What Naruto fan among us hasn’t spent time contemplating how the filler arcs of the anime fit into the manga, or speculating about the backstory for often overlooked characters? Don’t we all spend time filling in gaps for the story ourselves? When there is more than two decades worth of material to analyze, there’s always room for more speculation.

The thing about theories is: the crazier they are, the more interesting they are to think about. Some of the silliest theories in the franchise (like Tobi really being Kakashi’s teammate Obito) turned out to be true. With that in mind, many fans have started to examine theories concerning Naruto’s family members.

Following the events of his solo series, Naruto married Hinata Hyuga and had two children, Boruto and Himawari. The family’s stories are still playing out in the spinoff series Boruto. With all of the teases on the future there, there’s plenty of speculation to go around.

Though Hinata, Boruto, and Himawari are the only family fans spend time with these days, they aren’t Naruto’s only family members. Naruto’s parents, Minato and Kushina, might be long gone, but there’s still so much about them that fans don’t know. There’s also the elusive Uzumaki clan itself. Naruto’s distant relatives would make up the clan if it hadn’t vanished following attacks from rival shinobi. This allows for fans to speculate about Naruto’s family’s past along with the future.

We’ve combed the internet and we’ve discovered plenty of theories. Here are the 20 Crazy Theories About Naruto And His Family (That Make Too Much Sense).

Boruto Will Surpass Naruto

Boruto and Naruto In The Hokage Office

There’s a running theme in the Naruto franchise that the new generation goes beyond the old. It’s not always about an increase in strength, but about the development of new jutsu and new styles of combat. In Naruto Shippūden, as Naruto learned how to transform his Rasengan into a new (and more powerful) weapon, Kakashi mused that his student was beyond him. He also believed Naruto even surpassed his own father in technique. Some fans found Naruto over powered by the end of the series.

Fans believe the same will be true of Boruto with his special eye and his inherited chakra reserves.

Boruto can already complete jutsu that his father couldn’t at the same age. He might not be able to create hundreds of shadow clones, but he already mastered his own Rasengan and has his Jōgan.

Minato Forced Himself To Become More Powerful

A closeup of Minato Namikaze in Naruto Shippuden

We don’t actually know a ton about Naruto’s parents when they were kids, which is a little odd considering just how much backstory the franchise attempts to fill in. What we do know about Minato is that he commanded so much respect, he was chosen to become Fourth Hokage instead of more experienced shinobi. He also had an incredible technique known as Flying Thunder God. The technique allowed him to move so fast he essentially teleported from one spot to another.

Some fans theorize that this technique was born from tragedy. Minato had two teammates when he was a young shinobi, but we know nothing about them. Fans theorize that he lost them and, out of guilt, pushed himself to make sure it didn’t happen again.

Naruto’s DNA Created Kawaki

Naruto and Kawaki face off in Boruto

Though we are sure to learn more about Kawaki as the Boruto series continues, we don’t know much about him just yet.  What we do know is that, like Mitsuki, Kawaki is referred to as a scientific experiment. Many fans think Kawaki bares a slight resemblance to Naruto and his family, which has caused some speculation.

If a group like Kara, who wants to replace the shinobi with science, wants to create a perfect vessel for their technology, what better DNA to use than that of someone you already know is stronger than the average human?

Even if Kara wants to eliminate the shinobi completely, Naruto’s DNA (or Sasuke’s for that matter), is a good starting point.

Kawaki Is Boruto’s Son

Boruto Kawaki

This particular fan theory requires a few hoops to jump through, but the idea that Kawaki is Boruto’s son isn’t completely out of the question. We saw time travel related jutsu in play in the anime before, though it usually occured in filler stories that didn’t line up with cannon. If a shinobi is powerful enough to somehow warp space and time, there are fans who believe that shinobi could be the reason Kawaki is in Boruto’s childhood.

Most proponents of this theory agree that if Kawaki is Boruto’s son, then Sarada is likely his mother. This idea falls in line with the fans who think Kawaki might have been created from Naruto and Sasuke’s DNA.  It would create an interesting dynamic between Kawaki and Boruto once the truth came out, so we can’t throw this theory out completely.

