“Boruto: Naruto Next Generations” Manga Issue 78 Review: Super Idiot

A lot happened in Boruto manga chapter 78, titled ‘Super Idiot’, as ninjas in Konoha got to learn about Kawaki sealing away Naruto and Hinata. Kawaki’s dead set on killing Boruto. But he needs to come up with an actual plan to accomplish his goal.

‘Super Idiot’ opened with Shikamaru being told by Konoha’s Sensory Team that Naruto and Hinata’s Chakra had vanished and that Kawaki’s Chakra had registered inside the Uzumaki house mere seconds ago. The information got Shikamaru thinking about why Kawaki would do such a thing. I liked how he asked Eida to use her Senrigan to double-check. The Senrigan’s ability to look into the past was well-visualized. It’s as if the user’s looking at a giant TV screen. Eida did mention surveillance cameras when she was introduced.

I did feel really bad for Himawari, though. She returned home from her shopping trip after being almost punched in the face by Daemon (in the previous chapter), and then the current chapter made her learn that her parents had vanished.

Of course, Boruto decided to go back home after learning about what Kawaki had done to his parents. Seeing Kawaki confront Boruto on top of the Hokage statues made for a nice moment. We know that the entire village will be destroyed in the near future. So, that upcoming battle in the same location will make for a nice callback.  

I also liked seeing how Talk-No Jutsu wasn’t going to work on Kawaki. He really wanted to kill Boruto/Momoshiki. Their fight was short and well-choreographed. But it was obvious the creative couldn’t go all out yet.

With Kawaki acting out in such a manner, Amado was understandably worried. He knew that the Konoha ninja would kill Kawaki if things were pushed too far. And Amado couldn’t have that. Sai’s keeping an eye on Amado. So, I’m interested in seeing if Amado’s got some kind of contingency plan for Kawaki wanting a bloodbath against the Otsutsuki. We all know Amado needed Kawaki alive for personal reasons.

The only thing I didn’t like about ‘Super Idiot’ was how Salad was treated. After finally learning about how Kawaki had killed Boruto previously, she ran after Boruto to protect him. Now, I’m all for Salad running to save her teammate and friend. However, after reaching the battlefield, she really didn’t do anything. Yes, she distracted Kawaki from landing a hit on Boruto by using her Fire-Style Jutsu. But then seeing her stand between Boruto and Kawai with only a kunai made me go, “Seriously?”

And the fact that she couldn’t dodge Kawaki’s incoming attack and Boruto had to step in to save her made me roll my eyes. Like, maybe she was better off staying on the sidelines as Sumire and Shikamaru had suggested? Salad continues to be the weakest member of Team 7, and I’m not a fan of that. What’s more, Boruto’s left eye got slashed by Kawaki as he tried to save Salad.

The fandom spent years trying to guess how Boruto would have his eye slashed. Some of the fan theories were indeed quite cool. And ‘Super Idiot’ revealing that Boruto injured his eye because he was protecting Salad was, frankly, quite anti-climatic.

Now, there’s a chance such a decision might build toward something big for Salad. Seeing Boruto’s injury could serve as a reminder to Salad that she needs to grow a lot stronger to save her friends and become Hokage. Hmmm. Let’s see. 

At least Mitsuki fared a bit better. He intervened after Shikamaru had thought of a plan to restrain Kawaki. It was shared that Shadow Paralysis Jutsu was capable of preventing Kawai from using Sukunahikona to shrink himself. And covering the Karma Mark, which Mitsuki did by placing his hand on Kawaki’s palm, was enough to stop Kawaki from absorbing Jutsus that didn’t have a natural origin.

Mitsuki’s all about going for the kill when protecting Boruto from Kawaki. And considering we got a glimpse of the future showing Mitsuki activating his Sage Mode, I’m very excited about Kawaki and Mitsuki having an actual battle. And even if Mitsuki lost and was on the verge of death, I think Orochimaru’s more than capable of patching him up.

Mitsuki gave Boruto a very intense look after their confrontation with Kawaki. I could be wrong here, but I have a feeling that Mitsuki’s also feeling a bit conflicted because of juggling caring for Boruto and realizing that Momoshiki could take over his body and threaten the entire world. With Boruto being Mitsuki’s “Sun”, having Mitsuki be faced with the possibility of killing someone he “loves” could make for a strong character arc. 

The big twist involved Momoshiki taking over Boruto’s body and helping Kawaki escape. Momoshiki’s clearly planning something. We also have to remember that he’s already seen the future. So, he knows how things will play out. The future Momoshiki saw must be to his advantage, considering the move he pulled. Everyone, including Kawaki, was confused about why Momoshiki let him escape even though Kawaki wanted to kill him. The simple reason could be that Momoshiki needed Kawaki alive so he could feed him to the Ten-Tails. But let’s see what the actual answer ends up being.

‘Super Idiot’ ended with Konoha ninjas being ordered by Shikamaru to track Kawaki down as he ran away. Even though, according to Shikamaru, Kawaki would be running low on Chakra now, I highly doubt he’s going to be a pushover.

Other thoughts and questions

• With Eida mentioning that she couldn’t track Kawaki because he wasn’t physically visible due to using the Sukunahikona, does that mean that other Jutsus that can make people invisible can work against the Senrigan, too?
• I just have this weird feeling that Daemon might be following Himawari. It was very strange not to see him in the scene featuring Sumire, Salad, Boruto, and Eida.
• Time didn’t flow in the dimension Kawaki sent Naruto and Himawari by using Daikokuten. So, I guess I kind of feel good about them not growing old or even needing to eat and drink while the rest of the characters try to free them. I was worried about their well-being.
• When is Code going to attack Konoha? The village is very vulnerable right now.
• Due to the Shadow Paralysis Jutsu preventing Kawaki from using Sukunahikona, it makes sense why we saw Shikadai and his teammates in Boruto’s vision of the future.
• With Salad rushing to “save” Boruto, I think Eida’s on to the fact that her Charm power never worked on Salad. I also wouldn’t be surprised if Eida realized that Sumire was faking being under Eida’s influence, too. The drama!
• Also, will Eida continue to live in Konoha if Kawaki’s not there anymore?

What did you think of Boruto manga issue 78?

Let us know.

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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