Hey, everyone. Okay, I’mma be straight with you guys: I’m tired at the beginning of this post. I went out to eat at Feather ‘N Fins and walked home. Which- for all those intellectual types– BAD IDEA; never go out to eat when you have to walk from place to place. All that food’ll go right through you- waste of money and food. Oh my God I’m tired I don’t even feel like being cute; Long Story Short: I had to walk back and stop once or twice just to make sure I didn’t sh!t myself. And when I home- Flew right outta ma booty. TMI? Yes. Funny anecdote about how I almost sh!t myself 3 times in 1 day? Also True. Is there a moral to this story? “Don’t walk around on a full stomach,” maybe? I’m so tired I don’t even feel like being funny. I should really go to sleep at some point between now(Tuesday, December 19, 2023, 5:39 pm) and when I stop working on this post(some miscellaneous point). Um……………… I made the title more “Toei” inspired as opposed to a more appropriate Pierrot title. Eh; I don’t even think I have the energy to expound on THAT. Just know that I had trouble picking a title for the post and that’s what I came up with. 

As for what it means: Things are happening. The Divine Tree’s are making some “Person” level decisions, and it’ll effect the fates of 4 characters in particular- before looping back to Boruto and Kawaki. And I guess Code. Um………. It’ll probably be around Christmas when this comes out, so: Merry Christmas, Everyone. Or if it were some time after: I hope Santa brought everything in on your list! Unless you were Naughty, in which case I hope Krampus didn’t hurt you to bad. Eh; You’ll live! And hopefully you’ll think twice before being Naughty! Okay, that term has been b@stardized so I’m just gonna start the post. Boruto- Two Blue Vortex Chapter 5: “Target.” Let’s begin…………… 

Overview

FLASHBACK- Context Telling Us About 2 Years Ago(One Year After Boruto Left The Leaf Village): Boruto has completed another training exercise in record time. Sasuke says they should rest, so Boruto asks him how he’s coming in his “Uchiha Style” combat- cockily saying he’s mastered it. But Sasuke actually Affirms that he’s gotten the hang of it; in the year since they’ve left Konoha, Boruto has learned and basically Mastered every technique and fighting style Sasuke could teach him! He’s Being DEAD SERIOUS when he says this. But that only means that Sasuke has nothing more to teach Boruto- he still has more to learn; he’ll have to refine those techniques and grow through experience. He likens Boruto to Naruto, really- the guy who got him off of a………. rather Dark path. It’s what makes him think trusting Sarada was the right call to make. Meaning training Boruto isn’t going to yield Favorable Results. Some time after that: Code Attacks Them, and came out of it missing the same eye as Boruto- courtesy of Sasuke. 

Sasuke tells Boruto to run, but Boruto refuses to leave his Master behind. But Sasuke says that- at his current level- Boruto cannot measure up to Code. At the very least, not at this moment. So he needs to go and keep growing- keep surviving– mastering everything he was taught, and use it to protect Sarada. Sasuke dives in to battle with Code and his Claw Grimes, and Boruto vanishes. When he returns, he finds Sasuke turned into a tree. He grabs the sword from his unmoving hands, and promises to use it to protect his friend. Present Day: Boruto looks off in the distance, seemingly coming to a conclusion………….

Back In Konoha: Konohamaru rushes on the scene to see his long time friend Moegi turned into a Tree– having sacrificed herself to save a mom and daughter. Her students- this era’s Ino-Shika-Cho- vow to save her and make Code pay for this. But what they DON’T know is that this tree gave rise to a Divine Tree- the tree that would come to be know as “Matsuri.” And she can sense the their sadness and anger over the situation. Jura- the “main” guy- confirms that that is proof of their “awareness” being “stimulated-” though only she is able to sense those feelings at the moment. So while their overall goal of eating Boruto and Kawaki hasn’t changed at all, they now possess their own consciousnesses that are telling them something else. For Jura, he feel like he should Consume Naruto Uzumaki. Eida’s been watching this entire time, and is perplexed by these Divine Tree’s goals. She’s out drinking Smoothies with Daemon, surrounded by the infatuated. But back with the Trees; Matsuri and Bug’s Tree(we don’t see to get his name in this chapter) don’t understand why Jura feels this way. Jura himself says he can’t explain it, but says that it might be “instinctual” brought about by their current “evolution,” and encourages his fellow tree’s to search their instincts for the same conclusion. 

