After 3 Years, Naruto Finally Has a Path To Returning (And It’s for the Worst Reason Imaginable)

Warning: Spoilers Ahead for Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Chapter #32!

January 2023's release of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations chapter #77 made the bold move of sealing its franchise's poster boy, Naruto Uzumaki, in an inescapable prison. Kept in Kawaki's Daikokuten, Naruto and his wife, Hinata, are helplessly trapped in its dimension where time doesn't flow. But Boruto: Two Blue Vortex just put their jailer in a tough spot.

Kawaki recently joined Boruto's mission to lure out and destroy Mamushi, the Human Divine Tree seeking to capture and absorb Eida. However, in recent developments, not only are the efforts backfiring, but Boruto's allies are either draining their energy and losing the battle, or in Kawaki's case, being outright subdued and possibly captured, hinting at a troubling future for Boruto.

Boruto's Latest Chapter Sets Up Possible Naruto Escape Scenario

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations set up Naruto's imprisonment as only being willingly undone by Kawaki once he eliminates the Ōtsutsuki. However, in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex chapter #32, Kawaki is shown having drained his chakra, his Kāma state not being enough to hold back Mamushi's multiplying hordes. He's even shown being pinned down by the Divine Tree.

Kawaki is the only known character able to go to his Daikokuten, immune to its time-freezing properties, and retrieve Naruto and Hinata from its prison. Being captured by an ally of Jura is bad news as Jura, the Ten-Tails' direct incarnation, sees Naruto as the person he must devour to gain enlightenment as of chapter #5.

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What that means for now is entirely hypothetical, but if Mamushi successfully captures Kawaki, it'd mean Kawaki could be interrogated or coerced into releasing Naruto for Jura to devour. This seems an uncertain possibility for now, especially as Mamushi's clone forces are ballooning to an unsustainable 1,000+ legion, so Kawaki could still escape.

Naruto's Return Is Better Late Than at Jura's Behest

Koji Kashin spelled out the darkest futures possible in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex chapter #13, describing many futures in which Jura kills Boruto, devours Kawaki, and kills the planet. Being a shonen manga, it's still safe to bet that Boruto and Kawaki, the principal stars of the sequel manga, are protected by plot armor.

But Jura knows that, before devouring Kawaki, he must free Naruto and devour him first. Right now, Naruto and Sasuke are not exactly as protected by the plot as the original Naruto manga, and it seems at least possible that Two Blue Vortex is setting the Divine Trees up to capture Kawaki and at least try to force him to release Naruto.

In this sense, Kawaki willingly returns Naruto only after defeating the Ōtsutsuki threat, meaning settling his score with Boruto (however that happens) is the best-case scenario for his world and Naruto fans. It was always his intent, but until Boruto: Two Blue Vortex chapter #33 explores whether Kawaki and Boruto can escape the clutches of a deeply deranged, out-of-control Mamushi.

However, as always, Koji's silence in the face of these events is striking. Despite Inojin reporting in over 1,000 clones with alarmingly more on the way, Koji is likely aware of this from his Prescience ability.

Mamushi's hordes are at an uncontrollable level now, and were already subject to Daemon's deadly shinjutsu at 1/5 of their current numbers. Things don't look good for Kawaki. Sarada's Mangekyō Sharingan has drained her. Boruto and his allies are catastrophically outnumbered. But we just have to wait and see next month's chapter, and whether Kawaki escapes.

Writer Masashi Kishimoto

Writers Masashi Kishimoto

Penciler(s) Mikio Ikemoto

Inker(s) Mikio Ikemoto

Colorist(s) Mikio Ikemoto

Publisher(s) Viz Media