“Boruto: Two Blue Vortex” Manga Issue 20 Review: Because of Love

Boruto Two Blue Vortex manga issue 20, titled ‘Because of Love’, gave fans the moment they have been waiting for as the fight with Ryu led to Salad Uchiha finally showcasing her Mangekyo Sharingan.

Things took a turn for the worse in the previous manga chapter, with Konohamaru confronting Matsuri on his own and Salad, Mitsuki, Yodo, and Araya trying to counter Ryu’s immense power. That Iron Sand was no joke, and I was interested in seeing what the young ninjas would do after Ryu took away Araya’s Iron Sand-manipulating sword.

‘Because of Love’ opened with Matsuri still attacking Konohamaru and talking about how she was ready to eat him. However, it was obvious she was hesitating to deal the final blow. Emotions were raging inside Matsuri. She felt a strong connection to Konohamaru. She wanted him to live but her survival instincts were labeling him as a threat to her existence. As Jura mentioned in the previous chapter, the aim of the Humanoid Shinju was to evolve beyond allowing human emotions, like love, to govern their actions. And Matsuri was kind of failing at that.

I was expecting her to shed a tear or two while trying to consume Konohamaru. I mean, wondering why water comes out of the eyeballs was a trope we have seen time and time again when exploring characters trying to understand their humanity. However, I wasn’t expecting the panel that showed Jura letting a single teardrop roll down his cheek due to what Matsuri was going through. I get that the Humanoid Shinju were a hivemind, but I still wasn’t expecting Jura to actually shed a tear in such a manner.

Remembering what Shikamaru had said about attacking the Humanoid Shinju when their guard was down, I liked how Konohamaru went about dealing with Matsuri. He played into their one-sided emotional connection and encouraged Matsuri to hold his hands. Konohamaru unleashing two Giant Rasengans was a cool moment. He really disintegrated most of Matsuri’s body. However, his hesitation to completely destroy her body when he had a chance could cost him his life in the upcoming issue. Matsuri was still able to fight even while missing her lower body and arms.

I can see certain fans disliking Konohamaru’s hesitation, considering he’s supposed to be an experienced ninja. But I think we have to understand that Boruto Two Blue Vortex is telling a story about human emotions, and there’s still more that needs to be explored during Konohamaru vs Matsuri. Also, it doesn’t help when your opponent has the face of a loved one. So, try and cut Konohamaru some slack.

Jumping to the fight with Ryu, yes, to Mitsuki tapping into his Sage Mode. His snakes were strong enough to break through Ryu’s Iron Sand. Mitsuki’s strength was a reason Ryu had to use Araya as a shield to stop Mitsuki from landing an attack. Having said that, the fact Ryu was able to make Mitsuki lose his Sage Mode with a single hit… again, the Humanoid Shinju are OP.

With Mitsuki and Araya having fallen under Ryu’s control via the Iron Sand, I enjoyed the conversation between Yodo and Salad as the two young ninjas tried to figure out a strategy to save their teammates. Ryu even presented an offer that involved him releasing Mitsuki and Araya in exchange for any intel about Boruto or Kashin Koji, which Salad stated she didn’t have.

Kudos to Yodo for sacrificing herself to ensure Salad, Mitsuki, and Araya’s freedom. She was ready to work for Ryu to help collect intel on Boruto and Kashin Koji in return for her teammates’ safety. It didn’t work, but still, points to Yodo for putting her life on the line to protect the rest.

Due to Salad being in her feels before the battle even started because of what Sumire had said to her, ‘Because of Love’ continued to talk about Salad’s emotions concerning Boruto. Being a Sensory Type, Yodo picked up on the fact that Salad was hiding a power inside of her due to her confused feelings related to protecting and helping Boruto. I liked what Yodo said about how it’s okay to use your abilities during instances that aren’t always the greater good. Salad wasn’t with Boruto right now, but her teammates needed her.

Some fans might see Salad not going all in against Ryu as selfish, but I think it’s a bit more complex than that. In my opinion, Salad was facing a mental block due to how her Mangekyo Sharingan first manifested when she pleaded to Sasuke to save Boruto back in Boruto: Next Generations manga issue 80 (April 2023). Salad was experiencing strong (and somewhat traumatic) emotions during that moment. So, it made sense for her to not want to feel that way ever again. And it’s not her fault she’s emotional. The Uchiha Clan has been known to experience love (of any kind) quite intensely. It was the entire reason for Sasuke Uchiha’s character journey.

Over the course of the events that have transpired since the timeskip, I think Salad’s able to have better control over her feelings and thus her MS ability. And that’s exactly what she demonstrated in the latest chapter. Her team needed a trump card and Salad needed to be okay with accepting her feelings (those linked to Boruto and others) to unleash her MS again.

From what I could understand, Salad’s Mangekyo Sharingan ability seemed to have created a tiny black hole in the sky capable of sucking away Ryu’s Iron Sand. Such an ability would mean Salad could take away Ninjutsu and force her opponent to focus on Taijutsu, which they likely wouldn’t be happy about due to Salad having monstrous strength like Sakura.

Such an ability also made narrative sense due to Salad’s role being one of providing support to Boruto while fighting alongside him down the line. Getting rid of pesky Ninjutsu could help even out the playing field when facing the OP Humanoid Shinju.

Of course, we will get more explanation about Salad’s Mangekyo Sharingan in the next chapter. How long she can keep it activated for? Can it suck away more than one type of Ninjutsu at once? Can she redirect the sucked Ninjustu as an attack? I have so many questions and I would like at least some of the answers ASAP.  

What did you think of Boruto Two Blue Vortex manga issue 20 ‘Because of Love’?

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.

Twitter

Help support independent journalism. Subscribe to our Patreon.

Copyright © The Geekiary