So they do, and come to these conclusions: 

• Matsuri’s Target: Konohamaru Sarutobi
• Bug’s Tree can sense Eida watching them, and declares to her FACE that SHE is his target. She’s so shocked by this development that she drops her smoothie. 
• “Hidari(Sasuke’s Tree)” asks Jura what they actually are. Jura says it’s a “Good Question,” but honestly doesn’t matter. But he might learn about it from choosing his “Target.” His Instincts Tell Him: Sarada Uchiha.  

Konoha Science Department- Amado’s Lab: Amado and Sumire are working back to back, but Sumire can’t help but ask Amado an important question. With Boruto’s Recent Return to the Leaf, she wonders how Amado is feeling about the situation; “Boruto” is in possession of the Karma mark that hold his daughter’s information, and wants him to imbed that Karma in someone to bring her back- something that can no longer be done as he’s “killed” The Hokage. Amado answers with an Anecdote: He got “Boruto” out of Kara’s clutches with the help of Kashin Koji, and then took out Isshiki. And he took that chance to implant a Karma mark that contained his daughter’s data- the only way to actually bring her “soul” back. And for that; he needs “Boruto” alive. But then there’s Kawaki– he was born and raised in Konoha and led a peaceful life. But his body has been modified into a Scientific Ninja Tool. And from the look of it- Amado knows he was the one who did it; he can recognize his own “handiwork” in the same way an artist can recognize their own paintings. 

The same thing with that Karma mark of his; he knows that’s the one with Akebi’s data in it. As a scientist, he can not ignore the physical evidence, leading him to the conclusion that his memory has been altered. He doesn’t know by WHO, and frankly Doesn’t Care; Kawaki hold his daughter’s data, so no it’s just a matter of waiting for Kawaki to implant it on someone- Boruto doesn’t matter. Amado was under surveillance by Shikamaru and Sai, and they question if any of what’s been saying is true…………

Sumire relays this information to Sarada, but she’s not sure if that’s enough evidence to prove what Kawaki did; no one believes them when they show a picture of Boruto with the Uzumaki’s instead of Kawaki. But Amado’s a “Logic Type-“ he’s the type to take the physical evidence at face value and look into it further, as opposed to most people who’ll trust their own memories. Then there’s Sasuke, who took his daughter’s words over everything. Boruto also confirms that Sasuke trusted him. Yeah, he’s in the village for a visit. And he tells Sarada…………… his Unfortunate fate. Hearing his voice- Seeing His Face- Hearing About Her Dad- Sarada becomes so overwhelmed with emotion that she rushes into Boruto’s arms. And Sumire just standing there watching, realizing…………. the “distance” between herself, Boruto, and Sarada. Nevertheless; Boruto says: “Sorry………. I’m Home Now……” Boruto- Two Blue Vortex Chapter 5 END!! Daemon’s protecting Eida; Sarada’s and Naruto can take care of themselves- and have Boruto, Kawaki, Himawari, and Mitsuki besides; who’s covering Konohamaru? 

REVIEW

So hey: It’s been……………… some DAYS sense I’ve touched this post; this part of the post is being started Sunday, December 24th, 2023, at 6:27 pm- I’m hungry and dinners about to be ready, so even THIS is gonna have to stop for a minute before I can come back to it. But there’s a lot that I want to say about this chapter. A staggering amount, actually. Which means………………. Sections. 

The Divine Tree’s Ambition

In addition to their overall, “instinctual” goal of eating the Ohtsusuki(currently Boruto and Kawaki), the Divine Tree’s have an alternative goal of learning more about themselves as both “A Singular Entity” and as Individuals. And to that end, all 4 of them have decided on specific targets that they want to consume. But why, I wonder? Well………… think about what Jura said last chapter: “All Life On The Planet- Both Current And Long Past– We Divine Tree’s Exist To Suck The Chakra Out Of All Leaving Things And Form A Chakra Fruit.” They are the “culmination” of a Claw Grime taking root in the ground and “transmitting” information to the Ten Tails main body, creating these 4 to start with. And the people they’ve chosen as their targets are the people most prominent in the mind of the people they’re based on: 

• Hidari and now Matsuri are just plain obvious; Sarada is the person who matters most of all to Sasuke, and Moegi………. she’s either in love with Konohamaru, or she considers him her closest friend.
• Bug’s Tree is a little more difficult to discern; it may well have just been the fact that he sensed her presence. But……… Bug was standing guard over her for some time. So he might feel SOME kind of “affection” towards her…………. I mean; Everyone does, but more like………. she was asleep the whole time, so……….. He felt SOMETHING for her beyond just “Charm” is the point. 
• Jura is slightly MORE difficult to figure out, but looking at his design and thinking about what he said, it begins to click: Isshiki! He did die on the planet, so his genetic code and chakra IS in there for the Divine Tree to take from when making the Chakra Fruit. Or in this case- A Divine Tree all its own. As for the reason he’s targeting Naruto: I think Naruto is the person Isshiki hates the most. He is the reason Kawaki became a “person” rather than just a “vessel,” and he did teach Kawaki Shadow Clone Jutsu– the jutsu that would end up defeating him in the end. And kicked his @$$ with Baryon Mode, so……… He WOULD be the one most prevalent in Isshiki’s mind- along with Kawaki, probably. 

