Boruto's controversial start as a ninja is actually one of his most impressive feats

Boruto is the crown jewel of the entire Narutoverse. In a world where the two main characters were purposely phased out by the mangakas, the young Uzumaki is one of the few characters to stand out. While the likes of Sarada and Kawaki have had their day in the sun, they still can’t compete with the draw of Boruto.

When the Boruto saga began, the young Uzumaki wasn’t liked by many fans, he was considered bratty and entitled. He could do no good in their eyes and his cheating at the Chunin exams contributed to this hate. Some fans of the series believe that the young Uzumaki should be praised for his actions at the Chunin exam instead of hated.

This point of theirs is not far off the mark. While Boruto came from the wrong place, the actions he took are normal for ninjas. One of the reasons why the Uzumaki’s actions are heavily disparaged is because of his father. Here is why Boruto’s earlier feats should be praised.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the author's opinion and may contain spoilers.

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Why Boruto cheating with a ninja tool is an impressive feat

Boruto using a rasengan (Image via Studio Pierrot)

While Naruto’s boy scout ways may have clouded the entire Narutoverse, the true undertone of ninjas is to accomplish their missions by any means possible. This belief was commonplace in the Narutoverse as characters sought to protect their village by any means necessary.

In the first Chunin exams shown to viewers in the Narutoverse, fans were presented with an exam that had very few answers. The whole Team 7 from Naruto to Sasuke to Sakura were all involved in trying to find answers and cheating was prohibited. How did Team 7 find answers to this debacle? They all cheated. They broke a rule that was set at the beginning of the test just to pass it.

Boruto cheats with the ninja tool to impress Sasuke (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Cheating is sometimes the ninja way. During the Allied War, Darui outwitted Ginkaku and Kinkaku by not playing by the rules. Naruto also defeated the third Raikage by making him strike himself. Deceit is used by the good ninjas when battling against evil. Two Blue Vortex even had Konohamaru try to trick Matsuri into isolating her from Ryu.

The young Uzumaki initially cheated to get Sasuke to become his master. He did this with the scientific ninja tool, which aided in launching jutsu without needing to master them. He later used the tool at the Chunin exam to impress his father. Though he was later caught by his father and dismissed from the exam, Boruto did nothing wrong.

His reason for using the tools might have been misguided, but he showed the entire Narutoverse that there was a new way of fighting. He creatively employed each jutsu and this was best seen in his battle with Shikadai. He was bound with his Shadow Paralysis Jutsu but used multiple clones to overwhelm him.

The young Uzumaki was able to pair the right jutsu with the right situation. Apart from this, he was able to use the ninja tools consistently without any Genin, Chunin, or Jonin noticing. Even the Five Kages who were present at the Chunin Exam couldn’t notice. That takes a lot of skill and might be his most impressive feat in the entire saga.

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Final thoughts

The young Uzumaki’s feats at the beginning of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations set the tone for many actions he will take in the series. It showed how daring and creative he can be in solving problems, it also showed that he was gifted at subterfuge.

A lot of actions he takes in Two Blue Vortex can be traced to the Chunin Exam. Despite the situation, he chooses to fight for his goals, whether it means muddying his hands with someone he does not trust, Kashin Koji, or someone who hates him, Kawaki. A part of Boruto is laser-focused on his mission and the end justifies that means.

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