Sasuke Uchiha is one of the most important characters in the Naruto franchise and the heartbeat of the main story, along with Naruto Uzumaki. In the main story, Sasuke played an immense role, both as villain and, in the end, as a savior of the world. It is what made fans love him as much as they do and why they expect great things from him in the Boruto series as well.
Unfortunately, Sasuke's fate hangs in the balance in the Boruto series, and currently, Ikemoto and Kishimoto are keeping all the readers on the edge of their seats. At the moment, Sasuke remains incapacitated, but his fate at the end of the Boruto series has already been made clear cleverly by the two authors.
Sasuke Uchiha Was Turned Into A Tree In Boruto
Sasuke Lost to Code During The Timeskip
Sasuke Uchiha endured quite a difficult time in the Boruto series. While he was supposed to be one of the strongest in the world in this story, Sasuke found himself consistently being outclassed by the enemies around him. Sasuke's battle against Momoshiki Otsutsuki required him to team up with Naruto Uzumaki, and later down the line, he was completely outclassed by Jigen. In a fair battle against Isshiki, Sasuke was not even effective in the least, and immediately after, he lost access to his Rinnegan. Following the loss of the Rinnegan, Sasuke did not play much of a role in the big fights that unfolded in the story. His biggest contribution came towards the end, when he left with Boruto Uzumaki to train him and shield him from the forces of Konoha, who deemed him a traitor for killing the Seventh Hokage.
During the timeskip, Sasuke Uchiha trained his body as well as his student, Boruto Uzumaki, and together, the two reached new levels of power. Eventually, they ran into Code and his Claw Grimes. Sasuke put up quite an impressive fight against Code, but was eventually bitten by the Claw Grimes, and this led to him turning into a tree. Ever since then, Sasuke has remained a tree, and Boruto Uzumaki has vowed to free him once again. Clearly, Sasuke's fate hangs in the balance, because as things stand, he serves as a power source for Shinju Hidari. It is only after the defeat of Hidari that Sasuke Uchiha can officially return to the Boruto series, which means that at the very least, his return isn't imminent.
Sasuke Will Return Before Boruto Vs Kawaki Begins
Sasuke Could Make A Comeback Soon
When the Boruto series began and the prologue revealed the destruction of the ninja world, the possibility of Sasuke Uchiha's death came up. Thankfully, it has now been revealed in the story that Sasuke Uchiha will not die. Sasuke being incapacitated and turned into a tree means that, at the very least, he has avoided death in the Boruto series, which would have been the worst outcome for his character.
That said, Sasuke needs to return to action sooner or later if he is to save what remains of his reputation. Given that Sasuke's return is inherently tied to the defeat of Shinju Hidari, it should not happen at the end of the series, like Naruto's return. Instead, Sasuke Uchiha should return before the final fight of the Boruto series, that is, the intense clash of brothers atop the destroyed Hokage faces, which was teased in the prologue of the story.
For Boruto and Kawaki to fight, the Shinju must first have been dealt with. If the Shinju are dealt with, that means Hidari has fallen, and in turn, Sasuke Uchiha has returned to the story. Exactly when this event will take place remains unknown, but Sasuke's return is most definitely going to happen before the battle between Boruto and Kawaki begins.
What Role Will Sasuke Play After His Return In Boruto?
As soon as Hidari falls, Sasuke Uchiha will finally return. Immediately upon his return, it is likely that Kishimoto and Ikemoto will give him a major role, given the period of absence. Sasuke is likely going to be on the front lines fighting against the remaining enemies.
If Jura is still alive at this point in the story, then it goes without saying that Sasuke will go on to confront the threat that he poses. If there is a different enemy, such as an Otsutsuki, that's threatening the world at this point in the story, then Sasuke will most definitely confront them to protect his loved ones. In either case, Sasuke will likely get some attention after his return, which would also help his reputation among the readers of the story.
Sasuke Uchiha Will Be Replaced By Boruto Uzumaki At The End Of Boruto
Boruto Is Sasuke's Successor
As has been established in the story, Sasuke Uchiha will return before the final battle of the Boruto series, but expectations for his character should still be relatively lower. This is not Sasuke Uchiha's story. Instead, it is a story of Boruto Uzumaki and the next generation of ninjas, and as such, Kishimoto and Ikemoto will choose to prioritize their character growth over his. Sasuke's personal character arc has completed. He has redeemed himself for everything that he did in the 4th Great Ninja War, and before that, saved the world on countless occasions. Sasuke has even raised remarkable ninjas in Sarada and Boruto, and it is quite clear to see that his role as the protector of the world is now officially over.
Sasuke will hand the torch to Boruto Uzumaki, his student, and given how much Boruto resembles Sasuke, it goes without saying that he will then oversee the duty of protecting the village from the shadows. Meanwhile, Sarada Uchiha, Sasuke's daughter, will go on to become the Hokage of the village and rule from the inside. Sasuke can, at this point, decide to hang up his boots and finally relax for the first time in his life.
After everything that he has been through in the Boruto series and all that he has endured throughout his life, Sasuke deserves to sit back and enjoy the mundane things in life for once. At the end of the Boruto series, it is highly likely that Sasuke will retire as a ninja and decide to pursue the smaller things in life, which would be a fitting end for his overall character arc, and something that all fans of the story would absolutely love to see. For now, that is still far away, since the Boruto manga is nowhere close to its end.
Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Chapter 31 will be released on February 19, 2026.