Saying that, though, reminds me of something that I had thought about when I got back to this section the first time(this part coming Saturday, December 30, 2023, at 3:13 pm): Everyone mentioned has some kind of Guardian to help fight the Divine Tree’s; Naruto has Kawaki(one of their targets as it stands)- Sarada has Boruto(another target)- Eida has Daemon- but then there’s that good-for-nothing Sensei Konohamaru- NO ONE is there to help him in his battle. Well; no one “noteworthy” to his character. He HAS Team 7, but………… 2 of them are dealing with Tree of their own, and the other is unknowingly protecting his “Sun,” who’s protecting the Hokage as it stands!! Since it’s their Sensei they’re dealing with, maybe this era’s Ino-Shika-Cho will be at his back, but………….. what can THEY do right now? Now that I say it out loud, I know that’s what they’re building up to, but I honestly can’t say that I care about them- as characters or combatants. 

Shikadai’s fine, and Chocho(in the anime, anyway) did more with her jutsu than her father did. But I really do not give a flying f*ck about Inojin. And you don’t either so don’t even. I think seeing what Shikadai can do on his own would be interesting, and I actually want to see what Chocho can do. And I suppose Konohamaru still has something up his sleeve, but………. Inoji………………….. Putting his mind in the drawings How did I not think of that!! I don’t know if he can do that, but that’s one way to make his unique and relevant: He can draw something like a Tiger or a Giant Toad or whatever, and then use the Yamanaka clans Mind Transference jutsu to inhabit the painting. All he has to do is not let the painting get smashed and he should be alright………..

Then of course you have Daemon going up against someone who might just give him a Challenge for a change. As a fragment of the Ten Tails, Bug’s Tree is Sentient Chakra- he has a lot of it to work with, allowing for large scale attacks that Daemon might not be able to block 100%. Bug(maybe there’s a little more connection there than I thought) revealed in Naruto Next Generations chapter 71 that Daemon can only deflect the incoming attacks when the palm of his hand is touching someone. 1)This means that Bug knows a lot about Daemon’s abilities, and now- his tree does, too. And 2) Bug’s Tree already showed us that he’s capable of changing his shape– he can break away from Daemon easily. Moreover; Daemon holding to Eida to make his ability work would just put her- and himself– in danger of being eaten on the spot! Like; he maybe gunning for Eida and the Ohtsusuki bros, but……….. I don’t he cares who else gets eaten in the process. Heck; the Divine Tree’s already consider themselves “mentally and biologically one,” so really he already has more on his list to be consumed! It doesn’t matter to them. Though they might just save Boruto and Kawaki for “Last………..” And do I really need to talk about Hidari? 

Kawaki’s Cracking Facade 

Amado is aware that his memories had been altered. That’s the first crack in Kawaki’s charade. SECOND Crack: He’s either Knowingly or Unknowingly has told Sai and Shikamaru that there’s some “inconsistencies” in the world. If there’s 1 THING thar Amado has allowed us to know about him: He’s not a F*ckin’ Moron- he’s probably well aware of the fact that he’s under surveillance by the mistrustful’s, and probably let them know on purpose that somethings wrong here. Not because he cares about anything beyond his daughter being reborn through Karma, but more just stating a Fact. He’s a “Logic” type; there’s no emotion involved in telling them that their memories are overwritten. Shikamaru is somewhat cut from a similar cloth………….. kind of. Me thinks old age has “softened” him some. But when it comes to defending the Leaf and Naruto’s “legacy;” I don’t think he’s going to stop looking into this. Between what Amado’s saying right now and the little “inconsistencies” that Sarada brings up like the pictures. Now he knows something’s up……………

And it doesn’t seem like it’s just him; Boruto’s dedication to his training and the way he acts are dead ringers for Naruto. Seeing it(and being Sasuke); he can’t ignore that his memories have been altered in some way! And he may have even been working in the background to help the rest of the world see that. I don’t know how Sasuke is viewed after helping Boruto flee the Leaf, but I doubt that he never found a way to meet with his wife and daughter in the past 3 years. Or, well; that first year he wasn’t a tree. Maybe Sakura and Sarada weren’t the only people he met with in that time; maybe a rendezvous with Shikamaru because he still had his doubts about it, but he and Shikamaru exchanged information and- well– some things ain’t add up for them between the photos and the behavior. Shikamaru might be onto the ruse as well- with Amado confirming some of his suspicions. That being said: 

Shikamaru Is Also Not A Moron.

