Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Chapter 37 Review

ShearBolt

20 Sep 2026 • 16 min read

Hi, all! Apologies about the late review. I just started a new job and managed to get bronchitis at the same time, so writing this had to wait until the weekend.

Cover

Boruto: Two Blue Vortex (TBV) chapter 37, Trust, marks Kashin Koji's second appearance on a TBV cover. The first time Koji was featured, his face was obscured by his cloak, a shadowy figure surrounded by a divine nimbus of light, the twisting film reel that represents his Prescience visions winding behind him. On the most recent cover, Koji has stepped forward, his hood thrown back to reveal his full face. One of his hidden hands contains a Scientific Ninja Tool toad, another on his shoulder, a third in his hair.

With his kidnapping by Amado and his most recent visions foretelling the possibility that Momoshiki may take over Boruto, leading to the end of the world, this iteration of Koji is poised for action. Hidden in Orochimaru's former hideout, his only connection to the outside world has been communication and transportation through his toads, which now surround him, prepared for battle—though whether that battle is with Momoshiki, Boruto, Amado, Code, or the Shinju remains yet to be seen.

The chapter 37 cover is also reminiscent of another more recent cover, Pest Control from chapter 29. The textures of the background are similar, contrasting areas of lighter and darker red. When viewed together, it's possible to see a connection between events in the two chapters: Boruto asking for and receiving Momoshiki's help and the world-ending takeover Koji now sees.

There's a certain continuity to the titles of the chapters featuring Koji as well. In chapter 14, Duty, Boruto was interrogated by Konoha officials, his first official beating of the series (the first hands laid on him in the series, done by those who were once his allies). Despite threats of a painful death and violence, he refused to divulge the location of his parents or name Kawaki as the true person behind their disappearance.

Similarly, it's in this chapter that Shikamaru gives Mitsuki the means to help Boruto escape, telling him, "Remember, we are shinobi, and this is a mission. Control your emotions, and perform your duty." Both characters need to push past their altered memories and do their duty—even if it defies their own memories, altered by Omnipotence, and the expectations of the rest of the village. In Trust, the seeds planted in that chapter come home to roost for Shikamaru as Kobu calls him in for yet another round of interrogation, claiming that he finally has proof of the interim Hokage's treachery.

As always, Trust is a multilayered title for this chapter. Sarada trusts Boruto enough to save her that she rips her own earring out due to her faith in him and his plan. Boruto trusts Sarada enough that he's willing to put her in danger so they'll have a chance later to kill the Shinju. The trust between Boruto and Koji is tenuous as Koji freezes him out of a conversation, yet returns to him later to help rescue Sarada. Sarada finds herself caught in a fight in which each of the participants considers the other enemies. Code trusted his own plan, Boruto trusted his own plan as well—both have gone wrong.

Flashback to the Very Recent Past

As was speculated, the entirety of Boruto and Sarada's conversation wasn't depicted in the previous chapter. Boruto's plan for Sarada's kidnapping continues with him explaining to her that their goal isn't to take on the Shinju now. Rather, he wants her to drop his symbols in their hideout so that he has a way of returning there when it's time to defeat them. As of now, the only way to enter the hideout is Code's claw marks (and, I'd assume, the Shinju's own methods of transportation?)

Where exactly is the Shinju hideout? Boruto's statement that the only way to reach the Shinju's hideout is through teleportation brings up the question of its location. The presence of one of Isshiki's blocks implies that it's somewhere Jigen or Isshiki had access to, yet the Divine Tree roots growing into it (which heal Hidari) seem to indicate that it's located on the same planet as the humans rather than in another dimension, such as the one in which the Ten Tails was hidden. Looking back at Boruto: Naruto Next Generations (NNG), we come up with something that might hint at an answer. In chapter 57, Shikamaru and the Kage discuss Code and a series of transfer portals that are scattered all over their countries. Shikamaru says that "Our patrols have reported that they all don't activate or are damaged. It seems that [Code] anticipated us getting this intel and decided to act preemptively." What this means is that the Kara hideout (or hideouts) were accessible by Scientific Ninja Tool transfer portals alone, which Code destroyed. Thus, it's possible the Shinju have occupied an abandoned one, which explains why Isshiki's block is there as well as the fact that there's no way in or out of it that doesn't involve Otsutsuki-related teleportation.

