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The midterm results were recently released for the Narutop99 popularity poll, and positions have changed drastically for several contestants. Some, like Madara Uchiha, have dropped down a space or two. Others, like Obito, have dropped out of the top 10, whereas others, like Sakura Haruno, have jumped from 9th place to 3rd place.
As the January 31st deadline looms even closer, fans are scrambling to get their votes worldwide. Some have started speculating on what exactly the spinoffs could be about, given the current top 10 characters are a rather diverse bunch. This article will delve into that idea, speculating what the top 10 characters as of the Narutop99 midterm results could have as their spinoff manga.
Disclaimer: This article will contain Naruto, Naruto: Shippuden, and Boruto spoilers. The opinions therein only reflect those of the author.
Prequel manga, training arc, and 8 other ideas for Naruto's Narutop99 top 10 character spinoffs
1) Minato Namikaze - Naruto prequel
If Boruto chronicles a new generation of ninjas for a new generation of fans, Minato's spinoff should appeal backwards to older fans. Audiences have seen the building of Konoha and flashes into the lives of the various Hokages, but never the full story. It would thus make sense for a Minato spinoff to showcase his past from beginning to end.
As much as prequels get a bad rap, a Naruto prequel starring Minato, Kushina, and others who grew up into some great ninjas would be an amazing glance into the past. Audiences would get a view of Sarutobi in his prime, Minato's own childhood and struggles, and compare/contrast that to his son and grandson.
2) Itachi Uchiha - Akatsuki agent
Itachi already has his own spinoff light novel in the form of the Itachi Shiden: Light and Darkness. To put this in perspective, a manga starring one of Naruto's most popular antagonists would probably not revisit the Uchiha clan massacre and focus on Itachi himself in the aftermath. Seeing it as a a blank period in Itachi's life when he joined the Akatsuki? That would probably fit.
Itachi's Akatsuki life isn't all that focused upon in Naruto: Shippuden, as he's an antagonist and already dying at that point from illness. Perhaps showing more of his time as an agent would help flesh him further out and ultimately complete the picture of the most complicated character in the series. If nothing else, it's more Itachi, which is always a good time.
3) Sakura Haruno - Training arc
In one of the biggest turnarounds in anime history, Sakura Haruno has gone from possibly the most despised female character in a shonen anime to one of the most beloved. Going all the way up to the third most popular character out of 100 characters after starting at number 9 is no easy feat, nor is thinking of a spinoff manga for the medic of Team 7.
A good bit of time is blank for Sakura, whether it's the Naruto to Shippuden time skip or the Shippuden to Boruto time skip. A spin-off could focus on Sakura's time training with Tsunade, because if Naruto and Sasuke get one each, then Sakura deserves her spot as well. It's only fair, given how the character kept getting pushed aside by the writing.
4) Shisui Uchiha - His past
For the most part, Shisui Uchiha was Itachi's best friend and a good man, who was gone too soon. Since the latter's early years were covered in light novels, with Shisui making appearances here and there, a good manga spinoff would be his early years. This could include what inspired him to become a ninja, how his Sharingan developed, and how his path led to his untimely demise.
If fans got a kick out of Itachi's life story up until the Uchiha clan massacre, then why not Shisui? An Uchiha who didn't survive to see his clan destroyed and did all he could for peace to prevail, it would definitely highlight the tragedy of things a bit more to see it not from Itachi or Sasuke's point of view at least.
5) Kakashi Hatake - The Sixth Hokage
Kakashi is another with more than a few light novels to his name, and more than a few anime flashback episodes to his name likewise. What the fans want to know is: how did Team 7's first mentor get along with being the Sixth Hokage, given all the big events happened between the end of Shippuden and the start of Boruto?
It's not easy being a Hokage, as all the past ones could attest. The amount of responsibility, the endless paperwork, the negotiations, it's all a hassle to deal with and is very restrictive when compared to the life of a ninja, who has the freedom to go on missions. A spinoff regarding the pros and cons of being Hokage could work, since it's Kakashi and he's more aloof than anything else.
6) Naruto Uzumaki - Father and Hokage
The actual protagonist and titular character of the show is still in the top 10. That's not surprising, given Naruto has placed top in various polls before. He already has a whole lot of the series Naruto about him, so what kind of spinoff could really fit? Well, how about him going through the joys of parenting?
Seriously, there's a big gap between the final battle with Sasuke and his coronation as Hokage. Maybe showing Naruto not being used to a family life, or otherwise undergoing his own education on becoming Hokage and all the problems that entails could make for a good spinoff. Him trying to parent in those early years could work too.
7) Madara Uchiha - The Warring States Period
Now, as far as the most popular villain goes? Madara Uchiha needs a spinoff showing his origins. For as much emphasis was placed on the Warring States Period being a tumultuous time, very little was shown of it during the anime and manga. A spinoff during that time focused on Madara could work for his character.
Considering how ludicrously strong he was during the final battle that it took Naruto and Sasuke getting revived to have any kind of chance, seeing how Madara got that strong in his prime would be awesome. Likewise, so would seeing how he got so cynical and brutal prior to meeting Harashirama Senju.
8) Sakumo Hatake - His life story
In a surprise twist, Kakashi's father somehow managed to make the top 10 list. This was surprising, as most would've expected Hinata Hyuga or some other popular character. Unlike some of the harder choices, this one is easy: the audience barely knows anything about Sakumo other than his suicide and how it affected Kakashi.
Now, that's not entirely fair as there were flashbacks to Kakashi's childhood showing his father. But there's a whole lot of questions springing up from Konoha's former White Fang, including his infamous duel/assassination of Sasori's parents. In other words, delving into this character's history would unlock more than a few mysteries.
9) Sasuke Uchiha - Blank Period and travels
Sasuke hitting the road on his atonement tour took two years of missing time before he showed back up in Naruto: The Last movie. The period between is about covered by light novels and other side manga, like Sasuke Retsuden. However, in a spinoff, Sasuke's lonely travels when he first started out or when he and Sakura traveled could be a focus.
Now, this would mean giving the happy couple more attention than most if the latter is chosen. It'd be nice for the two to really clear any air between them before Sarada's birth. Likewise, Sasuke's travels during the Blank Period following fresh release from prison would likewise make for a good story of reminiscing and attempts at atonement. That is, if they don't choose to focus on Sasuke as a father, which would probably work likewise.
10) Jiraiya - childhood to Legendary Sannin adulthood
As with Sakumo and Minato, Naruto Uzumaki's second mentor has quite a few gaps in his history. A lot of the flashbacks center around other characters in Jiraiya's case, whether Tsunade or Nagato/Pain. So, a spinoff manga would focus on Jiraiya's childhood and make its way to adulthood by showing how he became the Legendary Sannin he is.
It'd be nice to see since Jiraiya's already a master by the time the audience meets him. Seeing the student graduate into a master is already a time-honored story, hence Jiraiya's would be no exception. Likewise, as he wrote Make-Out Paradise and was a huge pervert, it'd be fun to see if that developed just from being around Tsunade.
