Itachi Uchiha stood tall as one of the most important characters in the overarching story of Naruto. Although he was initially introduced in the story by Masashi Kishimoto, the creator, as one of the villains, he turned out to be one of the most selfless heroes who protected Konoha from the shadows. That is part of his charm and explains why he is as beloved as he is today.
In Naruto Chapter 393, released on March 31, 2008, Itachi Uchiha officially met his end after his battle with his brother Sasuke Uchiha. In the Fourth Great Ninja War, Itachi was momentarily reanimated before parting ways with Sasuke yet again in Naruto Chapter 590. Over a decade since then, the world of shinobi has moved forward drastically, yet Itachi Uchiha’s importance perseveres. In his absence, Konoha, the mightiest ninja village, has found his perfect successor in the form of the protagonist of the Boruto series, Boruto Uzumaki, who embodies the same ninja spirit as him, despite not even being from the Uchiha Clan.
Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Sets Up A Shinobi With The Same Selfless Nature As Itachi Uchiha Through Boruto
Itachi was a powerful member of the Uchiha clan and certainly one of the deadliest shinobi to ever exist. It goes without saying that his strength was immense, such that even a Kage could not compete with him in terms of power. Itachi was especially known for his Mangekyo Sharingan, which offered him two unique jutsu called Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi, both of which made him feared over the world. However, despite all these incredible abilities and accolades, what made Itachi truly special was his selfless nature.
“I feel that he [Itachi] was the true Hokage. It’s not the one acknowledged by all, but the one who accepts all the hatred worthy of that title.” — Sasuke Uchiha explains Itachi’s Qualities, Naruto Chapter #694
Itachi Uchiha spared the village from massive bloodshed by preventing a coup d’état and, at the same time, disgraced himself and joined a villain organization, such as Akatsuki, standing among their strongest, to keep tabs on them and prevent them from attacking Konoha. Itachi was truly living the life of a double agent who had the best interests of Konoha and his little brother, Sasuke Uchiha, at heart. It is this selfless nature that makes him one of the most beloved shinobi to ever exist, and the disgraced ninja trope that his character carries makes him even more special.
In Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, this exact same role has been picked up by none other than Boruto Uzumaki. Even though Boruto is not an Uchiha, he is the protégé of Sasuke, the strongest Uchiha in the history of the entire Clan. Sasuke has trained Boruto in all of the Uchiha special jutsu that can be utilized without the Sharingan, making him a worthy successor of carrying the hidden arts of the clan. That said, there’s more to Boruto being the perfect successor of Itachi than just that.
“Listen closely, Boruto! There’s no way we can win against him right now. So escape. Survive at all costs and build on the skills that I’ve hammered into you. Then nobody will be able to stop you.” — Sasuke Uchiha calls Boruto his disciple, Boruto: TBV Chapter #5
Why Boruto Uzumaki Carries All The Qualities Of Itachi
The main reason why Boruto Uzumaki is the perfect successor for Itachi Uchiha is that, just like him, he is a disgraced ninja. In Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Chapter 79, released officially on March 19, 2023, Omnipotence struck for the first time, and Boruto was officially disgraced. He was branded a traitor to Konoha as well as the killer of the Seventh Hokage. Furthermore, Boruto Uzumaki was chased all over the shinobi world and marked for death by the village itself. This is the same situation as Itachi, yet both protected the village from the shadows.
Boruto only has the best interests of Konoha at his heart and tries his best to prevent loss of life, even when powerful threats such as the Shinju, as well as Code, are looming. Itachi did something similar, and until he was alive, the Akatsuki did not even dare to attack the village, which makes these two identical in roles. Boruto Uzumaki, just like Itachi, does not care about being disgraced. In fact, in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Chapter 15, released on October 20, 2024, he openly stated to Kawaki that he does not care about explaining the truth to anyone, because at the end of the day, what matters is the safety of his loved ones as well as the village. In doing so, he showed the same qualities as Itachi.
Boruto: Are you alone?
Kawaki: Yes, although Eida is probably watching.
Boruto: What’s wrong? Why haven’t you attacked?
Kawaki: What I wanna know is why you haven’t told Konoha the truth?
Boruto: Nothing good would come of it. Some would believe me, some would not. It would only cause division. I’d rather avoid that. At least right now, Konoha is functioning normally; that’s good enough. So let them persecute me as a rogue ninja.
— Boruto accepts the same role as Itachi Uchiha, Two Blue Vortex Chapter #15
How Boruto Will Surpass Itachi Uchiha In Two Blue Vortex
As things stand, Boruto Uzumaki is being lined up to play the role of Itachi Uchiha in the Boruto: Two Blue Vortex series. If anything, Boruto Uzumaki is actually lined up to surpass him in just about every way, be it strength or character arcs. Boruto is the main character of the story, while Itachi was only a side character. As such, Boruto will naturally receive much more focus from the author and be at the center of things at all times. In terms of strength, there isn’t even a competition between the two because Boruto Uzumaki is already an Otsutsuki-level ninja who can take down the vast majority of powerful enemies on his own. Itachi, while strong, cannot compete with Boruto in that regard.
Boruto also features strong character writing, but whether it’s better than that of Itachi or not is debatable. At the end of the day, Itachi is beloved by millions, while Boruto does not have enough fans, as things stand, due to the vastly divisive plotlines of the story. Regardless, whether fans like it or not, Boruto Uzumaki is the new Itachi of this generation and carries the same qualities as him. We are thoroughly enjoying watching him grow, and with each passing month, Boruto becomes more likable as a ninja.
It is highly likely that Boruto will have to endure a lot more sacrifices in the future, just as Itachi did. This has officially been teased in Boruto Chapter 1 Prologue, which showed a destroyed Konoha and Boruto Uzumaki as the last hope of the Shinobi kind against Kawaki. Up until the story reaches that point, it is likely that the Uzumaki will have to sacrifice a lot more. We are eagerly awaiting further developments, especially as the Post-Mamushi arc of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex continues this month on July 20, 2026.
All the new chapters of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex are available to read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.
