'Naruto' Drops Major Akatsuki Reference In 'Boruto'

Boruto Uzumaki has plenty of things to worry about, but the boy doesn't have to fret over the Akatsuki. The extremist organization was snuffed out before the Fourth Great Ninja War got going, but it seems the team's legacy lives on.

After all, Naruto fans know an Akatsuki nod when they see it, and Boruto wasn't shy with the one it just laid out.

Recently, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations released a new episode, and it saw Mitsuki's vagabond team dip into some dark stuff. As it turns out, one of the enemy ninja Mitsuki ran away with put a Leaf Ninja under genjutsu, and Sekiei made sure Yurito wouldn't be able to spill any secrets on his behalf.

After a brief fight, Yurito was knocked from the genjutsu, but Sekiei silenced him for good with an explosive jutsu. The masked baddie denoted a clay bomb remotely, and the weapon exploded while perched on Yurito's shoulder. The poor ninja died instantly in the attack, but it isn't just the clay bomb that has fans eyeing the Akatsuki. After all, the aftermath of the attack suited Deidara full stop.

Sekiei detonated his bomb from a safe distance outside of the Leaf Village, and he was real happy to do so. In fact, the boy treated the attack like it was some performance, and he spoke about its artistry much the same way Deidara did with his clay bombs.

"Boom. Detonation complete," Sekiei coos. "I bet it made such a nice noise!"

As fans will remember, Deidara was also in love with his clay bombs. The rogue Earth ninja felt his technique redefined artistry as his clay creations were as deadly as they were beautiful. Deidara rejoiced whenever he detonated a bomb, praising it as a piece of art. Now, Sekiei is following in the Akatsuki member's steps as he wields the same Bloodline Talent as Deidara. So, if it turns out the two ninja are actually related somehow, fans shouldn't be all that surprised.

So, do you think Sekiei is really connected to Deidara? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!

Originally created by Masashi Kishimoto, Naruto ran in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump for 700 chapters. The story follows 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 features the children of many of its key characters such as Naruto and Hinata.

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations has done well in Japan. Recently it even made TV Tokyo's list of Top 5 Anime in sales and profits, coming third in sales and fifth and profits. The anime has been such a success that the Naruto franchise as a whole stills holds a top spot in many anime profits rankings as well.