It’s been a while since we were forced to bid farewell to Kurama. After a couple of tears, I think I’ve finally arrived at the final stage of grief, i.e., acceptance and coming to terms with the fact that Kurama isn’t coming back.
Nonetheless, it still stings a little every now and then. After all, Kurama was Naruto’s closest companion, if not his only one for much of his life.
It wasn’t about the power he’d lost, but rather the fact that he’d lost Kurama, who was always by his side.
Still, fans have wondered for the longest time about how strong Naruto would be without Kurama, and it seems the opportunity to ascertain exactly that had finally presented itself.
Naruto is far from weak without Kurama. He still has immense chakra reserves since he’s an Uzumaki.
He can also still use Six Paths Sage Mode, Toad Sage Mode, the Rasengan, Rasenshuriken, and might still have chakra from the other tailed beasts.
What Techniques Can Naruto Still Use?
Contrary to what some may think, Naruto is far from powerless without Kurama. Even in the absence of Kurama, Naruto still has a range of techniques in his arsenal.
1. Naruto’s Base Stats And Chakra
Even without Kyuubi’s chakra, Naruto’s base stats are through the roof.
Being an Uzumaki and the reincarnation of Asura, Naruto has inherited the Uzumaki Clan’s strong life force and has immense chakra reserves. In Naruto, chapter 315, Kakashi himself stated that Naruto had four times more chakra than he did.
Naruto has also mastered all five chakra natures since the war. Naruto continued to train following the war up until he became the Hokage. We can assume he has also gotten even more efficient with using his chakra.
As for taijutsu, despite arguments that Naruto may have gone rusty from being swamped by his duties as Hokage, Naruto was still able to keep up with the likes of Momoshiki Otsutsuki.
Admittedly, as Kurama pointed out in his final moments, Naruto won’t have the same limitless chakra pool or superhuman healing and strength as he did before.
Naruto might take some time to adapt to this jarring handicap, but I don’t think we can count him out of the running just yet.
2. Six Paths Sage Mode And Chakra From The Other Tailed Beasts
Naruto still has access to Six Paths Sage Mode since it was given to him directly by Hagoromo. Since Naruto hasn’t had to fight much since the Fourth Shinobi War, he could have a small portion of this chakra left.
Along with SPSM, Naruto also has remnants of chakra from the other tailed beasts that he received during the war.
Naruto could tap into their abilities at any time, even in Boruto, the most recent incident being his fight against Delta, where he used Son Goku’s Lava Release to create a Lava Rasenshuriken.
But, Naruto might not have access to the other tailed beasts’ chakra anymore since Kurama was overseeing the sanctuary. The series hasn’t yet confirmed whether Baryon Mode consumed the other tailed beasts’ chakra as well.
3. Sage Mode, Rasengan and Rasenshuriken
Another game-changing ability we can’t neglect is Naruto’s Toad Sage Mode. Naruto is a perfect sage– a feat not even Jiraiya could accomplish. Moreover, It was this very ability that helped Naruto take down the Paths of Pain.
Naruto also still has the Rasengan and Rasenshuriken at his disposal, which do not rely on Kurama’s chakra.
By the Fourth Shinobi War, Naruto’s increased efficiency with Sage Mode allowed him to use up to three Rasenshuriken with the help of his own senjutsu rather than any help from Kurama.
4. Naruto’s ‘Talk No Jutsu’
If all else fails, Naruto can always have a heart-to-heart with his opponent. Naruto’s signature ‘talk no jutsu’ is always at his disposal with or without Kurama.
As for its reliability, well, Naruto did manage to soften up even Kawaki, so I suppose it’s good enough to work on any non-Otsutsuki.
Why Was Naruto Nerfed?
Naruto was nerfed to allow the story to focus on Boruto instead and to make it possible for him to surpass his father. Naruto getting nerfed also allows the series to explore ninja technology more.
Following the fight with Jigen and later Isshiki, several fans were upset that Naruto and Sasuke had been incredibly nerfed.
They both didn’t make the best decisions and didn’t use many of their strongest techniques. Naruto didn’t summon enough clones, and his sensory abilities seemed to simply not exist anymore.
This was, in fact, the first instance of Naruto and Sasuke facing an Otsutsuki two vs. one, so it made sense for them to struggle a little.
Yes, if Naruto and Sasuke had been allowed to fight as they did during the war, it seems they would have made quick work of Isshiki.
But, as the primary antagonist, and more importantly, an Otsutsuki, it wouldn’t have made sense for Isshiki to go down that easily.
It was essential to nerf Naruto eventually to let the story focus on Boruto, his journey, and him surpassing Naruto.
Another prominent theme of the Boruto series is the debate about whether traditional ninja techniques or new technology is superior. The series can’t explore this theme very well if Naruto is overpowered enough to solve every obstacle that comes their way.
About Boruto: Naruto Next Generations
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations is written and illustrated by Mikio Ikemoto, and supervised by Masashi Kishimoto. It came into serialization in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump in June 2016.
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations is the series that follows the exploits of Naruto’s son, Boruto, during his academy days and further on.
The series follows the character development of Boruto and the looming evil that challenges the fate of him and his loved ones.
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