As Boruto: Two Blue Vortex continues, fans have gotten insight into how Naruto's son has evolved in the time-skip. He has leveled up in the three-year gap, activating his Sage Mode and even working with a summoning toad.
It's due to him collaborating with Kashin Koji — the Jiraiya clone. This inverts the training Naruto went through with the Ero Sennin in the Naruto Shippuden era. Interestingly, as Chapter 9 unfolds, Boruto showcases more of his power, garnering a big win against a long-time enemy. However, there is a massive issue that could have dire repercussions.
Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Has Boruto Beating Up Kawaki
Naruto's Son Doesn't Break A Sweat
Chapter 9 finds Jūra and Hidari (the Sentient God Trees) attacking Konoha. They have come for Kurama's chakra signature, which endangers Himawari. Kashin Koji lets Boruto know trouble is brewing, leading to Boruto flying out of their base. When Boruto touches down in Konoha, though, Kawaki senses him. Kawaki heads for a rooftop fight, making it clear that while the God Trees are present, his main focus will be Boruto.
Boruto thinks it's quite immature and petty. The true leader of Konoha should be protecting innocent civilians. Boruto dismisses an advancing Kawaki. He avoids the daggers Kawaki shoots out via the Sukunahikona and Daikokuten techniques. It's like Neo from The Matrix. Boruto dodges them with consummate ease, and in style. He isn't panicked at all, as opposed to Kawaki, who is frantic, angry and as emotional as ever.
Boruto levels him with a shoulder charge and a fist. He sends Kawaki flying to the floor. Kawaki is left stunned over how a simple tackle could take so much out of him. Even the robot, Delta, is petrified as she protects Kawaki. Boruto balks, asking if Kawaki has been training in the years that passed. Delta retorts that maybe Boruto has been over-training. This goes to show Boruto's dedication to his craft, how important Kashin Koji has been, and that Kawaki has underestimated Naruto's progeny.
Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Creates a Karma Mark Problem
Boruto's Karma Is Malfunctioning In a Horrific Way
Kawaki decides to activate his Karma mark in retaliation. This would allow him to absorb Boruto's attacks, boost his own fire blasts, and augment his body even more. He used it to kill the likes of Garou in the past. But when his mark comes alive, Boruto's Karma mark resonates, too. The problem is, while Kawaki has control, Boruto doesn't. Boruto's toad warns him they need to flee because there will be chaos if the mark backfires.
It's vague as to what the toad means. But Boruto flies away. This is the first sign of weakness and fear that he has displayed in Two Blue Vortex. Remember, these marks are what were placed on the teenage boys by Ōtsutsuki warriors to make them vessels. Luckily, Isshiki was killed, freeing up Kawaki as a host. But Momoshiki kept activating the mark and possessing Boruto. When Kawaki killed Boruto, Momoshiki's essence repaired the kid but faded. This development has fans wondering if Momoshiki's spirit is back and if activating the mark gives the alien control of Boruto once more.
Either way, it's bad news. Boruto doesn't have Amado and Konoha's science team to tend to him. Plus, it doesn't look like Kashin Koji and the toad legion have a clue what to do. One can only hope Boruto figures a way out because the Hidden Leaf is in dire straits. Not to mention, the God Trees have more targets to devour besides Himawari. Simply put, with no Naruto or Sasuke around, Boruto needs the Karma power to fight off these villains. Code and Kawaki will be lurking too, so Boruto has to get a handle on things quickly.
Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Could Expand On the Ōtsutsuki Mythos
Boruto's Karma Needs to Be Fully Investigated
If Boruto's Karma does transform him into a rampaging Hulk or a Momoshiki copy who has always wanted to destroy Konoha, that could explain the scene the franchise started on. An older Kawaki and Boruto were found fighting each other. Kawaki warned the "age of shinobi" was over, while using his Karma. Boruto disputed this, activating his own mark, as well as his Jōgan eye. It may well be that prior to this brawl, Boruto could have decimated the place, whether fighting Kawaki, or if he lost control of his body.
The interesting thing is, with Boruto's mark being so risky, the franchise could now properly dedicate time to dissecting his Jōgan -- i.e. the eye Kawaki took from Boruto. This unique ocular jutsu initially popped up at the start of the Boruto series, allowing him to spot chakra patterns in people. It is a dōjutsu that is known only by the Ōtsutsuki Clan. Their members claim it's troublesome. It can see through invisible barriers that connect between dimensions and allow users to predict where other rifts will be.
This "pure eye" — which acts as a replacement eye — may be the key to calming the Karma down, allowing Boruto to harness it the right way. Without a shadow of a doubt, he does need something to ensure his mark doesn't lead to bloodshed. Boruto wouldn't have run from a fight if it wasn't bad. If this Karma is a ticking time bomb, the franchise could even have Boruto exploring Konoha's outskirts and other dimensions to find Ōtsutsuki temples, tablets, scrolls, prophecies and anything that can help.
There is just so much left unknown about the Ōtsutsuki race and their science, which was seen with Toneri on the moon. Such an approach would freshen up the narrative, give fans more of the Ōtsutsuki background, and explain other hidden secrets about these Karma marks. It would feel organic as well, because like Kurama in Naruto, Boruto knows with great power comes great responsibility. He cannot afford to go off the rails and endanger his loved ones. It could harm Konoha and other villages, too.
Ultimately, Boruto's Karma possibly leading to mass casualties and collateral damage would continue to show that Boruto's flaws and vulnerabilities are just as much mental as they are physical. It's evident in how easily he drugs Kawaki, yet how scared he is over his Karma. This is going to be an intriguing mystery to keep an eye on for the foreseeable future. Boruto knows he has numbers against him and that he needs to be fit for the wars to come. But with the immense pain this mark offers him, it could be a handicap that gives the villains of the story an upper-hand.
