Naruto isn’t a franchise that is afraid to reference itself, and fans have been reminded of that time and again with Boruto. The sequel has carved out its own shonen niche, but Boruto has made sure to toss in throwbacks the series which came before it. So, it isn’t too surprising to see a Zetsu reference pop up in the sequel… even if it is a wee bit uncomfortable.
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Recently, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations put out its latest episode, and the update saw Boruto Uzumaki discover some uncomfortable truths.
The episode picks up with Boruto saddled with Onoki as the former Tsuchikage takes the boy captive. It is there the older man explains why he has taken Mitsuki from the Leaf Village, and it all has to do with his desire to save ninja. However, Onoki’s plan gets out of control sooner rather than later.
After the death of his grandson, Onoki felt it was time the Hidden Villages found a way to save its young ninja. The older man came up with the Akuta clones to be military fodder who could stand in the place of genin, but the clones were never fully functional. It took Onoki meeting a doctor who shared his vision to find the missing piece to the clone puzzle, and it turns out that ingredient was White Zetsu.
So, yes — the Akuta clones are partially tied to Zetsu. Each one of them bares the former Akatsuki member’s DNA, but they are far from perfect still. As Onoki explains, he needs to study Mitsuki’s own clone genetics to find a more perfect way to clone Akuta, but Boruto isn’t phased by the old man and his monologue. The powerful genin end the episode at an impasse as Boruto cannot believe Onoki would use Zetsu to accomplish his goals, and fans admit they’re siding with the blond-haired boy on this one.
Are you glad to see Zetsu pop up again or…? 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.
