Naruto Fans Have Questions About Sai’s Mysterious Rank

One of the most interesting aspects when Boruto: Naruto Next Generations began is that the sequel was going to show how many of the characters in the series have grown up since the end of the original series. This has led to many interesting reveals, but there’s still just as many mysteries about how the world has evolved since Naruto came to a close. One of the biggest questions is about Sai, who was introduced later than the other characters.

While many of the other ninja have been given traditional ranks, Sai’s rank has had fans questioning as to what Sai’s role in the Hidden Leaf Village actually is.

As noted by @danbito_ on Twitter, the last guidebook for the Naruto series revealed that in the two years after the Fourth Ninja War Sai was given the unique “Chubu” rank. There has been no official explanation of what this rank is, and unfortunately for fans, there may never actually be a full explanation given as the sequel series moved beyond ancillary characters like Sai long ago and is now focusing on new characters like his son.

Given his former positioning within the Anbu, fans are speculating that this “Chubu” rank has to deal with that shadow organization somehow. This would make sense given that his role in Boruto seems to involve gathering intelligence (which was further emphasized in the latest episode of the series when he was assigned Genin who’d be good at gathering cede intel). But until the series officially reveals what this rank is, it’s a title that’s going to be as mysterious as Sai himself.

What do you think a “Chubu” is? Is Sai the only one with this rank? Who else would be a good fit for the title? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Originally created by Masashi Kishimoto for Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump in 1999, Naruto follows a young ninja, with a sealed demon within him, that wishes to become the leader of his home village. The series ran for 700 chapters overall, and was adapted into an anime series by Studio Pierrot and Aniplex that ran from 2002 to 2017. The series was popular enough to warrant a sequel, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations which is set several years after the events of the original Naruto story and features the children of many of its key characters such as Naruto and Hinata.