'Boruto' Gives Kawaki a Major Naruto Upgrade

Chapter 34 of the Boruto: Naruto Next Generations manga picks up in the aftermath of Naruto's furious battle with the cybernetically-enhanced Delta, one of the "inner" enforcers of the mysterious Kara organization. That fight for control of Kara's mysterious "vessel" in the group's young hostage Kawaki being badly maimed, as Delta's powerful eye beams blew Kawaki's hand clean off.

In this new chapter, Naruto takes Kawaki back to Konohagakure for protection, and takes the young boy to Katasuke Tono of the Scientific Ninja Weapons Team to get a major upgrade!

Unfortunately for Naruto and Co., Katasuke confesses that the technology Kara uses to enhance its fighters with Scientific Ninja Tools as much more advanced than what Konohagakure technology is currently capable of. The most Katasuke can do is outfit Kawaki with the type of high-performing prosthetic hand that the Scientific Ninja Weapons Team makes - and even that feat comes with some serious hurdles.

Time is the major factor: It will take too long for Katasuke to produce the kind of high-grade prosthetic that he once gave to Naruto, and using one of Naruto's replacement hands for Kawaki is impossible, as the prosthetics are coded to only respond to an individual user's chakra. In other words: only Naruto can use Naruto's hand, and no other models are readily available.

Boruto is already on to teasing Kawaki about being handless for awhile, when Naruto makes a big twist move: he has Katasuke fit Kawaki with one of Naruto's prototype hands, and then donates a portion of his own chakra to make the hand work for Kawaki!

On the surface, the gesture seems like an immensely benevolent one. However, not all is what it seems when it comes to Naruto's intentions. The Hokage doesn't just give Kawaki a shot of chakra: operating Kawaki's new hand requires Naruto to constantly be feeding the young boy chakra. That means Kawaki needs to remain in close proximity to Naurto to be able to use the hand, and has to do without it whenever the Hokage is asleep.

At first, that doesn't seem like much of a limit: a montage shows Kawaki getting deeper into life in Konohagakure, helping out in the Uzumaki house; getting to know Boruto and his crew of friends; and even learning ninjutsu from Naruto. It's only one night, when Kawaki wants to sneak out on a sleeping Naruto that he finally learns about the kind of leash he's really on: as soon as he goes too far, Nine Tails manifests from Naruto's sleeping body and orders Kawaki to stay put!

How Kawaki will react to being hostage again (even one treated as well as he has been) will be interesting to see.

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations which 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.

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