Masashi Kishimoto, the creator of the Naruto series, has given quite a lot of powerful transformations to his protagonist over the long run of the series. One of the most powerful forms that he has given him is the iconic Sage Mode, which was officially revealed in Naruto Chapter 418 on October 13, 2008. This transformation has since been sidelined for many other powerful forms of Naruto, but now, in the Boruto era, Naruto Uzumaki is going back to his roots and utilizing the Sage Mode once again.
With Naruto having officially lost Kurama in Boruto Chapter 55, Sage Mode is his strongest transformation, and keeping that in mind, Masashi Kishimoto, the creator of the series, is gradually upgrading his Sage Mode in unique ways, especially as the Seventh Hokage gets close to a return in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex with the beginning of a new arc on May 20, 2026.
Boruto Chapter 64 Sets Up Naruto's Upgraded Sage Mode After His Return In Two Blue Vortex
In Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Chapter 55, which was officially released in V Jump Issue #4 on February 20, 2021, Naruto Uzumaki officially lost his biggest source of power, that is, the Nine-tailed Fox, Kurama. With Kurama's loss, Naruto was significantly weakened, and it was implied directly by the author in the story that his connection to all the other Tailed Beasts had also been severed here. As such, Naruto could no longer access the power of the Six Paths, leaving him behind with just Sage Mode.
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Chapter 64, which officially came out in V Jump Issue #1 on November 20, 2026, showcased Naruto going back to his roots and utilizing the power of Sage Mode once again. Undoubtedly, Naruto's Sage Mode is an iconic transformation that still holds tremendous weight in the grand scheme of things, given its incredible strength. Both Masahi Kishimoto and Mikio Ikemoto recognized that Naruto's Sage Mode needed to be much more special in Boruto. This is precisely why Boruto Chapter 64 officially highlighted a major upgrade for this unique transformation.
Usually, Naruto Uzumaki's Sage Mode doesn't last as long in combat, and because of that, he is often restricted to how long he can fight at the highest level. Furthermore, if he expends more chakra than expected, then Sage Mode runs out even faster, making it a big debuff in the story. “Actually, it's much better and I can sustain it for quite a lot longer than before. Call it the wisdom of age!” — Naruto Uzumaki, Boruto Chapter #64
In this particular chapter of Boruto, it was officially confirmed by the author that Naruto Uzumaki's Sage Mode can now last significantly longer, stemming from all the years of wisdom that he acquired. To add to that, this chapter also implied that Naruto's Sage Mode was now stronger than ever before in terms of overall strength, and the fact that he considered himself capable of rivaling the strength of Code goes to highlight that once again.
Boruto Officially Confirms A New Power Up For Sasuke Uchiha
Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Volume 8 has officially confirmed a major power-up for Sasuke Uchiha from the timeskip.
Why Naruto Uzumaki's Sage Mode Will Make Him An Otsutsuki Level Fighter In Boruto
Naruto Uzumaki's Sage Mode has already been taken to the next level in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, thanks to all the years of wisdom that the Seventh Hokage has acquired. Furthermore, the recent release of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Vol. 8 on June 4, 2026 highlighted a pathway for Naruto's Sage Mode to be even stronger. This volume of Boruto confirmed the current version of Sasuke Uchiha to be much stronger than Naruto Uzumaki, thanks to the timeskip training he underwent with Boruto Uzumaki.
“During their training together to get stronger, 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 Vortex Chapter 5, this training resulted in Sasuke having become strong enough to take Code's left eye from him, despite the latter being even stronger than Jigen. Clearly, Sasuke is on a much higher level than Naruto right now in terms of overall powers. This officially lines up a significant power upgrade for the Seventh Hokage to even out the difference in power between the two. Upon his return in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, Naruto Uzumaki's Sage Mode will be much more powerful and will officially take him to a whole new level of strength.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Naruto's Next Sage Mode Upgrade Is Already On The Way In The Story
With Sasuke Uchiha having attained a significant strength boost in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, Masashi Kishimoto and Mikio Ikemoto are expected to do something similar for the Seventh Hokage upon his return. Naruto is still a legendary shinobi, and for him to be left behind by his biggest rival is practically impossible. Upon his return, Naruto Uzumaki is sure to get a significant upgrade in power, which is likely to be rooted in his Sage Mode, given that this is the only transformation that he has in the story at the moment.
“So this blade functions as a scientific ninja blade now, huh?” — Boruto Uzumaki to Sumire, Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Chapter 28
This is especially true when looking at the secondary upgrade that Sasuke Uchiha received in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Chapter 28. Thanks to Sumire upgrading his sword and registering his chakra with it, it is now sharper than ever before, cuts deeper, and also has a unique ability lined up, which Kishimoto and Ikemoto have kept a secret at the moment.
All things considered, it is quite evident that Naruto Uzumaki will have to receive a couple of upgrades upon his return to his Sage Mode. By boosting Naruto's base level of strength, his Sage Mode could be made even stronger. At the same time, Naruto could also tap into a pseudo version of Six Paths Sage Mode by making contact with all the other Tailed Beasts once again, and recreating his iconic transformation that he utilized against legends such as Madara Uchiha and Kaguya Otsutsuki in chapters 671 onwards in the Climax of the Naruto series, and in the Boruto series, against the likes of Momoshiki Otsutsuki in chapter 9, Jigen in chapter 38, and finally Isshiki Otsutsuki in chapter 53.
“In order to gain the natural energy necessary for Sage Mode, you can't move. But if you don't move, you'll be an easy target for enemies.” — Fukasaku explaining the weaknesses of Sage Mode.
This new and unique transformation of the Seventh Hokage would truly make him a monster in combat, and more than that, it would finally fix a glaring issue with the Boruto series of disrespecting the old legends such as Naruto and Sasuke. Sasuke has already been somewhat redeemed in Two Blue Vortex indirectly by the author, so it is time for Naruto Uzumaki to receive similar treatment as well. However, it must also be remembered that, in his case, we will have to wait significantly longer, because, unlike Sasuke, Naruto's return is not on the cards at the moment. While the upgrades are already lined up, the return will come after significant waiting.
All the latest Boruto manga chapters are available to read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.
