In the latest chapter of Boruto, Sasuke Uchiha’s status is finally addressed after he is seemingly bitten by Code’s claw and turned into a tree in a previous chapter. He did not die but rather transformed into one of the human-looking God Trees.
Fans had mixed reactions. Some expressed relief that Sasuke survived, yet many felt his character was being underutilized. Readers expected to see more of the iconic protagonist teaming up with his mentor, Sasuke. But as with Naruto previously, the writers have sidelined Sasuke for now in terms of direct involvement in the main plot.
However, this may be similar to Jujutsu Kaisen’s approach to Satoru Gojo. Rather than say Sasuke is “wasted,” he could play an important role later on. His current state leaves open the possibility of a future return or revelation. The creators may be intentionally setting up a plot line involving Sasuke rather than discarding him.
Sasuke Becoming The Next Gojo In Boruto Is Confirmed In The Latest Chapter
Given how powerful Naruto and Sasuke had become by the end of the original Naruto storyline, it posed a challenge for the creators to launch a spin-off manga featuring the next generation. Any major threat could presumably be handled by Naruto or Sasuke.
So, when developing Boruto, the writers had to find credible ways to make both iconic characters unavailable to intervene.
They seemed to waste the characters by depicting Naruto as constantly busy with Hokage duties and transforming Sasuke into a tree.
But rather than completely discarding the characters fans love, this may serve as a setup for future plotlines.
There is likely a narrative purpose for sidelining them temporarily. It leaves open the possibility of bringing them back in climactic or pivotal moments.
The writers are probably aiming to highlight the new protagonists while still retaining the option to involve Naruto and Sasuke again later on.
Having established how unbeatable the two are, the creators needed to take them off the playing field so Boruto and others could develop without their mentor figures overshadowing them.
However, devoted fans can still hope to eventually see the masters return to action when the stakes are high enough.
The Boruto anime highlighted an issue – Naruto and Sasuke kept having to step in to rescue the next generation of ninjas during conflicts.
As exciting as it was for fans to see the iconic duo in action as adults, it contradicted the concept of a spin-off focused on the new characters. For the Boruto manga to work, it needed to let the fresh faces take center stage.
That is likely why the writers went to great lengths to depower and sideline Naruto and Sasuke.
In the initial Boruto manga, they seemed nerfed, only to then be written out altogether in the new “Boruto: Two Blue Vortex” series. Removing them enables the plot and growth to center on Boruto and his peers.
Initially, it appeared the legendary ninja had been killed off, worrying fans. But fortunately, they were only sealed away somehow, leaving room for a future narrative return.
As jarring as it seems to bench characters audiences love, the creators probably felt it necessary. Restricting Naruto and Sasuke’s involvement lets the next generation develop independent identities as shinobi without their mentors overshadowing them all the time.
However, longtime fans will surely hope the duo reemerges down the road when the stakes escalate enough. For now, though, the story remains focused on developing newer characters.
This tactic of removing powerful mentor figures is actually similar to what happened in Jujutsu Kaisen with Satoru Gojo. Gojo was established as the undisputed strongest sorcerer, possessing both the Six Eyes and Limitless Technique.
Having such an invincible character actively involved would constrain the narrative going forward. Any major threat could be easily eliminated by Gojo, rendering other characters redundant. If he solved everything, it would undermine the stakes and growth opportunities for protagonists like Yuji Itadori.
So, despite fans loving Gojo, the writers devised a credible way to take him out of the picture. He was sealed away, just as Sasuke was transformed into a tree in Boruto. It served the plot by allowing younger, developing characters to take center stage and fight their own battles.
