Naruto’s Next Big Power Upgrade Is the Ultimate Insult

Naruto Uzumaki’s story aired more than two decades ago, and wasn’t merely about spectacle or powerful techniques. At its core, it highlighted a solitary boy who housed a beast within himself, overcoming pain and loneliness through unbreakable ambition. When Kurama perished in the battle against Isshiki Otsutsuki, it was more than just a tactical blow for the Hidden Leaf.

It marked the closure of a storyline that began in Naruto’s very first chapter. Kurama’s death did more than strip Naruto of immense power; it ended a bond that shaped his entire life. Like a story reaching its natural conclusion rather than pausing for future escalation, it felt final.

However, as Boruto: Two Blue Vortex pushes the series into increasingly extreme territory, speculation about a new ability for Naruto upon his eventual return continues to grow. Yet granting him another significant enhancement would diminish what that ending achieved. The real question is not whether Naruto can face stronger enemies, but whether the story respects a journey that is already complete.

Naruto’s New Upgrade Doesn’t Honour His Legacy, It Rewrites It

The recollection of the significance of Kurama throughout the narrative is necessary for a proper analysis and understanding of Naruto’s needless, proposed power-up. Throughout his life as a shinobi, being a Jinchuriki heavily impacted how others viewed him, clouding his potential strength. Through Kurama, Naruto was provided with immense amounts of chakra, destructive capability, and regeneration from injuries that would have been fatal for any other shinobi.

Kurama’s demise, however, meant the end, or rather a heavy depletion of Naruto’s vital strengths: no Tailed Beast Mode, flight, giant chakra arms, or instantaneous healing. Notably, however, this transformation went beyond losing power. Naruto and Kurama’s bond extended far beyond any purpose of battle. They evolved into genuine friends, sharing hardships and learning to trust each other over the course of hundreds of chapters.

Kurama’s sacrifice was on the consequential scale of an irredeemable loss, as Naruto found himself truly alone for the first time. Hence, introducing a new power to fill that void not only dismisses the emotional core of its context but also reduces Kurama from a partner to a mere replaceable tool that can be fixed when it breaks.

Nonetheless, this revamp from a deep connection to a mechanical replacement is increasingly likely as Kishimoto’s narrative choices do more than hint at the possibility. Regardless of all that has happened in the Boruto series, it seems inevitable that the Seventh Hokage will return at some point, and the current situation implies he will receive a power-up to remain relevant in this new age of strength.

A crucial indication of this trajectory comes from the latest developments regarding Sasuke in the Boruto: Two Blue Vortex manga. In Chapter 28 titled ‘New Powers’, it was confirmed that Sasuke received a substantial power-up through a scientific ninja tool integrated into his sword. A blade that recognises its owner’s chakra and can siphon the chakra of anyone not registered, while also camouflaging itself for improved cutting capabilities.

To match Sasuke’s upgrade, it is highly likely that Naruto will also receive a scientific ninja tool upon his return. The most feasible enhancement is a new prosthetic hand created to simulate the devastating impacts of his Baryon Mode. Like Sasuke’s new sword, by simply touching an opponent, the hand could absorb their chakra, independent of the attack’s strength.

This means that Naruto would become a significant threat to the Otsutsuki and other formidable villains, as he would become stronger without passing through conventional paths. Unfortunately, while this technology aligns with the ongoing narrative and maintains Naruto’s relevance, it underscores the idea that he requires external mechanical assistance to navigate the story’s present landscape. An idea that undermines the philosophy of his journey, wholistically.

Giving Naruto More Power Isn’t Growth, It’s Panic Writing

The idea of upgrading Naruto is driven less by character necessity and more by the rising escalation of Boruto’s conflict. The story now deals with Otsutsuki figures, reality-altering abilities, and threats that make classic Naruto feel small in comparison. Without Kurama, Naruto appears diminished. Sage Mode alone no longer seems enough. The temptation is obvious. Give him another boost and move on.

Sadly, that is not storytelling but desperation at its highest manifestation. It signals a lack of confidence in the story’s narrative maturity to hold attention unless power levels continue to escalate. A new elite form or hidden ability does not represent growth for Naruto, but a reflection of fear that the person he has become is not enough unless he remains Konoha’s strongest presence.

At this stage, Naruto’s development should no longer be about techniques or transformations but about leadership, restraint, and protection without excess destruction. Forcing him back into a contest of raw strength strips meaning from his evolution, suggesting he has no value unless he can overpower gods, which is regression disguised as progress. Objectively, there are still several ways to enhance Naruto within the rules already established by the series.

Recent chapters suggest his Sage Mode has become more refined now that he no longer balances Kurama’s chakra. This means that his sensory abilities are sharper, his activation is faster, and his control is more precise. There is also the unresolved matter of how he uses the Six Paths Sage Mode going forward, given that Naruto still carries the blessing of Hagoromo Otsutsuki.

With the addition of a prosthetic Baryon Mode arm, all of this works from a mechanical standpoint. From a thematic one, it falters because allowing Naruto unlock another divine source of strength would imply his being incomplete without external reinforcement. It rewrites his journey as rough-hewn, suggesting that his strength always hinged on something just out of his reach.

Ironically, the real thrill would be watching a hero adjust to limitations rather than erase those limitations through power. Therefore, weakening the significance of what has been established is the principal risk in elevating Naruto’s powers. The Baryon Mode was framed as a final sacrifice where power was exchanged for life. That victory came at a permanent cost.

That weight mattered because it could not be undone. Hence, replacing it with another god-level ability cheapens that moment and weakens every sacrifice that followed. Loss becomes meaningless if it is always temporary. Kurama’s absence created a deliberate silence in the story. In that space, Naruto finally stood alone, not vessel or weapon, but as a man with nothing left to prove.

He became Hokage. He secured peace. His journey has reached completion, and upgrading him now would hurt his legacy more than it improves it. Ultimately, the real disappointment is not the idea of Naruto becoming stronger; it implies that he has never been strong enough on his own.

Writer

Masashi Kishimoto

Writers

Masashi Kishimoto

Penciler(s)

Mikio Ikemoto

Inker(s)

Mikio Ikemoto