Even though he believed Boruto was in possession of a modified body- Kawaki is clearly a Nindroid with an almighty Karma mark. And the way he’s been acting since the Hokage “Died-“ not to mention “Boruto’s” murderous behavior- he knows better than to just “Come out” with it. Eida wants Kawaki, and Eida has Daemon, not to mention the “Simple Types” of the Leaf like Mitsuki and DELTA at her disposal. Exposing Kawaki can only end in DEATH- for him and whoever is backing him. So he may just be playing the “Long Con” right now; keeping Sarada and even Sai in the dark about what’s going on while he works in the shadows on a way to counter Kawaki. Maybe that’s what Amado is working on right now– keeping up appearances with Sumire and Sai while keeping everyone else in the dark. 

Preparing For Battle

Boruto……….. didn’t come back just to tell Sarada about Sasuke’s fate. Like he tried to explain to Code: The Divine Tree’s Are a Top Class PROBLEM; they almost got Boruto as it stood and he’s long surpassed Sasuke. They are coming for Kawaki and himself…………. as far as he knows. But that alone is enough for him to decide to Go back to Konoha: Boruto is going to ally himself with the Leaf Village, warning them of the threat of the Trees- and possibly trying to reverse what Kawaki has done. Which actually brings me to the next point: Eida. She does not want to be eaten. She does not want Kawaki to be eaten. She does not want the World To End. She’s NOT just the President of the “Kawaki Fan Club;” she has her own autonomy. And after one of them came up to her FACE and said that she was his “target-” confirming that they can see when she’s watching them and thus making one of her strongest weapons mute against them- she cannot stay silent just ’cause Kawaki tells her to. 1)Daemon is still there and 2)These 4 are a problem- more than Code ever was. She KNOWS this. And so I think she’s going to be backing Boruto in all this, letting them know the information she has on them. 

She’s gonna have to let them know about who the Tree’s are targeting, too. The last 3 aren’t the problem here; the problem comes in with who Jura is after. From there perspectives: Naruto Is Dead– killed by Boruto in cold blood. So how’s it gonna look when Jura comes through the Leaf demanding that Kawaki bring Naruto Uzumaki back to this dimension? Even if Eida has Jura’s target omitted- Jura’s gonna come through asking for Naruto in specific; they can’t hide that forever!! And with this threat coming- they’re going to need all the help they can get. So……………. do you think that Kawaki will willingly bring Naruto back and undo Eida’s spell? I doubt it; he doesn’t seem like that type that would compromise his plan just to get over on the enemy. He’ll probably stab Boruto in the back at the first chance he gets…………..

Though that leads me to my NEXT point: How is the Leaf going to react to Boruto’s return? He’s the “Hokage Killer,” after all. And the fact that he’s returning Sans-Sasuke- not to mention the fact that he “killed his ‘Benefactor-‘” they’re going to assume the worst of him, and…………… assume he’s the type that will “Always Bite The Hand That Feeds Him-“ even turning on Sasuke after he went through the trouble of saving him. And training him as they’ll soon see. In which case: How can they trust him? It’s not like they can put a leash on him anymore; their strongest Shinobi are nerfed– Kawaki can’t just “stand guard” over him forever(moreso because he will take every opportunity to KILL HIM than anything else)- Daemon doesn’t care to listen to them, nor does Eida who actually has the reigns on him– just………….. How will they go about preparing ANYTHING with someone they can’t trust? Again: Eida’s not just going to overlook the Tree’s as a threat! So she’s going to have to do something to make these people trust what Boruto is saying- make them see that the Tree’s are a greater threat than what ever perceived threat they think Boruto is. So they can either take her word for it- 

Or She and Boruto Undo “Omnipotence.”