The Uzumaki Clan Is Still Out There

Hashirama Senju and an Uzumaki representative convening in Naruto

Naruto, like Sasuke Uchiha, was supposedly the last of his clan. Over the course of the franchise, we’ve found that Nagato, Karin, and likely Honoka were all also Uzumaki. None of them lived with fellow clan members, and as far as fans know, were all orphans. This fits with what we know of the Uzumaki clan.

The Uzumakis were considered too powerful by other clans and were repeatedly attacked, causing the few who survived to scatter to other villages, no longer living as a true shinobi clan.

However, what if this isn't entirely the case? It might be nice for Naruto, and his children, to find out they still have relatives out there. If the Uzumaki clan has been in hiding this whole time, we really couldn’t blame them. Perhaps they’ll finally return to the light during Boruto.

Naruto and Konohamaru Are Family

Konohamaru And Naruto

Fans who know their Naruto family trees know that, without all of the blanks filled in, the Sarutobi and Uzumaki clans are already distantly related through a marriage during the founding of Konohagakure. Some speculate that Naruto Uzumaki and Konohamaru Sarutobi might even be closer than that.

We know Konohamaru is the Third Hokage’s grandson and Asuma was his uncle, and he lost his parents at a young age. What we don’t know is anything about his parents or any other immediate relatives. Nearly the same is true of Naruto, as we know nothing about his father’s family, and only bits and pieces about his mother. The two could easily be cousins and not even know.

Boruto’s Flashforward Markings Are Curse Marks

The Boruto series led off with a thought provoking flashforward. In it, Boruto and Kawaki, both covered in markings, prepare to fight. Just why the two are at odds, and the damage to the Leaf Village, piqued fans' interest. Fans wanted to know what the markings on them meant. The running theory, especially after seeing Boruto’s first mark on his palm, is that they are curse marks.

When Orochimaru marked his followers with curse marks, he put just a bit of his soul into them, giving them greater power and chakra, but at a cost.

Boruto’s first mark emerged after defeating a member of the Otsutsuki. Fans think as he defeats more Otsutsuki, or members of the mysterious Kara, the marks will grow, along with his power, but the cost to his own soul might be great.

Himawari Can Heal Kawaki

Himawari Has Whiskers In Boruto

With what little we’ve seen of Kawaki in Boruto, we know that he’s angry and prone to sudden outbursts. We’ve also seen hints that his life isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, so it’s understandable that he’s not the happiest camper.

While living with Naruto’s family, the only one he’s shown any kind of softer side to is Himawari.  One of the first things he did while staying with the Uzumakis was break a vase. Himawari originally made the vase for her mother. When Kawaki learned that it was from Himawari and watched her try to pick up the pieces, he showed a semblance of guilt. Some fans believe it will be bonding with Himawari that prevents Kawaki from becoming totally evil. Like the vase, she might attempt to pick up the pieces for Kawaki as well.

Hiashi Hyuga Set Naruto And Hinata Up

Hiashi Hyuga in Naruto

Shinobi clans with a kekkei genkai (an inherited ability) typically attempt to marry their children to distant cousins for an increased chance of those abilities. If Hinata and Naruto hadn’t fallen in love, she likely would have been paired with a distant relative. This fan theory goes that Hinata’s father Hiashi made an exception for Hinata once he realized just how powerful Naruto was. He’d already written Hinata off by the time she fell for Naruto, confirming that her little sister was stronger and allowing Kurenai to train her outside the family.

Hiashi wanted to make sure that the Hyuga clan, through Hinata, had access to Naruto’s power.

As an Uzumaki, Naruto has exceptional chakra reserves. As a jinchuuriki, he also had access to the nine-tailed fox’s abilities. There were a lot of advantages to Hinata marrying Naruto.

Madara Uchiha Had Feelings For Mito Uzumaki

Naruto Madara and Mito Uzumaki

Madara and Hashirama are the origin for much of what we know about the villages in the Naruto franchise. The two started great wars because of their inability to get along. The thing is, however, that they didn’t always hate each other. There were times during the history of the Land of Fire that the duo lived in relative peace. Then, inexplicably, violence between them began again.

