Does Naruto Die and When?

While Naruto might have ended and the hero of the series gives way for his son to shine, fans are still curious as to why they had to shift the protagonist in the sequel. Did Masahi Kishimoto plan for Naruto to die? Has he already died in some part of the manga, and anime viewers aren’t aware?

Naruto is still alive in the manga and anime of Boruto; however, the Nine-Tail beast, Kurama, died inside him, leaving Naruto weaker than before. Seeing that Boruto is still a long way from ending, it’s hard to really tell what type of fate lies ahead for Naruto.

Naruto definitely had a lot of close calls in his life, but he’s always come out alive. People have begun to wonder if the anime has hinted at his fate in the new series, Boruto. This article will catch you up with Naruto’s life in the new series.

Why Did People Presume Naruto Died in Boruto?

When Boruto first aired, fans got a view of the future of Konoha—the village being in shambles. By this time, fans are aware that Naruto is the Seventh Hokage and has the duty to protect the village. However, the first few seconds show no sign of Naruto. 

Kawaki, a mysterious fighter, even tells an older-looking Boruto that he will send him to the same place he sent Naruto. Fans assumed that Naruto died at the hands of this new character, and Boruto is left to defend the village.

But I’d like to believe that as long as there is no dead body of the 7th Hokage to be shown on screen, Naruto still has a pretty high chance of being alive in the future. So far, the anime or the manga hasn’t caught up with the future scene shown in the first episode, so there’s still a lot of time to draw out theories on Naruto’s fate.

What is Naruto’s Current Status?

Naruto still serves as Konoha’s 7th Hokage; however, he recently lost Kurama in a fight against Isshiki. Over the years, Kurama and Naruto have begun working together instead of against each other, forming a sense of camaraderie between each other. 

Isshiki was a hard opponent to face, so Kurama suggested that Naruto use a type of Jutsu as a last resort. Kurama misleads Naruto into thinking that using this technique would cost both their lives, so Naruto would be determined to do it.

Consenting to the plan, Naruto decides to activate Baryon Mode to overwhelm Isshiki at the cost of his life. In this mode, Naruto successfully defeated Isshiki and passed out due to feeling the strain of the Jutsu. However, Kurama manages to speak to Naruto inside his subconscious.

Fully believing they are gonna die, Naruto tells Kurama that he bears no ill will towards the beast despite killing his parents. As he prepares to die, Kurama decides to break the truth to Naruto. He tells the Hokage that he will be fine and that he decided to gamble his own life force instead of Naruto’s. As the beast fades, he warns Naruto that he will no longer be able to tap into his power.

Who is Kawaki?

It was revealed  in the opening episode of Boruto the mysterious fighter is actually Kawaki, a shinobi that Naruto Uzumaki takes in. Kawaki seems to have a troubled childhood, being raised by a person with alcohol problems. Jigen decides to buy Kawaki off the drunkard to be used for experiments. The scientist performing tests on his body believes that Kawaki could receive Kama into his body.

During an incident involving an airship, Kawaki is found by team 7 and brought back to Konoha. Kawaki was then taken in by Naruto. After some time, Kawaki becomes a part of the Uzumaki family, forming a brotherly bond with Boruto and Himawari. He also began looking up to Naruto as a father he never had.

At an unknown point in time, it looks like Kawaki began hating shinobi and sought out ways to end the era of shinobi. In the “preview” of the future, Kawaki is seen fighting Boruto on the Hokage Rock. Kawaki also tells Boruto that he will send him wherever he sent Naruto.

Will Kurama Come Back?

There is no hint indicating that the Nine-tailed beast will ever come back. Naruto just has to be careful from now on since he is considerably weaker without him. However, Kurama’s death does weigh heavily on Naruto as he is now more vulnerable.

In fact, there’s a bigger chance of him dying in future episodes due to Kurama’s departure. This means that Naruto could easily get overpowered by a powerful shinobi. Naruto is such a highly feared shinobi in this era because he can use the chakra of Kurama.

Will Kawaki Kill Naruto in the Future?

It’s too soon to say if Naruto even died. While it is heavily hinted that Naruto died at the hands of Kawaki within 4 years, fans still have to see a body. It’s also weird that Kawaki worded Naruto’s death that way, if ever he really did kill him.

At the moment, it seems Kawaki is loyal to Naruto, even killing Boruto without hesitation to keep Naruto away from harm. Boruto does get revived in chapter 67. However, Shikamaru’s question regarding Kawaki still hangs at large.

Why Does Kawaki Hate Shinobis in the Future?

His reason has yet to be officially stated. However, I am guessing he felt intense betrayal from Konoha. If you’ve read up to chapter 67 of the Boruto Manga, Shikamaru asks Naruto what they plan to do with Kawaki, considering Kawaki killed Boruto without much thought. 

Naruto verbally defends Kawaki, but just because he is willing to accept Kawaki, he does not speak for everyone in Konoha.

Another guess I have is that Kawaki’s body was taken over since it’s not in Naruto’s character to give up on people. Perhaps Kawaki knew that Boruto would revive, hence why he didn’t hesitate to temporarily kill his own brother.