Naruto is seventy-two volumes, and then it keeps going. There is a sequel manga, a set of light novels, and a stack of films with their own novelisations. The reading order is simpler than the shelf makes it look.
The main series, in three parts
Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto runs from volume 1 to volume 72 with no gaps. VIZ splits the English release into three box sets, and they follow the story’s own structure closely enough that the split makes sense:
- Box Set 1, volumes 1–27 — the Academy through the Chunin Exams and the Sasuke Retrieval arc. This is Part I in its entirety.
- Box Set 2, volumes 28–48 — the time skip, Akatsuki, and the Pain arc.
- Box Set 3, volumes 49–72 — the Fourth Great Ninja War through the ending.
The first box set is $159.20 for twenty-seven volumes, about $5.90 each, and it comes with a poster and a booklet. It is a natural stopping point: Part I ends on a real conclusion, and plenty of readers stop there happily.
If $159 is more than you want to commit before knowing whether the series holds you, the Vol. 1–10 set at $90.84 gets you through the Chunin Exams, which is where most readers decide either way.
Then Boruto
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations picks up years after Naruto ends and follows his son. It is written by a different team — Ukyo Kodachi and Mikio Ikemoto, with Kishimoto supervising — and it reads differently: faster, more plot-driven, less interested in the training arcs that defined the original.
Read it after volume 72 and not before. It spoils the ending of Naruto in its first chapter. The Vol. 1–7 set is $46.39 and covers the opening arc comfortably.
The light novels are optional, and that is fine
The Naruto novels fill in the years between the end of the manga and the start of Boruto, mostly by giving side characters their own stories. Nothing in them is required to understand either series.
They are worth it if you finished the manga and want more time with the cast — particularly the Kakashi and Shikamaru books, which are the two most often recommended. The complete set is $71.98.
Do not start here. The novels assume you know everyone already and do not explain anything.
The order, on one line
| # | What | Volumes | Skippable |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Naruto, Part I | 1–27 | No |
| 2 | Naruto, Part II | 28–72 | No |
| 3 | Naruto light novels | — | Yes |
| 4 | Boruto | 1– | Yes |
What about the anime?
The anime covers the same story with a large amount of filler, particularly in Shippuden. If you are reading the manga you are not missing anything by ignoring it. If you watched the anime first, the manga still reads well — the pacing is tighter and several arcs land harder without the padding.
Everything above ships free within the US and is in stock now. Browse the full Shonen collection for the rest.
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