‘Naruto’ Finally Unlocks Boruto’s Curse Mark And Its Power

For fans of Naruto, curse marks are not something to be overlooked. Back in the day, seals created by guys like Orochimaru played a big role in Naruto, but the fad fell away by the time Naruto: Shippuden came to an end. Nowadays, Boruto is tapping into those seals, and the series just gave fans a first-look at the kind of power Naruto’s son can tap into with his strange seal.

So, be warned! There are major spoilers for Boruto‘s latest chapter below. If you haven’t read chapter 23, proceed with caution!

If you are caught up with Boruto, then you know its manga took a bit step with its latest release. Chapter 23 debuted in Japan and saw Team 7 meet a prominent member of Kara, the latest terrorist organization with plans to upheave society. Kashin Koji interrupts the group’s fight with Ao to kill the man and snuff out Team 7. However, the ninja pauses his second mission when Boruto makes a stand against him.

After Kashin makes a move to kill Konohamaru, Boruto loses control and screams for the villain to stop. The emotional moment causes the boy to tap into the curse mark he received from Momoshiki at the end of the Chunin Exams, and everyone is stunned to see this power for themselves. With seal marks stretching along Boruto’s body, Kashin goes wide-eyed at the sight.

After seeing Boruto, Kashin refers to the seals as Karma. The kanji used to denote the name literally translates to lynchpin or wedge, but its reading is pronounced similar to karma. In Japanese, this reading is often used to refer to karma itself, and such a translation opens a can of worms for fans to sort out.

Boruto isn’t able to use his seals for long as they drain him, but fans learn one piece of their power. Naruto’s son is able to absorb jutsu with his seals as he absorbs the fuinjutsu Kashin used on them. He even absorbs the flames the Kara member placed on Konohamaru which were said to be inextinguishable. The big move saves Team 7 as Kashin chooses to let Boruto live because of his powerful showing, but fans have more questions about the boy’s seals than ever before. So, here’s to hoping the manga gets busy with explanations ASAP.

For those unfamiliar with Naruto, it has quite a storied history. Originally created by Masashi Kishimoto, the series ran in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump for 700 chapters. The story follows Naruto, a young ninja with a sealed demon within him that wishes to become the leader of his home village. The sequel, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations is set several years after the events of the original Naruto story and featuring the children of many of its key characters such as Naruto and Hinata.

Are you ready for Boruto to explore the full power of his curse mark? Which Naruto legend will help the kid tap into its power? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics, k-pop, and anime!