Kishimoto has already revealed Naruto and Sasuke's return date

Boruto: Two Blue Vortexes Konoha continues strong with intense battles one after the other. Shinju has already left his mark on the new series, and it goes without saying that they will continue to showcase his power in the next few chapters. At the moment, fans are witnessing Konoha being invaded by Shinju Mamushi, and he will definitely display great abilities, allowing the main cast to become stronger as well.

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Naruto and Sasuke will finally return to Boruto, and stronger than ever.

While Boruto has been interesting, Most fans are actually concerned with the return of Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha. After all, these two characters are at the core of the Naruto franchise, and without them, the story wouldn't really feel the same. Ever since Naruto Uzumaki was cut from the storyline, fans have been counting down the days until his return, and the same goes for Sasuke. Fans can't wait for these two to show what they can do once again, and it looks like it Kishimoto has already clarified when they will return to the story. The answer is something fans won't like, but it's one they'll have to accept at this point.

Kishimoto sealed Naruto and Sasuke

Image via Pierrot.

• Naruto Uzumaki was locked up by Kawaki

• Sasuke turned into a tree

In the first part of the Boruto series, Naruto and Sasuke had a horrible ending. While their journey initially started on a good note, with the two getting a chance to showcase their power against the likes of Otsutsuki, fans later saw them repeatedly overwhelmed by foes. Ultimately, Naruto used the power of Baryon Mode in a battle against Isshiki Otsutsuki, and it ended as a great sacrifice. The battle was of such caliber that Naruto had to completely renounce Kurama's power to ensure the world's future.

After leaving Kurama, Naruto became incredibly weakAnd he was no longer able to compete at the highest level. This is why Kawaki sealed him in the Daikokuten dimension along with Hinata and he has not been seen since.

Coming to Sasuke, fans know that he too met a terrible fate in the Isshiki War. Sasuke was easily defeated by Isshiki, but immediately, Momoshiki stabbed him with his Rinnegan and dealt him an even bigger blow. With the Rinnegan gone forever, Sasuke was greatly weakened. During the timeskip, he trained Boruto Uzumaki for about a year. Sasuke also fought Cod in battle, and although he did incredibly well, taking one of his eyes and cutting countless Claw Grimes, he was eventually overwhelmed and turned into a tree. Sasuke became Shinju Hidari's DNA, and that's where things stand now.

Sasuke Uchiha will return before Naruto Uzumaki

Image by Studio Pierrot

• Sasuke's return moment is on the cards

When it comes to Naruto and Sasuke's return date, fans should note that these people will not be returning at the same time in the story. In fact, it's almost a guarantee that Sasuke Uchiha will return before Naruto Uzumaki, and that's how the plot is established at this point. This is the reason Sasuke's return is directly linked to the defeat of Shinju Hidari, while Naruto Uzumaki requires additional steps.

To bring Sasuke back, Boruto Uzumaki needs the Thorn Soul Bulb from Hidari. He almost had it once after his Uzuhiko completely knocked out Hidari, but as fans know, the latter completely regenerated. In the next battle that Hidari fights, he will not have this luxury again and will be eliminated completely. Whether it's Sarada Uchiha or Boruto Uzumaki who lands the killing blow on him, fans know that the Thorn Soul Bulb will return one way or another. After retrieving the Thorn Soul Bulb, Sasuke can finally return, and it's pretty straightforward.

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Say goodbye to Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha for now

Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha won't be returning anytime soon, and fans will have to say goodbye to them in Boruto for now.

Of course, there are other things to take care of first before Sasuke returns. Shinju Mamushi is wreaking havoc on Konoha at the moment, and he must die in order to make Hidari the next target. Sasuke can only return after Mamushi falls. All in all, fans are looking forward to maybe a year or a year and a half of waiting before the final return of Sasuke Uchiha, and this really gives fans a lot of hope.

Naruto will return at the end of the series

Image via Studio Pierrot.

• Naruto Uzumaki will not return before the climax of the series

unfortunately, Unlike Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki cannot return within a year and a half. The reason for this is quite simple. In the prequel to the Boruto series, fans saw Kawaki and Boruto Uzumaki fighting in the Hokage's face. At this point, Kawaki clearly tells Boruto that he will send him to where the Seventh Hokage sent him. In other words, the implication here is that the Seventh Hokage is still far away. This also means that Shinju has already been dealt with, Boruto has fully mastered the power of his karma, but Naruto has not returned.

The fight between Boruto and Kawaki is also set to take place at the end of the series. This fight is going to mirror Naruto and Sasuke's battle from the original story and will definitely be the biggest fight in the entire story. The fact that Naruto isn't back in the story at this point means that he won't be back before the end, which is incredibly unfortunate for the character. Only after Boruto defeats Kawaki and brings him to his senses does the latter finally go on to free the Seventh Hokage.. Unfortunately, this means that fans won't get to see much growth for the legendary Hokage of Konoha in this story.

2026 will be tough for Naruto and Sasuke fans

At this point, it's pretty clear that both Naruto and Sasuke will eventually return in the Boruto series; However, their return will not be at the same time. As far as 2026 goes, it is beyond a shadow of a doubt that fans will not see these two characters return. For Sasuke to come back, Need to deal with mommyAnd then a new arc needs to begin, which will later set up Hidari's downfall. All of this will definitely take just over 11 months.

Meanwhile, Naruto Uzumaki's return is nowhere near and will only happen towards the end of the two Blue Vortex stories.. At the very least, Naruto's return won't be for three to four years, which is really unfortunate. Sasuke fans can rest assured that their beloved Uchiha will be making a comeback soon, unlike the Seventh Hokage of Konoha. Still, 2026 is going to be bad for Naruto and Sasuke fans as none of their favorites will be returning this year, which could be unfortunate.

Boruto: Two Blue Vortex is a 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 in the story. Boruto must now work to save the world from the dangers he faces while dealing with his brother, Kawaki. Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Chapter 31 is set for its official release on February 20, 2026. Chapter release time is 10 AM EST/ 3 PM UTC. As always, fans can officially read the chapter on the Manga Plus and Shonen Jump apps.