I have two open questions about this exchange between Boruto and Sarada. First is Boruto's statement to Sarada that, "Since there's always a chance they may kidnap someone else, it's super important that this mission succeeds." What he seems to be saying is that the Shinju (or Code) might kidnap someone else, so he needs a way to get into their hideout to rescue them. The question, then, is who would they kidnap and why would they do it? Both Hidari and Jura have targets, but their intention with those individuals is their consumption, not their abduction. Would Jura capture someone to interrogate them about love? The other possibility is that Code might go after someone other than Sarada, someone less capable (Himawari, for example). However, because we've never seen any of the three antagonists mentioned above discuss trapping and taking anyone else to their hideout, is this possibility something Koji has foreseen and shared with Boruto? Otherwise, where would the concern be coming from that they'd kidnap someone else and take them to an unreachable hideout?

Boruto also tells Sarada that this is not the time to fight the Shinju (nor does he say that they're gaining access to the hideout in order to fight them there). What's notable about this part of the conversation is when he tells her, "We'll save the fighting for later. Once Koji sees us defeating Jura."

As far as I recall, Boruto has yet to tell Sarada about Koji's visions. In Sarada and Sumire's exchange in chapter 16, it seemed as though Boruto was very much specifically avoiding telling them both so as not to create additional Singularities of Fate, forcing the futures Koji has seen to become less predictable. However, without the context of Prescience, the statement below makes no sense. I'm not sure if we're supposed to take Sarada's expression in the second panel as confusion when she pauses before responding with "Right. Gotcha." Or has Boruto just created another individual who, in addition to himself, Eida, and Koji, can cause the best future to derail?

Sarada points out that, just as in the Sand, it'll be difficult for Boruto to teleport them out of the Shinju's hideout while they're involved in combat. When he acknowledges this, she responds that she'll "create an opening with Orihume." This is the third time in TBV that a character has had to help Boruto buy time to use his abilities. In their first confrontation with Hidari, Sarada had to distract him and the Claw Grimes long enough for Boruto to build up his Uzuhiko strength. Similarly, in the Sand, Boruto enlisted Kawaki's help specifically to distract Jura while he locked on to a symbol to teleport them both to safety. This pattern continues to emerge again and again: even though he tends to function alone, many of Boruto's strengths are best used in partnership with others, which also leaves open the possibility for him to fail.

"I AM CALM"

We return to a totally-calm Boruto kneeling next to Code claw marks, picking up the two symbols Code sensed on Sarada before abducting her. When he reaches out to Koji to find out if the latest Prescience update tells him if he can save Sarada, Koji demands he return to their hideout. When Boruto continues to demand an answer, Koji cuts him off from the four-way transmission, informing Shikamaru and Inojin that he can't tell Boruto that he's envisioned a future in which Momoshiki takes over as our young hero and evil Otsutsuki share each other's thoughts, ergo including Boruto in the conversation would also include Momoshiki.

While Boruto's exclusion solidifies his belief that there is a way to save Sarada. Koji explains to the others that this is the first time he's seen a future in which Momoshiki takes over, after which "it all goes to hell..."

It would have been nice to have a moment of cognitive dissonance from Inojin, still under the influence of Omnipotence and not having jumped through the same logical hoops that big-brained Shikamaru has, when Koji talks about the possibility of Momoshiki possessing Boruto (because isn't he supposed to be in Kawaki? That is, if Inojin ever was informed that Momoshiki was in his childhood friend. And if he wasn't, Koji's statement should come off as even weirder). Instead, he asks another question: "What happening, exactly, would be bad? Why don't you want Boruto to go to their hideout?" Koji's response is as follows:

Momoshiki manifesting depends on several factors coming together. Perhaps this is an extreme view, but it can be said that the act of rescuing Sarada is once such component.

Let's break this statement down a bit, because it's a loaded one. First, in all the futures Koji has foreseen up to this point, Momoshiki has never taken over—interesting if we recall that it was Koji, in his toad, that warns Boruto to get away from Kawaki during their encounter in Konoha when their Karma resonated with one another. It could be that when he says "This too is a development I've never seen," Koji means at this particular moment in time, or maybe he assured Boruto that Momoshiki's takeover would never happen before the two of them struck their deal to allow Boruto to access his powers.

Returning to the statement above, Koji says that "several factors" must come together and that "the act of rescuing Sarada is one such component." He's obviously picking his words carefully to not divulge too much, but it's notable that he doesn't say that Boruto going to save Sarada is something that could trigger this terrible future, but that the very act of saving her could. While I think we're to assume Boruto's presence at her rescue could be the key, it's also possible that rescuing Sarada at this moment, no matter who does it, could cause Boruto to lose control—something we should keep in mind when Koji sends one of his toads along for the mission.

