Naruto's New Final Form Baryon Mode Reveals in Manga

Here's everything we know about Naruto's Baryon Mode so far. Naruto Uzumaki has unlocked a plethora of different forms and transformations throughout his ninja career. The three most common modes in Naruto's arsenal are the toad-inspired Sage Mode, the jinchuriki Nine-Tails Mode, and the "I finally made friends with my inner demon" Kurama Mode. While new power-ups are a staple of many action anime and manga franchises, most fans assumed Naruto peaked when the spotlight was turned to his son in the eponymous Boruto: Naruto Next Generations series.

Boruto, on the other hand, recently revealed that the Seventh Hokage had not yet reached his final form. Naruto was being soundly beaten in his standard Kurama Mode, even with the assistance of Sasuke Uchiha, as he was pushed to the limit by the emergence of a new villain, Isshiki Otsutsuki. When it appeared that all was lost, Kurama revealed a previously unknown ace Naruto could still summon, albeit at the cost of his life. Boruto chapter 51 only provided a glimmer of Naruto's new mode, but chapter 52 fully reveals this unexpected transformation.

Naruto's new form is officially known as Baryon Mode, and it involves smashing Naruto's chakra and the Nine-Tails' chakra together in a manner similar to nuclear fusion, creating an entirely new energy, according to Kurama. The name Baryon is derived from a type of scientific particle, and while the real-world Baryon will not transform you into a demonic killing machine, it does allude to the nuclear nature of Naruto's latest upgrade. Naruto's usual orange-yellow glow has been replaced by the bold red colour of Kurama's fur, which forms a sleek coat around him with tails protruding from the back, as revealed by the issue's cover page.Naruto's face and hair take on the characteristics of the Nine-Tails, and an Uzumaki logo with Kurama's tails spinning off forms on his chest, symbolising their fusion.

Baryon Mode outperforms all of Naruto's other transformations in terms of power. Whereas in Kurama mode, the Hokage struggled to land a decent strike, in Baryon mode, he easily dodges Isshiki's attacks and can knock the Otsutsuki villain down with a single, well-placed elbow. The poisonous effect each blow inflicts on an opponent is perhaps the most significant advantage of Baryon Mode. Isshiki's life is gradually eroding with each strike Naruto makes, similar to radiation poisoning. When fighting in Baryon mode, simply hitting the target is enough to claim victory, according to Kurama. Unfortunately, this power has a significant drawback. Naruto's previous forms entailed fusing chakra with Kurama and then un-fusing after the battle was over. In Baryon Mode, both Naruto and Kurama's chakra are depleted and unable to be replenished, which is why the form is said to end in death.

While Baryon Mode clearly outperforms Naruto's other states, it's difficult to say whether this is his most powerful form in the series' entire history. Baryon Naruto is dominant against Isshiki, but the Otsutsuki isn't fighting with his full power at the moment. Six Paths Sage Naruto was able to compete with Kaguya Otsutsuki with the assistance of Sasuke and Sakura. As of now, Naruto's Sage of Six Paths Mode appears to be stronger than Baryon, but it's too early to tell. If Naruto can survive his current ordeal and master Baryon Mode to use at will (while not dying each time), the transformation would be a very welcome and marketable feature of Naruto mythology. 

Sources: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Manga, ScreenRant