Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Chapter 23 Review

Cover

What first grabbed my attention about this cover is how oddly similar it is to Boruto's cover last month. We have the same radiating rays, as though both Jura and Boruto are both ethereal celestial bodies surrounded by light. Even the spatters at the bottom and the top of the image are almost the same. You think I'm kidding? Seriously, take a look.

The similarities don't just end at the backgrounds, though. The same hand Boruto has in his pocket is the one Jura has on his hip, both their left arms hanging casually at their sides. Their hair (or "hair," in the case of Jura) is windswept, their jackets/capes caught by a gust of wind. The top of Boruto's torso is exposed, the bottom half of Jura's is as well. While this month's cover is much darker in tone, I feel like the difference in the colors isn't a contrast of light vs dark, but the bright blue light of Boruto's chakra against the verdant green of Jura's arboreal nature.

In the past, I've spoken about the Shinju, Jura in particular, being an analogy for AI, and while I still believe that, these opposing covers present imagery that evokes the age-old struggle of man vs nature—and perhaps it is just that, except Jura's nature is artificial, a mockery of what it means to be alive, which I'll touch on more throughout this chapter review.

The chapter's title—The Strong—can be read in multiple ways. With Jura on the cover, it feels as though it's referring to him, this walking, talking incarnation of a Jubi whose name in kanji means ten demons (but the name Jura as pronounced also means wood or wooden). If we view these cover's as a pair rather than individually (think about how their clothes are blown in opposite directions, which would occur when facing one another), it could be Boruto looking upon his opponent, Jura, and Jura gazing at his opponent, the strong. As we know from where the chapter goes, the strong would not only refer to Boruto, managing to survive so long against an opponent destined to kill him, fighting back and continuing to live despite the beating he receives, but Kawaki as well, appearing with his unleashed powers. Working together, these sons of Naruto are the strong, doing what neither could achieve without the other.

"I do feel like anything is possible... as long as I'm with you." -Boruto to Kawaki, NNG Chapter 55

It's also quite possible that The Strong refers to Kawaki alone, the power he exhibits now that Amado has freed him from his limiters. One of the things I admire about Boruto is that it seems as though he acknowledges Kawaki's strength, setting up this plan so that his bro can show up after they've managed to isolate Jura. But we'll get more into Kawaki's appearance later.

The Strong, the Single, and the Sleeping (Mitsuki, Konohamaru, and Sarada)

The chapter opens with Sage Mode Mitsuki surrounded by fallen Claw Grimes, reminiscent of Boruto demonstrating his kenjutsu to Code in the second chapter. As I predicted on BlueSky, Araya did take Ryu's Thorn Bulb to Shinki's location, as well as Yodo with him. From a narrative perspective, this is excellent, because we'll get to focus on a smaller group of people in the chapters ahead as the Jura/Boruto/Kawaki conflict resolves.

Konohamaru's dynamic with Boruto continues to fascinate me. He's called him a traitor, defended him in battle, slapped a pair of cuffs on him, and now he's obeying his orders. I'm interested in seeing his character trajectory under Omnipotence as the person who crouched down to hold Boruto after Kawaki cut his eye out, stood by his side when Momoshiki took over, but now it's Kawaki he remembers in Boruto's place.

If Boruto won Konohamaru's loyalty by saving his life, he won Mitsuki's by sparing his after their chapter seven battle, along with a free therapy session about self determination. After the loyalty we've seen Mitsuki display to Boruto (helping him escape from detention!), I was surprised he didn't defy orders to go help Boruto. I think it was only Konohamaru's framing, that Boruto has a plan and they need to follow it, that keeps him from doing anything rash.

High-Stakes Game of Tag

Jura is 0-2 in hitting Boruto's vital organs. Perhaps he should spend less time studying aesthetics and more researching anatomy. Learning from his previous error, Jura gives up assaulting Boruto with Biju bombs alone, opting for close-rang attacks instead.

I gotta pause here to say that I have a deep appreciation for camp, which serves me well in TBV because I so often see campy elements creep up in the art, nowhere more so than in the designs and poses of the Shinju. Jura, rocketing up off the ground toward Boruto, looking upward with exaggerated eyelashes, a flowing poncho, feet that look like high heels, and hands in his pockets? Pure camp. The familiarity with the aesthetic and its origins serves me well with Ikemoto's art. There are times when it almost feels like it's too much... but being too much is the entire point.

Boruto's fighting style continues to be highlighted throughout their battle, tossing the kunai past Jura and teleporting to it is both reminiscent of Minato and Sasuke. The trickery he uses seems proclaims that he's a shinobi, through and through, the inheritor of generations of knowledge and skills, using the abilities that are available to him to the upmost extent.

