Boruto chapter 73: Why Shikamaru’s decision about Eida is so controversial

The spoilers for Boruto chapter 73 started circulating on social media recently this week, giving fans the first taste of what they can expect when the chapter is officially released. The leaks contained many moments and scenes that caused fans to question the choices made for this chapter.

Nonetheless, no decision was as controversial as Shikamaru’s new mission for Boruto and Kawaki. The Nara clan leader tasked the Uzumaki brothers with living with Eida once she arrives at Konoha.

The decision caused outrage amongst the fanbase, with most fans calling it a nonsensical choice. Still, why are fans so enraged by this new mission?

Continue reading to learn more about the topic.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for Boruto chapter 73.

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Why did Shikamaru force Kawaki to live with his stalker in Boruto chapter 73?

Since her first appearance, Eida has been a controversial character in the Boruto fandom. The young android has two abilities that turn her into one of the most powerful characters in the franchise.

The first one is an eye that can observe any event, present or past. The second one involves making everyone who is in her presence become immediately smitten with her.

Since most of the people she has interacted with throughout her life can only see her as an object of desire, the girl became enamored with Kawaki, who is not affected by her powers.

Since that moment, the girl has been obsessed with the black-haired Uzumaki, to the point where Amado convinced her to betray Code by just mentioning Kawaki.

Why is Shikamaru acting so strange? (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Shikamaru is aware of this, as Eida has not been trying to hide her crush on the renegade boy. This is why his choice in Boruto chapter 73 to force both Kawaki, the object of Eida’s affection, and Boruto to live with her seems so weird. There is no logic behind this, as keeping Eida away from anyone who could be influenced by her abilities would have been enough.

Regardless of how overpowered she may seem thanks to her capacities, the girl is not as strong as someone like Kawaki. If Eida betrays Konoha, making her fight against Boruto and Kawaki would be enough to stop her. Giving her the chance to be near the boys only puts them in danger if she indeed wants to destroy the Leaf.

Eida as seen in the Boruto manga (Image via Shueisha)

Shikamaru may also be using Kawaki as a bargaining chip to keep Eida happy and content inside Konoha. Boruto chapter 73 revealed that the girl is aware of Shikamaru’s plan and she is extremely excited about sharing a room with her crush. If this mission is true, Shikamaru is basically forcing Kawaki, and possibly Boruto, to fall in love with the android, as this would solidify their alliance.

Beyond the illogicality of Shikamaru’s choice, this also does not make sense from a narrative standpoint. Giving Eida, a possible enemy, the chance to be alone with the only two people who could stop her is an awful plan. Shikamaru is taking advantage of the fact that Eida likes Kawaki, but this could change at any moment.

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Could Shikamaru have another plan?

Coming up with complex and hard-to-follow strategies is something Shikamaru has always been known for. The Nara clan leader is one of the smartest individuals in the entire Shinobi World, with an IQ that is beyond two hundred points.

The man hardly ever commits a mistake, as he likes to consider even the smallest of details when thinking of a solution.

Some fans took this, as well as Shikamaru’s knowledge of Eida’s omniscience ability, to come up with a theory about his strange decision in Boruto chapter 73.

Fans are claiming that the mission the Nara clan leader gave Boruto and Kawaki is nothing more than a front to confuse Eida. He knew the young woman would be spying on their meeting, so he came up with a lie to make her happy.

Could Shikamaru be tricking Eida in Boruto chapter 73? (Image via Shueisha)

If this theory ends up being true, we will most likely learn about Shikamaru’s real plan to deal with Eida and Daemon soon. This would go a lot better with the black-haired man character than his out-of-nowhere choice to make Kawaki and Boruto live with Eida.

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Final thoughts

Shikamaru may be hiding something (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Boruto chapter 73 is one of the most controversial entries to the sequel manga series ever. Fans are finding more flaws in the chapter’s plot with every passing moment. Nonetheless, the most talked about moment in the chapter is still Shikamaru’s choice, as it does not make sense with his character or the series as a whole.

Whether the decision the Nara heir took is legit or just a ploy to get Eida on their side, it does not take away from the outrage it has caused amongst the community.

We can only wait until the official release of Boruto Chapter 73 to better understand why Shikamaru acted in such a manner.