Boruto: Naruto Next Generations manga chapter 45 continues to build on the massive reveals of chapter 43, and 44, by further divulging what the true connection is between new villain organization Kara, and classic Naruto big bads, the Otsutsuki Clan. In “Defection”, Kara’s chief scientist Amado comes to Naruto and reveals that Kara’s true purpose is to secure a proper vessel for the soul of the Otsutsuki that’s currently possessing their leader, Jigen. Amado also seemingly confirms that Boruto and Kawaki’s Karma seals are indeed methods by which the Otstusuki achieve resurrection. With those reveals now on the table, everything we knew about Boruto and Kawaki’s battle in Boruto‘s opening flash-forward has now been changed!
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Warning, Boruto Manga SPOILERS Follow!
Back in manga chapter 43, Boruto and his Team 7 squad (plus Kawaki) are stranded in another dimension trying to save Naruto from imprisonment by Jigen, leader of the mysterious Kara organization. They were ambushed by Boro, Kara’s nightmarish enforcer. Even though Team 7 discerns Boro’s weakness is the power core for his Scientific Ninja Tool cybernetics, destroying to module just turns Boro into an Akira-type monster who goes on an even more violent rampage. Team 7 is quickly beaten down and nearly to death – until Momoshiki’s essence manifests in Boruto. It’s shown that Momoshiki can seamlessly take over Boruto’s consciousness and access his various jutsu techniques – even displaying advanced power like using Karma to “borrow” some powerful chakra form an unconscious Naruto. When Momoshiki is done annihilating Boro, his essence fades away from Boruto leaving the boy with no memory he was possessed.
So why is this development so significant for Boruto? Aside from the obvious developments this Boruto/Momoshiki union sets up for the near future of the manga, it also forces us to question the entire opening scene of the series.
For years now, Boruto fans have been speculating about the series of events that lead to Teenage Boruto having a serious battle with a teenage Kawaki, over what looks like the ruins of Konohagakure. A lot of that speculation revolved around notions like the Naruto / Sasuke rivalry playing out in a new generation, or Kawaki bringing some threat the Shinobi world had never faced. However, after the latest Boruto chapter, it’s become clear that we may never have had any idea at all what this scene was truly depicting.
Both Bortuo and Kawaki are intended vessels for the Otsutsuki; Boruto is hosting Momoshiki, while Kawaki is intended to house the essence of Isshiki Otsutsuki, the previously un evealed partner of Kaguya Otsutsuki. In that sense, the duel between Boruto and Kawaki may not actually be Boruto and Kawaki, at all. We could be looking at a battle with the Otsutsuki that could take any number of forms:
- Momoshiki and Isshiki settling some Otsutsuki grudge using Boruto and Kawaki’s bodies.
- Boruto battling the Otsutsuki possessing Kawaki (presumably Isshiki).
- Kawaki battling a possessed Boruto (presumably Momoshiki).
At this point, the only thing that seems far-fetched (and boring) is the idea of Bortuo and Kawaki actually battling it out as Boruto and Kawaki. However, consider Momoshiki’s words to Boruto before returning his body:
“No, no, not yet… my dear blue-eyed boy. It’s still a ways that you’ll lose it all…”
That foreshadow seems to pretty clearly hint that “Teenage Boruto” may not be what he initially seemed...
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.
