Boruto: Naruto Next Generations caught fans eyes when it began with an older Boruto fighting against the mysterious Kawaki in a destroyed Hidden Leaf Village, and the manga has begun filling in the blanks of this moment little by little.
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After exploring the connection between his and Boruto’s Karma marks, the latest chapter of the series makes a startling reveal about Kawaki. He does not know how to use chakra, nor can he even use it.
As Boruto and his father grow closer in the manga with the two of them beginning a friendly sparring match in the latest chapter, Kawaki reflects on his own training. It was abusive, cold, and he was constantly told that he was given the Karma power because he has nothing else. No family, no power, or no ability to speak of. He was told that he was worthless without Karma.
This reflects how much that the abuse has stunted his growth as Naruto asks Kawaki if he would like to begin Ninjutsu training as well. Kawaki mentions that it looked like fun when Naruto and Boruto sparred, but because he’s not a ninja he can’t “wield chakra or whatever [Naruto] called it.”
Naruto tries to ease Kawaki’s worry by explaining that chakra isn’t wielded exclusively by ninja and is merely a binding force that they tap into for their abilities. So not all hope is lost for Kawaki, and it’s most likely only a matter of time before he realizes he can use chakra as well. It’s also an interesting look into how the Karma power works as well. When Boruto uses it earlier in the chapter, Kawaki mentions that it boosts their strength and speed. But because Kawaki does not use chakra, then there might be an even bigger boost to their abilities that he himself is unaware of.
He chooses to work with Boruto and Naruto in order to find out more about their Karma to get rid of the marks, and figuring out what the ability does to their chakra will go a long way toward making a dent in that goal.
Originally created by Masashi Kishimoto, Naruto ran in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump for 700 chapters. The story follows a young ninja, with a sealed demon within him, that wishes to become the leader of his home village. The sequel, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations 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.