When 2014's The Last: Naruto the Movie positioned Naruto towards adulthood, fans were intrigued to see the character evolve. They literally watched him grow up as a child into someone worthy of being Konoha's Hokage. At last, Naruto had become a man, embraced his romance with Hinata. He was ready to settle down, marry, and start a family. This drove the Boruto era thus far.
Naruto is older, wiser, experienced and trying to shape a better tomorrow. It's not just about peace in the Hidden Leaf, but with other villages and Kages. As a result, the job has distracted Naruto a lot, leading to friction with Boruto. However, there have been crucial lessons Naruto learned from being a father — things he may not have realized had he kept obsessing about the Hokage job.
10 Second Chances Are A Must
Fatherhood Reminded Naruto To Forgive
No matter how much Boruto lashed out at home, Naruto couldn't reconcile how inattentive he had been. It led to Boruto cheating at the Chunin Exam and Naruto yanking him out of the tournament. Naruto showed him no love, which stirred more of that rebellious spirit in Boruto. He kept being a prankster, to the point he defaced Naruto's image in public. Luckily, Boruto overcame these mental hurdles and that stubborn attitude. He proved to his father that he could make the best of his second chance.
Boruto assisted in the fights against Momoshiki and Kinshiki, leaving Naruto in awe. This redemption inspired Naruto to keep giving second chances to Kara defectors like Amado and Kawaki, even when the Kage Council and Shikamaru were against it. Kawaki hasn't worked out, but Amado has been a boon to Konoha's science team. It's very uncertain if Naruto would have fully believed in them, had he not seen Boruto absolve himself of his sins. Through his son, Naruto remembered why he believed in people that others doubted.
9 Fun And Innocence Shouldn't Die
Fatherhood Reignited That Fire Of Old Within Naruto
As the rigors of the job kept him busy, Naruto kept ignoring how much fun having kids was. He rediscovered it after the exam, opting to train Boruto more rather than palm him off on Sasuke. It was all about repairing the relationship. Hinata even visited and watched. Her father was her idol, while Boruto was her hero. This made Naruto's time away from political office all the more sentimental. Admittedly, because he grew up poor, he didn't have too many items from his history to let his kids connect to. But Boruto would help bridge that generational gap.
After the Boruto Time Slip Arc, Boruto brought back some of Naruto's favorite ramen from the past. They both devoured it in one of their most endearing moments ever. Naruto realized that he needed to enjoy life more with his family. Eating a simple meal reminded Naruto of the times he had eating ramen with his peers and at home. Those were fun times. Revisiting this meal taught Naruto that these innocent days wouldn't last forever. He made it his duty to have more exciting recreational adventures. Sadly, with Jūra and the God Trees attacking in the present, and Naruto trapped in a prison, fans are treasuring those happier times even more.
8 Believe In The Future
Fatherhood Kept Showing Naruto The Future Held Hope
Shikamaru, as Naruto's advisor, was more into the old guard protecting the Hidden Leaf. It's not that he didn't trust his son, Shikadai, and the new generation of shinobi. He was just scared of making them soldiers and losing them — which happened in the Naruto era. It led to friends like Neji perishing in the field of battle. Naruto was influenced by this, too.
He had reservations as he grew older as to if these children should be involved in war. However, seeing Boruto, Sarada and Mitsuki saving the village so often changed Naruto's mindset. The more he trained with his son and watched him perfect the Rasengan and such, he knew the future was in fine hands. So much so, Naruto created a paradigm shift and got the seniors to trust the juniors more.
7 Keep The Comedy Alive
Fatherhood Brought Out Naruto's Humor
Naruto and Boruto's bond transitioned from a tense one to a friendship where they shared more jokes. Naruto appreciated it deeply, because he lost his smile after being bogged down with work. Naruto's daughter, Himawari, also buoyed him with her cheerful demeanor. He has made it his duty to keep that iconic smile going. The Uzumaki clan was famous for it, as seen with his father, Minato (the Fourth Hokage).
Thanks to his kids, Naruto carried that energy into meetings with the Kages, reminding them they cannot forget the bright side and humor of life. Growing up is tough, but they shouldn't let their inner-children die. It led to Naruto cracking more jokes and getting the Kages to lighten up. He brought out their whimsical sides more, affirming that even when they are neck deep in diplomatic issues, they need to find time to laugh.
6 Properly Temper One's Rage
Fatherhood Helped Naruto Manage His Anger
As a kid, Naruto had problems when his rage got out of hand. It allowed Kurama's chakra to turn him into a violent jinchūriki. Thankfully, this changed in the Naruto Shippuden era once Naruto and the Nine Tails Demon Fox got closer. Naruto controlled the Hulk within more. However, he still had moments where his rage almost got the best of him, such as the Toneri scrap.
