Boruto: Two Blue Vortex hit the ground running with getting us into the continuity of the latest timeskip that has hit the Naruto Universe. Each chapter has delivered something that made it bigger than the previous one and Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Chapter 4 certainly delivered on that front. The big noteworthy takeaway from the fourth chapter of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex is the fate of Sasuke Uchiha in the post-Boruto timeskip era.
WHAT’S BEEN GOING ON IN BORUTO: TWO BLUE VORTEX
The timeskip brought us forward three years after Kawaki rewrote the entire Boruto Era continuity of the Naruto Universe using Ada’s Omnipotence power so he and Boruto would switch origins. During the three years Kawaki completely took Boruto’s spot along with responsibilities of shrinking any of Code’s Claw Marks that are discovered.
Based on how things have gone the only person in Konoha that knows about Kawaki changed the continuity are Ada, Sarada Uchiha, Daemon, and Sumire Kakei. Because of that Boruto has been on the run with Sasuke after being marked as a wanted person as everyone believes he killed Naruto and Hinata Uzumaki. Though it is shown that both Naruto and Hinata are still in a coma-like state within the dimension Kawaki created to keep them safe while goes about wiping out the Ōtsutsuki.
Starting from that status quo the first four chapters of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex have dealt with Code attacking Konoha in order to draw out Boruto. That plan was successful as Boruto showed up to help protect Konoha. Though as revealed at the end of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Chapter 3 Code’s attack was part of Boruto’s plan to discover where Code was holding the Ten-Tails. Then in the latest chapter Boruto used his grandfather’s, Minato Uzumaki, Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport to where the Ten-Tails was held.
SASUKE UCHIHA TIMESKIP STATUS QUO
While Boruto was battling the Ten-Tail Claw Grime’s one in Code’s dimension one of them looked eerily like Sasuke. We didn’t get a full view of the Claw Grime but the half of his face we did see did appear to make it look like Sasuke’s twin. This added a new layer of mystery to what happened during Boruto and Sasuke’s three-year journey together.
Luckily, we didn’t have to wait long to find out what actually happened to Sasuke. That’s because Two Blue Vortex Chapter 4 ended with Boruto sitting under the mini-God Tree that an unconscious Sasuke is trapped in. This confirms that the Claw Grime that Boruto fought in Code’s dimension had absorbed enough of Sasuke’s chakra to gain at least half of his appearance.
This was certainly a shocking hook ending to get us to want to find out what will happen next. Though Sasuke’s status quo in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex is not all that surprising. It was clear something happened to Sasuke since he didn’t go with Boruto to protect Konoha when Code attacked. This did indicate that something must of happened for Sasuke to not go with Boruto and protect his family.
WHAT ARE CLAW GRIMES
The Claw Grimes are a new element that was introduced towards the end of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations manga run. They originate from Code utilizing his special Claw Mark ability in a new way once he had his power limiters removed. Before having his limiters removed Code was using the Claw Mark ability to create portals anywhere he placed them so he could easily teleport wherever he desired.
Originally Code had limiters installed on him by Amado to avoid being killed because he was stronger that Jigen, the leader of Kara at the time. Once removed Code was able to take his Claw Mark ability to a whole new level. Soon after the limiters removal Code went to where the Ten-Tails was located and covered it with Claw Marks. Once he did that Code separated parts of the Ten-Tails to create beasts he could control using the tailed beast’s chakra called Claw Grime. He would further develop his Claw Mark ability to consume people in mini God Tree’s and turn their chakra into Claw Grimes as well.
While this gave Code an powerful endless army at his disposal there was one thing that he did not expect. That is the Claw Grimes who were created using the power of the Ten-Tails or other powerful chakra users could evolve to gain their own free will.
That is development confirmed in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Chapter 4 where we see four Claw Grimes who appear as powerful, if not more so than, Code operating with free will. Its to the point these four Claw Grimes look down on Code as inferior. Three of these Claw Grimes appear to be made from using the Ten-Tails parts. The fourth is the Sasuke-looking Claw Grime who used the Chidori and a fighting style like Sasuke against Boruto.
WHAT DOES SASUKE’S FATE MEAN
Similar to Naruto and Hinata, it appears Masashi Kishimoto and Mikio Ikemoto found a way to take Sasuke out of the equation for now without killing him. Kishimoto and Ikemoto have effectively answered as to why Naruto and Sasuke aren’t around in the flashforward that started the entire Boruto series. With the two most powerful characters from the previous generation out of the equation it leaves Boruto as the only one that can take on Code, Kawaki, and the other
Though Boruto will not be alone in his fight. Based on the ending of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Chapter 4 the clone of Jiraiya and former Inner Kara member Koji Kashin is working with Boruto in a mentor-like capacity. That’s at least what it appears with the tone Koji took when calling out Boruto for recklessly going to the dimension where the Ten-Tails was at. This does indicate we could see a new version of the Naruto and Jiraya dynamic in this new generation with Boruto and Koji.
With Sasuke’s removal it also opens the door for his daughter, Sarada Uchiha, to become the tritagonist of the story. Its already been firmly established that Boruto and Kawaki are the protagonist and deuteragonist of the story Kishimoto and Ikemoto have created. That won’t be changing since they are focal characters in the flash forward we still are a ways off from reaching. But now with the Claw Grimes growing more powerful, one of them having her father’s powers, this is the best opportunity for Sarada.
Boruto and Koji will need all the powerful allies they can get. With Sarada already having awakened her Mangekyō Sharingan at the end of the Boruto: Naruto Next Generations she would’ve had three years to train with it. Rescuing her father adds further motivation for Sarada to grow more powerful and get at the level Boruto and Kawaki are at. Its just up to Kishimoto and Ikemoto as the creative team to actually make that happen and not fall into the same pit trap that led the first manga series to be all about Boruto and Kawaki.