The two were part of the earliest settlers of Konohagakure, but so was Hashirama’s wife. Not much is known about Mito Uzumaki beyond her being the first host of the nine-tailed fox and marrying the Hokage. It’s entirely possible that Madara didn’t just want the nine-tailed fox Mito sealed inside herself, but that he also fell for her, causing more tension between him and Hashirama. This would have been enough to keep the two at odds.

Naruto’s Children Share Kurama’s DNA

Boruto and Himawari Shown In The Last Naruto The Movie

As the host of the nine-tailed fox Kurama, Naruto is able to borrow abilities from the entity sealed inside of him.

Becoming a jinchuuriki isn’t something you inherit, but there is the possibility that a little bit of Kurama exists in each of Naruto’s kids.

When Naruto’s mother gave birth to him, Kushina hosted the fox. Naruto was born with whisker lines on his cheeks before he became the host as well. His children, despite not being hosts for the fox, were also born with whisker lines on their cheeks. Scientifically, it doesn’t make sense for Kurama’s DNA to be added to his host’s offspring, but fans can’t figure out another explanation about why his kids have whiskers as well.

Naruto’s Father Was Not A Shinobi Clan Member

Kushina and Minato in Naruto

Naruto’s father’s name was Minato Namikaze. When he married Kushina, he took her surname, Uzumaki, instead of the other way around. There’s no indication of why Minato made this decision. It’s entirely possible that it wasn’t important to Minato to carry on his family name because he didn’t come from a prominent shinobi family. One theory suggests that Minato wasn’t from the Namikaze shinobi clan at all.

This theory could go one of two ways. The first is that Minato came from a family that showed no aptitude for jutsu. Perhaps Minato gained his proficiency in jutsu despite his family. The other option is that there simply was no Namikaze clan. According to this option, Minato’s name was simply given to him as an orphan, or it was used to hide his true parentage.

Minato Was Tsunade’s Son

Lady Tsunade spent a lot of time away from her home village of Konoha. After losing her brother, the man she loved, and fighting in a war, she didn’t embrace the shinobi lifestyle. In fact, she spent most of her life away from Konoha. In that time, a lot of things could have happened. Fans like to theorize that Naruto’s interim team leader Yamato might have been Tsunade’s son since he had no family when Orochimaru experimented on him. However, other fans like the idea of a different shinobi being her child.

With no knowledge about Tsunade’s time away, no knowledge of Minato’s family, and the fact that Naruto bore a passing resemblance to Tsunade’s little brother, it’s entirely possible that Tsunade and Minato were mother and son.

Though it might sound crazy, we can't disprove it until we find out more about Minato's family.

Naruto’s Lonely Childhood Was Deliberate

Naruto Uzumaki in Naruto Shippuuden

Growing up, Naruto had no family. His teachers looked after him while he attended the Ninja Academy, but for the most part, he was alone. His peers ridiculed him and adults blamed him for the nine-tailed fox attack on Konoha when he was a baby.

These circumstances combined to make Naruto one lonely kid who tried desperately to make friends. The idea that an entire village of adults would blame an infant for a violent attack on their village didn’t sit well with fans, so they developed a reason for it. That reason is that the village elders wanted Naruto to be isolated and alone. They wanted Naruto to understand what could lead his enemies down dark paths, making him a more empathetic shinobi. Naruto quickly became a shinobi who wanted to negotiate before he attacked. Perhaps this was the plan all along.

The Infinite Tsukoyomi Worked

The biggest jutsu fans saw put into action during Naruto’s teenage years was the Infinite Tsukoyomi. This particular genjutsu caused everyone who looked at the moon to get caught in their own dream world. Nearly the entire shinobi population was caught in a world where their dreams came true. Each person experienced a slightly different world. Naruto’s team supposedly didn’t get caught in the genjutsu, since they were protected by Sasuke as he came to save the day.

There's a darker possibility that Sasuke saving the day was just the beginning of the genjutsu for Naruto.

