Naruto’s New Sequel Gives a Major Hero Goku’s Darkest DBZ Death

Warning: SPOILERS for Naruto: Sasuke’s Story―The Uchiha and the Heavenly Stardust: The Manga chapter 1 and Naruto RetsudenThe manga adaptation of Sasuke’s Story has adopted a similar heart condition that eventually kills Dragon Ball’s Goku in one DBZ timeline to plague its own eponymous ninja in the Naruto universe. Although first explored in the light novel Naruto Retsuden, Sasuke’s Story is the first to cover this affliction in manga form.

In Dragon Ball Z, the Goku from Future Trunk’s timeline is afflicted with a mysterious threat, a heart disease that eventually kills him. The devastation that ensues as a result of Goku’s absence is so severe that this older Trunks’ journeys back in time to provide the normal continuity’s Goku with the antidote that was only discovered after Goku’s death.

With time travel most likely unattainable in the Naruto universe, Sasuke and Kakashi are on a mission to find a possible cure for their eponymous seventh Hokage’s heart disease in the manga adaptation of the light novel Naruto: Sasuke’s Story―The Uchiha and the Heavenly Stardust. Although first identified in one of the many other Naruto light novels called Naruto Retsuden, Sasuke’s Story follows the response to Naruto’s heart condition, much like when Future Trunks time travels in DBZ. Of course, there are differences between Goku’s heart condition and what afflicts Naruto. Retsuden apparently covers how Naruto’s actions throughout his time as a ninja have helped cause his condition, as revealed by the Nine-Tailed Fox, while also exploring the possible cure. The Sage of the Six Paths is said to have suffered from what’s currently plaguing Naruto and since the Sage was cured during his time in Redaku, that’s where Sasuke and Kakashi are going now to hopefully find the same remedy for their seventh Hokage.

What Makes Naruto’s Heart Condition Different than Goku’s

The difference between Naruto’s affliction and what happens to Goku in DBZ is that the Saiyan’s affliction is the result of some nameless virus that has ostensibly nothing to do with any of the Saiyan’s exploits on and off Earth. As of now, the manga adaptation of Naruto: Sasuke’s Story―The Uchiha and the Heavenly Stardust hasn’t verified the cause that was first discovered in Retsuden, and it’s possible that the manga will retcon this aspect in both the Retsuden and Sasuke’s Story light novels. But from what is identified in Retsuden, Naruto’s heart condition is a result of his specific actions, which is never revealed in Goku’s case, and is likely just a regular virus.

The fact that both Dragon Ball’s and Naruto’s protagonists are afflicted with a heart condition is by no means a coincidence. Hopefully, Sasuke’s Story will deviate from its apparent influence in Dragon Ball Z and Goku by not having the cure be related to time travel. Luckily, only Boruto’s anime adaptation has pandered to the time travel trope and not the manga, so there’s a chance that the manga won’t. But what the Naruto universe will likely attempt is actually explain more about Naruto’s heart malady than Goku’s mysterious heart virus in DBZ that has yet to receive an actual thorough explanation.

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