The Next Hokage After Shikamaru, Explained

This article contains spoilers from Boruto: Two Blue Vortex.

Key Takeaways

• Naruto was sealed away by Kawaki, leading Shikamaru Nara to be temporarily chosen as Hokage.
• It’s hinted that Naruto Uzumaki will likely return as the official Seventh Hokage.
• Sarada Uchiha’s dream of becoming Hokage will likely come true after Konohamaru takes the position.

The Hokage is quite easily the most prized position for any individual to hold in the Hidden Leaf Village in the Naruto series. The Hokage is, simply put, the leader of the village and the one responsible for the well-being of all the people in the village as well. In many ways, the Hokage is like a parent to all the villagers, and to them, the entire Village is like a family. A Hokage needs to be very powerful, but at the same time, very wise, calm, and calculating as well. Fans have seen many powerful ninjas take this spot over the years, and every single one of them has been impressive in their own way.

Of course, the mightiest of all Hokage that fans have seen in the series is none other than the Seventh Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki. However, after being sealed away, someone else had to fill in this role, and that person was none other than Shikamaru Nara. That said, Shikamaru is eventually going to be replaced as Hokage, And someone else needs to take this position from him soon enough.

How Shikamaru Became The Hokage In Boruto

• Naruto Was Sealed Away By Kawaki
• Shikamaru Nara Was Chosen As Naruto’s Replacement

Shikamaru became the Hokage in quite a surprising manner in the Boruto series. Fans know that Naruto Uzumaki rose to the position of 7th Hokage a few years after Kakashi took the position of the 6th. Kakashi’s reign is generally seen as very positive. The Five Nations grew closer to each other than ever before, and at the same time, peace was maintained throughout the world. Of course, there were small skirmishes here and there with rogue ninjas and other threats in the world of Naruto at this point, but, largely speaking, the only major threat the Earth faced during Kakashi’s reign was that of Toneri Otsutsuki, and it was also dealt with by Naruto Uzumaki. Eventually, some years down the line, Kakashi stepped down, and the person who ended up replacing him was none other than the one destined to be the Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki.

I will send you to the same place I sent the Seventh Hokage, Boruto! – Kawaki

It goes without saying that Naruto was a very powerful Hokage, and it is safe to say that Naruto’s presence as the Hokage strengthened the entire world and allowed peace to perpetuate throughout the lands. However, this peace was eventually disturbed when the likes of the Otsutsuki started flowing in, and at the same time, members of Kara started making their move as well.

Still, Naruto did more than just well to hold his position as Hokage and defend his village, along with saving the entire world as well. But, after Naruto lost the power of Kurama in the battle against Isshiki, his reign as Hokage was already coming to an end. Naruto’s adoptive son, Kawaki, saw to it that he was kept in a safe place away from all the Otsutsuki by sealing him away. In Kawaki’s mind, this was to protect Naruto from the Otsutsuki, given that he no longer held the power to protect himself. In return, he swore to wipe out all the Otsutsuki for him so that he could live safely, and this included Naruto’s own son, Boruto Uzumaki as well. For this purpose, Naruto was removed from the picture, and Boruto Uzumaki ended up killing Naruto, painting him as a villain.

The Boruto series entered a 3-year timeskip soon after Naruto Uzumaki was sealed, which meant that the village was undoubtedly going to pick a new Hokage. To the village, Naruto Uzumaki was dead. At the same time, the village could not be without a leader for 3 years, and this is precisely why Shikamaru was elected as the next Hokage.

The Next Hokage After Shikamaru Is Likely Going To Be Naruto Again

It Is Too Early for Sarada To Be The Hokage Of Konoha

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While Shikamaru was made the 8th Hokage, it is clearly stated in the series that he is not the official Hokage and only took this role on as the interim, and he still hasn’t accepted the position fully. Shikamaru is still termed as the provisional Hokage, which means sooner or later, he will have to either officially accept the position, or, a new Hokage will have to rise. This is where things get interesting, because fans know that Shikamaru cannot and will not become the permanent 8th Hokage of the village. The true title of the 8th Hokage will belong to someone else, or, there will be someone else who takes the position of Hokage, as was the case when Hiruzen took the position following the death of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.

Naturally, there are a few candidates when it comes to choosing the next Hokage of the village. Sakura Haruno, one of the legendary ninjas of the leaf, exists as the prime candidate. Just like Tsunade, she can go on to become the Hokage of the village and lead it strongly from the front. There are also other shinobi who can go on to claim this title. For instance, Konohamaru is a very good candidate as well, although there are doubts over his level of strength. But, unfortunately, he has not impressed in the Boruto series so far, which means that fans aren’t sure if he has what it takes to become the aid Hokage.

At the same time, fans also know that Sarada Uchiha wants to become the Hokage in the future, which means that she, too, is a candidate. But, she’s still very young and there is absolutely no way that the village is going to make her the Hokage at this point in time.

Above all, there exists the possibility of Naruto Uzumaki returning and taking the position of the Seventh Hokage. This is the biggest possibility in the Boruto series and will most likely come true. Shikamaru is going to stay as the acting Hokage until he dies or takes the position permanently. Given that fans already know that he won’t take the position permanently, this only means that Naruto Uzumaki will return at some point later down the line before Shikamaru dies.

As fans know, in the future, Konoha will be destroyed and when that happens, Kawaki and Boruto will fight it out. When this battle takes place and Kawaki is defeated, Naruto will most definitely return. Upon his return, the truth about the Omnipotence will be made clear, or even better, Omnipotence will be canceled in one way or another. When that happens, Naruto will most likely retain his position of 7th Hokage, and, hopefully, gain new powers that allow him to maintain this position proudly as well. This essentially means that there won’t be an 8th Hokage in the Boruto series for quite a while.

When Will Sarada Become The Hokage?

Sarada Needs To Gain More Experience

For Sarada to become the Hokage, she has to mature quite a lot. She is still very young and her powers are not all that great. On top of that, she requires experience in order to be Hokage and she clearly lacks it at this point in time. For instance, Naruto, even after saving the world twice, once from Pain and once from Kaguya, was not made the Hokage because he lacked the experience. Similarly, Sarada needs more time, and once she is older, around her twenties, she can take this mantle officially from her predecessor.

But, before Sarada takes this position, fans know that Konohamaru will become the Hokage of the village at one point. It is his dream, and it is highly unlikely that the author of the story will completely give up on this character and his goals. After Konohamaru, the title will eventually go to none other than Sarada at some point later down the line.

Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Chapter 16 Release Date

Boruto is available to read via Viz Media. The series can be read by the fans officially and for free on the Shonen Jump and the Manga Plus app. The release date for the next chapter of Boruto, Boruto: Two Blue Vortex chapter 16, is set to be November 20, 2024.