In the world of ninja, Naruto Uzumaki stands tall as the strongest of all time. Although he had humble beginnings and was born without any talent, Naruto Uzumaki worked tremendously hard, and with the help of many others around him, he was able to successfully fulfill his dream of becoming the Hokage of Konoha. In the process, Naruto earned the acknowledgement of all those around him, and he also became the strongest shinobi to ever live.
Naruto is a legendary figure in the current Boruto: Two Blue Vortex timeline, who is revered as a ninja god all across the world. However, in the story, he has also lost quite a lot as it has progressed further. Among the things that he lost are his two strongest transformations: Baryon Mode and, unfortunately, also the Six Paths Sage Mode, which was gifted to him directly by the Sage of Six Paths in the Fourth Great Ninja War of the Naruto series. These transformations could have been obtained by him again, but in the latest developments of the Two Blue Vortex series, they are now officially and permanently removed.
Boruto Officially Removes Naruto’s Baryon Mode And Six Paths Form In Latest Series
At the beginning of the Boruto series, Naruto had access to the powers of the Six Paths. Despite losing the Truth-Seeking Orbs, Naruto Uzumaki utilized Six Paths Sage Mode in the battle against Momoshiki Otsutsuki. Later down the line, when he faced off against threats such as Delta, he once again tapped into these powers. In the battle against Jigen, which began in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Chapter 38 on September 20, 2019, in V-Jump Issue 11, Naruto Uzumaki was overwhelmed even with his Six Paths powers for the very first time. Things went from bad to worse in the battle against Isshiki Otsutsuki, which saw Naruto being completely dwarfed in battle in terms of overall powers. For the very first time, Six Paths Sage Mode was insufficient in a battle for Naruto Uzumaki, and this is precisely why he turned to a completely new transformation suggested by Kurama himself, and that is Baryon Mode.
“This is a completely different beast. The other modes involve taking chakra that you acquire from elsewhere and just using it. Here, yours and my chakra are used as raw materials to create a different form of energy, until both of our lives run out.” — Kurama explains Baryon Mode, Boruto Chapter #52
In Boruto Chapter 52, released officially on November 20, 2020, in V-Jump Issue 1, Naruto Uzumaki tapped into Baryon Mode for the very first time. This form took Naruto’s own chakra as well as that of Kurama and combined them to create a completely new form of energy, which fueled Baryon Mode. Kurama described this power as akin to nuclear fusion, making it an incredibly powerful ability. With this new transformation, Naruto was able to rival and even surpass Isshiki Otsutsuki in overall combat abilities, making him the strongest ninja in the world once again. Unfortunately, the price to pay for Baryon Mode was huge. In Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Chapter 55, released officially on February 19, 2021, Naruto Uzumaki lost access to the power of Kurama forever. With that, his strongest transformation, Baryon Mode, was permanently removed. At the same time, the repercussions of utilizing Baryon Mode meant that Naruto also permanently lost Six Paths Sage Mode at the time.
“Normally, when a Jinchuriki’s Biju is extracted, they die. But that doesn’t apply to you. The Biju chakra simply vanishes. It might look to others like you’re dead, but you’re just in a temporary state of shock. Don’t worry, you’ll wake up soon. The price to pay for Baryon Mode is my life, not yours. I’ve got to go, but be real careful. You aren’t gonna have superhuman strength anymore. So if you overdo it, you’ll end up joining me soon. But until that day comes, you be well, Naruto.” — Kurama dies, Boruto Chapter #55
Why Naruto Uzumaki Will Never Gain Access To His 2 Strongest Forms
When Naruto first lost access to the powers of Six Paths Sage Mode and Baryon Mode, most believed this change to be temporary. The primary reason behind that was simply the fact that Tailed Beasts never truly die; they are always resurrected in some way or form in the ninja world. Fans simply held on to the hope that when Kurama returned, Naruto would reunite with him, and the two would join forces once again. This would give Naruto access to Six Paths Sage Mode once again, as well as the ability to tap into Baryon Mode again if the situation ever required it.
Unfortunately, in the latest sequel series of Boruto, that is Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, this possibility has been shut down forever. In Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Chapter 9, released on April 18, 2024, Himawari Uzumaki was made the next user of Kurama’s powers. The subsequent chapter confirmed that Himawari and Kurama have essentially fused together and exist as one entity. In other words, Kurama and Himawari are one body and soul, and she no longer functions as a Jinchuriki.
“You’re no ordinary Shinobi. In fact, you’re even a little different from Jinchuriki…those who have the Tailed Beast inside them. You are human, yet, if anything, you’re more similar to me and Jura.” — Kurama confirms Himawari’s power, Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Chapter #25
This means that Naruto can never gain access to Kurama’s power ever again and has now officially lost access to Six Paths Sage Mode, as well as Baryon Mode, forever. These powers will now instead potentially go to Himawari Uzumaki. For her to tap into Six Paths Sage Mode, she would have to forge a bond with all the remaining Tailed Beasts in the ninja world. Logically speaking, this shouldn’t be too hard for her to do, given that she is Naruto’s daughter, but the Tailed Beasts would still have to trust her.
Baryon Mode, on the other hand, is far easier for her to tap into, given that this power only requires Kurama’s chakra, along with her own, to be used as raw materials. The two don’t need other Tailed Beast chakra to access this transformation. Interestingly enough, Himawari can become a much better user of Baryon Mode than even Naruto, and this is simply because her synergy with Kurama is incredibly high, leading to less waste of chakra and overall much greater efficiency.
Naruto’s Future Power Ups In The Boruto Series
With Himawari and Kurama now uniting, Naruto Uzumaki has permanently lost access to his strongest transformations, but that doesn’t mean that this is the end of the road for him. The post-Mamushi arc of Boruto, which awaits its next chapter release on October 20, 2026, is setting up the return of Sasuke Uchiha, as well as paving the way for Naruto’s return. This new arc will eventually lead to Naruto’s comeback, and when he does return, he is sure to get new upgrades, be it in the form of Tailed Beast chakra through the remaining Tailed Beasts or potentially being granted Ten-Tails Chakra. Either way, Naruto will grow stronger in the Boruto series upon his comeback.
“A while ago, I visited Konoha and was shocked to learn that the Seventh Hokage had died. However, looking into your eyes, I’m convinced Naruto Uzumaki is still alive, isn’t he?” — Jura confirms Naruto’s Imminent comeback, Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Chapter #24
There are also scientific ninja tools to consider, such as the prosthetic hand with the power of Momoshiki Otsutsuki, which he already utilized in the original Boruto series. All things taken into consideration, Naruto Uzumaki is sure to gain new powers upon his return, but he has now lost his two strongest transformations, no matter how fans look at it.
All the new chapters of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex by author Mikio Ikemoto, supervised by Masashi Kishimoto, are available to read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.
