This article contains spoilers from the Naruto series.
Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto series is absolutely incredible when it comes to character writing and fans have seen that being the case for multiple characters over the years. Kishimoto is a brilliant writer of compelling characters, and some of his most incredible writing has come whenever he has touched the Uchihas of the Naruto series.
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Among the powerful Uchihas, Itachi is one character that fans have always loved incredibly fiercely. Although considered a villain at first, Itachi's true noble goals were revealed to the fans at the end and that is precisely what makes everyone love him that much more. While Itachi was absolutely brilliant, the most unfortunate thing about his character was the fact that he did not survive for long. Itachi was taken out of the plot quite early, and fans felt dissatisfied with this. Now, it appears that Itachi is set to make a return, if Kishimoto's own words are to be believed.
Masashi Kishimoto Wants To Bring Back Itachi Uchiha In A New Side Story
Ever since Naruto ended, Masashi Kishimoto has engaged in quite a few exciting projects. He has written a mini-series called Naruto Gaiden immediately after the Naruto series, and he continues to supervise Boruto to this day. However, the most interesting project that Kishimoto undertook came more recently, in 2023, and that was a Minato one-shot after the Naruto Global Popularity Poll.
Each of us lives, dependent and bound by our individual knowledge and our awareness. All that is what we call "reality". However, both knowledge and awareness are equivocal. One’s reality might be another’s illusion. We all live inside our own fantasies. — Itachi Uchiha
Last year, Kishimoto was specifically asked about writing more one-shots, and it seems that he wants to do one on Itachi Uchiha. Given that Itachi is a character that most fans of the series adore, Kishimoto bringing him back would be absolutely brilliant for the franchise.
It must be noted that when Kishimoto made the comments, he hadn't yet decided what exactly he wanted to do with the character of Itachi in the future. But, he was most certainly already thinking about it, and fans could eventually get to see this legendary Uchiha return via a new oneshot.
Here's what Kishimoto had to say about Itachi's return:
Yes, I would like to do others, but I am taking the time to think about it. In fact, I based myself on a ranking of characters made among readers. Minato was the first. The second is Itachi… I say it half-jokingly, but you never know. — Masashi Kishimoto
Kishimoto Will Eventually Draw New Stories
Itachi Uchiha aside, Kishimoto still wants to do more stories. He has already expressed his desire to continue writing manga, be that as a continuation of Naruto via a sequel or a prequel series, or a completely new manga altogether.
His plan was to do another long-running manga, but that failed with Samurai 8. Since then, Kishimoto has spent a lot of time with his family. He previously mentioned that he wanted to return to drawing manga, but he did not give the fans any concrete date.
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At this point in time, all fans hope that Kishimoto returns to the Naruto franchise in a way that doesn't concern the Boruto series, which most fans consider a failure. There is a lot of potential in the Naruto franchise still, especially when taking into consideration the blank period between the end of Naruto and the beginning of Boruto.
Itachi Uchiha's Story Will Breathe New Life Into The Naruto Franchise
For now, it seems that Kishimoto plans to do some one-shots on a select few characters, such as Itachi Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, Naruto Uzumaki, and even Sasuke Uchiha.
Appearances and preconceptions aren't going to tell you anything. You assume that I'm very patient and underestimate me. The clan...the clan...You keep harping on it, mistaking the size of that vessel and underestimating the size of mine. That's why you're here now, groveling. — Itachi Uchiha, Naruto
There is a possibility that these characters will be fleshed out again in greater detail than ever before, if Kishimoto delivers upon his word. Then again, there is no confirmation that he will write one-shots on all the characters in the Top 10 of the Popularity Poll.
At the very least, the Itachi side story looks like it is going to happen at some point in the future. When it does happen, it will breathe new life into the Naruto franchise, which has been sucked out by the Boruto series. Most fans admit that Naruto desperately needs a reset, and the Itachi one-shot could pave the way for just that.
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 29 is set for its official release on December 18, 2025. 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.