Boruto: Two Blue Vortexes A new arc begins with the release of Chapter 34 on May 20, 2026 in V-Jump Issue #7. With the new arc finally starting, the return of Naruto and Sasuke is finally near, which we all have been eagerly waiting to see. With their official return comes new upgrades, and Boruto: Two Blue Vortexes Volume 8, which was officially released on June 4, 2026, has already confirmed a significant power upgrade for Sasuke Uchiha.
Likewise, his counterpart, Naruto Uzumaki, is now in line to receive a significant boost in terms of power, making him one of the strongest characters in the series once again.
Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Volume 8 sets a power boost for Naruto Uzumaki to rival Sasuke's new level.
Boruto: Two Blue Vortexes Volume 8 was officially released in Japan on June 4, 2026. This new volume release came with its own information corner, where Mikio Ikemoto answered various fan questions. Specifically, in this segment, he confirmed that Sasuke Uchiha trained during the timeskip and became significantly stronger. This was also previously confirmed by Mikio Ikemoto in the older volume release, and now, again, highlighted by the author in the Volume 8 release. As well as training Boruto Uzumaki, Sasuke improved his own skills and his overall increase in power can be seen.
“To grow stronger during their training, Boruto and Sasuke's main food sources were fish and wild birds, which they hunted using Raiton and Shuriken, along with wild plants and mushrooms.” — Mikio Ikemoto, Boruto Volume #8
in Boruto: Two Blue Vortexes Chapter 5, which was officially released on December 20, 2023, the story officially confirmed that Sasuke Uchiha had reached the highest level of strength as he faced the Code in battle and took his eye, despite later being stronger than Jigen. While Sasuke lost the fight, the fact that he was able to deal lethal damage to the code made him stronger than his previous version, where he also held the Rinnegan, as officially confirmed by this chapter. It is safe to say that when Sasuke returns at the end of the Hidari arc, he will be even stronger than before. This is highlighted by the author in the story on various occasions.
Code: Uchiha, you!!! How dare you catch my eye?
Sasuke: Listen closely, Boruto! There is no way we can win against him now. So run away. Survive by all means and build on the skills I've thrown at you. Then no one can stop you.
– After Sasuke hurts Kod, who was stronger than Jigen, Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Chapter 5
However, Sasuke's rise in power does not exist in a vacuum. The increase in his overall strength also boosts Naruto Uzumaki, which was previously confirmed by Masashi Kishimoto, where he stated that both Naruto and Sasuke grow in strength together and exist as yin and yang.
Why Naruto and Sasuke should always be equal in the Naruto franchise
Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke have always acted as equals, and as Sasuke grows in strength, so must Naruto. While Sasuke Uchiha is going to be the first to return to Boruto: The Two Blue Vortex, Naruto is sure to follow him soon. When he does, it's very likely that he'll increase his strength to match Sasuke's newfound abilities. During this time, Sasuke Uchiha scales back to his old self, where he had the Rinnegan, despite losing this power. His training with Boruto Uzumaki during the timeskip pushed him to a level where he could easily injure Kod, making him an Ōtsutsuki-tier fighter despite the loss of his strongest dojutsu.
“You're good, Naruto. And don't let me chase you too soon.” — Saying goodbye to Kurama Naruto Uzumaki, Boruto Chapter #55
Meanwhile, Naruto Uzumaki loses Kurama's powers in a battle against Isshiki Otsutsuki in Boruto: Naruto Next Generation Chapter 55, which was officially released on February 20, 2021 in V-Jump Issue #4. Like Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto must gain great power despite the source of his greatest power. This can come as a training arc for him, or through some other method that the author creates uniquely. In any case, a power upgrade for Naruto Uzumaki is already on the cards.
Why Naruto's new upgrade needs to be rooted in sage mode
Naruto Uzumaki can go on to get various power upgrades Boruto: Two Blue Vortexes After his return. For example, Mikio Ikemoto could easily give him access to the Tailed Beast Chakra because of his friendship with all the Tailed Beasts that existed in the world. Furthermore, the Ten-Tails that currently exist in the Naruto world also need to be contained, and given that it is immortal, it is possible that Naruto could be made its host, which would give him a new power upgrade and solve the problem of finding a permanent solution to the Ten-Tails at the same time. Despite all that, the most effective way to power up Naruto would be through his Sage Mode change.
Naruto Uzumaki originally learned Sage Mode in Naruto Chapter 418, which was released on October 13, 2008 in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #44. This change was followed by Naruto gaining stronger forms such as Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, and later Seed-Down the Line. In the Boruto series, specifically Boruto Chapter 64, Naruto officially confirmed that his Sage Mode is now stronger than ever due to all the experience he has accumulated.
“Actually, it's much better and I can last a lot longer than I used to. Call it the wisdom of age!” — Naruto Uzumaki, Boruto Chapter #64
Naruto has yet to display the full abilities of his Sage Mode, but over the years, this form has definitely improved a lot. By increasing Naruto's base strength, improving his Sage Mode, and giving him unique abilities, Masashi Kishimoto was able to create a unique transformation for him, making him the strongest of the new generation of Naruto. It should also be noted that Naruto Uzumaki will continue to serve as the 7th Hokage after his return, with Shikamaru only being the interim Hokage of Konoha. As such, he needs power worthy of a Hokage, which he doesn't have right now. As a result, Naruto Uzumaki gaining significant strength through his Sage Mode will greatly improve his character, and this is something we are looking forward to seeing in the story.
All chapters of Masashi Kishimoto and Mikio Ikemoto's Boruto series are available to read through Manga Plus and Viz Media.
