There are layers to why Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto is known as one of the best animes of all time. Its dynamic characters and their friendship and the emphasis on perseverance and self-discovery are among the reasons why it is so hailed. But while it is a jack of all trades, it is not a master at foreshadowing. Unlike One Piece, which thrives on the mouth-gaping reaction that the viewers deliver after connecting the dots, Naruto maintains a familiar flow. Or so we thought.

One of the biggest plot twists that made a paradigm-shifting change in the lives of Naruto fans was the revelation of the Fourth Hokage’s identity. However, it was not really explored until the 168th episode of Naruto: Shippuden. Despite being such a pivotal piece of information regarding its protagonist, the creators took their sweet time in cooking the storyline. But one look at the first few panels of the manga, and it becomes clear that the creators had been hinting at Naruto’s identity for quite a while.

The first few panels of the manga consist of the Nine-Tailed Jinchuriki vandalizing the Hokage mountain. As he uses graffiti to draw symbols on the Hokage’s faces. And amidst his canvas of snot and tears, our little warrior draws spirals on the cheeks of the Fourth Hokage. The spirals are popular as Narutomaki. This is how Naruto quite literally draws his connection to Minato Kamikaze.

This spoiler is not just restricted to the mangas. The Naruto anime also follows suit with a pretty on-the-face spoiler in one of the earlier episodes of the anime. This is not the only time that Masashi Kishimoto teased his audience about the big reveal.

Naruto and its under-appreciated penchant for spoilers

Foreshadowing is not considered one of Naruto‘s forte, but much like its protagonist, the series excels whenever it tries its hand at it. A testament to this is the numerous times the anime and manga hinted at the Fourth Hokage being Naruto’s father.

Firstly, it will not take a mathematician to add that the only two blondes with spikes are father and son. Secondly, those around Uzumaki, despite always keeping their lips sealed, were pretty bad at hiding it. For instance, the Third Hokage does not even try to hide that Minato Kamikaze is Naruto’s father as he looks at his face straight on while talking about Naruto’s mistreatment. There are countless fans who have considered getting an eye test following this revelation.

Did you also notice this major spoiler in Naruto? Let us know in the comments below.