With a series as long as Naruto, spanning 700 chapters, much care and planning were taken to make the manga as cohesive as possible. From the beginning of the series, Masashi Kishimoto demonstrated his incredible prowess at foreshadowing and hinting, and his subtlety makes him one of the best in this technique, alongside geniuses like Hajime Isayama and Eichiro Oda.

Part 1 of the series was incredible and had some moments and scenes that signaled a twist, but it was in Shippuden that the foreshadowing was kicked up a notch, making fans realize in hindsight what was happening. This is one of the series’ many strengths, and the foreshadowing is still present in the Boruto series.

10

Madara Was Always Wary of Being Approached from Behind

An Ironic and Fitting End for the Ghost of the Uchiha

This foreshadowing is more ironic and hilarious, but it is still interesting. When Madara and Hashirama’s childhood and past were revealed, Madara was always apprehensive about anyone approaching him from the back. This distrust never went away and, despite him being careful about his blind spot, he died twice through a stab in the back.

One time he was killed by Hashirama in their legendary battle, and the second was by Black Zetsu. It was truly a fitting way to conclude the story of one of the best villains in anime. The one thing he was cautious of turned out to be how he would be killed twice.

9

Sakura Was Going to Be with Sasuke

The Iconic Couple Had Their Happy Ending Teased Early in the Series

One of the biggest debates in the Naruto fandom, when the series was ongoing, was who was going to end with whom. SasuSaku, which is the ship name for Sasuke and Sakura, was one of the most, if not the most, popular ones. Sakura’s infatuation with Sasuke made fans empathize with her love, and despite his harsh attitude towards her, many still wanted the two to be together.

Fortunately, this was more or less confirmed in chapter #64’s cover where Sakura was drawn wearing a kimono and holding a fan in front of the beach. The text read “Sakura holding an Uchiwa fan with the symbol of the Uchiha police”. This illustration gave away the fact that Sakura was going to marry into the Uchiha Clan, or Sasuke.

8

Team 7 Members Were Going to Be Summoners

The Toad, Snake and Slug Summonings Became One of Their Strongest Jutsu

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura inherited techniques from the Legendary Sannin, and one of them was the Summoning Jutsu. The cover of Naruto chapter #6, titled “Kakashi Hatake”, depicted the three with their respective summons; Naruto with the frog, Sasuke with the snake, and Sakura with the slug. These animals were pivotal in the lives of the three. From Naruto learning Sage Mode from the Toads, Sasuke being saved from Deidara by his snake, and Sakura healing many with her slugs, this jutsu was one of the best in their arsenal.

This cover served more than just showing the three’s next jutsu, however, as it also hinted at the introduction of the Sannin. The combination of these three animals was from Japanese mythology from the novel called Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant. From the folklore, Jiraiya was associated with toads, Tsunade with slugs, and Orochimaru with snakes. Given how Naruto has many references to Japanese mythology, this was a deliberate foreshadowing that served two purposes.

7

Sasuke Was Bound to Join Orochimaru

A Simple Image Foretold a Big Twist

Chapter #24, titled “Speed”, featured an illustration of Sasuke in front of a full moon with a purple snake around his body. Although this was in the Land of Waves arc where Sasuke was taking on Haku, this image gave away the fact that Sasuke would join Orochimaru and abandon the village, which happens many, many chapters later. This goes to show just how far ahead Kishimoto had planned, and nobody could have glimpsed that twist from that image.

Sasuke leaving the Hidden Leaf village resulted in one of the series’ best arcs ever, and the Sasuke Retrieval Arc was full of exciting and awesome moments. Naruto’s goal to become Hokage was made even more complicated, and this development, which helped the series go as long as it did, was planned from the beginning.

6

Jiraiya Was Bound to Die

The Sannin’s Death Was Ominously Teased

Episode #126 of Naruto Shippuden was one of the more emotional ones, and although it wasn’t explicitly hinted that Jiraiya was going to die, there were signs. Titled “Twilight”, Jiraiya pays a visit to the Hokage’s office to say goodbye to Tsunade before heading to the Hidden Rain village. The two discuss the location of Pain over drinks, and Jiraiya tells Tsunade that he will go alone, to which she argues against given the power of Pain.

Before Jiraiya leaves, the two share an emotional moment, with Tsunade shedding tears and pleading with him to return safely. Jiraiya laughs and tells her to bet on his death given her bad luck at gambling, and off he goes. This scene was worthy of a farewell between two close friends, and Jiraiya meeting with his friend and sharing such a heartbreaking moment was a prelude to his tragic death.

5

Naruto and Minato’s Connection Was Always Hinted at

This Twist Was Easy to See Coming

Despite not being in his son’s life due to his tragic death, Minato is one of anime’s best fathers. While the two’s relationship was revealed much later in the series, many clues pointed fans in the right direction. The biggest one is their looks, with both having bright blonde hair and piercing blue eyes.

Jiraiya’s interest in him and commenting that Naruto had the same potential and personality as Minato was one of the biggest indicators. Furthermore, Jiraiya internally apologized to Minato when he was training Naruto, proving the fact the two had a special connection.

