Boruto: Two Blue Vortex May Have Subtly Confirmed [Spoiler]'s Return (2024)

The following contains spoilers for Boruto: Two Blue Vortex by Masashi Kishimoto, Mikio Ikemoto, Mari Morimoto, and Snir Aharon.

As Boruto: Two Blue Vortex continues, Naruto's son has surprised many fans, but not in a good way. Boruto Uzumaki has been cutting a dark figure, leaving readers wondering what happened to the doe-eyed teen from just three years ago. Admittedly, Two Blue Vortex hasn't shown much of what happened in the time-jump, apart from what's going on in the present day: Code invading Konoha, and Boruto battering him.

It does feel like Sasuke Uchiha's mentorship may have changed Boruto into a cold and unforgiving character. Boruto even turned into someone who indulged in using torture to find the location of the Ten Tails Beast. As Naruto loyalists try to figure out what's up with Boruto, Two Blue Vortex Chapter 3 may have dropped a bombshell regarding another teacher he might have secretly had. This would definitely be someone who would explain why he's so robotic and bloodthirsty.

Boruto's Toad Assist Nods to Naruto's Jiraiya

When Boruto stunned Code in the Hidden Leaf with his new Rasengan, Kawaki interjected. Kawaki wanted to punish Code himself. However, his priority was murdering Naruto to ensure Momoshiki can't ever be reborn in the Uzumaki progeny. As Boruto and Kawaki bickered, Code escaped using the teleporting band on one of his Claw Grime soldiers. But when Code got back to his lair, the manga confirmed Boruto placed a tracker on him in the shape of a toad.

Boruto also has one in his cloak telling him what the tracker attached to Code was seeing. The Code-toad relays information regarding Code's lair and the Ten Tails stored away there. This was a massive development, because this meant that Boruto has been following in someone's big footsteps. Naruto began using toads when he started harnessing his Sage Mode in Mount Myōboku. These beings were able to transform into giants to help Konoha's shinobi in battle. Years prior, Naruto's father, Minato, summoned Gamabunta and Gerotora to fight the Nine Tails Demon Fox the night he had to seal Kurama in his son.

Naruto used Gamakichi when the Kaguya and Akatsuki Wars rolled around, while an older Konohamaru summoned Gamagorō for tutorials. These toads even helped ninjas channel their chakra, affirming the Mount's mystical divinity was something the Hidden Leaf couldn't do without. However, seeing as Naruto's been trapped in a hidden dimension with Hinata by Kawaki and everyone else is currently brainwashed, there's only one person who could help Boruto tap into this power: Jiraiya's clone, Koji Kashin.

Boruto's Toad Assist Suggests Kashin Koji Is Now an Ally

Jiraiya was the ninja who had the deepest connection to the supernatural toads. Apart from Gamabunta, he used the bickering married couple, Shima and f*ckasaku, against Pain. The latter two were used similarly to Boruto's style. This involved stealth and reconnaissance to help Jiraiya find Pain's lair. Unfortunately, Jiraiya died during the mission. Naruto later learned that his mentor was respected the same way by these toads as they did the Sage of the Six Paths. This inspired Naruto to craft a better bond with the toads, which led to them eventually seeing him as the Chosen One.

However, Koji wasn't as virtuous as Jiraiya. Well, not yet anyway. His role in the Boruto era has been filled with many questions. He initially came off as a Kara operative, helping Isshiki Ōtsutsuki create vessels like Kawaki. But he quickly betrayed the alien. They engaged in a brutal brawl where the revelation was made about Koji being a Jiraiya copy. As of this writing, no history was provided as to who made Koji, why he was chosen, and why he oversaw many deaths in Kara when he infiltrated the group. In addition, no one knew why he took so long to try to stop his boss, or why he never informed and partnered with anyone in Konoha.

Frustrations reached a fever pitch when Koji just dropped out the plot after the Isshiki fight didn't go his way. Koji didn't even come back into the frame after Naruto, Boruto, and Sasuke took Isshiki out. It does feel a bit forced that all the arrows and clues are suddenly pointing to Koji. Make no mistake, the evidence that proves that Koji trained Boruto is undeniable. Koji already used a toad to burn Konohamaru up with the True Fire of Samadhi. He also deployed a toad to escape Isshiki's lair. Most importantly, Koji had a toad spying in on Naruto's house in the past, confirming he knew all of Jiraiya's techniques. Now, Boruto using a toad in the same way suggests he and Koji crossed paths and began working together.

Boruto's Kashin Koji May Lead to Divisive Results

This direction gives Koji purpose. He can truly seek redemption and become the leader Jiraiya never could be, should the toad link turn out to be true. Given Koji was just as cutthroat as the younger version of Sasuke, though, it might explain why Boruto became so jarringly nihilistic and cruel. This has been Koji's nature, especially after deeming Konoha-nin as pawns in his long con against Isshiki. Whether it was intentional or not, Koji's cynical nature may have left an impression on Boruto.

Given Sasuke's fate has yet to be shown, some think maybe Code killed him or put him out of commission. With the Claw Grime turning people into trees and Sasuke having a knack for roaming, it's a distinct possibility. It's also possible that both Sasuke and Koji collaborated on refining Boruto into their vision of a perfect ninja. That said, Koji being the lone teacher feels like it holds more weight because Sasuke erased and overcame his old mentality where he felt killing was the only solution. As Sasuke grew older, he wanted to find other nonfatal means of defeating his enemies, illustrating tremendous growth. Therefore, it'd feel regressive to walk this evolution back.

Koji, on the other hand, only knows how to deliver results via death. If he's really educating Boruto, one has to wonder if he helped Boruto tap into Sage Mode as this would be something that would give Boruto access to an enormous chakra reservoir just like his father. Such an approach would create the inverse dynamic to Jiraiya and Naruto. Jiraiya taught Naruto to be responsible with his power and leave murder as a last resort. It's easy to envision Koji preaching that desperate times called for desperate measures, and that no mercy must be shown. If this were the case, it would make for a haunting arc, explaining why Boruto's humanity was being negatively affected in a way Naruto and Jiraiya wouldn't want.

Boruto: Two Blue Vortex is now available in English from Viz Media.

Boruto

TV-14

Son of Naruto Uzumaki, Boruto, follows his father's footsteps along with his friends to become great ninja. Throughout all their adventures, Boruto is determined to make his mark in the ninja world and live outside of his father's shadow.

Release Date

April 5, 2017

Main Genre

Anime

Seasons

26

Studio

Pierrot

Franchise

Naruto

Writers

Masashi Kishimoto

Number of Episodes

297