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Yes—Boruto remains an officially published Naruto sequel. VIZ’s Shonen Jump lists Boruto: Two Blue Vortex as an ongoing manga, credits Masashi Kishimoto with creation and supervision and Mikio Ikemoto with the art, and offers collected volumes. The official Naruto site also presents a dedicated Two Blue Vortex site as part of the Naruto world. Nothing in those official materials announces that Boruto has been removed from continuity.

Why the “Boruto is not canon” argument keeps returning

The dispute usually starts with a real fact that gets stretched into a conclusion it does not support: Kishimoto is not the primary writer and illustrator of every Boruto chapter. Some readers treat that change in authorship as proof that the sequel does not count. Official statements describe a different situation. They distinguish who controls the manga creatively from whether the publisher and franchise recognize it as an official continuation.

That distinction matters because “canon” can mean different things in fan conversations. It can mean an officially licensed story, a story accepted by the franchise’s rights holders, a story that fits the established timeline, or a reader’s personal rule that only work written and drawn by the original creator counts. The first two standards are supported by the available primary sources. The last is a preference, not an announcement from Naruto’s publisher.

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What the official Naruto and Shonen Jump pages establish

Two Blue Vortex is an official publication

VIZ’s Shonen Jump listing identifies Boruto: Two Blue Vortex as a manga, describes Boruto’s conflict with the Hidden Leaf, credits Kishimoto for “Creation/Supervision” and Ikemoto for art, and lists collected volumes. Those are the normal markers of an authorized continuation rather than a fan project, alternate-universe work or canceled side story.

The franchise still presents it as Naruto’s next generation

The Naruto Official Site maintains a dedicated “BORUTO -TWO BLUE VORTEX- SPECIAL SITE,” labels Ikemoto as the author and connects the series to the Naruto world. Maintaining a dedicated official franchise page is strong evidence of continuing recognition, even though it does not settle every reader’s preferred definition of canon.

Did Kishimoto say Boruto is non-canon?

No. The statement often cited in these arguments says the opposite of what viral summaries imply. In an interview on the official Naruto site, Kishimoto said: For Boruto, Ikemoto is completely in charge of the story and main illustrations. It really is Ikemoto’s manga.

That quote assigns lead creative responsibility to Ikemoto. It does not say the manga is unofficial, outside the Naruto timeline, or discarded by Kishimoto or the publisher. Calling it “Ikemoto’s manga” explains authorship; it is not a non-canon declaration.

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How the sequel was authorized

MANGA Plus’s interview with Ikemoto gives the sequel’s origin. Boruto began with Boruto: Naruto the Movie. Ikemoto said Kishimoto did not intend to write more stories about Boruto and his friends, so Kishimoto suggested that Ikemoto make the sequel. Ikemoto also said: My utmost priority is to complete the entire story for BORUTO.

This account places the sequel inside the Naruto production and publishing process from its beginning. It does not mean every creative choice must appeal to every Naruto reader, but it directly contradicts the idea that Boruto was created without authorization or later disowned simply because Ikemoto leads the manga.

Canon status depends on which question you are asking

Question What the evidence supports
Is it officially published? Yes. VIZ distributes Two Blue Vortex through Shonen Jump and lists volumes.
Is it treated as part of the Naruto franchise? Yes. The official Naruto site gives it a dedicated special site and presents it as the next-generation story.
Did Kishimoto personally write and draw every chapter? No. The official interview says Ikemoto is completely in charge of the story and main illustrations.
Did Kishimoto announce that it was removed from continuity? No such announcement appears in the cited official statements.
Must every fan accept it as canon? No. Readers can adopt a narrower personal standard, but that standard is different from the franchise’s publication status.

What the fandom argument can—and cannot—prove

Discussion threads show that the disagreement is active. A current r/Boruto moderator megathread recorded a surge in canonicity posts after news of a new Naruto manga, with commenters both defending Boruto’s status and rejecting it. That demonstrates competing opinions, not a representative survey.

  • Reddit post counts, votes and comment volume cannot establish what percentage of Naruto fans believe either side.
  • A reader’s dislike of a plot development is not evidence that a publisher revoked the series.
  • A change in writer or artist is not, by itself, a continuity ruling.
  • Questions about whether a particular event fits the timeline should be argued from the manga’s text, not from the authorship dispute alone.
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The practical answer for readers

If you mean “Does the current rights-holder and publishing system recognize Boruto as an official Naruto continuation?”, the answer is yes. If you mean “Do I personally consider only Kishimoto-authored Naruto stories canonical?”, you can choose that rule, but it describes your reading policy rather than an official change to the franchise.

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The clearest way to check the status for yourself is to examine the Shonen Jump listing and the Naruto Official Site’s Two Blue Vortex page, then read the cited interviews in full. Together they show a formally published sequel with Ikemoto as its lead manga creator and Kishimoto credited with creation and supervision—not a series that has been declared non-canon.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Boruto still canon?

Boruto remains an officially published and promoted Naruto sequel. Whether an individual reader accepts it is a personal canon standard.

Did Kishimoto say Boruto is not canon?

No. He said Ikemoto is completely in charge of Boruto’s story and main illustrations and called it Ikemoto’s manga; he did not announce that it was outside continuity.

Is Two Blue Vortex an official Naruto manga?

Yes. VIZ’s Shonen Jump lists it, and the official Naruto site maintains a dedicated special site for it.

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