Kishimoto could have drowned Boruto's hype with a major decision in the series

Modified Jul 10, 2024 00:30 GMT

How Kishimoto could have altered the series with just one move (Image via Studio Pierrot)

The Boruto series has been progressing steadily ever since the Two Blue Vortex manga began its serialization. This installment of the series had plenty of elements to enjoy and all the shinobis have gotten considerably stronger.

That being said, fans are revisiting some of the older chapters from the series since each chapter takes about a month to be released. One topic of discussion that often crops up on various social media platforms and forums is that Masashi Kishimoto could have completely shifted the anime's focus onto Naruto had he taken a slightly different approach in the fight against Isshiki Otsutsuki.

The Seventh Hokage was pitted against one of the toughest opponents in the series. This led to Kurama and Naruto using a technique that essentially sacrificed one of their lives. However, a change in the technique employed by Naruto could have procured a similar result.

However, the collateral damage in this case could have been far worse, and in turn, drowned the hype that the Boruto series had been creating for quite some time.

Boruto: Understanding how Masashi Kishimoto’s decision in the Naruto vs. Issiki fight could have halted the series’ progress

The Naruto vs. Isshiki Otsutsuki fight was quite important for various reasons. Not only did it show Naruto and Kurama’s full potential but it also increased the stakes in the series. The two of them were forced to put their lives on the line to save their village. While the Seventh Hokage assumed that he would be the one to go, it was Kurama who sacrificed himself while performing the Baryon Mode.

As per these shinobis, this transformation was the only way to kill Isshiki. While it seemed to be the case at first, fans started digging into the directory of past techniques that were used in the original series. One technique that could have been used to kill Ishhiki was the Reaper Death Seal. Naruto, hailing from the Uzumaki clan, had a natural talent for using sealing jutsu. Furthermore, his father also used the same technique in the original series.

It would have been poetic to see Naruto use the very technique his father used, for the same reason—to protect his loved ones and the village. Naruto could have potentially used this technique to kill Isshiki and this would have ensured that the latter would never resurrect.

Masashi Kishimoto could have taken this route for the Boruto plot to progress. However, this would have undone all the progress that they had made since they intended to make Naruto and Sasuke weaker to let Boruto grow in the series.

Naruto’s death would have been far too much for the protagonist to handle at such an age. Furthermore, the series wasn’t particularly faring well among fans and depended on the likes of Naruto to carry the plot in the right direction. Killing Naruto at such a crucial stage would have spelled doom for the series and also hampered the personal development that the protagonist was going through.

Therefore, the ideal solution was to sacrifice Kurama. This would not only make Naruto weaker but also have just the right amount of emotional impact on the audience. Additionally, the loss wouldn’t be too much for the protagonist to handle. This could be the reason why the Reaper Death Seal was not used against Isshiki.

Stay tuned for more anime and manga news as 2024 progresses.

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Edited by Meenakshi Ajith