Ryu's proactiveness in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex chapter 18 further makes Hidari look like a joke

Boruto: Two Blue Vortex has seen the first battle of the Sunagakure Arc. This battle happened in the highly anticipated chapter 18 and features two battles. The first is between Matsuri and Konohamaru, and the second battle is between Ryu and the combined forces of Hidden Leaf and Hidden Sand Ninja. Unlike Matsuri, whose reason for the attack is jealousy, Ryu sees through the Shinobi’s lies, which is why he fights.

Since Boruto: Two Blue Vortex introduced Shinju, it has shown that they are creatures with a large knowledge deficit. Their interactions also show that they do not understand human behavior, which puts them in harm's way in a world filled with humans. However, Ryu has stunned viewers by showing that Shinju can be analytical. This greatly contrasts with Hidari, another Shinju, who was an abysmal failure.

Chapter 18 of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex has made fans see the Shinju from two perspectives: the proactive ones and the laid-back ones. Hidari appears to be the latter, and Ryu is the former.

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

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Is Ryu stronger than Hidari in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex?

Ryu has mastered Shinki's Iron Sand abilities (Image via Shueisha)

Boruto: Two Blue Vortex has many strengths, but one area where it falls is in the power differences between the Shinju. It doesn’t show viewers what influences strength in the Shinju, leaving fans confused.

Hidari is a Shinju born from one of the strongest ninjas in the Narutoverse, but that ability never came to the fore. Instead, fans saw him get hit repeatedly by Hidden Leaf Ninja until he got killed. He also attacked without a strategy, unlike Jura whose fight with Himawari was heavily analytical.

From what has been shown so far in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, Ryu is stronger than Hidari. What makes this even clearer is the fact that Ryu is a new Shinju. Hidari has been in the world for longer but cannot tap into Sasuke's abilities or use his battle instincts.

Ryu has also shown a greater understanding of human behavior than Hidari. This understanding makes him know something is amiss from the moment he sees Yodo. He asks the obvious question to make himself look like an ignoramus, and then he misdirects the entire group's attention by constantly asking questions about Boruto. This is done so that he can plot an attack subtly without their knowledge.

What he does next is something that no Shinju will think of doing, and that is exposing his Thorn Bulb. He does this to understand Yodo’s true intentions, and she acts according to his plans.

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Final thoughts

While Boruto: Two Blue Vortex is yet to show the abilities of all the Shinju, Ryu appears to be the second strongest after Jura. He is shown to be very perceptive on numerous occasions, as he was the one who detected Code while he was hiding in their base. He is also a good judge of human character, which is impressive considering the fact that he hasn’t spoken to many.

When he first meets the Hidden Leaf and Hidden Sand Shinobi, he plays the role of a fool just to get them to lower their guards. He is also one of the few Shinju shown to not have any attachment or love for anything.

Matsuri is in love with Konohamaru, and Jura is in love with the Hidden Leaf. This leads the two characters to make decisions that might not be the wisest. Whether Ryu’s brilliance in battle is inherited from Shinki, Boruto: Two Blue Vortex is yet to say anything about it.

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