Sasuke's main sources of food were fish and wild birds, which they hunted with Raiton and Shuriken, along with wild plants and mushrooms.” — Mikio Ikemoto, Boruto Volume #8
IN Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Chapter 5, which was officially released on December 20, 2023, the story officially confirmed that Sasuke Uchiha had reached a significantly higher strength when he confronted Code in battle and took his gaze, despite the latter being even stronger than Jigen. While Sasuke lost the battle, the fact that he was able to deal lethal damage to Code already made him stronger than his previous version, where he also held the Rinnegan, as officially confirmed by this chapter. We can now confidently say that after Sasuke's return at the end of the Hidari arc, he will be much stronger than ever before. This is something the author himself has highlighted in the story on various occasions.
Code: Uchiha, you!!! How dare you take my eye?
Sasuke: Listen carefully, Boruto! There is no way we can win against him right now. So run away. Survive at all costs and build upon the skills I have instilled in you. Then no one will be able to stop you.
— Sasuke after injuring Code, who was stronger than Jigen, Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Chapter 5
But Sasuke's growth in strength doesn't exist in a vacuum. With his growth in overall power comes a boost for Naruto Uzumaki as well, which was confirmed by Masashi Kishimoto earlier, where he said that both Naruto and Sasuke grow together in strength and exist as Yin and Yang.
Why Naruto and Sasuke always have to be equal in the Naruto franchise
Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke always act as equals, and as Sasuke grows in strength, so must Naruto. While Sasuke Uchiha will most likely be the first to return in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, Naruto will surely follow him soon after. When he does, it is highly likely that he will gain a strength to match Sasuke's newfound abilities. At the moment, Sasuke Uchiha dares over his old self, where he had the Rinnegan, despite losing this power. His training with Boruto Uzumaki during the time jump pushed him to a level where he could damage Code effortlessly, making him an Otsutsuki fighter despite the loss of the strongest Dojutsu.
“Be good Naruto. And don't follow me too soon.” — Kurama says goodbye to Naruto Uzumaki, Boruto Chapter #55
Meanwhile, Naruto Uzumaki lost the power of Kurama during his fight against Isshiki Otsutsuki in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Chapter 55, which was officially released in V-Jump Issue #4 on February 20, 2021. Similar to Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto must gain his greatest source of power despite losing his greatest source of power. This can come in the form of a training arc for him, or through some other method that the author uniquely creates. Either way, a strength upgrade for Naruto Uzumaki is already on the cards.
Why Naruto's new upgrade must be rooted in Sage Mode
Naruto Uzumaki was able to continue to bring in various power upgrades Boruto: Two Blue Vortex upon his return. For example, Mikio Ikemoto can easily give him access to Tailed Beast Chakra due to his friendship with all the Tailed Beasts that exist in the world. Also, the Ten-Tails currently in Naruto's world also need to be contained, and given that it can't die, it's possible that Naruto can be made its host, which would solve the problem of giving him a new power upgrade and finding a permanent solution to the Ten-Tails all at once. Despite all this, the most effective way to give Naruto a strength would be through his Sage Mode transformation.
Naruto Uzumaki originally learned Sage Mode in Naruto Chapter 418, which was released in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #44 on October 13, 2008. This transformation was then overridden when Naruto attained stronger forms such as Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, and later down the line, Six-Path Mode. In the Boruto series, specifically Boruto Chapter 64, Naruto officially confirmed that his Sage Mode was now stronger than before due to all the experience he had gained.
“Actually, it's much better and I can last quite a bit longer than before. Call it the wisdom of age!” — Naruto Uzumaki, Boruto Chapter #64
Naruto hasn't shown off the full capabilities of his Sage Mode yet, but over the years this form is sure to have improved tremendously. By increasing Naruto's base strength, enhancing his Sage Mode and giving him unique abilities, Masashi Kishimoto is able to create a unique transformation for him, making him one of the strongest of the new generation of Naruto. It must also be remembered that Naruto Uzumaki will likely continue to act as the 7th Hokage upon his return due to Shikamaru only being Konoha's Interim Hokage. As such, he needs strength worthy of a Hokage, which he currently lacks. Consequently, Naruto Uzumaki gaining significant strength, likely through his Sage Mode, would do a lot of good for his character, and it's something we're eagerly waiting to see in the story.
All chapters of Masashi Kishimoto and Mikio Ikemoto's Boruto series are available to read through Manga Plus and Viz Media.
