'Boruto' Just Hit a Big Milestone in the Naruto and Sasuke Rivalry

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations hit a huge landmark as the anime recently put the final touches on the Chunin Exams arc, meaning it closed the loop on many Naruto and Sasuke loose ends.

The battle with Momoshiki not only brought in a new era of teamwork between Naruto and Sasuke, but also brought their rivalry to a new stage as Naruto says they're now even in terms of wins.

One of the core elements of the original Naruto series was Naruto's rivalry with Sasuke. The two have clashed over their respective philosophies over their lives, with the original Naruto series even ending in a huge battle where the two finally came to an understanding as equals.

When the battle with Momoshiki ends, the two of them are proudly looking over Boruto and share some laughs. Sasuke says Naruto doesn't look so good, and counts this one as his win because he's still on his feet (and because Boruto won). Naruto obliges, but says counting all of the fights over the years makes the two of them even.

This may have been said in jest, but it's an example of the larger growth the two have made over the entire franchise. Episode 65 was a way for Boruto to literally carry on the torch from the past, and now that this final loop is closed the series can truly begin telling Boruto's story.

For those unfamiliar with Naruto, it has quite a storied history. Originally created by Masashi Kishimoto, the series ran in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump for 700 chapters. The story follows Naruto, a young ninja with a sealed demon within him that wishes to become the leader of his home village. The sequel, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations is set several years after the events of the original Naruto story and featuring the children of many of its key characters such as Naruto and Hinata.

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations recently made TV Tokyo's list of Top 5 Anime in sales and profits, coming third in sales and fifth and profits. The anime has been such a success that the Naruto franchise as a whole stills holds a top spot in many anime profits rankings as well. The series even managed to cross 235 million copies of the manga sold worldwide. Boruto: Naruto Next Generations was even given a major bump of approval as it just took over a more familiar timeslot, airing in the same time and day that its predecessor Naruto: Shippuden once did.