Summary

• Losing access to Kurama's chakra is a wake-up call for Naruto, forcing him to confront his own inadequacy and vulnerability.
• Naruto's dependence on Kurama's power made him feel like a cheat, but he needed it to protect his family and village.
• Naruto saying goodbye to Kurama was bittersweet, as he lost his lifelong companion and greatest ally.

In both the Naruto anime and manga, numerous villains gave the Konoha shinobi and the free ninja world a run for their money. From Uchihas like Itachi, Obito and Madara to organizations like the Akatsuki and the Otsusuki, Naruto Uzumaki's world was always in some state of conflict. Fortunately for everyone, the future Hokage and Team 7 were always on hand to lend their skills and save the day. Despite all the goals Naruto surpassed, and despite saving the world in the most spectacular fashion, he often felt like he was less than what he truly was.

It wasn't until the adventures of Konoha's next generation launched with his own son, Boruto, that Naruto finally admitted his dirtiest secret when it came to being a hero -- and it was all due to the death of his lifelong companion, Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox. When Kurama died in the battle against Isshiki, Naruto had to return to the Hidden Leaf Village seriously de-powered. Without the superhuman chakra Kurama provided him over the years, he would no longer be able to protect the people he loved with the same ferocity. As Konoha's science team tended to the downgraded Hokage, Sakura took charge, which left Naruto a lot of time to sit with his thoughts.

Updated January 11, 2024 by Jennifer Melzer: As Naruto's world continues to evolve through the next generation of ninja, it only makes sense that the once most powerful ninjas of the titular character's time would face challenges they couldn't overcome. One of the major catalysts to this regretful evolution was the Kurama death scene in Boruto, Episode 218, "Partner," when Naruto was forced to say goodbye to his lifelong companion and greatest ally. The ramifications of this loss go deep, including forcing Naruto to take a hard look at what losing the Nine Tails really means for him. This analysis of Naruto's loss has been updated to meet CBR's most current standards in formatting and presentation.

Kurama's Death Was a Wake-Up Call for Naruto

It didn't take much for those around Naruto to realize how lucky the Hokage was to actually be alive after Kurama's death. The death of a tailed beast would generally result in the host's death as well, but Kurama found a way to spare his closest friend and ally's life. As they discussed new threats to come, like Code, Naruto admitted that he felt like a cheat. It's a rare vulnerability to confess, given that Konahakagure is weaker than ever, given that Momoshiki took out Sasuke's Rinnegan, too.

Still, Naruto's counterparts didn't expect as much from him. His guilt over using so much of Kurama's power and life essence over the years is palpable, and combined with his grief, his vulnerability is maximized. Despite his regrets, Naruto needed the power of Kurama's chakra to stop villains and keep his village and family safe. After they actually bonded and began working together as a team, Kurama offered his chakra to Naruto freely. In the end, Kurama had no regrets, even sacrificing himself in such a way that Naruto could go on living.

One of the most telling things is Naruto's feelings of inadequacy and handicap without Kurama's essence to bolster his abilities. For most of his life, Kurama's added strength was a crutch he relied heavily on, and for good reason. Without the Nine-Tails, Naruto would never have been able to do even half the things he did over the years. That being said, it overpowered him in such a way that his abilities were almost god-like, as Baryon Mode showed. Even the Sage of the Six Paths was surprised by how powerful young Naruto was when they first met.

Naruto made powerful clones, creating more than 1000 clones at once during Shippuden. He transferred energy to the entire Shinobi alliance, created WMD Rasengans and tapped into nuclear-level blasts that left a devastating mark on his foes and the landscape. Even Momoshiki, Kinshiki and Isshiki felt the wave, so for him to come to terms with no longer having that type of power won't be an easy adjustment. Now that he's got a family of his own (the entire Hidden Leaf village, to be precise,) Naruto's almost certainly wracked with fear at what the future might bring and fretting over whether he can face it without Kurama.

Naruto's Bond With Kurama Made Him Feel Like a Cheater

The fact that Naruto began to think of himself as a cheat for relying so heavily on Kurama's power is ironic because Naruto chided Boruto in the ninja exams for cheating with scientific ninja tools and weapons. Little did audiences know that Naruto himself felt like a cheat for years, which adds a touch of hypocrisy to the tale. Once Naruto recognized the empowerment the Nine Tails chakra lent to his abilities, he would stop at nothing to take advantage of it. At the time, he most likely never thought about the edge it gave him over his peers, or that without it, he would have gone on as little more than a silent cry in a void of people who feared him because of the beast trapped inside his body.

Granted, Boruto had a choice when it came to cheating. He could have taken the high road and put the time and energy into training the way everyone else was doing. Naruto wasn't given a choice, as Kurama had been placed inside him as a vessel when he was born. Even still, jutsu didn't come easy for him, and he often had to work even harder than his peers to reach his full potential. That in itself could shed light on the real reason he was so upset with his son for taking the easy road. Despite working so hard he nearly passed out to learn change in chakra nature from Kakashi, so he could improve his Rasengan, his use of Shadow Clones to process the information so he could learn and retain the information more easily no doubt made him feel like a cheat.

Not only was Boruto scoffing in the face of ninja traditions that went back generations, but he had no respect for the hard-earned responsibilities ninjas take on within the community and beyond. Seeing shades of his rebellious and arrogant former self in his own son wasn't an easy thing to recognize as a father, especially considering the differences in their upbringing. Boruto has a loving family to encourage and support him, but Naruto had no one. Being upset that his father is always too busy to pay attention to him is an understandable reason to act out, but Naruto was trying to get the attention of absolutely anyone who would listen.

Even if Naruto hadn't used Kurama's energy, once the fox disappeared, he would have died regardless. It made sense for them to bond, so they could become protectors and siblings together. Ultimately, it's a bittersweet moment. It's easy to brush off the willingness of Kurama's sacrifice, and maybe Naruto doesn't need to dwell on it, but he will. After all, he lost the one companion who was by his side from the moment of birth, and that's got to hurt. As the grief and guilt begin to fade, there is hope he can see how the two of them saved each other over the years. After all, had the likes of Obito stolen the Nine Tails the night Naruto was born, Kurama would have become a destroyer rather than a savior.

Is Naruto Still Powerful Without Kurama's Chakra?

• Naruto can access all five chakra natures, thanks to Six Paths Sage Mode
• Being an Uzumaki, as well as a reincarnation of Asura Otsusuki guaranteed Naruto's powerful chakra reserves
• Naruto's prosthetic arm has been scientifically modified to absorb and neutralize enemy attacks

While no one can deny that the addition of Kurama's chakra definitely empowered Naruto's chakra reserves over the years, it's just as important to remember that it was his connection to the Nine-Tails that made it difficult for him to control his own chakra when he was young. While not everyone in Naruto's world is born with the ability to control chakra, as the son of a powerful ninja and kunoichi, Naruto had the potential to become great regardless. While he may not have been as strong as he became with Kurama's help, it's important to remember that his father, Minato, was one of the most talented and well-respected ninjas of his time, and his remarkable mother was the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki while she was pregnant with him.

Even without Kurama's chakra to bolster his abilities, Naruto developed a number of ways over the years to access chakra. He can still access the Sage of the Six Path chakra he was gifted. He also has the reserves given to him during the Fourth Ninja World War from the other tailed beasts, and before that he studied very hard with the toads of Mount Myoboku to learn how to work with Senjutsu chakra, which allows him to enter into Sage Mode. So, while he may have felt like he was cheating in some of his most trying battles over the years, his abilities go well beyond his bond with Kurama. Given the trials to come in Boruto, one can only hope Naruto himself remembers that when the time comes.