4

Black Zetsu Was Plotting Something for Years

His Involvement Was Much Deeper than Presumed

The controversial betrayal of Madara and the appearance of Kaguya Otsustsuki seemed like it came out of nowhere for fans, but there were clues that Black Zetsu was plotting something in the shadows for many years. During Hashirama and Madara’s fight, Zetsu was observing the battle, disclosing his interest in Madara. It was Madara who, many years later, would unwittingly free Kaguya from her prison.

The betrayal by Zetsu isn’t out of character either. Throughout the show, he is portrayed as a scheming and manipulative figure, collaborating with Obito to control Nagato. Furthermore, his unique knowledge of the history of chakra and the Sage of Six Paths means that he was alive for a very long time, and was planning something. Madara was the perfect person to groom and use to revive Kaguya, as he had all the things necessary to bring back the goddess.

3

Naruto and Sasuke Were Indra and Ashura’s Reincarnations

The Two Brothers Repeated The Cycle Of Hatred

Naruto and Sasuke were always portrayed as opposite sides of the same coin, and they were fated to rival each other. One represented hate and revenge, while the other embodied hope and love. Their ideologies were bound to clash, and their first death battle in the Valley of Death hinted that they were reincarnations of Hagoromo’s sons, Indra and Ashura. With Naruto standing on Hashirama’s statue and Sasuke on Madara’s, the two were repeating the cycle that had been there for centuries. Kakashi then said that as long as the two live, this cycle of hate would never cease.

The next hint of the two’s former lives was when Obito was explaining the origins of the ninja world and talked about the Sage of The Six Paths, and his sons Ashura and Indra. It was then that he said that Naruto and Sasuke were the next to be chosen by destiny, which was almost a confirmation that the two were the reincarnations of the sons of Hagoromo. Even Naruto had suspicions that he and Sasuke were destined to clash, telling his friends that only he could defeat him.

2

Itachi Wasn’t as Evil as We Thought

Itachi’s Actions and Evil Persona Didn’t Match

The massacre of the Uchiha Clan and Sasuke’s burning hatred for the perpetrator was a big part of the series, even more so after the time skip. Killing his entire clan was one of Konoha’s biggest tragedies and injustices, and it was no surprise that Itachi Uchiha was viewed by readers as a monster. The first sign that there was more to Itachi was in chapter #7 when Sasuke was talking to Sakura about the person he wanted to kill, and he said “That time…crying.” It was later revealed that Itachi shed tears after killing his kinsmen and walking away from Sasuke. It seems that Sasuke was trying to make sense of Itachi’s tears.

Another moment that caused a discrepancy between Itachi’s evil persona and action is when he and Kisame infiltrated the Hidden Leaf village and were confronted by Kakashi, Asuma, Guy, and Kurenai. They were helpless against Itachi’s Genjutsu, but surprisingly, none of them were killed even though Itachi had the power to do so.

1

The Signs Pointed to Obito Being Alive

The Mastermind of the Akatsuki Was Kakashi’s “Dead” Friend

Back when Naruto was still serializing, the identity of Tobi was a big point of theorizing for fans. The reveal that it was indeed Obito behind the mask was one of the biggest plot twists in the series, but the clues were there from the beginning. Chapter #16 of Naruto had an illustration of Naruto sleeping with a framed picture of Kakashi and his former team. The chapter was titled “Who Are You”, which were the words Naruto said to Obito after he broke his mask. This one wasn’t as obvious, but other clues were more definitive.

The Five Kage Summit arc saw Tobi and Kakashi meet, and Kakashi was about to use his Kamui on him. However, Tobi stopped Kakashi and told him it wouldn’t work, and this was because both possessed Kamui, and they would cancel each other out. However, the best hint that Tobi is Obito is when he fights Konan, and the aftermath of the fight leads to his mask being half-broken. His hair was identical to the hair of young Obito, and for many, this sealed the deal and was almost a confirmation that the Uchiha boy was behind the Akatsuki.

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  Naruto (2002)

  Animation

  Action

  Adventure

  Comedy

  Fantasy

  Naruto is an action-adventure anime series based on the manga series created by Masashi Kishimoto. The titular Naruto Uzumaki is a fearsome Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit sealed inside him, which once wreaked havoc on his village. Shunned by his community yet determined to earn their respect, Naruto dreams of becoming the greatest ninja, the Hokage. This series follows his journey through the Ninja Academy as he continues to train and grow, hoping to prove himself to his peers- and himself.

  Release Date

  
  October 3, 2002
  

  Seasons

  4

  Streaming Service(s)

  Netflix

  Franchise(s)

  Naruto

• 

  Naruto: Shippuden

  Action

  Adventure

  Animation

  Martial Arts

  Set two and a half years after the events of Masashi Kishimoto’s original anime, Naruto Shippuden continues the titular hero’s attempts to become the best ninja in the Hidden Leaf Village and bring his former friend Sasuke Uchiha back to the light. The 500-episode series features the return of allies such as Sakura Haruno and Naruto Uzumaki’s mentor Jiraiya, as well as the villainous organization Akatsuki.

  Release Date

  
  February 15, 2007
  

  Seasons

  22

  Streaming Service(s)

  Crunchyroll

  Franchise(s)

  Naruto