Boruto's opening flashforward isn't as complicated as fans think

Modified Nov 28, 2024 06:13 GMT

The Boruto and Naruto series have heavily explored the brutality and consequences of wars throughout their runtimes. Although the original anime ended soon after the Fourth Great Shinobi War, it essentially served as a precursor to a prolonged era of peace.

The Boruto series delves into the outcome of this "Era of Peace," marked by rampant technological advancement and an overall improvement in the quality of life for much of the shinobi population. The initial hook, which depicted Kawaki and Boruto's fight, with Kawaki coining the phrase "The Era of Shinobi is Over," has become one of the most heavily discussed topics within the fandom.

The actual meaning behind these words might be an extension of the "Era of Peace" and the end of scenarios necessitating the need for shinobi, but in a much more gruesome way.

Disclaimer- This article contains spoilers for the Boruto series and reflects the author's opinions.

Boruto: The ending of the series might have been explored in the fillers

Madara Uchiha as shown in the anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

The story within Naruto explored the origins of chakra, shinobi, and the overall history of their world. Madara Uchiha, who served as one of the main orchestrators of the Fourth Great Ninja War, mainly enacted his plan to stop all conflict by trapping every single person in a genjutsu comprised of their "ideal" life. This would have resulted in the extermination of war.

A similar goal was pursued by Kaguya, with her primary objective being eternal rule over Earth along with its protection from the planet-invading Otsutsuki clan.

While Madara's goals were heavily influenced by Black Zetsu, the aversion to and animosity toward the act of war and large-scale tragedy remain primary concerns for the antagonists throughout the series.

Kaguya as shown in the anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Although Naruto and Sasuke put an end to Kaguya and essentially ushered in a prolonged era of calm and peace, the Otsutsuki threat remains one of the few significant events that could lead to needless war and tragedy.

The current antagonist, Kawaki, also shares a similar but much more specific goal that compels him to get rid of the Otsutsuki clan to make the world safer for Naruto and protect his life at all costs.

This eventually led to him sealing both Naruto and Hinata in a secluded dimension, with both being suspended in time.

Kawaki as shown in the manga (Image via Shueisha)

The current tone of Boruto has seen a significant shift from the need for traditional shinobi, with shinobi tools essentially reducing the demand for shinobi.

The prolonged peace has also impacted many villages, with Sunagakure being hit the hardest due to war, and war supplies being its primary source of income.

This overall theme of the world moving beyond shinobi and war as a whole might be a blatant reference to Kawaki's "The era of shinobi is over." Kawaki's goal of protecting Naruto might devolve into eliminating every single threat or potential threat within the series while also eradicating the Otsutsukis and crippling every warring state.

This would continue the recurring theme of the antagonist's goals, but on a much larger scale, getting rid of the need for shinobi.

Final thoughts

The story within the Boruto series has currently reached a point where the Otsutsuki and the Divine Tree are much more involved. It is possible that Kawaki's quest to exterminate all Otsutsuki might devolve into him eliminating every obstacle and conflict that necessitates the existence of shinobi and the loss of life.