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Boruto chapter 71 ended on a startling note as Eida and Code parted ways after Amado was forced to remove the limiters on Code’s power. The latter vowed to take revenge upon Kawaki, foreshadowing his rise as the new major villain in the series. Chapter 72 continues along the same path and promises something far more ominous in the near future.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the Boruto manga. All external media in this article are the property of their respective owners and Sportskeeda claims no ownership of the same.
Boruto chapter 72 summary and highlights
Amado calls Shikamaru
Boruto chapter 72 features Momoshiki on the cover page, anticipating his return in the series.The chapter is titled “Smaller and More Useful,” and its significance becomes clearer later on in the chapter. The chapter opens with Shikamaru and Naruto questioning Kawaki regarding Amado’s true intentions behind restoring his karma, who admits that he wants to know that as well.
He further asks if it matters now that Amado has been captured by Code and is as good as dead. This escalates into a brief argument that Naruto tries to diffuse. However, the commotion is interrupted when Shikamaru gets a phone call from Amado.
Amado informs him that he is alive and is currently at a train station on the outskirts of the Land of Snow, adding that it would take them three or four days to return to Konoha. When Shikamaru asks about Code and warns that there better not be any Claw Marks on them, Amado reassures him that he will not fall for the same trick. He proceeds to tell Shikamaru that Eida has parted ways with Code and will ally with Konoha and asks him to prepare a nice place for her to stay.
When Shikamaru asks about Daemon, he states that the latter would naturally be accompanying his older sister. Shikamaru indignantly tells Amado that he had no authority to make such deals and Amado counters by saying that it was all up to Eida’s wish and they have no option but to comply. With all that out of the way, he finally reveals that he was forced to rescind Code’s limiters to save his life.
Eida threatens Amado to cooperate
Amado uses chess pieces as an analogy to make Shikamaru understand how valuable Eida and Daemon would be as allies, proceeding to end the call. Eida irritatedly asks if Amado was calling them pawns, who pacifies her by saying it was a metaphor that worked well for Shikamaru. She threatens to kill Amado if he doesn't play matchmaker and help her get closer to Kawaki.
Eida tells him that it is his fault that she has the ability to enchant people and says that she is half-inclined to kill him right now,. However, Daemon pops up to state that he would be doing the actual killing on her behalf. Meanwhile, Shikamaru begins formulating a plan to deal with Eida and summons Naruto and Team Seven, which includes both Boruto and Kawaki, to the Hokage’s office.
Momoshiki appears
Chapter 72 then shifts to the Uzumaki household, where Boruto is heading out for his mission. Hinata intercepts him, breaking down as she confesses that every time he leaves for his mission, she worries that he might not return alive. Himawari is shown to be listening to their conversation as her brother promises Hinata that he would return home no matter what.
However, just as he steps outside, Momoshiki appears before him. The Otsutsuki taunts him for making a promise he can’t keep, repeating that his future holds nothing but despair. He adds that the moment of his vessel losing everything is rapidly approaching, and Boruto will succumb to such despair that he would want to die, which is when he will take over the latter’s consciousness.
Momoshiki declares that he does not care about resurrection anymore since possessing his vessel would yield the same result. When Boruto says he would rather die than let his body be taken over, Momoshiki states he won’t let his vessel die again.
Momoshiki disappears, and Sarada and Mitsuki arrive to find their teammate standing outside. They begin making easy banter about the mission but stop when they realize that something is not right. Boruto yells and says he will decide his own fate and moves ahead, leaving his teammates to follow. Mitsuki states that even if Boruto becomes possessed by Momoshiki, he would still likely remain himself.
Back in the Uzumaki household, Himawari asks her mother if her becoming a ninja would worry Hinata even more. She further adds that if it soothes her mother's mind, she will help out her older brother a bit more.
Code puts the Ten Tails to use
The final part of chapter 72 focuses on Code, which shows him taking Bug to the hiding place where he has stored the Ten Tails. He explains that it was a place that could normally be accessed through space-time ninjutsu, but he can travel to the location using Claw Marks, which he left when Jigen brought him here.
While Sasuke can no longer go there ever since the destruction of his Rinnegan, Code worries that Boruto and Kawaki might soon master space-time ninjutsu. Moreover, Bug is shocked by how nonchalant Code seems after losing his allies, who says that it’s all fine.
Readers will get a demonstration of Code’s enhanced abilities as he proceeds to cast several Claw Marks on the Ten Tails. Unlike before, he is now able to use his ability to completely envelop the Ten Tails and adjust it into what he deems as a more manageable size.
Code's Claw Marks, being half chakra and half material, fuses with the Ten Tails while cutting them into chunks. Each chunk then takes a humanoid form and can use Claw Marks. The chapter ends with Code using his own eye on the humanoid Ten Tail through his power and asking if this isn’t “smaller and more useful,” which is a direct reference to the title.
Final thoughts
Chapter 72 brings forth some interesting facts, accompanied by the foreshadowing of major events in the near future in the Boruto series. Moreover, Code creating multiple smaller bodies by using the Ten Tails suggests the possibility of an all-out war against Konoha.
The relegation of Eida’s welcome and surveillance to Team Seven will build up the significance and depth of their involvement in the story, especially for Sarada and Mitsuki. Additionally, Himawari’s query to Hinata suggests that readers might see more of the younger Uzumaki daughter in the future, fighting side by side with Boruto.
