Naruto Manga: How much longer is it going to last?

[LobsterMagnet]

I was just wondering how many more chapters you guys estimate the naruto manga will keep on running for. 50+ or maybe 100+ before every things tied up.

I personally don't want to see things keep on going for the sake of going, so I'm hoping that once the Akatsuki arc comes to an overall resolution the Kishimoto just decides to end it there. I'd hate to see him try and come up with even more over powered villains for naruto and co to fight.

I used to think that I wanted to see everything up until Naruto becomes the kage but now I'm thinking that it might be more graceful if Kishi just bows out once he ties up things with the akatsuki and Sasuke. Seeing as the Akatsuki are directly linked to the Bichu (or tailed beasts) and the bichu have always been the sort of intangible force that's been felt in the background but only recently has become something prevalent in the main story arc.

So what do you guys think? Will naruto get into the One Piece 400+ chapter range (although One Piece never seems like it's going to end) or go even longer?

[FullMetalAlchemist]

He is gonna end it with naruto becomeing hokage. Thats his dream so they aren't gonna end the manga until that dream is met. Maybe one arc after he becomes hokage, and thats it. So i would say about 100-150 more chapters. Now predicting what is goiong to happen is the fun part lol, how about we think about that for a second.

[Stoopider]

I'd prefer if he ends it up to the end of the Akatsuki. And take a break.

Then I wouldn't mind after a year off or something, come back and write a kickass story again, but this time an older not so whiney irritating Naruto. A mature Naruto story. Probably called "The Hokage" or something and a story about not only Naruto but the leaf in general, the villages and world. And the protagonist is not on Naruto but on someone else, probably like Kakashi who is "The Hokage" and his vice apprentice Shikamaru.

[Stoopider]

Edit: Double Posted.. crappy internet.

[Konohamaru]

I doubt it'll end anytime soon. We're at the group of enemies stage (akatsuki). In all my animes I've seen, thery always have a super power for one arc, then theres a group of enemies somewhere in the next few arcs, then the big ending enemy which I hope is orochimaru.

[LobsterMagnet]

At this point in the game it seems as if Orochimaru is small fry compared to the majority of the Akatsuki. And I'm guessing that the super big baddie at the end of the arc is either going to be the Akatsuki leader or whatever that super mega demon thingy is that their sealing all of the bichu in.

Then again it's difficult to imagine how some one would recruit so many S-Class kage killing missing nins if he wasn't able to hold his own.

[chet_chetty]

I'd have to disagree with Orochimaru being weaker in comparison to the rest of Akatsuki. I can say Itachi would be the only one Orochi may not be able to handle and not because of Orochi's inferiority complex towards a jutsu copier; but rather the perceived insane power Kishi has built Itachi to have. While the Akatsuki are working to control all the bijuu for their own use, it's somewhat been implied that Orochimaru already has something more than human inside of him. I wouldnt say he's merely learned jutus which have allowed him to take the form of a snake in various ways. There seems to be some power within Orochimaru yet to be revealed.

And to stay on topic, if Kishi were to tie up the Akatsuki and Sasuke retrieval in this arc, as many loose ends as there are, there are some major ones that would need to be tied up before this manga could end ie. Sasuke reconciling his quest for revenge against Itachi, and Naruto becoming Hokage as mentioned. The fans would not be satisfied if it were to end after this arc.

[Super5]

Well, I'd say it can go on for quite a while. Just to tie up the plot threads that exist right now (assuming no more are introduced), we have:

1. Sasuke and Oro / possible Sasuke-Naruto reconciliation
2. Akatsuki
3. Tailed beasts / giant demon (probably tied closely to 2)
4. Anbu / Roots motives in Konoha
5. Naruto becoming kage

I would assume 1 will take 50 chapters at least, 2 and 3 together might take 100, 4 less than 50, and then naruto has to do a lot of training to become a much better ninja in order to be Hokage - so I'll allow at least 50 chapters for number 5. Knowing that Kishi likes to draw out things, then I would conservatively estimate 250 more chapters. This would make it quite a long running manga, but One Piece might have it beat since Oda said somewhere he is going for 600 chapters at least.

@Chet - I wouldn't say Oro is stronger than everyone in Akatsuki besides Itachi. Kisame has large chakra capacity as well as strong techniques, and Deidara is no pushover either. Plus we haven't even seen Zetsu in action yet... I doubt Oro is stronger than them, he is merely on the same level. There have been other people using very strange techniques, so I wouldn't assume Oro has a hidden power just because he can do some strange things. Deidara has little mouths in his hands for crying out loud. Zetsu seems to be half plant. There is no way Oro can take on more than one Akatsuki at a time, so I believe he'll mostly fade into the background until the Akatsuki plot thread gets tied up.