The purpose of this fighting style goes beyond badassery (thought badassery alone should be enough). I noted before that Naruto and Sasuke weren't nerfed for plot purposes. Rather, it was the plot itself that stole their power, the level of the Otsutuki threats that demanded sacrifice, pushing them both to and beyond their limits. With Boruto pulling out all the stops (shinobi style, of course) against Jura, we see that his powers are beyond the limits of what the pinnacle of shinobi can handle. Throughout the fight, we see Boruto clinging to Sasuke's sword, aghast when he loses it. It's not only his weapon, but his connection to his shinobi way. Even facing death, he clings to it.

When Boruto manages to get a hold of his sword again, he strikes, slicing Jura's leg cleanly off between the ankle and knee. This should have given Jura a taste of his own medicine, considering what he did to Code hand, but unlike the pain and surprise we see from Code, Jura is cool as a (sliced) cucumber as the lower half of his leg falls away, congratulating Boruto for doing so.

Twice in this chapter, we were given hint to how non-human the Shinju are, first from Mitsuki who expresses to Konohmaru that Jura valued killing Boruto over saying the lives of his companions, Matsuri and Ryu. The second occurs here, Jura reacting to Boruto slicing off a limb with the same objection a tree might have to being pruned. Between this moment and Kawaki's brutal entrance later, I think we can theorize that the Shinju don't experience physical pain. They do, however, experience emotional pain, a we've seen with both Matsuri and Jura.

Unfortunately for Boruto, wounded and exhausted, he can only hold out for so long until their fight simply becomes the smack down of the century (or of the arc, being that Himawari received a similar beating from Jura 10+ chapters ago). With Boruto weakened, Jura changes tactics again to purely physical attacks, kicking our blond boy's ass. Imagine getting kneed in the chin by the same leg you cut in two only panel earlier. The disrespect is real.

Of note: Jura says to Boruto, "Still breathing? You're tougher than I expected. How very Otsutsuki of you..." It's so interesting that Jura is only a few weeks old, that he carries around a book to write down new things he learns, and yet he seems to have an intrinsic knowledge of the Otsutuski, almost as though it remains from things he knew in his Jubi state. I think we might be in for a lore drop courtesy of him sooner or later.

Scientific Ninja Gossips

Eida one told Code that she doesn't like barbaric fighting. That sentiment returns in this chapter when she tells Koji that she doesn't think she can watch the fight any longer. Koji looks as though he's about to get committed to a mental health facility or have his picture taken to be slapped on the liner notes for a mid-90s grunge band, but we soon find out that his Prescience ability is giving him an update as fate changes.

A Plea to Regularly Update Your Operating System

Anyone with a sense of cyber security know-how understands how important it is to regularly update your software to protect from viruses and bugs discovered by developers. Apparently, Koji needs updates as well.

I adore how Ikemoto introduced Prescience as an infallible vision, understanding all possible fates, but now he's delivering the Terms of Service to us, that Koji's visions are subject to change as different events happen. However, this means there are actions set into motions by present events, the consequences of which Koji cannot see. Alternatively, it is possible than when Singularities of Fate take action that are outside of the paths of fate he's already predicted, he cannot see the consequences until others are affected.

The taste we receive of Koji's changing visions is fascinating. Inojin in the underground chamber where Shinki was tree'd, Shikadai's sleeve, Himawari bringing her game face (maybe saving Yodo), Boruto on the sand, Jura with his hand over his eye. The later visions are equally intriguing: Daemon taking on Mamushi, Hidari reaching out to Sarada, as if to either poke her forehead or rip out her eyes, Jura standing beside a giant root system.

One might assume Kawaki's entrance spawned this update (the first in six days), opening up avenues Koji has never seen before. However, it could also mean that in the past six days, Boruto, as a Singularity of Fate, contacted Kawaki about a shared plan. As a Singularity of Fate, Boruto acted in a way that radically changed the timeline, but Kawaki actually had to arrive and take action to alter fate.

However, we also have to take into account the individuals involved in his visions and the possibility that it's not Kawaki and Boruto alone who have instigated this change. We see Himawari, who has started to use Kurama recently, Sarada facing down Hidari with her MS activated, Inojin who gave up his life to save someone he cares about. Significant things have happened to all the individuals featured in his visions, raising the possibility that Kawaki tipped the scales on changes that were already set into motion, every path seeming to lead to the destruction of (or confrontation with) the Shinju.

Once again, we have to question the reliability of Koji, being that he's giving Shikamaru advice on following his heart, telling people to act in certain way, but it seems like even he can't predict what the future truly holds. Even more, we get the sense that Boruto himself doesn't fully trust Koji as that he went behind his back to speak with Kawaki.

God Tier Aura Farming

Picture this: our titular hero is passed out on the desert sand. Above him looms a formidable foe, one Boruto himself could not beat. Jura promises to give him a clean death, a Biji Bomb forming in his right eye...

THEN A BLACK ROD GETS SHOVED STRAIGHT THROUGH HIS SKULL, COMING OUT HIS EYE SOCKET, KAWAKI STANDING ON HIS SHOULDERS.

