Konohamaru would be the Ninth Hokage should Kobu get his way, and this idea isn't without precedent. This would be the second time a Sarutobi has held the Hokage title after Lord Third, Hiruzen, with Konohamaru vetted since childhood for the role. He's wanted it just as badly as Naruto did when they were kids, but don't be too hasty to celebrate this particular dream come true.
Konoha Has Its 9th Hokage Lined Up Whether Its Ready Or Not
Part of the ongoing scheme by Lord Kobu to remove Shikamaru from power, with Koji Kashin seemingly suggesting Shikamaru accept his fate this time, it appears Konohamaru will be set up as the Ninth Hokage in the coming chapters. Ever since the Mamushi Arc, it's been clear he's had particular disdain for Shikamaru, and that's remained unchanged through the present. Now, it becomes clear that Kobu has actively gathered evidence to demote Shikamaru, and select his replacement, although even that has somewhat nefarious purposes behind it. The situation is unfolding now as of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex chapter 38.
Konohamaru is already being eyed as the successor to take the role not for his leadership abilities, but because he's someone the village will trust who will ultimately work as a figurehead ruler with Kobu pulling the strings from the background. It turns out that peacetime has warped the Daimyo's advisor's perception to the point where he believes the ninja villages have served their purposes and now must be phased out. It means that, should Kobu get his way, Konohamaru would be the last to hold the Kage title before the ninja world ceases to exist in the Naruto franchise.
For anybody who has followed Naruto and Boruto since the beginning, Konohamaru has wanted the Hokage role for a multitude of reasons. Initially, as the young upstart grandchild of Lord Third, Konohamaru wanted to have the position if simply to step out of his family's looming shadow. But as he's proven time and again, he's up to the task as an exceptional leader, guiding Team 7 in its most recent iteration as a capable Jonin, demonstrated his own Will of Fire, and protected the "King", aka the future generation, time and again while putting himself in harm's way.
Konohamaru's worthy of everything the role entails, so it's utterly tragic that he'd be positioned as an obedient, functionally useless Kage positioned only to allow his way of life to be dismantled. Konohamaru may not be completely free of the consequences of Eida's Omnipotence, but it seems a stretch that he'd openly accept the promotion knowing what it ultimately means for his future and those of others around him.
As Koji himself confirms, Kobu still doesn't understand that the threat doesn't end with just the Otsutsuki and Boruto, with the Divine Trees still very much at large. But as the Boruto flash-forward teases, the shinobi world will end in at least one possible future for the Naruto franchise. Ideally, Konohamaru won't be anywhere near it if that happens.
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First Film
Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow
Latest Film
Boruto: Naruto the Movie
First TV Show
Naruto
Latest TV Show
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations
First Episode Air Date
October 3, 2002
Cast
Junko Takeuchi, Maile Flanagan, Noriaki Sugiyama, Chie Nakamura, Kazuhiko Inoue, Nana Mizuki, Hideo Ishikawa, Yûko Sanpei
Naruto is a franchise spawned from the manga series penned by Masashi Kishimoto that began in 1999. Generating several tv series, games, movies, and more, Naruto follows the exploits of a young outcast ninja harboring the spirit of a demon fox who seeks to become the Hokage, the leader of his ninja village, to break the stigma against him. Upon the conclusion of the initial series, Naruto expanded into Boruto, following many series protagonists' children and returning faces.
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Writer
Masashi Kishimoto
Writers
Masashi Kishimoto
Penciler(s)
Mikio Ikemoto
Inker(s)
Mikio Ikemoto
Colorist(s)
Mikio Ikemoto
Publisher(s)
Viz Media
Years after fleeing his village with Sasuke, Boruto returns to confront the dark changes that have occurred. With memories altered and Kawaki now seen as the hero, Boruto faces a world where he is the outcast. The two rivals must settle their differences as their Otsutsuki powers grow more dangerous.
English (US) ·