One of the most important reoccurring themes in Naruto is the difference between natural talent and hard work. Though most obviously evident in Naruto and Sasuke, this theme resonates throughout the series, going a long way in showing how willpower and effort are far more valuable than any innate ability. Unfortunately, one of the series’ biggest twists completely undermines this theme by revealing that not only is Naruto a prophesized hero, but also that he and Sasuke share a common ancestor.
Towards the end of Naruto’s famous “Fourth Shinobi World War” arc, the Nine-Tailed fox demon inside of Naruto (Kurama) references an ancient shinobi named Hagoromo who prophecized that there would be a ninja who would come along to unite the ninja world in harmony. Later, after Kurama is extracted from Naruto by the villainous Madara, Naruto’s subconscious is greeted to a meeting with the first shinobi himself. It’s there that Hagoromo reveals the true reason that Naruto and Sasuke were always destined to become rivals.
Related: The First Version of Naruto Wasn’t a Ninja
According to Hagoromo, he and his mother Kaguya were actually beings from another world who came to Earth. Though Kaguya was evil and only viewed the planet as a resource to be used, Hagoromo had much nobler intentions, wanting to create peace in the world. Realizing that world peace wasn’t something he could achieve in one lifetime though, he fathered twin sons, Indra and Asura. The older Indra displayed a natural aptitude for Ninjutsu while the younger Asura needed to work hard to reach his potential. Seeing Asura’s greater potential, Hagoromo eventually chose the younger son to succeed him. This eventually lead to an all-out war as Indra was furious with not being chosen. The reason all of that is particularly relevant is that Naruto is the descendant and reincarnation of Asura while the same is true for Sasuke and Indra.
It is difficult to overstate how much damage these revelations do to Naruto’s core themes. Though Sasuke’s relationship to Naruto is controversial, it’s undeniable that their relationship is the heart of the series. The reason they connect to each other, and also the reason they clash so much, is that their wildly different backgrounds led to similar problems. Both were orphans who spent almost their whole lives pushing other people away because of their shared loneliness. It was their very specific circumstances that kept on drawing the two back to each other. Having their relationship be the result of predestination cheapens things. This revelation makes it so that their bond isn’t unique, it’s one that countless people have experienced across multiple generations.More than just Naruto’s relationship to Sasuke though, Naruto being a prophesized figure undermines the theme of hard work vs. natural talent. Yes, Naruto still had to put the work in to become as powerful as he did, but that outcome was predetermined long before he was born.
Ultimately, it’s a major disappointment that Naruto’s major themes were disregarded as the series reached its conclusion. Naruto and Sasuke secretly being reincarnations of two brothers doesn’t deepen their relationship or advance it in the slightest. Instead, all it does is make the series’ timeline overly convoluted while immensely cheapening the core relationship and themes that Naruto is built around.
Next: Deadpool’s Secret Dream is to Become a Hokage from Naruto
About The Author