Knowing he has Boruto and Himawari to care for motivated Naruto to harness his anger in a much better fashion. He tempered Kurama's power to become a more refined weapon. It spoke to his maturity, and how he knew he had a lot more to lose in this life. Kurama even said being a father made Naruto a better vessel against villains like the Ōtsutsuki clan. Kurama would be in the best position to make this critique of Naruto as a host, as he was inside Naruto since birth.
5 Backing Sasuke Was Worth It
Fatherhood Helped Naruto See The Man, Not Just the Soldier
When Sasuke atoned and became an Uchiha Ranger, many remained cynical — inside and outside Konoha. Naruto backed his friend, though. Seeing Boruto working under Sasuke, honing his craft and actually considering Sasuke, an uncle warmed Naruto's heart even more. Watching Sasuke with Sarada pushed Naruto to keep vouching for Sasuke, not just as a professional, but as a person.
All his life, Naruto wanted to show the world Sasuke was an amazing shinobi. But he sometimes forgot about the man himself. Fatherhood altered Naruto's lens and really allowed him to see how inspiring Sasuke was away from the job. Hearing Boruto beaming about "Uncle Sasuke" constantly enlightened Naruto that there were dimensions to Sasuke that not even he knew.
4 Trust Family Even More
Fatherhood Elevated Naruto's Kin
Naruto has always been skeptical about trusting his family. It's not that they are incapable. He is terrified of losing them. But after stepping back as a father and seeing his kids training, going on missions, and returning successfully, he is at peace. For example, Boruto brought a kidnapped Hinata home, while Sarada and others helped with Mitsuki's abduction.
It's not just about blood; Naruto thinks of them all as his children. As a result, Naruto took this lesson home and has been giving his family more freedom. As the 'princess' of Konoha, Himawari can roam more and explore her Hyūga heritage. Meanwhile, he let Boruto and Kawaki train however they wanted. Fatherhood helped Naruto let go and believe in his personal clan in a massive way. He understood they were powerful, responsible and needed no leashes in this life.
3 The Job Will Always Drain You
Naruto Had to Learn This Lesson The Hard Way
No matter how much time Naruto wanted to dedicate to his family, he was always depleted. Being a father had him realizing this in a big way. Naruto wanted to be present more, but he was either busy or tired. To the point, he slept in his office, while sending a shadow clone to Himawari's birthday party one time. This taught Naruto that if he wants to keep being Hokage, he won't be that energetic person of old.
That's why, once he escapes Kawaki's prison in the present, fans are hoping Naruto retires. That is, should he survive the God Trees. At least he has the necessary perspective and knows where the personal and professional lines are. This helped him to stop lying to himself. If he didn't have his kids wanting and needing more, he wouldn't have figured this out. This is expected to inform his destiny moving forward.
2 Goodwill Acts Are Priceless
Fatherhood Has Naruto Setting Big Examples
Now, Naruto was always generous and kind, as seen by how he tried to redeem villains like Haku, Nagato and Obito. These words of charity came from the heart. Fatherhood taught Naruto that they have deeper meaning. Seeing Naruto adopting Kawaki and giving Amado a fresh slate impressed on his family and many citizens in Konoha. Naruto realized the more good he did, the more he would get people to follow suit.
He used this to change people's mindsets, because there was still some concern in Konoha about welcoming outsiders. The impact these actions had on Boruto, in particular, pushed Naruto to keep making the Hidden Leaf a place of equality and acceptance. In doing so, Naruto matured and unlocked an even wiser side. Being kind wasn't just about him and the target party — it was about encouraging others to join in his philosophies, unite, and spread them. This helped him improve as a Hokage.
1 Family Always Comes First
Fatherhood Taught Naruto About Choice
While the Hokage job took up time and left Naruto fatigued, seeing the love of his children had him realizing he needed to put them first. He did spend a lot more time with them. Plus, he set aside more dates with Hinata, understanding how important family was. Sure, double duty would exhaust him. But he knew he would never get those moments back. He even passed this advice to Sasuke, encouraging him to be with Sakura and Sarada more.
Sasuke obeyed, spending less time on the road. This lesson has fans thinking Naruto will stop juggling two balls in due time and decide that it would be unfair to keep the Hokage position as his secondary priority. This may well be why he has taken an interest in potential successors like Mirai rather early on in their careers. Fatherhood has indeed taught him retirement might be what he — due to his jovial personality and character — needs most.