Fuuuuck, we've waiting for this for a long time. It's hard not to stan Kawaki's entrance, the moment he saves Boruto. Let's be honest, here. He could have let Jura take out Boruto, then tried to kill Jura himself. But he honors their alliance, saving Boruto's life, even though he's vowed to end it himself later.

But, first, we gotta talk about the fit.

The Fit

Now, unless we assume that Kawaki's negotiations with Amado broke down to such an extent that his white jacket ended up covered in blood from dismembering the old bastard, it appears as though Kawaki specifically chose to change his clothing to something more reminiscent of his original outfit, with one new (significant) accessory.

If we flashback to the Ikemoto/Kishimoto interviews of last summer, we'll recall that Ikemoto said that Kawaki just wears what Eida buys for him. He doesn't think much of clothing or his appearance. And yet, here, he's made a choice to reclaim his original self. Unlike the white jacket that was missing just a single sleeve, this one has both sleeves ripped off, it's hem ragged. His shirt is worn as well, rough at the edges, sleeves ripped out in the manner of a bodybuilder gymrat. If not for how much he's grown over the past three years, it'd almost be possible to think that he's wearing the original clothes that Team 7 found him in after he'd overheated from defeating Kara's puppets.

The pants are new as well, but even they show signs of wear and tear at the bottom. The Kara logo is not only on his back, but on his pants as well, a new pouch on his lower belt, too. However, the true statement piece on his "new" outfit is the leaf village belt buckle. Like Mitsuki and Sarada, who only put their headbands on once they were on a mission, Kawaki considers himself on a mission as well, a mission that's not just for him, but also representative of the village. Staying in the manga timeline alone (excuse me for this), he's never won a headband except when he tried on Boruto's at the dinner table, than stared at it while Naruto slept next to him in the office, thinking what he could do to save Lord Seventh and the village.

I find it significant that Kawaki is now looking more like himself, more like the vision of who he might have been if Omnipotence hadn't happened, after his power up. It's as though he's reclaiming a part of himself that he'd lost, something Amado took from him, asserting an identity that's all his own rather than being a dress-up doll for Eida. And part of that identity is wearing the leaf symbol around, claiming his place in the village, perhaps as a protector more than a citizen, but it's still there, loud and proud to behold.

The Bitch is Back (A Minor in Aura Farming)

Konohamaru and Mitsuki followed orders, carrying a sleeping Sarada back to the point where they met the Sand ninja. And who is there to meet them but Delta, looking as badass and beautiful as ever.

Her presence is significant because it means that Boruto and Kawaki talked to the extent that having Delta there to meet Team 7 was part of the plan. While we don't know the purpose, her statement that "All three of you at least look intact," might imply she was supposed to carry any injured people back to Konoha for treatment.

The other part of this is that Eida didn't know this plan, given her trepidation at Boruto's state and surprise when Kawaki showed up.

BRO (Yes, I'm crying)

After Kawaki makes some Shinju shish kabob out of Jura, Boruto gets rudely awakened by the after effects of a Biju Bomb.

And, herein, ShearBolt loses her shit.

Because OMFG, they're still bros.

Similarly to when Boruto showed up at the Code fight, Kawaki lands in front of Boruto (almost kinda sorta if you squint in a generous way protecting him).

In chapter 15, Bortuo called Kawaki bro and Kawaki called him jerk, and in chapter 23 it's reversed, and I'm a mess because I love these dumb, stupid children so much when they talk to each other like this.

The chapter ends with Kawaki activating his Karma, telling Boruto to keep his shit together because if Momo comes out, it's bye-bye Boruto on the spot, and the epic closing line of Kawaki looking up at Jura, saying, "Let's go, you bastard."

Thoughts

The end of this chapter made me want to light up a post-sex cigarette, man. This is the feast of interactions and interesting concepts I was starving for after last month.

I'm curious about Inojin in the underground cavern where Shinki and Gaara are located. Are we to assume Team 10 came to help free them? Or are they going to confront Matsuri at some point, in the same location where the Gaara/Matsuri fight occurred. If they're there, it's possible Himawari was brought along, too, to save any of the injured (hello, Yodo).

I feel as though we might be set up for a Momo reveal soon. As Kawaki's entrance is like Boruto's in the Code arc, Boruto's injured state isn't dissimilar to what occurred before Momo took over after the Isshiki fight. And a TBV Borushiki reveal would be an epic volume-ender. All that said, I want Kawaki to have more page time than just one chapter of slapping Jura around. We need to see the extent of his power and any new abilities he may have. Some flashbacks and conversations would be welcome, too.

I guess what I'm saying is Momo yes, but not quite yet. We've seen a lot of Boruto fighting in TBV so far. We need to now see Kawaki's resolve to do something other than take a nap at the base of a water tower. So, even though I've bitched about how long this fight has been going on, I hope we milk at least 2 volumes of Kawaki out of it before Momo steals the show.

Whew, what a month. Send Ikemoto your blessings, all.