Title: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Vol. 10
Author: Masahi Kishimoto (Creator), Mikio Ikemoto (Art), Ukyo Kodachi (Story)
Publisher: Viz Media
Language: English
Format: Digital
Pages: 176
Genre: Shonen, Battle
Publication Date: February 2, 2021
The Story
This was an action-packed volume of Boruto! Last time, we saw Jigen and I wondered just how powerful he was. Well, we get to know the answer to that question as about 90% of the volume was a huge battle between Jigen and Naruto/Sasuke!
It all starts when Boruto’s Karma activates on his own. He senses that something is wrong with Kawaki and ends up rushing back to the Hidden Leaf. By the time he gets there, it’s already too late. Kawaki’s Karma activated, causing a space-time portal to open up. Jigen appears from it meaning that he used Kawaki’s Karma in order to instantly teleport to his location. Boro, who was observing the entire time, wondered what the point of the mission was and why Delta had to be defeated if Jigen could have just handled this himself the entire time?
Jigen tries to convince Kawaki to come back home but he doesn’t want to go. Naruto tries to interfere but Jigen shows him a taste of his power. This scares Kawaki into giving into Jigen and going back with him… which would have happened had Naruto abandoned his ninja way! Naruto ends up taking on Jigen but before things get out of hand, Jigen uses space-time ninjutsu and transports the two of them to an alternate dimension. Thankfully, Sasuke’s rinnegan can do the same so he tracks down Naruto and joins the battle.
Naruto and Sasuke claim they can go all out; however, in a bit of disappointment, neither one truly does. Despite that, they learn about Jigen’s abilities and how to counter them. As powerful as Jigen is, he has his own limits and he ends up reaching them during the battle. He decides to end the battle by impaling both Naruto and Sasuke on the same chakra-draining rods that Pain used to use back in the day. Sasuke uses the last of his power to use space-time ninjutsu to get himself out of there at Naruto’s request. Naruto is left behind and sealed inside of something that looks like a giant cooking pot (okay?)
Back in Konoha, Shikamaru places Kawaki on house arrest, accusing him of being a spy. Boruto tries to plead his case but Shikamaru won’t hear it. Suddenly, the prosthetic arm that Naruto gave Kawaki comes alive. They have confirmation that Naruto is still alive and with his chakra in Kawaki’s arm, they can track his whereabouts. The volume ends with the mission to retrieve Naruto.
For the bulk of the manga being nothing but one huge fight scene, there was a LOT of story development going on here. I left out details but we know a bit more about what Jigen truly is, we learn a bit about Boro and his ambitions, and we know what Kara’s true goals are. There was a lot to digest here; however, everything here gets you amped up for the next volume. It was stuff like this that made the Naruto series as good as it was and I’m glad we get to experience those same emotions here in Boruto!
Characters
Kawaki and Jigen were the centers of development. Because we learned more about Karma, we understood some of the things that were already stated about Kawaki. In that sense, he received a bit of development. Also, I believe that there was a subtle plot point in this book that was a major foreshadowing component to Kawaki’s character. It’s a bit in your face and towards the end of the book but if you think about how this series opened up, it’s pretty easy to see the connecting threads. It just makes you wonder if that moment was the true catalyst to what we were shown at the start of the series?
Jigen received some pretty big development and the way he talked about things, I can’t help draw comparisons to him and Orochimaru. Sure, their powers are completely different and Jigen is, by far, much more powerful than Orochimaru; however, it seems to me that he is some kind of pseudo-immortal and needs Kawaki as his next vessel, much in the same as how Orochimaru desired Sasuke as a new vessel. Still, it was pretty interesting but the fact that both Naruto and Sasuke combined had difficulty handling him in a 2-on-1 scenario really speaks to his strength. I can’t wait to see a rematch between them because you know it’s going to happen!
I won’t spoil it but interesting plot twist with Boro. I’d love to see how it goes!
Final Thoughts
This arc has been amazing thus far. While it did culminate in a stalemate between Jigen and Naruto/Sasuke, we know that it’s far from over. Next volume, we’ll see an attempt at Naruto’s retrieval but the big question is where they will go from there. Boro stated one thing but ended up doing something completely different which was a bit puzzling. Perhaps his odd maneuver is an indirect aid to his own goals and ambitions?
Kawaki has really taken a liking to Naruto which is pretty nice to see; however, that little plot point he brought to light right before the retrieval began just feels off. There’s no way that one little moment was a huge piece of foreshadowing! It may be a while before we ever find out if it is or not.
All I know is that I’m really excited for Vol. 11!
Be sure to follow me on Twitter @JJPiedraOELN
You can also check out other The Outerhaven reviews on your favorite social media networks:
Subscribe to us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/theouterhaven
Subscribe to us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheOuterHaven
Subscribe to us on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/theouterhavennet
This item was provided for review by VIZ Media
