This Boruto character is the biggest victim of Ikemoto's writing (and it's not Code)

The start of Boruto was criticized due to its slow writing and underwhelming plotline. However, this issue was resolved in the Two Blue Vortex manga series, where everything was uplifted, and the fandom got what they wanted. Sadly, some characters still suffered in the new writing style, and one of them deserved more character development.

Konohamaru is one of the most talented shinobi from the Narutoverse who entered the sequel series as the teacher of Team 7. Although he did his best and lived up to the name of becoming the leader of the legendary genin team, his development seems underwhelming compared to his students, which questions Mikio Ikemoto's writing.

Disclaimer: This article contains potential spoilers from the manga series and expresses the author's opinion.

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Exploring Konohamaru's underwhelming character development in Boruto

Naruto and Konohamaru as seen in the anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Konohamaru Sarutobi is the grandson of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and a supporting character from Naruto. During his early stage of life, he befriended the protagonist, Naruto Uzumaki, as these two became partners in crime and continued doing their shenanigans to annoy the village elders. However, during their pranks, some valuable lessons were also learned.

Looking at Naruto, Konohamaru learned his friend's ideals and shared the dream of becoming the future Hokage. So, while Naruto was away from the village to become a better shinobi, Konohamaru didn't slack off and continued his training. This led to him destroying the Naraka Path of the Six Paths of Pain, making a name for himself, and entering the spotlight in the eyes of the fandom.

Konohamaru vs Matsuri as seen in the manga (Image via Mikio Ikemoto and Masashi Kishimoto/Shueisha)

Looking at his journey through the series, Konohamaru was destined to achieve great things in the future. As expected, he became a jounin in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations and was assigned the role of a teacher for the modern-day Team 7 (including Boruto, Sarada, and Mitsuki).

Even though the sequel series never spotlighted the closure between the teacher and students of this team, it was obvious that Konohamaru was performing his role perfectly. Moreover, he also kept perfecting the Rasengan as he advanced the technique and created even more lethal attacks. For instance, he used Odama Rasengan against Matsuri, a move only Naruto Uzumaki could.

Konohamaru as seen in the anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Combined with his kind-hearted behavior, Konohamaru had the potential to become one of the strongest in the series. However, the sequel series never put a spotlight on his character, negating any writing that showcased Konohamaru. Instead, Mikio Ikemoto (the writer of Boruto) focused on the main protagonist trio.

While the protagonist went through a hellish training to become the strongest shinobi and Sarada awakened her Mangekyou Sharingan by going through her past, Konohamaru was just a "teacher" who never got the closure he deserved. In the end, he was just someone fans assumed had gone through hardcore training to become a better person, but who never got any closure on the manga pages.

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Final thoughts

Characters like Akebi Sanzu, Inojin Yamanaka, and Sumire Kakei got more spotlight in the sequel series, as compared to Konohamaru, even though these characters hardly made brief appearances. Konohamaru, who has been a part of the spotlight since the start of Naruto, never got any closure, and this was a disservice to his character.

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Related Links

• Konohamaru is all but guaranteed to fail vs Matsuri in Boruto (& it's obvious why)
• Konohamaru's fate may be sealed in Boruto, and an apparent callback shows why
• Ikemoto's exploring Love in Boruto may have a major purpose and it has to do with Shibai Otsutsuki