Does Boruto utilize "Ninja tools" better than Naruto? Explored

Since the start of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex manga, it has become quite clear that unlike his father, Naruto Uzumaki, Boruto utilizes a range of Ninja tools. This is not just evident from the way the young protagonist fights but also through his attire. Several pieces in his attire initially look like accessories, however, evidently, they are ninja tools.

With that, one can say with certainty that Boruto uses more ninja tools than his father. However, does the same also translate to the rest of the characters in the franchise? Are ninja tools utilized better in the Boruto series than in the Naruto series?

Disclaimer: This article may contain spoilers from the Boruto manga.

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Are ninja tools better utilized in Boruto than in Naruto?

Toad holding Boruto's ninja tool. (Image via Shueisha)

No, ninja tools were used far better utilized in Naruto than in its successor series. While many fans may feel like the new series uses ninja tools more, they might be confused due to some recency bias. Fans have recently witnessed the new series' protagonist use ninja tools while fighting. Hence, they might have fallen under the delusion that the entire series utilized ninja tools better than Naruto.

The confusion might have also occurred due to scientific ninja tools. While scientific ninja tools are ninja tools, only a few select characters are seen using them. However, when it comes to the basic ninja tools, the Naruto series used them much more, that too, with more utility.

Sasuke Uchiha as seen in the anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

In the new series, the only characters that have been seen extensively using ninja tools are Boruto, Sarada, Sasuke, Metal Lee, and a few others. When one looks at these examples, it is very evident that three of the four characters that use them have adapted to the Uchiha clan fighting style. Hence, it was obvious that the characters would make use of ninja tools to fight their opponents.

Meanwhile, in Metal Lee's case, shuriken jutsu has been revealed as one of the things he is good at. Thus, he is bound to use ninja tools.

Metal Lee as seen in the anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

However, that is not the case in the Naruto series. Nearly all the characters in the Naruto series have been shown to use some form of ninja tool, ranging from explosive tags, katana, kunai, scrolls, shuriken, smoke bombs, puppets, etc.

One anime fan on X (formerly Twitter) @FireStriker3064 pointed out that the bar of usage of ninja tools in Naruto was way too high when compared to its successor series.

This is because, during the Fourth Great Ninja War, Minato Namikaze saved the entire Allied Shinobi Force by using his Flying Thunder God Kunai. When the Ten-Tailed Beast launched a Tailed Beast Bomb at the army, it was Mimato who rescued all the shinobi by teleporting the blast kilometers away by using his Flying Raijin Kunai to activate his Flying Raijin jutsu.

While the entire Naruto series had abundant instances where ninja tools were used effectively, a great way to notice them would be within The Fourth Shinobi World War Arc itself. This is because the war allowed fans to witness shinobi from different villages fight against their common enemies. Hence, this allowed fans to witness how ninja tools were used in a variety of locations within the Narutoverse.