Masashi Kishimoto has returned to Naruto, but what does this mean for the future of the iconic anime and manga franchise? Kishimoto first debuted his enthusiastic young ninja back in 1997, and the character's popularity led to a full manga series beginning publication two years later. Naruto enjoyed a stellar 15-year run, ending in late 2014 with the title character finally achieving his dream of becoming the Hokage of Konoha village. For the entirety of that period (which comprises both the Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden anime series), Kishimoto was the man in charge of Naruto Uzumaki's fate, but the artist and writer stepped down following the release of that final chapter.
While Kishimoto pursued new projects, Shonen Jump saw more money in the Naruto franchise, and swiftly commissioned a Boruto anime and manga sequel starring Naruto's son. The TV series has been mostly filler thus far, with only glimmers of canon material peeking through intermittently. The manga, meanwhile, has been penned by Ukyō Kodachi, but Shonen Jump recently announced that Masashi Kishimoto would be making his grand return to the Naruto franchise, taking over writing duties from chapter 52 onward.
Jump's official announcement claims that Kishimoto was always scheduled to take over Boruto, but there are other potential factors contributing to his return. Kishimoto's first big project after completing Naruto was Samurai 8: The Tale of Hachimaru, which began weekly serialization in May 2019. From the complex mythology and long-term threads being gradually mapped out, Kishimoto clearly had big plans for Samurai 8, but the series was cancelled less than a year after its debut, rushing to an awkward, makeshift conclusion. Samurai 8 was, at most, only 50% through its intended length, leaving fans who had already invested in Kishimoto's unique sci-fi samurai world bitterly disappointed. Had Samurai 8 been a rousing success and still going strong, it's highly unlikely that Kishimoto would be taking over on Boruto - not right now, at least. Naruto's creator might've agreed to helm Boruto once Samurai 8 was over (hence Shonen Jump's insistence that the change of personnel was always planned), but without Samurai 8's abrupt cancellation earlier this year, Ukyō Kodachi would've enjoyed a few more years on the Boruto job.
Another factor behind Masashi Kishimoto's return is the heavy workload of a mangaka. After writing and drawing a weekly series for 15 years, Kishimoto was understandably seeking a less intense schedule post-Naruto. With Samurai 8, Kishimoto himself only wrote the story and characters, leaving artwork duties to Akira Ōkubo. Boruto's manga utilizes the same structure. Until now, Ukyō Kodachi wrote the sequel, but the artwork came from Kishimoto's former chief assistant, Mikio Ikemoto. The return of Masashi Kishimoto to Naruto reunites the classic creative team, but as with Samurai 8, allows the creator to focus only on a single aspect.
On one hand, Kishimoto taking ownership of Boruto is good news for readers who yearn for a more authentic Naruto experience, but online reaction to the announcement has been fairly divisive. Despite the filler-heavy anime, the Boruto manga has been widely praised as a worthy continuation, and Ukyō Kodachi in particular has earned plaudits for his exciting story developments. With that said, Boruto's manga sales have failed to match the strong reviews, and Kishimoto's return could be a response to those lackluster numbers, intended to make Boruto more profitable. As with the arrival of any new lead writer, Kishimoto may elect to drop some of the ideas laid out by his predecessor and begin introducing his own material as soon as possible.
It may not be a coincidence that Masashi Kishimoto's return to the Naruto franchise comes immediately after the manga teased Naruto Uzumaki's death. The Seventh Hokage unlocked a new Kurama transformation that would supposedly cost his life in chapter 51, and with the first Boruto chapter also teasing Naruto's demise, that fateful moment could come sooner rather than later. Since Naruto Uzumaki was his creation, it would make sense if Kishimoto's returned to oversee the death of his most famous character.