‘Naruto’ Reveals its Biggest ‘Boruto’ Twist Yet

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations‘ has been full of twists and turns during the Mitsuki Disappearance arc so far, but the latest episode flipped it all over as it revealed the identity of the mastermind behind the Land of Earth’s shady plans.

Not only did the true mastermind turn out to be someone Boruto trusted, but he’s a big heroic figure in the original Naruto series as well. Read on for major spoilers for the latest episode of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations!

Boruto and the others finally made their way into the Land of Earth in an effort to bring Mitsuki back to the Hidden Leaf Village, but all the while things have been brewing under the surface. The mysterious “Lord Ku” had been creating special beings out of the Earth to use as weapons for something, and at the end of Episode 82 it’s revealed that “Lord Ku” is actually the son of the former Tsuchikage, Onoki, the true mastermind.

Boruto and the others meet up with Onoki toward the end of Episode 82, and he strangely refuses to acknowledge that something is going on in the Hidden Stone. He tells Boruto and the others to go home, but when they refuse, many of the living weapons appear out of the ground and surround them. When Lord Ku appears and walks up to Onoki, Boruto and the others fear for his life until the stunning reveal. Ku kneels down next to Onoki and says, “Master…my dear father…The test subject is ready. We await your order!”

This naturally takes Boruto and the others by surprise (making this yet another unfortunate time Boruto’s been hurt by others this arc) The episode comes to an end as Onoki gives them a fierce glare, ready to enact whatever plan he had to completely shake the foundation of Land of Earth.

Onoki was one of the kage who helped saved the ninja world during the Fourth Great Ninja War, so this turn of events comes as a surprise. He may have not given his reasoning for hatching such a plot yet, or even clarified what his plot actually is, but the tone of the reveal paints a bad picture for the former hero. Fans will be on the edge of their seats to find out what he’s thinking for sure.

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.