This article contains spoilers from the Naruto series.
It goes without saying that the rivalry between Naruto and Sasuke was one of the most exciting things about the Naruto series as a whole. Over the years, fans saw Naruto and Sasuke take part in many exciting battles, and while some battles were won by Sasuke, Naruto emerged as the victor in others. Come the end of the main story, it was a widely accepted fact that Naruto Uzumaki was the stronger of the two. This does not surprise anyone, and that is simply because these two have always pulled ahead of the other at different instances in the story, but remained largely equal in the grand scheme of things.
Boruto: Why Naruto Uzumaki Will Be Stronger Than Ever After His Return In Two Blue Vortex
Naruto Uzumaki will return stronger than ever in Boruto. Fans can't wait for his return to the stroy.
That said, in the Boruto era, things are very different, and Naruto and Sasuke are no longer equal at this point in time. Kishimoto has already explained to the fans how Sasuke actually went on to surpass Naruto Uzumaki in the new era.
Sasuke And Naruto Were Evenly Matched In Boruto Part 1
- Naruto And Sasuke Were Equal In Boruto Part 1
- Kishimoto Considered Them Evenly Matched
At the beginning of the Boruto series, Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha were seen to be largely even in terms of power. This was portrayed by Kishimoto himself in the Momoshiki arc. Fans also know that Kishimoto even stated that, by adulthood, they were both equal in terms of power. This means that even though Naruto was stronger than Sasuke at the end of the 4th Great Ninja War, the latter eventually caught up to him by training rigorously and gaining great abilities.
Apart from the Six Paths, the Rinnegan has another great power. It's the severe Seventh Path, called the Outer Path. Those with the power of the fabled Rinnegan have the power to rule over life and death. Nagato is giving up his life because he trusts you. — Konan to Naruto about the Rinnegan
As adults, at the beginning of Boruto, they were even and this was quite clear to see in many battles, such as the fight against Momoshiki and later on, the battle against Jigen as well. However, Naruto then surpassed Sasuke in the battle against Isshiki. By acquiring the power of Baryon Mode, Naruto achieved a level that Sasuke could only dream of reaching. He then played a significant role in the defeat of Isshiki Otsutsuki. Unfortunately for the fans, this temporary power-up led to the death of Kurama, and Naruto was then severely nerfed. Similarly, Sasuke lost access to his Rinnegan, and both of them were reduced to weakened versions of themselves.
At this point, a case can already be made for Sasuke to be stronger than Naruto. This is because Sasuke had access to the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, which is certainly superior to Sage Mode. For context, Kishimoto equated Sage Mode to Mangekyo Sharingan, and Kurama Chakra Mode to Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan in his original manga. Sasuke still has access to all the powers of the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, while Naruto Uzumaki is only left with his Sage Mode. Either way, that matters little because Sasuke officially went on to surpass Naruto later down the line.
Sasuke Trained To Get Stronger During The Timeskip Of Boruto
- Sasuke And Boruto Spent A Lot Of Time Training
- Boruto Databooks Confirm Sasuke's New Powers
During the timeskip that took place between the first part of Boruto and Two Blue Vortex, Sasuke Uchiha was training Naruto's son, Boruto Uzumaki. Fans already knew this, but what they did not know was that Sasuke was training himself in preparation for the enemies that he would face in the future as well. This aligns with Sasuke's personality, given that he believes that he is the only one who should carry on the burdens of the village above everyone else.
Even though he was training Boruto, Sasuke was also training his mind and body to face off against greater threats. This was confirmed in the first databook of the Boruto series, which clearly said that both Sasuke and Boruto trained together every day and were stronger than before.
One more thing, a certain special material has also been compounded into the sword. It is much more powerful than before now. Yours and Sasuke's chakra have been registered with it already, as well as mine, since I'm working on it. — Sumire on the new sword of Boruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha
Say Hello To The Final Power Ups Of Naruto and Sasuke
Naruto and Sasuke will eventually return in Boruto, and stronger than ever.
Of course, it goes without saying that Naruto Uzumaki would also have equaled Sasuke or potentially even surpassed him had he been around. However, fans know very well that Kawaki saw to it that Naruto did not get any stronger. This is because Kawaki sealed Naruto Uzumaki in the dimension of Daikokuten, and he has been there for about three years now. This took away Naruto's opportunity to get stronger, while Sasuke continued to grow in terms of power for a year. Eventually, Sasuke was also incapacitated during the battle against Code, but it is exactly this battle that showed that Sasuke was now above Naruto's power level.
Sasuke Injured Code Greatly In Battle
The perfect demonstration of Sasuke's high level of strength came during his battle against Code. As fans know, Code was tremendously powerful as an Inner of Kara. He eventually went on to receive the Karma of Isshiki Otsutsuki, and Amado unlocked his true potential by removing his Limiters. It was said that by this point in the story, he was stronger than Jigen, and that truly is a big statement to make.
For fans who do not remember, Jigen was so strong that he was able to overwhelm both Naruto and Sasuke with Six Paths Powers alone and not even have a single hit land on him. In Sasuke's battle against Code, he not only injured Code, but also permanently took his eye. Sasuke was actually dominating in this fight, but eventually lost due to the increasing number of Claw Grimes that Code utilized in battle. These Claw Grimes eventually led to Sasuke's defeat, but otherwise, he was holding his own against Code, a monster above the level of an average Otsutsuki.
Naruto Still Has Time To Catch Up to Sasuke
It is quite clear that right now, Sasuke is even stronger than Naruto Uzumaki. Kishimoto has set the premise for it and he has explained it very well in his story. However, that doesn't mean that Sasuke will always remain stronger than Naruto. Fans know very well that Kishimoto will eventually give Naruto his deserved power-ups as well, and that by the end of the story, both Naruto and Sasuke will eventually be equal once again.
For that to happen, Naruto Uzumaki has to first return to the story. At this point, the return does not seem to be imminent, but it will come eventually. Hopefully, Naruto and Sasuke will get a chance to fight together, and both will show off new abilities that will push them to heights never seen before. At the end of the day, Naruto and Sasuke's rivalry is the most exciting part of this entire franchise, and fans can only hope that it continues even in Boruto later down the line.
Boruto: Two Blue Vortex is the sequel to the original Boruto series, written by Mikio Ikemoto, and supervised by Masashi Kishimoto. The series follows the journey of Boruto Uzumaki, 3 years after the events of Omnipotence struck in the story. Boruto must now work to save to world from the perils it faces while dealing with his brother, Kawaki. Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Chapter 30 is set for its official release on January 20, 2026. The release time of the chapter is 10 AM EST/ 3 PM UTC. As always, fans can read the chapter officially for free on the Manga Plus and the Shonen Jump apps.