'Boruto' Reveals One Villain's Shocking Connection To Jiraiya

If you were to ask Naruto fans about its most tragic death, they'd have to mull it over. The franchise did not shy away from killing off important figures, but few moments hurt as badly as when Jiraiya passed. The Toad Sage was a fan-favorite character and a beloved father-figure to Naruto. Even today, fans continue to rank the ninja's death on their most-upsetting lists.

So, you can see why fans were stunned by the latest chapter of Boruto. Spoilers below! You have been warned!

This month, Shueisha rolled out the 22nd chapter of Boruto, and the update put Team 7 up against a truly formidable opponent. After being cornered on a mission, the squad was forced to fight the former Mist Ninja Ao who fans met back during Naruto. The enemy was set on killing the group to protect the mysterious organization Kara, but Ao began to waver when Boruto pulled out his family's Talk no Jutsu. However, the tech-infused villain didn't get a chance to repent before he was apparently killed by Kashin Koji and his Toad summon.

Yes, the baddie whipped out a Toad. One of the Kara leaders signed the Toad Summoning Contract, and fans are freaking out over Koji's presumed ties to Jiraiya.

In order to kill Ao, Koji summoned a massive Boiler Toad to crush the man under its weight. Konohamaru and Boruto were shocked by the summon's appearance, and fans were as well. The man introduced himself to Team 7 before chapter 22 ended on a cliffhanger, and his Toad connection isn't the only thing connecting him to Jiraiya.

There's no telling how old Koji is, but his disdain of a former elder in Kara makes fans think he isn't senile in any way. The man seems as agile as ever despite having stark white hair and facial markings. His appearance alone bears resemblance to Jiraiya as is, and if Koji can summon Toads, then he must have met the Sannin at some point. After all, Jiraiya was the holder of the Toad Summoning Contract for a long time, and Koji doesn't look like he is old enough to have signed the scroll before Jiraiya did.

In the past, Koji has also hinted at his mysterious connections to the Leaf Village. A previous chapter saw the Kara member look over the village with a serious expression before revealing his ties to the homeland. "The Land of Fire... Konoha Village... It seems I am truly to be linked by fate to that village."

Right now, there is no telling how Koji could be tied to Jiraiya, but fans are already speculating the worst. Boruto's latest chapter has readers wondering whether the villain may be Jiraiya's brother or even son given their physical similarities. Of course, Koji could also go the route Nagato did by being a former student to the Sannin, but one thing is for sure. Koji's summoning surprise has thrown a major wrench into the story, and fans are dying to know how the terrorist is connected to Jiraiya.

How do you think Koji is connected to Jiraiya? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics, k-pop, and anime!