Boruto: Naruto Next Generations is the sequel to Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto, one of the most iconic anime and manga series of all time. While Naruto focused on a boy chasing his dream of becoming Hokage, Boruto shifts the spotlight to the next generation—particularly Naruto’s son, Boruto Uzumaki—and explores how peace brings new challenges.

With a mix of new faces, returning heroes, and a growing mystery threatening the shinobi world, Boruto tells a story about identity, legacy, and what it means to forge your own path.


A New Era of Peace

Boruto is set several years after the end of Naruto Shippuden. The once war-torn ninja world has entered a time of peace and technological progress. Naruto Uzumaki is now the Seventh Hokage, working tirelessly to protect the Hidden Leaf Village (Konoha).

His son, Boruto, lives in his shadow.

Unlike his father, who grew up an orphan and an underdog, Boruto is privileged, popular, and skilled—but he resents how much Naruto focuses on his duties over family. At first, Boruto has no interest in becoming Hokage. Instead, he wants to forge his own identity.


Team 7 Reborn

Boruto is placed on a new Team 7 alongside:

  • Sarada Uchiha – the daughter of Sasuke and Sakura, who aims to become the first Uchiha Hokage

  • Mitsuki – a mysterious, artificial human created by Orochimaru, loyal to Boruto and calm under pressure

  • Konohamaru Sarutobi – their teacher and the nephew of the Third Hokage

Together, they take on missions, face threats, and slowly grow into their roles as the next generation of shinobi.


The Karma Seal and Kara

The major plot arc introduces a secretive and deadly group known as Kara, led by a man named Jigen, who is the vessel for an ancient celestial being known as Isshiki Ōtsutsuki.

Boruto ends up branded with a mysterious Karma Seal after a fight with another Ōtsutsuki, Momoshiki, who begins to slowly take over Boruto's body. This seal gives Boruto great power—but at a terrifying cost: he's being turned into an Ōtsutsuki vessel.

At the same time, Kawaki, a boy who was experimented on by Kara, escapes and becomes like a second son to Naruto. He too carries a Karma Seal, setting up a dangerous future hinted at from the very beginning of the series.


Clash of Ideals: Boruto vs Kawaki

The series opens with a flash-forward: a destroyed Hidden Leaf Village, an older Boruto facing Kawaki, who claims the age of shinobi is over.

This haunting scene teases the central conflict: two boys, both deeply connected to Naruto, clashing over how the shinobi world should evolve. Their bond, once like brothers, may be what ultimately destroys everything.


The Legacy Characters

Many fan-favorite characters from Naruto return:

  • Sasuke Uchiha serves as Boruto’s mentor and protector.

  • Naruto is portrayed as a strong yet flawed Hokage, struggling to balance duty and fatherhood.

  • Hinata, Shikamaru, Sai, and others guide the new generation.

  • The children of past heroes—like Shikadai (Shikamaru’s son), Inojin (Ino and Sai’s son), and Chocho (Choji’s daughter)—form a modern-day version of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio.


Themes and Differences from Naruto

While Naruto was a story about an outcast proving his worth, Boruto is about a child of privilege learning the value of struggle. It explores:

  • Legacy vs. Identity – living up to famous parents

  • Technology vs. Tradition – as the ninja world modernizes

  • Control vs. Freedom – with threats like the Karma seal

  • Peace vs. Complacency – showing that peace brings its own kind of danger

Though the tone is more grounded in the beginning, Boruto gradually grows darker and more serious, especially as the threat of the Ōtsutsuki escalates.


Boruto: Two Blue Vortex

After a time skip, the story continues in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex. In this arc, Boruto returns to the village after being branded a traitor due to the powers of an Ōtsutsuki memory manipulation technique. Kawaki is now seen as a hero. The stakes are higher than ever as new Ōtsutsuki threats emerge, and Boruto must master his powers to protect the world—even if it means being hated by it.


Conclusion: The Weight of Inheritance

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations is more than a continuation—it’s a reflection on legacy, choice, and the cost of peace. It challenges the next generation to go beyond what they’ve inherited and create their own destiny. For fans old and new, it’s a story of growth, conflict, and the never-ending will of fire.


“I will walk my own path... even if it's different from my father's.” – Boruto Uzumaki