Boruto Meets Neji in Emotional Time-Travel Episode

Boruto isn’t a series fans consider to be overly emotional, but the series does have its moments. Years ago, Naruto had fans tearing up every other episode with its touching reveals, and its sequel is trying to do the same. These days, Boruto is tapping into its emotional core with a time-travel arc, and its first big episode saw Boruto meet someone he never expected.

Recently, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations put out a new episode, and it was there fans saw Boruto explore his hometown of the past. The ninja travel back in time with Sasuke to protect Naruto from a rogue Otsutsuki, and he’s stuck close to his dad ever since. And as you can imagine, it did not take long for Boruto to come face-to-face with his uncle.

Yes, that is right. Boruto has met his Uncle Neji, and their encounter was emotional if not a bit short.

As you can see above, the clip where Boruto meets Neji is brief. It takes place shortly after Naruto and Sakura get into a scuffle which Neji stumbles upon. Boruto is rather shocked to see his uncle as he’s never met the man, but Neji has little time to waste.

As brusque as always, Neji asks for Boruto’s name without even caring to learn it. Boruto cannot get in a word before he gets dismissed, but the hero doesn’t seem phased. Fans are guessing Boruto and Neji will have more time to chat in a later episode, but this introduction was emotional enough as is.

After all, Boruto was never able to meet Neji in his own time. Fans will know Neji died in the Fourth Great Ninja War in a bid to save Naruto. The death was a great motivator for Naruto who vowed his friend’s sacrifice would not be in vain. Now, Boruto is getting a once-in-a-life chance to meet his uncle, and fans are hoping the boy doesn’t waste it.

Did this moment get you feeling emotional? 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 for Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump in 1999, Naruto follows a young ninja, with a sealed demon within him, that wishes to become the leader of his home village. The series ran for 700 chapters overall, and was adapted into an anime series by Studio Pierrot and Aniplex that ran from 2002 to 2017. The series was popular enough to warrant a sequel, 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.