In the previous chapter, we were treated to some of the components leading to this terrible future: Kobu's interference, Himawari's involvement, Sumire in the Scientific Ninja Tool laboratory, Jura having a drink with Shikamaru, Kawaki's presence, the Claw Grimes, a Divine Tree. (All this is why readers who lament Himawari and Kawaki's absence need to hold on to their hats for a little while longer.) As the plot continues, we have the signposts to follow as Momoshiki's emergence becomes more likely.

Code's Misadventures in Kidnapping Sarada Uchiha

Code arrives in the Shinju hideout and pulls an "I'd like to speak to the manager" only for Hidari to inform him that Jura is out. In an epic case of not doing his homework, Code unwittingly delivers Hidari's target directly to him, expecting that she'll be used as a bargaining chip with Boruto instead of becoming a tasty tree snack.

From the start of TBV, Code's plans have involved using Boruto's attachment to others against him, which raises the possibility of whether Code understands the Omnipotence swap. At the end of NNG, it seemed clear that Code perceived Kawaki and Boruto as switching places, saying "Jigen, Isshiki, and Eida. For your crimes of stealing all that I hold dear, you shall pay with your life, Boruto." Yet after the time skip, the story has been careful to have Code not evoke his memories of his past in Kara with Boruto, talking about bonds and feelings instead. While these observations may have been formed by observing the behavior of Boruto during the three years spent chasing him, it seems as though Ikemoto is purposefully holding back from confirming how Code perceives Boruto.

On the subject of author-induced ambiguity, in the Code-Hidari conflict that follows (with Sarada under the sole of Code's boot or claw for the majority of it), the target of Hidari's attacks remains uncertain. In one panel, the object of Hidari's chidori attack could be Code's foot (as opposed to Sarada), however when Code later yeets her into the air, out of range of his attack, we can see that Hidari's wood-style attack lands where she'd been lying. Taciturn as always, Hidari's words don't provide any insight. "Uchiha Sarada. She's my target... Are you done talking? Then move aside. You're in the way."

Of interest, when Code flings Sarada out of range of Hidari's attack (panel on the right), I'm not sure if we're supposed to read the action as him attaching his new bone-like hand appendage to her to throw her or using the new ability he displayed when finding and levitating Boruto's hidden symbols.

As antagonists are wont to do, Code talks far too much during his encounter with Hidari, assuming he knows what's going on while spilling his entire plan to Sarada. Armed with the knowledge that Code plans to force Boruto to sacrifice his life for hers, Sarada hardens her resolve. She recognizes that she's in a three-way standoff, each of them considering the two others to be enemies. If she plays her cards right, she thinks she might be able to take both of them down while Jura is absent.

Interestingly enough, we've been in this situation before when Code, Kawaki, and Borushiki were all together. In that fight, Code considered Kawaki and Borushiki enemies. Kawaki considered Code and Borushiki enemies. And Boruto considered Code and Kawaki enemies. However, the dynamics of that fight flipped as well when Naruto (and Shikamaru) joined the fight and Borushiki decided to side with Code to take down the Hokage.

I noted before the pattern of Boruto using other characters in the series to buy himself time. There's another pattern emerging with both Sarada and Kawaki: overestimating their abilities and taking too much on. We saw this most recently in the Mamushi arc when Sarada overused her Mangekyo Sharingan and collapsed at a pivotal point when the rest of the op members were relying on her, followed by Kawaki overheating due to the same sort of bravado. In chapter 37, we see a possible setup for more of the same, Sarada telling Boruto that she'll yet again rely on her Mangekyo Sharingan before planning to take both Code and Hidari down on her own.

My Precious Hostage, My Target: In the review for chapter 35, I noted the difference in what Hidari perceives to be cute vs. how Amado uses the term cuteness. Hidari adores cats (though we haven't seen him interact with one yet) who are known for their independence and fickle natures while Amado refers to his Scientific Ninja Tool toads as cute, artificial beings over which he has full control. In this scene, Code and Hidari fight for ownership of Sarada, both of them using the term "my" to imply that she rightfully belongs to them. They strip Sarada of her individuality and agency, fighting over her as an object they own instead of a person. To Code, she's the tool he'll use to destroy Boruto. For Hidari, she's the means through which he can discover his identity. The two male characters are squaring off against one another to determine which of them she rightfully belongs to: the one who has an instinctual draw to her or the one who kidnapped her and brought her to the hideout. Sarada's agency is not viewed by either of them as something worthy of consideration.

"None of Her Allies Are Able to Come Here Either!"

