When fans learned the Boruto anime would be adding a filler known as the Time Slip arc, many were excited even though it raised a lot of potential questions. This filler arc opened the door for Boruto to be connected with his father, Naruto, as a child back in Konoha. Admittedly, this did have some folks worried about time paradoxes and the potential consequences, if any, that would spread if this narrative took place.
For all its mysticism and fantasy twists and turns, time-travel was never a big part of the world that creator, Masashi Kishimoto, dealt with. Time-travel as narrative device has the risk of opening many plot-holes and, if not explored properly, could lead to more questions than answers. Thankfully, the Time Slip arc was handled carefully, shaping one of the most endearing stories in the Boruto era.
How Did Sasuke & Boruto Go Back in Time?
Sasuke & Boruto Had to Foil Urashiki's Sinister Plan
The Time Slip arc focused on Sasuke and Boruto trying to discern Urashiki Ōtsutsuki's next attack. Urashiki had already weakened Sasuke by using his fishing rod to steal some of the Uchiha's chakra and jutsu techniques. As a result, Konoha came under a strict lockdown. Everyone thought Urashiki was sneaking in to complete his main ambition: draining an adult Naruto of his Nine Tails Demon Fox chakra.
However, Naruto was a mere distraction. Urashiki had a new plan. He learned Konoha extracted an Ōtsutsuki relic from the ocean. This was a robotic turtle named Karasuki. It allowed temporal transfers, which would enable Urashiki to go back in time, assault a young Naruto right after Sasuke had left Konoha, and drain Kurama from the weak, vulnerable child. By doing this, he would avoid having to face an adult and fully empowered Naruto.
Sasuke and Boruto intercepted the fiend, which botched the transfer. Instead, they got thrown back through a portal to Konoha days long before Urashiki was meant to arrive. Boruto kept the turtle with him. The creature did give both Sasuke and Boruto a warning to not to meddle with the past or else they would affect the future. That would be easier said than done considering their inteded goal: they needed to protect Naruto.
Who Did Sasuke & Boruto Team Up With In Konoha's Past?
Sasuke & Boruto Forged a New Secret Squad to Fight Urashiki
Sasuke and Boruto pretended to be carnival performers passing through. They couldn't help but interact with several people. In time, they told Jiraiya the Gallant that they were spies from another village. They were there to stop Urashiki and ensure he didn't go on draining other Jinchūriki of their Bijuu, the legendary Tailed Beasts. It was smart of Sasuke to use this cover story, as he knew Jiraiya was already searching for the Akatsuki — the terrorist cell that had a similar mission back then of hunting vessels like Naruto.
Jiraiya was very intuitive, however, and sensed they were from the future. He knew he needed help, though, so he trained Boruto and Naruto to be a two-man cell. It remixed what Kakashi did when Team 7 had Sasuke around to work with Sarada and Naruto. Jiraiya's main goal, after seeing Boruto using the Rasengan during one Urashiki raid, was to get both blonde-haired, blue-eyed boys to use the Combined Rasengan.
This conplex technique involved both Naruto and Boruto synchronizing their chakra. Jiraiya noticed that Naruto's Nine Tails chakra leaked out and synced with Boruto's when Naruto got angry in battle. So, as a master tactician, he could tell the boys had the potential to make this giant bomb. While all this was happening, Sasuke kept scouting around town. He did have to avoid the teenage Sakura, as he didn't want to do anything that could affect their marriage down the line.
How Did Sasuke & Boruto Kill Urashiki?
Sasuke & Boruto Needed Help to Fend Off The Ōtsutsuki Operative
Eventually, the heroes turned the tables on Urashiki when the alien ambushed them in the Konoha woods. Jiraiya learned Urashiki's Rinnegan allowed him to teleport around and go back a few seconds in time to avoid future attacks. Jiraiya used this predictive technique to his advantage. He trapped Urashiki inside a toad, where Urashiki jumping back in time meant he spent longer in the toad's belly — one filled with poisonous mists.
Due to the toxicity affecting Urashiki, Boruto and Sasuke now had a leg up on him. Urashiki was slower, allowing the heroes to batter him. The tyrant eventually ate his eyes and turned into his monstrous form. But once Sakura healed up Sasuke on the outskirts, the Konoha-nin was able to launch a four-pronged attack. Naruto and Boruto used their Giant Rasengan, Jiraiya deployed his powerful Rasengan, and Sasuke used his Kirin lightning storm to fry the enemy.
This entire fight sequence remains one of the Boruto anime's best moments. It allowed Sasuke to team-up with Naruto's teacher and understand that, while the Ero Sennin was about fun and games, he was a brilliant strategist. As for Boruto, he had to work hard to perfect his move, finally understanding how powerful, diligent and determined the would-be Hokage was as a teenager. All that said, Boruto and Sasuke still needed to get home.
How Did Sasuke & Boruto Get Back Home?
Sasuke & Boruto Were Reminded Of Love, Family & Unity
Karasuki awakened, recharged by the residual energy picked up when Naruto's Kurama form emerged. While Boruto was able to talk Naruto out of Hulking out, there was still a ton of chakra around, allowing Karasuki to go into time-travel mode again. Jiraiya allowed Sasuke to mind-wipe him and Naruto, so the future wouldn't be harmed. This detail closing off any issues relating to the crossing of paths and properly closing the time loop.
Sasuke had already done so to other people in Konoha, which meant they could go home and not worry about any butterfly effects. Karasuki took them back through the rift, but while the device had enough juice for another time-trip, Boruto and Sasuke just wanted him to make his own way in the world. It was a sentimental scene of freedom, reiterating how selfless Sasuke and Boruto are. It also showed that neither of them wanted to meddle with forces beyond their human comprehension.
To add to that, Boruto and Sasuke had loved ones they missed and needed to get back to. Sasuke went home to spend time with Sakura, letting her know how much he appreciated her. This act stemmed from an earlier moment when Young Sakura found a note on him that made her question the identity of the Sakura and Sarada in the note. Jiraiya helped him cover up that story, but it impressed on the Uchiha Ranger a lot. He recalled how much Sakura loved him, even when he turned rogue.
She wanted him to come back to the Hidden Leaf as much as Naruto did. Sasuke gave his full report to a grateful Naruto, who was still in awe of how no one could remember this mission. A clear consequence of the mind wipe that Sasuke had to do before him and Boruto returned to their time. It added to their brotherhood, as Sasuke was also quite thankful to hear young Naruto speak about how he would never give up on redeeming Sasuke back then in the Shippuden era.
Last but not least, Boruto grew appreciative of meeting his parents. He saw how kind Hinata was and even spent time learning about the Hyūga clan from Neji. This taught him about duty, legacy and tradition. Heritage aside, Boruto brought some ramen from the past, too. He had it with his father after they visited Jiraiya's grave. This was his father's favorite meal — one Young Naruto offered him when he housed Boruto for a bit and showed his genuine side.
In these moments, Boruto understood the tough upbringing Naruto had as an orphan, the role Jiraiya played, and why Naruto missed Jiraiya so much. This bit of closure and resolution continued the series' theme of fatherhood. Now, Boruto had clarity on Naruto spending so much time in the Hokage office. Keeping Konoha safe required great sacrifice, which led to Boruto giving his father a break. Ultimately, Boruto showed the compassion and empathy he now knew his father needed and earned.
