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Anyone can tell that Masashi Kishimoto has a special preference for Itachi from the way he’s written. Kishimoto put a lot of effort into Itachi’s character arc, making him one of the most beloved characters of the series. The creator shared his desire to draw the nextNarutospin-off centered around the Uchiha prodigy. Even though we already know so much about the character, Kishimoto is nowhere near done with him yet.
It’s true that when your favorite character is concerned, there’s no such thing as too much canon content, but there’s one more character far more deserving that Itachi. Sakumo Hatake, Konoha’s White Fang, is a character concealed in mystery. It’s about time, the character gets his long due attention from the mangaka.
Masashi Kishimoto Nearly Confirmed the Character for the NextNaruto Spin-off
Masashi Kishimotocreated the Minato one-shot after he won the popularity poll. Understandably, Itachi ranked second inthe poll resultsand his popularity in the fandom is extraordinary. That might have encouraged Kishimoto to center the next spin-off around him. Seemingly, an Itachi spin-off is all but confirmed as shared by Kishimoto himself (via translation on X).
Minato was the first. The second is Itachi… I say it half jokingly, but you never know
Arguably, there are many characters who deserve a spin-off more than Itachi Uchiha. For instance, characters like Shisui, Tobirama and even Kurama come to mind. Tobirama created the Flying Raijin Jutsu, which was later bettered by Minato. It’ll be interesting to see how Tobirama created such a strong technique. As for Kurama, he lived a long life. It’s known that he was a beast before Naruto befriended him, but it would be nice to see a chapter from his long life when he was with Mito or Kushina.
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While all these characters are fascinating in their own rights, the first choice for a spin-off should still be Sakumo Hatake. Sakumo ranked 7th on the popularity poll, a rank before Sasuke. While that is an impressive feat in itself, there’s much more to the character.
Sakumo Hatake: The Most Deserving Character for a Spin-off
Sakumo Hatake was introduced to us during Kakashi’s backstory. The character was known to be as strong as or even stronger than the Legendary Sannin. During a mission, he prioritized the life of his comrades over the mission. Even though it was the more sensible choice, he was hated by the villagers for it. The slander from them deeply affected Sakumo and he ended up taking his own life.
“Another reason to love Kakashi”: The Copy Ninja May Not be the Strongest Hokage But What He Did for Itachi Put Him on God-Tier in Naruto
His demise turned Kakashi into a cold individual who learnt from his father’s experience and swore to always put his duty as a Shinobi first. During the Konoha Assault, Pain killed Kakashi. In the afterlife, Kakashi had a brief meeting with his father. It was hinted that Sakumo was waiting for Kakashi and after their conversation, he was finally able to move on. He was aware of the suffering Kakashi endured. It was a heartwarming moment, as Kakashi initially hated his dad but eventually understood why he chose his comrades over his duty.
The glimpses of Sakumo that we’ve seen make him one of the more intriguing characters of the series. There’s so much to him that can be fleshed out in a spin-off. For instance, the mission that changed his life or the one where he fought Sasori’s parents. Just like Minato, he was respected for his skill set and all we ask for is a spin-off that explores his life and experiences.
Narutois available to stream on Crunchyroll.
Laveena Joshi
Anime Writer
Articles Published :926
Laveena is an anime content writer at FandomWire. Having written more than 800 articles, she’s an expert in mainstream shonen series, ranging from the bizarre world of JoJo’s to the expansive worldbuilding of One Piece.With her formal education in Journalism and Mass Communication, she explores entertainment journalism through the lens of anime and manga, from mainstream and classic titles to niche and obscure ones.
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Masashi KishimotoNaruto
