Boruto Changes the Status Quo with a Major Nerfing

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations' anime might have finally ventured into the long-awaited "Vessel Arc", but the manga currently written by series creator Masashi Kishimoto is far ahead of it, giving us events that have changed the world of Konoha forever and brought the power levels of several characters to a much lower rung. With the latest chapter exploring the new landscape that was brought about thanks in part to the major battle against Kara's leader Jigen and the return of a nefarious member of the Otsutsuki that has been lying in wait for just the right opportunity to strike.

Warning. If you have yet to read the latest chapter of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations' manga, Chapter 55, you might want to steer clear of the rest of this article as we'll be diving into some major spoiler territory.

So which characters ended up being "nerfed" in the recent chapters of the manga? Sasuke for one lost his ability to access the power of the Rinnegan, thanks in part to a well-placed kunai that was stabbed through his eye by a Boruto controlled by the villain Momoshiki. On top of this, Konoha lost a major asset when Kurama, the nine-tailed fox that has been a part of the series since its very beginnings, was killed as a result of the Seventh Hokage discovering a new transformation that used all of the kyubi's energy in the process. Without either the nine-tailed fox or the Rinnegan to rely on, it seems as if the old generation will truly be handing off the reins of the franchise to the new ninja of Konoha.

Recent chapters saw Masashi Kishimoto, the creator of the Shonen franchise, return to the role of writer, clearly wanting to be the one who put the all-powerful fox to bed. With Kishimoto clearly not pulling any punches, it will definitely be interesting to see what other big changes that the writer might be putting into place as the battle against the Otsutsuki continues. Though Naruto and Sasuke might be "nerfed", that doesn't mean they are no longer able to fight, but it does mean that their future battles will be that much more nail-biting without the power that they once had.

What do you think of Naruto and Sasuke losing some of the biggest aces up their sleeves? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of the Hidden Leaf Village.