If not for the World’s sake, then because Kawaki is clearly going overboard with his Ohtsusuki Genocide Quest. If he refuses to team up with Boruto just because he’s an Ohtsusuki, then I think they’d come to the conclusion that this whole “Revenge Quest” needs to Stop. And what better way than to End the Overwrite? It would send everyone after Kawaki instead, and they could actually MAKE A PLAN to deal with the Trees, Code, and then worry about Kawaki. But as I’m saying this, I’m realizing 2 things: 

1. This series really is just like “Naruto:” Sasuke/Kawaki is out for revenge on Itachi/The Ohtsusuki- the one’s responsible for ruining their lives. Though in an inversion of that concept: Sasuke is out to AVENGE his entire clan- Kawaki is out to DESTROY one. One makes his goal clear– the other is still hiding behind the guise of “protection.” And the blonde of the village who has similar circumstances is going on a path to understand that feeling; the feeling of wanting revenge on the person/people who caused you such misery. Sasuke blamed Itachi, then the Leaf, then the world; Boruto despises the Ohtsusuki, but at the end of the day– Kawaki’s the one who took everything from him, as Itachi did to Sasuke. Huh…………… looking at it like this; Boruto’s story is really more of an inversion of Naruto’s- he and his “Sasuke” both metaphorically and literally switching places, but still with the goal of “Understanding” the other guy. Naruto reached Sasuke through words- Boruto’s going to have to beat this lesson into Kawaki.
2. As much as I would LIKE to believe that Boruto getting his life back would be that simple– That’s Not Going To Happen For Him. This is a “Ritches To Rags” story– this is how Boruto loses everything; for him to just “Wish Upon An Android” and get his life back would be to abandon the themes of the story and all that’s been built up. He can’t just “come back” and get everything he wants. So even though Eida might chose to side with Boruto- I don’t think she can undo Omnipotence’s effects. If she could, then her “Charm” wouldn’t be this active- if at all.

This being said, I think any agreement that Boruto and Shikamaru make will result in Boruto getting Life Imprisonment rather than an outright Death Sentence. Though…………… that depends on his reasoning for “killing Naruto.” If it were just Momoshiki, then that’s not his fault. But Kawaki made it out like BORUTO was the one that “slayed” him. He’ll have to think of a reason WHY that would have happened. His answer is what would determine the terms of their alliance. No amount of “Guilt” would make up it in the end, either; there’s a “price” to pay………….. for a crime he didn’t even commit. That’s just one more tragedy in his life at this point…………………

Koji’s New Mission 

This is the Last Thing that I want to mention, and it’s kind of short: Koji Kashin’s New Goal. He was created with the Express Purpose defeating Isshiki. Which he didn’t. But that matters little because Isshiki is no more. And he lived no less. So now he has the rest of his life to do whatever he wants………….. or so it would seem. When fighting Ohtsusuki is the only thing your life has been about- I doubt giving up that life so easily. Especially with Code out there trying to fulfill Isshiki’s will and making the Chakra Fruit. He might have just gone off to find a way to stop Code completely– be it a way to kill the Ten Tails or information on how Code’s modifications work. And when Boruto lost Sasuke, he saw an opportunity to ally himself with someone strong– someone after the same goal as himself. It might also be something in his “blood” telling him to train this kid up. Thus- An Alliance Was Born. 

Uh…………. Where he stands with Konoha at this point? Probably in the same category as Amado: An Ally to keep and eye on. Though unlike Amado he’s not officially allied with the Leaf, choosing to reach out the Boruto because they’re both in a situation where they need strong allies at their backs. Plus they make a really good team for infiltrating Konoha; his chakra signature being that of Jiriya doesn’t alert anyone to his presence, and Boruto can likely erase his chakra signature at this point. So there’s that. He’s likely come with Boruto to ally with Konoha in preparation for the Divine Tree’s assault. 

Conclusion 

HOLY CR@P That took a lot of time!! Like………… I don’t even know if I’m going to finish this paragraph before the end of the year, looking my computer battery on Sunday, December 31st, 2023, around 2:53 pm. If I do, then this post will be out………… still probably around 6 or 7 pm tonight; I gotta do a few things to the post to make sure that it’s ready to come out. But that would still make THIS The Last Post I Put Out In 2023. I guess there’s something to having a post come out at the last minute on the last day of the Year; something about “What Was Accomplished This Year Being the base for what will be done in the next” or something fake-deep like that. Oh man I’m at the point where I just want to put this post out!! Um……….. I’m glad i finished this before the next chapter of Dead Rock is fully translated! It would be a hassle dealing with 2 monthly’s at once. Guess that’s the Saving Grace of a Movie Retelling; I only had the 2 monthlies to deal with about 2 weeks apart. Ah…………….. Eh. 

Happy New Year, Everyone.

Let’s………….. make through January before we trying “Blossoming Into Our Best Selves.” The 2020s thus far have all been starting with misery, so let’s just wait and see how this thing starts off. In whatever case, folks; Stay Safe- Stay Healthy- And I hope you guys enjoyed whatever New Year’s Party you attended. I love you all. Catch ya later…………