Several of the kunoichi from Naruto didn’t get as much time to shine as audiences hoped for, but Hinata has finally been able to showcase her incredible strengths. It’s been almost twelve years since Masashi Kishimoto’s world-famous manga concluded, and while the Boruto sequel series has continued to keep the franchise alive, the desire to see more adventures with the characters Naruto fans grew up with is palpable.

The Naruto series successfully built a fascinating world filled with unique characters, some of whom were featured much more prominently than others across its 700 manga chapters. Since the Boruto series seems determined to focus on its newly established cast and consistently nerfing Naruto‘s most powerful characters, it’s been up to video games and fan artists to create new content.

Although Kishimoto recently returned with new Naruto artwork featuring a joyful Kurama and young Naruto, a Chinese mobile game developer, More Fun Studio, has been hard at work creating the hit game, Naruto Mobile. While its gameplay is not for everyone, especially people outside of China, beautiful short films featuring beloved characters have been made to help promote the game, with the most recent starring Hinata and her stylish hand-to-hand combat skills.

Before She Was Boruto’s Mom, Hinata Was A Badass

The video above, posted on the Naruto Mobile YouTube page, depicts a version of Hinata likely after the Fourth Great Shinobi War as she is training and sparring with a formidable Hyuga Elder. Her theatrically pleasing open-palm fighting style is faithfully adapted in the short with visuals and choreography that have helped the kunoichi look better and more fearsome than ever.

Hinata’s incredible short is not the only stunning animation that the Naruto Mobile game has produced. While a personal favorite includes Rock Lee training, the brilliantly talented maker of the shorts has also produced entertaining shorts featuring Obito during his most brutal rampage, completely original scenes of Sasuke fighting an army, and even stunning recreations of iconic moments like Itachi’s fateful and final battle against Sasuke. While the shorts are a far cry from entirely new Naruto anime episodes, they provide more action of beloved characters than the franchise’s sequel series.

Hinata And Other Beloved Ninjas Have Been Left Behind

The decision-makers in charge of the Naruto franchise have been building up the Boruto storyline for years. While the manga has continued to release one large chapter every month, the Boruto anime has been on a long hiatus since 2023. But even with the newest series has taken many steps to remove prominent Naruto characters from prominence. However, several of the characters would prove to be an incredible asset against the formidable threats that are currently challenging Konoha and the fugitive Boruto.

Hinata’s only been given a few opportunities to showcase her talents, primarily in arcs in the Naruto Shippuden era. Her explosive Twin Lions fists dramatically upgrade her damage output, which is made all the more deadly with Hinata’s continuous evolution of her gentle fist fighting style. During the epic Fourth Shinobi War, the Hyuga princess pushed her limits to match and arguably surpass her naturally gifted cousin, Neji. But it’s a shame that such developed characters are only getting the content fans want to see through promotional shorts rather than new anime episodes or a theatrical Naruto release.

The current Boruto storyline features a dramatic timeskip that is currently only in the manga, where both Naruto and Hinata have been captured and placed in a pocket dimension where time is frozen. Still, even before she was imprisoned, Naruto‘s sequel series altered the once formidable kunochi and instead made her a traditional housewife with next to no agency. Hopefully, when she and her husband inevitably return, Hinata will be given more to do because, as the Naruto Mobile video proves, she is a badass who could be a valuable asset in protecting Konoha and her children, who are consistently threatened.

Video Game(s)

Naruto: Clash Of Ninja Revolution 3, Naruto: Ultimate Ninja (2003), Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4, Naruto: Rise Of A Ninja, Naruto: The Broken Bond, Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker, Naruto Shippuden Dragon Blade Chronicles, Naruto: Path Of The Ninja, Naruto x Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections

Cast

Junko Takeuchi, Maile Flanagan, Noriaki Sugiyama, Chie Nakamura, Kazuhiko Inoue, Nana Mizuki, Hideo Ishikawa, Yûko Sanpei

Latest Film

Boruto: Naruto the Movie