Kishimoto's Post-Time Skip Naruto Nerf Robbed Shippuden of 90% of Its Charm

Time-skips are catnip for anime fans. New looks, new moves, new rivalries. Naruto: Shippuden had all of that, but it also opened with a choice that rubbed a lot of people the wrong way: Naruto came back older... and somehow his signature move felt dialed back, while Sasuke looked like he got a premium upgrade package.

Post-time-skip: who actually leveled up?

Let me be blunt: early Shippuden reads like Masashi Kishimoto wanted the spotlight on Sasuke. During the 2.5-year gap, Sasuke tightened up his Chidori, added the lightning monster finisher Kirin to his toolkit, and got scary-good at controlling the second level of his curse mark thanks to Orochimaru.

Naruto, meanwhile, still needed a shadow clone just to form the Rasengan even after all that time training with Jiraiya. That is the move he helped define, and it stayed clunky for him right out of the gate. The contrast made the power balance between the two leads feel lopsided in Sasuke's favor.

Sakura didn’t sit still either. Under Tsunade, she cranked up her raw strength and learned a ton of medical ninjutsu. Of the original trio, Naruto arguably looked like the least improved the moment Shippuden kicked off.

Was that deliberate favoritism? We can’t prove intent, but the narrative beats point that way: the early arcs clearly elevate Sasuke while Naruto is held back by that lingering Rasengan limitation.

Naruto’s slow burn pays off

Here’s the thing: Naruto’s time-skip training was more foundation than fireworks, and the payoff comes fast once Shippuden gets moving. During the Akatsuki Suppression Mission, he unveils the Rasenshuriken against Kakuzu. It’s raw and unstable at first, and it hurts him to use it, which is very Naruto: big ambition, immediate consequences.

He solves that by pairing the technique with Sage Mode during Pain’s Assault, which stabilizes the Rasenshuriken and lets him throw it around without shredding his own arm. Around the same time, the fox in the basement starts banging on the door. Kurama’s power keeps bubbling up, but Naruto’s still too green to control it.

That turns in the Fourth Shinobi World War. With help from Killer B and the Eight-Tails, Naruto finally bonds with Kurama and taps into the beast properly. Then Hagoromo Otsutsuki, the Sage of Six Paths himself, hands Naruto the final key. That’s where Naruto hits true endgame levels, complete with Six Paths Sage Mode and those truth-seeking orbs floating behind him like a cosmic mobile.

So yeah, Kishimoto slow-played the main character. It’s a measured climb rather than instant domination, and by the end it’s pretty satisfying.

• Time-skip aftermath: Naruto still needs a shadow clone to form Rasengan, unlike Sasuke’s polished Chidori and new Kirin finisher.
• Akatsuki Suppression: Naruto debuts Rasenshuriken vs. Kakuzu; powerful but self-damaging.
• Pain’s Assault: Sage Mode + Rasenshuriken = stable, smarter use of the new technique.
• Fourth Shinobi World War: under Killer B and the Eight-Tails, Naruto bonds with Kurama and fully accesses the Tailed Beast’s power.
• Late game: Hagoromo Otsutsuki grants power, unlocking Six Paths Sage Mode and the truth-seeking orbs — Naruto’s final-form toolkit.

Quick Shippuden basics (for the few who need them)

Naruto: Shippuden is from Studio Pierrot, filed squarely under Adventure and Martial Arts, and premiered on February 15, 2007. It’s still rated like a champ: 8.7/10 on IMDb and 8.28/10 on MyAnimeList. Every episode is streaming on Crunchyroll.

The verdict

Early Shippuden absolutely feels like Sasuke got the shinier power-up while Naruto got a handicap on his own signature move. But the longer arc tells a different story: Naruto’s growth is slower, steadier, and ultimately bigger. Both things can be true.

Did Kishimoto lean toward Sasuke at the start, or was it just setting the table for Naruto’s long game? Drop your take in the comments — I want to hear it.