Naruto

Start here. Naruto follows a young outcast ninja named Naruto Uzumaki who carries a dangerous secret: sealed inside him is a nine-tailed fox demon that once devastated his village. Shunned by most of the adults around him, Naruto channels his loneliness into a burning ambition to become Hokage, the leader of his village, so that everyone will finally acknowledge him.

Why Start Here

Naruto is Kishimoto’s defining work, and there is no better entry point. The opening volumes establish everything that makes his storytelling compelling: a protagonist whose pain feels real despite the fantastical setting, a rival relationship (Naruto and Sasuke) that drives the entire series, and a world of ninja techniques that keeps combat tactical and surprising.

Kishimoto excels at making you care before the action starts. The early arcs introduce characters whose backstories carry genuine emotional weight. By the time the major battles arrive, you are invested in the outcome because you understand what each character stands to lose.

What to Expect

A long-running series spanning 72 volumes that follows Naruto from childhood through adulthood. The first major arc, the Chunin Exams, is where the series hits its stride, introducing a large cast of rivals and allies. The pacing is generally strong, though some later arcs slow down. Kishimoto’s art improves dramatically over the run, with battle sequences becoming increasingly cinematic.

The emotional core never wavers. At its best, Naruto is a story about what it means to be rejected and how people find the strength to keep reaching out anyway.