Did 'Boruto' Just Kill SPOILER?

This week, Boruto episode 55 brought us one step closer to the Chunin Exams, as Boruto struggled with he decision of whether to use Katasuke's Scientific Ninja Tool to enhance his jutsu skills past their current level. However, while all that adolescent angst is going on, a much larger threat is gathering in the form of Kinshiki and Momoshiki Otsutsuki, as well as their mysterious companion -- who all finally arrived on Earth, with a nefarious mission to accomplish!

The three Otsutsuki come to earth looking for scattered remnants of Kaguya Otsutsuki's chakra, and the biggest source of it they immediately sense are the Tailed beasts, and the jinchüriki that they are bonded to. Needless to say, Naruto now has a big target on his back, especially after seeing what the Kinshiki and Momoshiki do to one of the fan-favorite characters of the Naruto saga!

Warning: major spoilers for Boruto follow!

The first target the Otsutsuki's attack is Eight-Tails, aka Gyüki, and his jinchüriki, Killer B! While Eight-Tails is formidable, and B's rap flow is stronger than ever, the pair immediately find themselves outmatched and at the mercy of these strange and powerful new opponents. In just three swift attacks, Momoshiki incapacitates a fully-manifested Gyüki, redirects the monster's most powerful blast, and reduces him into a three balls of pure chakra, with Killer B seemingly absorbed along with the beast.

In other words, Naruto fans: It looks like Killer B might be dead and gone! But is all what it seems?

Fans who watched the original Boruto: Naruto The Movie know that Killer B doesn't end up dead at all. B is actually torn from Gyüki by Momoshiki in the movie and tossed into the river to die. However, Gyüki turns out not to be completely gone, and helps Killer B swim to the surface and survive.

The anime clearly treats this scene much differently, as we never see Killer B again after a scene from inside Eight-Tails, where he raps that "victory looks fleeting." After Gyüki is hit by his own massive blast, the beast looks somewhat like a hollowed shell, just before Momoshiki converts him into chakra. That, and the fact that Momoshiki notes how unexpectedly small his chakra harvest is, leaves plenty of room for some ninja trickery!

It would be an easy dramatic spin, one tailored for the longer, episodic format of an anime, as opposed to a movie. It could be another episode or so, but it wouldn't be surprising if B slipped out of beast mode at the last second, taking the core chakra of Gyüki along with him. What Momoshiki absorbed is revealed to be a husk, while Killer B and Gyüki hide in the river.

That's more than just our speculation; it's our wishful thinking as fans! Killer B has been a favorite of the Naruto saga, and it would suck to lose him this way, for good.

Do you think Killer B is gone for good? Or will the Boruto anime follow the movie? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Boruto airs new episodes Wednesdays on Funimation and Hulu.