Naruto featured lots of powerful ninjas whose potential was left unfulfilled by the end of the series. As such, the beginning of Boruto paved a way for further improvement of these characters. With the next generation of ninjas taking the stage, the original ninjas from the Naruto series have been tasked with leading the way for the budding shinobi. Although some have shown massive improvement in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, there are those in the series who, for one reason or another, have regressed and gotten weaker. Here are 5 original Naruto ninjas who got better in Boruto and 5 who got worse.
10 Better: Choujuro
Back in Naruto, Choujuro assisted the then Mizukage, Mei Terumi, in the Five Kage Summit. As the story progressed, Choujuro played an active role in the Fourth Great Ninja War as well. Being a Jonin, it was expected of him to hold his own against those who he fought in the war. In Boruto, Choujuro has gone from being a Jonin to a Kage, which is a significant improvement over what he was before. When it comes to fighting prowess, Choujuro displayed a massive improvement in skill when he incapacitated Kinshiki Otsutsuki, a God, with his Ninjutsu abilities.
9 Worse: Hinata Hyuga
Being a Chunin in Naruto Shippuden, Hinata played an essential role in the series, such as triggering Naruto's transformation in the fight against Pain, and fighting alongside the alliance in the Fourth Great Ninja War. By the end of the series, Hinata could well be described as a master of the Byakugan, second only to Neji Hyuga. Unfortunately, the Boruto series hasn't done wonders for her character. Hinata is barely ever seen in action in the series as she's left her ninja life behind. Even if she's just as strong as she once was, her character has definitely gotten worse with how she's almost never featured in the story.
8 Better: Naruto Uzumaki
Naruto was the protagonist of the original series and even now, he plays a massive role in Boruto. Strange as it may be, Naruto only achieved his goal of becoming Hokage in the era of Boruto. Consequently, much of what he had always dreamed of doing is being depicted in the said series. Furthermore, Naruto's strength has also increased massively in the Boruto series.
As the Seventh Hokage, Naruto is capable of holding his own against the likes of Momoshiki Otsutsuki, which speaks volumes about his capabilities as a ninja and is a testament to how much he's improved with time.
7 Worse: Might Guy
Might Guy was the leader of Team Guy in Naruto, and one of Konoha's strongest Jonin back in his days. Just like every other shinobi, Might Guy fought to the best of his abilities in the Fourth Great Ninja War, but he ended up losing his leg in its horrid events. In Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Guy's career as a shinobi is pretty much over. Although he still trains and sometimes even fights, Guy's fighting capabilities have been severely limited, which makes him worse than he was in Naruto.
6 Better: Sasuke Uchiha
Much of Sasuke's time in Naruto was spent as a Rogue Ninja before he finally rejoined Konoha at the end of the series. By the Boruto era, Sasuke has improved both as a person, and as a fighter. Sasuke Uchiha spends most of his time on missions to uncover the secrets of the Otsutsuki clan and, thus, is away from the village for the most part. However, when the need arises, Sasuke makes sure to defend Konoha with his life, if need be. In his adulthood, Sasuke is said to have grown to a level where he can equal Naruto Uzumaki in combat.
5 Worse: Kakashi Hatake
Kakashi Hatake is the Sixth Hokage of Konohagakure and one of the brightest minds that the village has ever seen. Thanks to his Sharingan, Kakashi was once renowned as the Copy Ninja and feared as someone extremely difficult to beat. In the Boruto era, Kakashi is certainly weaker than he was in Naruto since he lost his Sharingan, and in the process, a big chunk of his powers.
Furthermore, Kakashi barely appears in the series now, although the creator of Boruto recently mentioned that he'd like to focus more on Kakashi in the future.
4 Better: Rock Lee
One of the most interesting characters in Naruto, Rock Lee showed a great deal of potential earlier in the series, but was shafted as Naruto Shippuden began. By the end, Lee had barely made any progress and what's even worse is the fact that he served little to no purpose towards the conclusion of the series. Thankfully, Rock Lee has shown massive improvement, as he's been made a Jonin in Boruto. In the huge time-skip that took place after the climax of Naruto, Rock Lee is said to have surpassed his master, Might Guy, as a shinobi, which says a lot about how much he's progressed. Although he hasn't appeared in Boruto a lot, it is widely believed that he'll serve a major purpose as the series progresses.
3 Worse: Tsunade Senju
Tsunade Senju is Konoha's Fifth Hokage, elected after the death of Hiruzen Sarutobi at the hands of her former team-mate Orochimaru. As the Hokage, Tsunade has previously protected the village to the best of her abilities. She also led the village in the Fourth Great Ninja War and, as expected of a dexterous shinobi like her, fought Madara Uchiha as well. Unfortunately, age catches up to even the best ninjas out there, and Tsunade is no different. Right now, Tsunade is well in her sixties and likely retired as a shinobi. As such, she's definitely worse than she was in Naruto, although her wisdom is something Naruto often relies on.
2 Better: Konohamaru Sarutobi
Introduced first as Naruto Uzumaki's rival, Konohamaru has come a long way since the start of the series. Although he had little part to play in Naruto, Konohamaru has sprung forth as one of the focal points in the Boruto series. As the leader of Team 7, he's been handed the position that Kakashi had in Naruto, which is, undoubtedly, of paramount importance. Konohamaru has also progressed to the rank of a Jonin over the years and is much stronger than he once was. It goes without saying that he's had a much better showing in Boruto than he had in Naruto, and he's only going to improve with time.
1 Worse: Ay
Lightning Ay is the Fourth Raikage of Kumogakure who led his village in the 4th Great Ninja War in Naruto. During the time that he served as a Kage, Ay was undoubtedly one of the strongest in the entire series, rivaling the likes of Tsunade and Onoki. However, at some point in time, Ay was replaced as the Raikage by Darui, his former right-hand man. Just like Tsunade, Ay has gotten old and isn't fit enough to lead the village now, especially with the next generation of shinobi coming up. He served his purpose in Naruto in a splendid manner, however, now is the time for the likes of Darui to show his mettle and lead the next generation by setting an example.