How Old Was Naruto Uzumaki In Naruto And Shippuden?
The story that began in the first chapter of "Naruto" in its original comic book form, first published in Japan in 1999, continues to this day in "Boruto." The "Naruto" sequel centers around the son of longtime series protagonist Naruto. Before the first episode of "Boruto" premiered, however, "Naruto" itself had already grown quite lengthy. The anime adaptation of "Naruto" first aired for 220 episodes before jumping ahead in time and appending the subtitle "Shippuden," after which the series aired for an additional 500 episodes. The "Boruto" anime, then, is the direct continuation of a story that was already 720 episodes long and even included a number of movies taking place canonically amidst those episodes.
Given the current state of the "Naruto" franchise, switching its focus to a new character entirely, it can be easy to forget some of the series' now-extensive history in favor of simply paying attention to the currently ongoing storylines in the latest episodes or chapters of "Boruto." As a result, Naruto very well may be an old dad in the eyes of some present-day "Boruto" fans.
Of course, in those 720 episodes leading up to "Boruto," Naruto went through his own multifaceted hero's journey, beginning when he was young and continuing into his later teenage years.
Naruto grows up before fans' very eyes
Upon the opening of "Naruto," its titular hero is only 12 years old. While this may seem young, especially when compared to the adult Naruto who now appears regularly in "Boruto," the series treats Naruto appropriately for his age in those early years. In fact, in the earliest chapters of "Naruto," though he does ultimately want to become the Konohagakure's Hokage, Naruto is far more often getting into routine mischief than he is visibly committed to his ninja studies.
Though the period of time covered in the original "Naruto" series comprises a total of 220 anime episodes, Naruto only ages one year during that time, closing the original run of "Naruto" at 13 years old.
When the series returns as "Naruto: Shippuden," Naruto is aged up to 15. By that point, Naruto is a capable ninja, having defeated his fair share of powerful foes in his early teenage years. Over the course of "Shippuden," Naruto grows from 15 to 17. "Shippuden," then, ends just prior to Naruto becoming a legal adult, if such a distinction even exists in the ninja society of "Naruto." In short, as the protagonist of "Naruto" and "Shippuden," Naruto is only ever a child. Come his adulthood in "Boruto," Naruto is sidelined for a new young protagonist, preserving the series' focus on youth while retaining Naruto's ongoing character arc.