With over a decade of story arcs across both its manga and anime, not to mention spin-offs, adaptations, and a sequel series, Naruto’s story has spanned hundreds of characters and dozens of story arcs. So, inevitably, some threads have been left hanging here and there, confounding fans who want answers to burning questions about the ninja world and its lore.
From characters whose importance has waned over the course of the series to unsolved mysteries that could have been important in another version of the story, there are plenty of unresolved plots that Naruto never answered for. Perhaps some of these will be resolved during Boruto’s run, but many of these narratives are likely lost to time.
Hidan And His Jashin Religion
Religious beliefs are only loosely touched upon in the world of Naruto. Filler arcs in the original series saw different beliefs, temples, and priests introduced, but after a fight or a rescue, they were often never mentioned again. The same is true of Hidan’s religious beliefs once Shikamaru Nara gets justice for Asuma Sarutobi’s death.
Hidan has religious beliefs that require ceremonial makeup, violent sacrifice, and allow him the semblance of immortality. Outside what he says in battle about his beliefs though, they’re not really mentioned again. It’s not even clear if anyone other than Hidan follows the Jashin religion in Naruto’s world. Given how much grief Hidan caused on behalf of the Akatsuki, Hidan’s religion might have been explored a bit more.
Ino Yamanaka Should Be Her Clan Leader
In the powerful shinobi families, there is a hierarchy of power. The main families lead their clans, even when that might cause strife, as it did in the Hyuga clan when Neji misunderstood some family history. When the clan’s leader dies, their children take over, or in the absence of a child, their sibling. During the Fourth Shinobi World War, both Ino Yamanaka and Shikamaru Nara lost their fathers, who were both heads of their respective clans.
Shikamaru became the head of his clan at a young age as a result. There’s no mention of whether or not Ino does the same - or if she gives up the position to an extended family member. Ino still runs the family flower shop as an adult, but she also maintains her Yamanaka family skills. She’s used her ability to get into the heads of others in the manga to interrogate people for Konohagakure, but that’s largely glossed over in the anime. The entire idea of her clan is barely a blip in the show’s history compared to other shinobi families.
Hashirama’s Sage Mode Origins
One of the most powerful techniques in Naruto is the ability to activate Sage Mode, which only a handful of characters have done over the course of the series. There are two known places to learn Sage Mode: Mount Myōboku and Ryūchi Cave, with the former location being associated with frogs and the latter with snakes.
Characters like Jiraiya and Naruto have taken the frog route, while others, like Kabuto, have chosen the snake route. It is typically pretty clear which location different ninja learned Sage Mode in based on their allegiances, but First Hokage Hashirama Senju’s Sage Mode comes from unidentified origins that fans may never discover.
Ninja Body Etiquette
Early on in the series, Kakashi notes that, especially in the case of rogue ninja, ninja corpses should be burned when they are killed, as their bodies contain many keys to unlocking their abilities and techniques. This practice, however, is rarely seen or demonstrated.
The fact that this practice does not continue may just be for storytelling convenience, but it also has major implications at times, such as the fact that Hashirama’s DNA is used by several ninjas to enhance their abilities. Other times, it seems that the story simply did not follow through on this piece of lore.
Truth-Seeking Balls
Users of the powerful Six Paths Senjutsu, such as the Ōtsutsuki clan and Naruto himself, gain the ability to wield a finite number of Truth-Seeking Balls, potent tools that can activate powerful skills. When Naruto first accesses the Six Paths Sage Mode during the Fourth Shinobi World War, he has several at his disposal.
After the war, however, he uses Six Paths Sage Mode again during Boruto in battles against Delta and Isshki. These newer instances of Naruto’s transformation, however, feature no Truth-Seeking Balls, leaving many fans to eagerly await a potential backstory of where they went and why.
Sakura’s Genjutsu Potential
Despite being on a team with the two main characters of the series, Sakura’s character arc on Naruto starts to fade into the background as the story unfolds. The attention she does get later on is primarily focused on her training in medical techniques by Tsunade, although earlier chapters suggest that she is suited for another type of training.