As Boruto kneels on the street, racking his brain to think of a way to rescue Sarada, everyone's favorite psychopathic alien appears on an HVAC unit to taunt him. If Koji's assertion that Momoshiki and Boruto share one another's thoughts is to be fully believed, then his observations about Boruto's emotional state over Sarada mean that Boruto himself hasn't fully comprehended his attachment to her:

Heh heh... I never thought I'd see you so flustered. She's that important to you? Your breathing is ragged? What happened to your usual cool? Your heartbeat's erratic too.

In his own way, Momoshiki is functioning in this scene as Yodo did in the Sand arc, pointing out something that Boruto is experiencing while he himself hasn't fully recognized it yet.

Given Koji's visions of the future, it seems far too convenient that when Boruto turns around to tell Momoshiki to shove it, he also notices the drops of blood leading from his current location to a narrow alley, hidden in shadows. While Koji has been able to see the sequences of events that lead up to Boruto losing control, he doesn't have insight into Momoshiki's thoughts or the specific consequences of Boruto's deal with him. Thus, it's possible that Momoshiki is the one behind the takeover, purposefully leading Boruto into a situation that fulfills one of the factors leading to the future Koji saw during his last update.

As Boruto stands up to follow the trail of blood, Eida's use of her Senrigan shows us the events that happened in the last few seconds before Sarada's abduction: Code shoving her face into the ground as she activated Orihume, a single swirling mass forming, Sarada trusting Boruto's plan enough to rip out her own earring so that Boruto could use it to follow her rather than free herself from Code. "Unbelievable!" Eida thinks. "You both are so precious!"

Boruto recognizes it, too, holding Sarada's earring, sensing her chakra and her intent for him to use it to teleport to her. Just as he's about to try to get a lock on her other earring, one of Koji's toads hops up. Both Boruto and readers have reasons to doubt Koji. He's been willing to let allies die, willing to try to kill political inconveniences. Saying that he knows that he can't stop Boruto, so he has "to take the best available course of action" could mean derailing Boruto's attempt to save Sarada.

At the same time, Koji's toad will be able to function as a means of communication between those in Konoha and the Shinju's hideout when he's out of Inojin's range. Additionally, having a toad Koji can summon might provide them with another way to escape (if such a feat is possible at that distance). Jura's presence in Konoha could mean that one of the factors leading to Momoshiki's takeover is absent, thus Koji feels that if Boruto can accomplish his goal quickly, they can avoid fate's current path.

(Only now am I wondering if the vision Koji has seen is one in which they manage to kill Hidari and Jura, fulfilling the conditions for Momoshiki to obtain Boruto's body.)

A New Friend, an Old Enemy

And where is Jura while all hell is breaking loose in his hideout? In the bookstore, of course, buying out every single book they have on cats for Hidari, leading the owner to suggest that Jura should "pay a visit to the rescue cat cafe with that friend of yours."

The term friend sends Jura on an existential journey, from which he returns and announces, "My brain cells are dancing with joy. I am most grateful." Once again, the theme of friendship appears in the Naruto universe, this time for antagonists who are still learning about this world and what it means to be alive.

Unfortunately, the shopkeeper's day is interrupted by the interim Eighth Hokage asking him to keep a walking, talking tree occupied for as long as possible "for the future of all humankind, not just Konoha."

That's quite a request to put on a civilian. Unfortunately, Furata is likely only having the second worst day in Konoha as Shikamaru is immediately contacted by Lord Kobu who informs him that the sensory ninja Nishi has given him "definitive evidence of your wrongdoing" and demands his immediate presence in the middle of yet another crisis.

Boruto should have let Koji kill that guy.

Questions and Conclusions

What is Code's new power, and how is he going to use it against Boruto?
How is the Hidari/Code fight going to play out? Will we find out that Hidari was simply pulling a "get your foot off my daughter's face" when Code showed up?
How will Furata occupy Jura and how does this lead to Koji's vision in which Jura is having a drink with Shikamaru?
How is Sumire going to end up seeing Sarada's earring through the computer screen? Is Kawaki going to show up?
Is Momoshiki going to appear after the Shinju are dead? Or does Boruto end up losing all hope after something happens to Sarada, and perhaps Himawari, as she's also featured in Koji's visions.
Moegi and Konohamaru get involved in this how???

Overall, this was yet another fantastic chapter, a great volume-opener that sets a million things into place, perhaps culminating in Momoshiki's appearance by the last chapter of this volume. There's so much in play in terms of the plot: Koji's motives, Shikamaru's position in leadership, Hidari's allegiances, how Jura will react if his newly-discovered friend is killed... All I know is that the next few chapters are going to be some of the best in TBV to date.