Summary
Shikamaru Nara was quite an important character in theNarutoseries, and, inBoruto, he is even more important, given that he has been tasked with leading the village following the sealing of the 7th Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki. As fans know already, Naruto Uzumaki is no longer in Konoha and he is presumed to be dead.
Everyone in the village believes Naruto to be dead, and, because of that, the village had to elect a completely new Hokage, as is the norm. As expected, someone had to rise to the challenge and take this position for themselves, filling in the boots of Naruto. This person turned out to be none other than Shikamaru Nara himself, however, more recently in Boruto, it was revealed that Shikamaru might not be the official 8th Hokage, after all.
Naruto’s Death In Boruto
Naruto Uzumaki faced a very cruel fate in Boruto. Fans know Naruto to be one of the strongest characters in the Boruto series, and this was apparent from the very beginning of the story. Naruto was able to keep up in combat against some of the most powerful individuals, such as the likes of Momoshiki, and, later down the line, even Isshiki. However, unfortunately, it was the fight against Isshiki that led to Naruto’s downfall. In this fight, Naruto realized that he lacked the strength to overcome the Otsutsuki and because of that, he had to resort to utilizing the power of Baryon Mode. This power ultimately led to the death of Kurama and, consequently, weakened Naruto greatly.
Following this fight, Naruto realized that he was not strong enough to keep up with the strongest of enemies, and, others, such as Kawaki, who wanted him to be safe at all times, needed to take things into their own hands. Kawaki decided to seal Naruto away and eliminate all the Otsutsuki, starting with Boruto Uzumaki. As such, Naruto Uzumaki, along with Hinata, were sealed in the dimension of Daikokuten, where time doesn’t flow. When Eida used the power of Omnipotence to make Kawaki’s wishes come true, he made the world believe that Naruto Uzumaki had died and the person responsible for his deathwas none other than Boruto Uzumaki, the person that he switched lives with.
Shikamaru’s Rise To Hokage
Immediately after news of Naruto’s death spread, the timeskip of the Boruto series began. Boruto Uzumaki was rescued by Sasuke, thanks to Sarada, and the two left the village on a journey to get Boruto Uzumaki stronger and prepare him for the threats that he would face in the future. Of course, this was quite a grueling journey for Boruto Uzumaki, and, at the same time, a very difficult period for both him as well as the people of the Konoha village. To the people of Konoha, they had lost their 7th Hokage and also the strongest individual in the history of the village. Furthermore,they had also lost the strongest shinobiin the entire world, which was always going to be an absolutely massive loss, no matter which way fans look at it.
As a result, Konoha absolutely needed a new Hokage, and according to the village elders and the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, the person who was to take the position for himself would be none other than Shikamaru. He was chosen to be the best candidate for the position of Hokage and Shikamaru certainly rose up to the occasion, claiming the position for himself while the village was in a transition.
Why Shikamaru Isn’t The Official Hokage
Although theBorutoseries made it seem like Shikamaru was the official aid Hokage at first, the recent chapter of the manga confirmed that to not be the case. It is true thatShikamaru is certainly called the 8th Hokage of the village.In fact, he has even taken up the position of Hokage and has utilized Naruto’s office ever since he has been gone. However, Shikamaru refuses to call himself the official at Hokage. This is simply down to the fact that he hasn’t officially been recognized as the Hokage. Even today, Shikamaru is just one of the candidates for the position of Hokage and not the actual Eighth.
As such, he can only be considered the unofficial 8th Hokage. In fact, he does not have the writing for 8th on the back either. Furthermore, this is also why Shikamaru’s face has not been carved onto the mountain in Konoha. Everything points towards him only being an interim Hokage and someone else, later down the line, claiming the position of 8th Hokage for themselves.
This came as a surprise to the fans at first, however, the recentBorutochapter made it clear that Shikamaru is hesitant when it comes to taking this position officially. Perhaps, he got a feeling telling himthat Naruto is aliveand that is why he should not rush into something like this. In fact, even after 3 years, Shikamaru has not officially accepted the position. However, the pressure is mounting on him. Konoha is seen as a weak village right now due to not having an official Hokage and, because of that, Shikamaru might crumble under the pressure and eventually end up taking the position officially. Either that, or Naruto Uzumaki has to find a way to return soon.
Who Will Be The 8th Hokage?
When it comes to the 8th Hokage of the village, Konoha eventually will end up needing one, regardless of when and if Naruto Uzumaki returns. Judging by how the plot is going at the moment, fans can safely assume that Shikamaru will never end up taking the official position of the 8th Hokage. This means that someone else will take this position for themselves. It is likely that Naruto will return at some point and resume his position as the 7th of the village. Once Naruto officially retires, this position will likely end up going to Konohamaru. This would mean that Konohamaru will be the 8th Hokage of the village for quite a significant period of time.
However, he isn’t the only person in contention for this position. Sarada Uchiha, who fans know to be an absolutely incredible ninja, is also in contention for this position. If Sarada is deemed smart enough, perhaps, she can one-up Konohamaru and take this position for herself. Or, she could end up taking this position after him and become the 9th Hokage of the village. Either way, what fans know for sure is thatShikamaru is not going to be the official 8th Hokage of Konohaand that he’s only serving this position on an interim basis while the village is in transition. Hopefully, more information about this will be revealed in the upcoming Boruto chapters, which fans are absolutely excited about.
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 theManga Plusapp. The release date for the next chapter of Boruto, Boruto: Two Blue Vortex chapter 7, is set to be June 25, 2025.
