Naruto Hiden (a.k.a. Naruto Secret Chronicles) is a light novel series which explores the stories of various characters after the conclusion of the original manga. Though each book is illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto, they are written by different authors. And yes, they are part of the canon continuity.
All books in the Hiden series have been moved to separate pages. See those for tropes pertaining to them.
- Kakashi Hiden: Lightning in the Icy Sky, written by Akira Higashiyama, is set shortly after Sasuke's departure from the Hidden Leaf. Kakashi is in no hurry to officially take over as Hokage, so Tsunade is still in charge — much to her chagrin. She tasks Kakashi with providing security for the Tobishachimaru's maiden voyage. Things seem to be going well, until a group of terrorists are discovered planting explosive tags on the airship.
- Shikamaru Hiden: A Cloud Drifting in Silent Darkness, written by Takashi Yano, is set two years after the end of the Fourth Great Ninja War and a few months before The Last: Naruto the Movie. Shikamaru, a leading member of the Shinobi Union, is lamenting the fact that his life strayed so far from the "normal life" he dreamed of as a child. A strange message from Sai arrives, revealing a threat to the new-found peace in the face of Gengo, the leader of the Land of Silence. Shikamaru and two ANBU head out to investigate and, if necessary, assassinate this man.
- Sakura Hiden: Thoughts of Love, Riding Upon a Spring Breeze, written by Tomohito Ōsaki, is set a few months after the events of The Last. Sakura and Ino have opened a clinic within the Konoha Hospital that would assess and treat the mental health of children who have been affected by the Great War. The two kunoichi travel to the allied village of Suna after a request to offer their advice so that Suna can open a clinic of their own. Meanwhile, a mysterious man wearing a cloak and bearing a grudge against Konoha appears.
- Konoha Hiden: The Perfect Day for a Wedding, written by Shō Hinata, is set a few days before Naruto and Hinata's wedding ceremony. Kakashi Hatake has tasked the Konoha 11 with a very important, top-secret mission: each one of them must find a wedding gift. However, that proves to be a task not so easily accomplished...
- Gaara Hiden: A Sandstorm Mirage, written by Ukyō Kodachi, is set a few months after the wedding. Gaara has just turned twenty years old, so Sunagakure's elders think it's time for him get married. They have already found a wife for him, whom he is going to meet shortly. And so, Gaara's toughest battle yet begins...
- Akatsuki Hiden: Evil Flowers in Full Bloom, written by Shin Towada, is set around the same time as Gaara Hiden. During his journey, Sasuke meets a boy. The boy said that his family was killed by the Akatsuki...
The main Naruto Hiden series, per cataloguing, are limited to the titles above. A separate related project, known as Naruto Shinden (a.k.a. Naruto True Story), also exist, divided into the 2015 cycle (mostly focusing on Itachi and Sasuke Uchiha) and the 2018 cycle (explicitly set within the Boruto era).
- 2015 Cycle
- Itachi Shinden, written by Takashi Yano. It consists of two volumes: Book of Bright Light (光明篇, Kōmyō-hen) and Book of Dark Night (暗夜篇, An'ya-hen). The two books are essentially a retelling of Itachi's childhood—leading up to the Uchiha massacre (as well as the political and inter-village subterfuge that led to that moment). The story was given a loose adaptation via episodes 451-458 of the mainline Shippuden anime.
- Sasuke Shinden: Book of Sunrise (来光篇, Raikō-hen), written by Shin Towada. Set immediately after the events Sasuke were involved in during Akatsuki Hiden, he receives a mission from Kakashi regarding missing ninja from throughout the Shinobi villages. This leads Sasuke into the darker underbelly of the ninja world—something he himself has ignored in his pursuit of vengeance. This was adapted as episodes 484-488 of the Shippuden anime.
- 2018 Cycle
- Konoha Shinden: Steam Ninja Scrolls, written by Shō Hinata. It tells the adventure of Mirai Sarutobi, the teenage daughter of Kurenai Yuhi and the late Asuma Sarutobi, as she accompanies Kakashi, the retired Sixth Hokage, and Guy on a trip to the Land of Hot Water.
- Naruto Shinden: Family Day, written by Mirei Miyamoto. Set sometime after the events of Naruto Gaiden, it is told from the perspective of several parents who agonize about what to do with their children during the Parent and Child Day.
- Sasuke Shinden: The Teacher's Star Pupil, written by Jun Esaka.
- Shikamaru Shinden: A Cloud Dancing in Forlorn Falling Petals, written by Takashi Yano.
A third series, Naruto Retsuden was announced in 2019. It consists of two books, one already released and one upcoming.
- Kakashi Retsuden: The Sixth Hokage and the Failure Boy, written by Jun Esaka.
- Sasuke Retsuden: The Uchiha Descendants and the Heavenly Stardust, written by Jun Esaka.
You may buy the official English translations here
.note Otherwise, you can read fan-made English translations herenote . Please follow the translators' request to not copy or distribute the text.
Tropes present in the novel include:
Itachi Shinden
- Child Prodigy: Itachi graduates valedictorian of his Academy class at age 6, become a Chunin at age 11 and an Anbu member not even half a year later, and finally gets promoted Anbu captain at age 12, which is normally the age at which Academy students graduate. During the Chunin Exams' written test, it is explained that his score is among the highest in history, second only to the Fourth Hokage.
- Doomed by Canon: All of the Uchiha except for Itachi, Sasuke, and Obito.
- Dramatic Irony: After completing the Uchiha Massacre, Itachi reflects that Sasuke will start hating him from now on and gain enough power to kill him, ergo making him a hero in Konoha's eyes. Sasuke eventually does become Konoha's hero, but it takes a long way for that to happen.
- Foregone Conclusion: Itachi will kill all of the Uchiha Clan members save Sasuke and flee the village to become a member of the Akatsuki.
- Mercy Kill: During the Uchiha Massacre, Itachi specifically targets his love interest, Izumi, first. Rather than killing her physically, he subjects her to Tsukuyomi, where she is made to experience a long and happy life with Itachi, ending with her growing old and die, which tricks her body into dropping dead as well.
- Traumatic Superpower Awakening:
- It's revealed that Itachi awakens his Sharingan after seeing the death of his friend from Team 2, Tenma Izumo.
- Shisui reveals, shortly before his death, that he awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan after feeling an intense guilt of letting his teammate die during the Third Ninja War. It wasn't murder (as was required to activate the Mangekyo), but Shisui saw it as such.
Shikamaru Shinden
- Might Makes Right: Ultimately, what's really got the rest of the nations on the Leaf's side is Naruto's immense power, and the fear of what will happen if they ever turn on him.