In an early installment, Kakashi notes that his student Sakura has the proper skill set to be a master of the illusion-based school of jutsu, genjutsu. However, Sakura is not seen to ever use any genjutsu techniques, only to recognize when she is under the influence of one, leaving this potential storyline to disappear.
Hanabi Hyūga
The Hyūga clan is most known throughout Naruto for being the clan from which Neji and Hinata both hail, but its third most prominent member is probably Hinata’s younger sister Hanabi. Many characters have seemingly promising storylines that fade into the background, but Hanabi’s case is one of the most notable.
Hanabi’s prowess as a ninja impressed her family, especially as she began to surpass her older sister Hinata in her training, but her role in the original series was never expanded upon. Boruto has given Hanabi a greater role years later, but the original iteration of the character still feels underutilized, given the hints at a rivalry storyline with Hinata. Her brief time in the series still doesn’t show the audience just how powerful Hanabi is.
Itachi’s Mystery Illness
When Sasuke finally confronts his brother Itachi, the battle ends in an unexpected way, with Itachi removing Sasuke’s cursed seal by sealing Orochimaru away before apologizing to his younger brother and dying. The older brother’s death comes at the hand of a strange illness he has dealt with for some time.
The true nature of this illness is never explained, and its culmination results in an unusual death for the villain-turned-complex-antihero (much like Cassian Lee of Villain To Kill). Although much about Itachi’s past had been explained, this illness remains a mystery. Just why Itachi got sick is never explained to the viewers at all, and Sasuke seemingly moves on with his life.
The Akatsuki Rings
The villainous organization that looms large over much of Naruto’s run, Akatsuki is initially introduced with a great deal of mystery surrounding who these intimidating ninjas actually are. Most notable about Akatsuki are their signature red-and-black robes and their unique rings.
Both the manga and the anime initially put focus on the Akatsuki rings as especially important, as each member’s ring is associated with a different finger. In addition, when Orochimaru leaves the group, he takes the ring with him, leaving that finger unassigned. The rings may have something to do with sealing the Tailed Beasts, but their exact significance has been left up to speculation.
Uzumaki Clan Fate
In the history of Naruto, the Uzumaki clan’s importance is downplayed, despite the fact that the series’ main character is an Uzumaki himself. Having a good relationship with the Senju clan, the Uzumakis always had a strong bond with Naruto’s home village of Konoha.
Fear over the power of the Uzumaki clan, however, led to their home village of Uzushiogakure being destroyed in a coordinated attack several years before the start of the series. While former Uzushio residents like Naruto’s mother Kushina, Nagato, and Karin, have shown up in the series, the exact details regarding the destruction of the clan and village have not been explored in canon.
Yūgao’s Revenge
Yūgao Uzuki and Hayate Gekkō are fairly minor characters, primarily known for their appearances in the Chūnin Exams and Konoha Crush arcs. Hayate is a proctor of the exams, Yūgao is an Anbu agent, and the two are in one of Naruto’s stranger romances after Hayate trains Yūgao in kenjutsu.
Baki of Sunagakure kills Hayate during the Chūnin Exams, and during the subsequent attack on Konoha, Yūgao swears to avenge her lost lover. While the anime does revisit Yūgao and Hayate’s story eventually when the latter is reincarnated by Kabuto, neither the anime nor the manga fully follows through on this storyline, as Sunagakure’s reformation means that Baki is an ally to Konoha after this arc.
Who Killed Hashirama?
Co-founder of Konoha, first Hokage and “God of Shinobi” Hashirama Senju was a powerful ninja whose influence encompasses the entirety of Naruto’s storyline. Before his death, Hashirama left the role of Hokage to his brother Tobirama, but the circumstances surrounding his death are mysterious.
Since he died during wartime and at a fairly young age, many fans assume that Hashirama was killed in combat at some point, which is also supported by the fact that his DNA was harvested to enhance others’ abilities. Hashirama, however, is one of the strongest ninja in Naruto history, so fans struggle to see how he could have been killed, or by who.
