New Boruto Opening Gives Throwback Tribute to Sakura and Naruto

Boruto: Naruto Next Generatons has introduced us to the next generation of ninja within the city limits of Konoha, and the upcoming opening for the anime is paying its due to the generation that came before it with some subtle easter eggs to the original Naruto crew. With the Mujina Bandits Arc in full swing, the new opening theme doesn't just give us some connections to the past, it also gives us big clues into the future of the series by giving us our first animated look at the big bad of the storyline in the Kara Organization!

                                                           

Sarada Uchiha has been doing a fantastic job of living up to the legacy that was created by her mother and father, Sarada and Sasuke respectively. Taking the best attributes of her parents and putting them to good use as a part of the new formation of Team 7, the upcoming opening for Boruto: Naruto Next Generations is putting Sarada into a similar stance as her mother had in a previous OP from the franchise with similar backdrops and color schemes to boot!

                                                                                                         

As mentioned earlier, one of the biggest takeaways from this opening theme is the arrival of the Kara Organization in the anime. With Boruto: Naruto Next Generations venturing far more into the realm of "filler episodes" rather than material that was originally told in the manga, fans have been waiting to see the major villains of the series for some time. The Mujina Bandits arc, which is one of the first times that Boruto has adapted material from the manga into the anime, has had fans believing that the arrival of Kara is going to be sooner rather than later.

In the manga, the Kara Organization has been hitting Konoha in a big way, and while we won't venture too deep into spoiler territory for those who haven't kept up with events outside of the anime, it will be something to see when these events play out in the anime.

What do you think of this clever nod to the Naruto OPs of the past? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the Hidden Leaf Village!

The Naruto Shippuden Sexy Jutsu Funko Pop is Live

Back in December of last year, Funko announced a wave of Naruto Shippuden Pops that included an exclusive Naruto Uzumaki (Sexy Jutsu) figure. Given the fact that Funko could have gone in so many directions for new Naruto Funko Pops, the unveiling of a Pop based on Naruto's hilarous Sexy Jutsu technique was delightfully unexpected. The figure is a super fun release that most fans will want to add to their collection.

That having been said, the wait for this figure was unusually long, but it has finally arrived here at BoxLunch for $12.90. Note that all BoxLunch stores are closed until further notice, so the only place you'll be able to grab this figure is online. If it sells out, you can still order one on eBay if you're willing to pay the premium.

As noted, the Sexy Jutsu Naruto Shippuden figure will likely be popular with fans, just like the recently released Jiraiya on Toad Pop Ride. The figure was an exclusive of BoxLunch's parent company Hot Topic that sold out in a matter of days. Again, you can still grab one here on eBay if you simply must have it.

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Originally created by Masashi Kishimoto for Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump in 1999, Naruto follows a young ninja, with a sealed demon within him, that wishes to become the leader of his home village. The series ran for 700 chapters overall, and was adapted into an anime series by Studio Pierrot and Aniplex that ran from 2002 to 2017. The series was popular enough to warrant a sequel, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations which is set several years after the events of the original Naruto story and features the children of many of its key characters such as Naruto and Hinata.

Annotated Manga: Naruto chapter 698

Oof. That's gonna leave a mark.

At least it's over, though! Almost.

What else is there to say, really?

Well, I guess it's really weird to imagine Sasuke laughing, which he does for the first time in about a decade.

I'm not entirely convinced that all it really took was yet another taste of Naruto's Ninja Way™ to turn Sasuke back to the side of the angels, but then again, Sasuke's Big Plan for World Peace™ was so patently ridiculous that I wasn't sure even Sasuke believed in it.

Besides, beating your friend to death's door is the best proven method of getting them to see reason.[citation needed]

So I guess we're OK. The finale's reportedly going to be two full chapters long, running a full 44 pages in November 10th's issue of Shonen Jump.

It's been a long road, folks, and I think we're almost there.