After all, all of Naruto’s dreams have come true in the years since. He’s gone on to become Hokage, he married the girl who never lost faith in him, and he saved the world over and over again. This would be one dark turn of events for the franchise.

A Kara Member Has A Naruto Connection

Kashin Koji in Boruto Manga

Kara has a large role to play in Boruto. They’re the new generation’s answer to the Akatsuki. The difference is they don’t just want to end war - they also want to bring an end to the shinobi completely. Instead of relying on shinobi training, they rely on science. We don’t yet know much about the individual members of the group, but some believe that at least one member might hold a connection to Naruto’s family.

With a self professed connection to Konoha, Kashin Koji is an older member of Kara. Speculation suggests that he might be the same age as Naruto’s parents, which means he might have known them. With fans having so little knowledge of Minato’s generation, some hope that this Kara member will wind up being one of Minato’s former teammates, or even a relative.

Kawaki Will Seal Naruto Away

A heavy point of contention among fans is just what happens to Naruto in the future of the Boruto series. During the flashforward, Kawaki tells Boruto that he’ll put him where he “sent” the Hokage. This has led to a lot of competing theories. Some fans think that it means Naruto is no more, fallen at the hands of Kawaki and Kara. Others, meanwhile, find the word choice more deliberately misleading.

The running theory is that Kawaki quite literally sent Naruto somewhere and sealed him there and a popular contender for that somewhere is some sort of alternate dimension.

Boruto already introduced fans to the lines between dimensions with Nue, a creature that Sumire could call to Konoha. If Naruto is simply sealed in another dimension, at least this means that he can be retrieved.

Hanabi Will Marry Konohamaru

Shino Hanabi Konohamaru and Moegi Have Drinks In Boruto

Hanabi took over her big sister’s role in the Hyuga clan when Hinata married Naruto. She’s now Hiashi’s heir, expected to lead the clan when he’s gone. Hanabi is also trusted with training her nephew and niece should they exhibit the Byakugan. She is also the sensei of a shinobi team. Hanabi is one busy woman, which is why fans were surprised that she popped up in a post-episode clip of Boruto with Konohamaru, Moegi, and Shino. The foursome enjoyed a few drinks in a local restaurant. Hanabi and Konohamaru bonded right away.

After drinking a little too much, they agreed that they both loved being responsible for Boruto and having that trust placed in them. This was the scene that launched an interest in their relationship. Plenty of fans now want to see the two officially make Konohamaru Naruto’s “little brother.”

Himawari Will Unlock The Tenseigan

Himawari already demonstrated that she’s well on her way to being a powerful shinobi. We haven’t seen her in any training yet, but she’s already unlocked the Hyuga family Byakugan. With no training in how to identify chakra points, Himawari still managed to knock Naruto out cold with a single blow. This means that her Byakugan is already more powerful than her mother’s at her age.

With that kind of power, there’s the possibility for even more coming from her.

The Tenseigan, which fans saw in The Last: Naruto The Movie, is what fans think Himawari might gain access to next. Toneri is the one who had it, and he gave Boruto access to the Jōgan. Right now, he’s trapped on the moon, but that doesn’t mean we’ve seen the last of him. Perhaps he also planted some latent abilities in Himawari.

Boruto’s Jōgan Will Destroy Konoha

Boruto And His Jogan

Way back when Boruto confronted Momoshiki, the Otsutsuki member had some prophetic words for Boruto. Momoshiki told him, “those blue eyes of yours will one day take everything from you.” Momoshiki isn’t the only one who commented on Boruto’s eyes, though. Sarada has also remarked about them being “bluer” than Naruto’s. Combine both of those comments with Boruto having the Jōgan, also known as “pure eye,” and the series has gone a little heavy on the foreshadowing.

Fans have been so sure that the destruction of Konoha is the result of Kawaki or Kara simply because of the way the characters were introduced, but this may not be the case. The destruction we see in Boruto’s future might be his own fault. We don’t yet now how powerful his Jōgan is or what other abilities he might unlock because of it.

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What’s your favorite theory about Naruto and his family? Do you have one we missed? Let us know in the comments!