Boruto has made plenty of creative choices that fans have debated, but few sting as much as the way it handled Naruto’s adult design. For a character who spent years earning every ounce of his hard-won maturity, the sequel’s presentation of him feels strangely sanitized. Many fans expected a more rugged and seasoned Hokage who looked like someone who visually reflected his journey.

That’s why losing the original concept artwork hurts. Ikemoto once drafted Naruto with a rougher edge, a scruffy beard, sharper eyes, and a more world-weary presence, according to u/ColdCommercial4597 on Reddit. It suggested a man who had faced war, loss, and responsibility. Instead, Boruto opted for a softened, overly polished look that strips away the grit Naruto fought so hard to gain.

Naruto’s Scruf

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