'Naruto Shippuden' Manga Ends Nov. 10: Naruto VS. Sasuke Duel Ends Chapter 699 [SPOILERS]

What a staggering bit of news: on Oct. 6, "Naruto" creator Masashi Kishimoto announced that the epic ninja journey will finally come to an end after 15 years. According to Kishimoto, the final chapter of the "Naruto" manga will be released on Nov. 10 in the 50th issue of Weekly Shonen Jump. This means only 5 chapters of the manga remains!
Since "Naruto" was first released in 1999, the manga has released a total of 70 tankobon volumes. The 71st volume is scheduled to be released in Japan on Nov. 4. While the end of Naruto is inevitable, the longevity of this beloved anime made the announcement rather shocking. What's more, the end of the manga will mark the end of the equally popular "Naruto Shippuden" anime as well.
Now that we know when "Naruto" end, the only question left to ask is how will "Naruto" end? [WARNING For Naruto Shippuden fans: the manga is far ahead of the anime! Do not read if you are deathly allergic to spoilers]. Let's begin with a recap of Naruto Chapter 694, which was released last Thursday, Oct. 2.
As best friends and arch-rivals, Sasuke and Naruto both share a dream to become the hokage. However, their definition of hokage vastly differ. In Chapter 694, Sasuke tells Naruto his own definition of what it means to be a hokage. Unlike Naruto, who possesses many friends that are dear to his heart, Sasuke's one and only role model is his dead brother Itachi.
According to Sasuke, Itachi made the ultimate sacrifice. Itachi killed his family and the whole Uchiha clan in order to protect the village of Konoha. After completing this terrible mission, Itachi was called a traitor and became a scapegoat. Itachi exiled himself from the village for his "crime."
Given the incredible measures Itachi was willing to commit in order to uphold peace and structure to Konoha, Sasuke believes that Itachi defines a hokage more than any actual hokage ever did. Like his brother, Sasuke is prepared to embrace darkness and solitude and become a villain in order to deliver peace to the world. Sasuke will accept the pain and the hate in order to keep the Konoha village and the world safe.
Sasuke revealed his plan to kill the Kages and the Tailed Beasts. Sasuke believes the end of Tailed Beasts and the end of Kages, essentially a severance of the past, will protect the world from war. To Sasuke, Itachi is the past, and Naruto is part of the past too.

Naruto pleads his best friend to reconsider. Madara severed ties from his Hashirama and Madara's ideals were the result of all the pain, hatred, and darkness. Ultimately, Naruto argued that one person cannot achieve greatness alone. Love and support from friends and loved ones are necessary to truly realize a dream. What's more, Naruto believes the past should never be severed. Instead, it is important to learn from the past and to not allow history to repeat itself.

Finally the rematch between Naruto and Sasuke begins in Chapter 695. No doubt, the chapters leading up to the final Chapter 699 will see the epic Naruto Vs. Sasuke match to the very end. Stay tuned as we learn more in the weeks ahead!

End Times: Naruto Manga 'in its final phase'

 Masashi Kishimoto: Naruto's Story is at final phase!

Oh, man. It's almost time! The end of an era is nigh! Yes, friends, Naruto is, according to creator Masashi Kishimoto, 'in its final phase'. During a special segment on talk show Sakiyomi Jan BANG (awesome name for a show, by the way), viewers were shown a message from Kishimoto:

 The battle of Naruto and his comrades is in it’s final phase, in the truest sense of the term. About the Ten Tails, about Madara, and then, about Sasuke…I will continue to raise the tension without restraint, in every way I can! Please follow this story of a boy named Naruto a little while longer, I will greatly appreciate it.

It has been quite a while, hasn't it? More than a decade of ninja superheroes who barf up fire (clearly the best part of Naruto's theory of ninjutsu) may well come to an end sometime soon. Just how soon is the real question. Based on the wording of the statement (particularly that use of "truest sense of the word") this ending seems like it could be definitive, but there's some fairly clear "wiggle room" in the language for future Naruto installments that don't involve Naruto, the current crisis, or even the Naruto-Sasuke dynamic.
It'd be easy to imagine some kind of prequel that explored the other three Ninja World Wars, the Ninja World prior to the formation of the Hidden Villages, and other aspects of the setting, much like how Mass Effect 3 ended the story of Commander Shepard while leaving the door open for more Mass Effect stories.
Either way, something will come to an end when it comes to Naruto. And it may well happen sooner rather than later.