Warning: Spoilers for Naruto: Sasuke's Story—The Uchiha and the Heavenly Stardust: The Manga chapter 3

Sakura's theory behind Naruto's mysterious illness in a recently adapted light novel would prove, if true, that his father, fourth Hokage Minato, ruined Naruto's life even more than fans originally thought.

Although he had good intentions, Minato's decision to seal the Nine-Tails aka Kurama into his son Naruto caused Naruto great suffering for most of his life. Minato had hoped that, as a jinchuriki, his son could fulfill the prophetic words of his mentor Jiraiya who had foretold about a "Child of Prophecy" becoming the savior of the ninja world. But Minato's actions may have inadvertently caused his son even more problems after fulfilling Jiraiya's prophecy.

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When discussing how Naruto's Sage of the Six Paths cured a similar disease that now inflicts Naruto, Sakura tells Sasuke that she and the village believes that Naruto's illness relates to his chakra channels malfunctioning in Naruto: Sasuke's Story—The Uchiha and the Heavenly Stardust: The Manga chapter 3 by Shingo Kimura who adapted Masashi Kishimoto and Jun Esaka's original light novel. She continues by saying that the malfunction most likely happened when Naruto took the Nine-Tails into his body.

Why Minato is to blame

Sakura suggests that Naruto might have gotten the illness when Kurama got sealed inside of him in Sasuke's Story

Although this theory obviously implicates Minato, the fact that none of Naruto's other jinchuriki have experienced this phenomenon, including Naruto's close friend Gaara, could mean that either Minato somehow botched the sealing or that Kurama, as the most powerful tailed beast, is only capable of affecting a ninja's chakra channels in this way. Regardless, Minato's actions not only subjected his son to profound isolation and mockery growing up as a kid but inflicted a rare illness upon him later in life that is clearly causing Naruto great distress. Moreover, it has resulted in a whole secret mission that seems to require Sasuke and Sakura to move heaven and Earth to heal Naruto. Yes, getting Kurama sealed inside of him clearly allowed Naruto to liberate the ninja world and helped him achieve his dream of becoming Hokage. But the sacrifices that Naruto had to make as a result of his father's controversial decision already seemed overly substantial especially since he never had a say in his own fate. This latest revelation, however, potentially worsens this even more, vilifying Minato in the process. Now the question is if Minato would have still sealed Kurama into his son if he knew all the implications that would come with making his son a jinchuriki.

At least Boruto has been indirectly justifying Minato's decision even after saving the shinobi world. Because of Naruto's unique history, he has been able to relate to, connect with, save, and nurture a powerful boy named Kawaki who never deserved the terrible life that his own father inflicted upon him by selling him to Jigen. Ironically, Boruto has been positioning Kawaki as the villain who will one day bring an end to the age of the shinobi, effectively making Naruto the complete opposite of the Chosen One by protecting this herald of destruction and making Minato directly responsible.

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Naruto: Sasuke's Story—The Uchiha and the Heavenly Stardust: The Manga is available on Viz.com!