Boruto: Naruto Next Generations has kicked the battle against Kara into high gear as Jigen’s victory over Naruto and Sasuke has left Sasuke completely out of commission and Naruto trapped within a strange coffin. The new Team 7 of Boruto, Sarada, Mitsuki, and Kawaki have headed to Jigen’s dimension in order to save Naruto, but it’s here they came face to face with the dangerous Boro who uses techniques that even Karma isn’t helping against. Despite earlier chapters building up Karma’s power to dark new levels, the latest chapter proves that it isn’t invincible.
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Chapter 41 sees Boruto and the others pinned down by Boro’s strange black mist jutsu, and they’re trying to figure out why that Karma can’t absorb this jutsu despite it being able to absorb everything else. With this it’s revealed Karma doesn’t work on physical matter — and can’t be used as a end all, be all against all types of jutsu.
Kawaki explains that Karma can’t absorb physical jutsu, and can only absorb energy matter. Elaborating further, he gives the example that Karma can be used to absorb a water jutsu that is created by chakra. But a jutsu that manipulates already existing, physical water can’t. So while Karma gives Boruto and Kawaki all kinds of strength and speed boosts, it has its limits. This is how Kawaki and the others figure out that Boro is using a physical jutsu rather than just creating a strange black mist, and soon figure out how to counteract it.
The Karma seal has been a strange addition to Boruto’s repertoire ever since it was introduced. Following his battle with Momoshiki, it was confirmed that Boruto and Kawaki are currently being groomed to be vessels for the Otsutsuki Clan thanks to the power of the Karma seals. But while it’s dangerous to grow in this power, it’s also helped Boruto and Kawaki out of some major jams. It may have its limits, but the fact it absorbs chakra in the first place is still going to be a huge help.
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.
