‘Boruto’ Animator Previews An Upcoming ‘Naruto’ Tie-In

Next month, Boruto‘s anime will hit a big milestone. The series will celebrate its first anniversary after it debuted back in April 2017, and the franchise will welcome the event with a bang. After a long wait, the anime is slated to get into the ‘Chunin Exam’ arc, and one animator just previewed a big moment from the story.

So, obviously, spoilers below!

If you head to Twitter, you can see Cheng Xi Huang has been plenty busy. The animator, who is known for his work on Naruto and Boruto, posted a new preview for fans. As you can see below, the black-and-white sketch highlights Boruto’s attempts to learn a new jutsu, and the attack should look familiar to any Naruto fan.

The sketch shows Boruto in his usual ninja wear as he tries to conjure his dad’s signature move. With a very determined expression, the ninja desperately wants to get his Rasengan right, and Boruto manages to get the form going. The attack is pretty little here, but fans know they shouldn’t judge a Rasengan by its size. The high-ranked jutsu is a very hard one to master, and its creation by the Fourth Hokage only furthers its reputation as a dangerous attack.

“Focus,” Huang captioned the sketch, nodding to Boruto’s intense face. “Be patience!! [sic] No distraction.”

Fans of Naruto are not surprised to see Boruto whipping out the Rasengan even though newcomers may be a bit confused. If you have not seen Boruto: Naruto the Movie, then you would have no idea Boruto learns his father’s go-to move. The film sees Boruto tackle the heralded move from Sasuke shortly before the Chunin Exams begin. Boruto tells the Uchiha he wants to beat his father, and Sasuke offers to train the boy if he can learn the Rasengan. At first, Boruto thinks he is unable to use the move because his attack is so small, but that is not the case. The Rasengan that Boruto creates shrinks in size and turns invisible before it lands, giving the attack an added element of stealth. So, you can see why fans are excited for the anime to introduce this long-awaited attack after its big film debut.

If you’re not familiar with Naruto, here is a brief rundown: The series follows its titular hero named Uzumaki Naruto as the ninja strives to become his village’s most powerful fighter. After being orphaned at birth, the hero became his hometown’s pariah as a powerful demon was sealed into him. Naruto is determined to prove he isn’t a dead-last, so he decides he will become the Hokage of the Leaf Village to make others acknowledge him. However, the boy’s dream is not an easy one to reach as political corruption, extremist organizations, and supernatural plots threaten the entire ninja world.

Are you excited to see Boruto learn this jutsu? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics, k-pop, and anime!