Kurama's return in Boruto Two Blue Vortex is exactly what the series needed

Boruto Two Blue Vortex chapter 9, titled Nine Tails, dropped on April 19, 2024, and brought with it a surprising twist: the reappearance of the tailed beast, Kurama. Fans of the series would recall that Kurama was believed to have died when Naruto, in his Baryon Mode, fought against Isshiki Otsutsuki and exhausted all his chakra. This incident left many readers feeling both upset and angry.

It has been a point of contention for manga readers that many renowned shounen series tend to avoid character deaths and often fake them, even in situations where death seems inevitable. However, this criticism does not quite hold for Kurama since this is not the first time that a tailed beast has died and then made a comeback. Isobu, or Three-Tails, had died along with his jinchuriki, Rin Nohara, only to be revived later.

Kurama’s surprising reappearance in the manga leaves a lot to be answered. It raises questions about the reasons behind Kurama's decision to abandon Naruto and what led him to choose Himawari as his new host. Also, how this was even possible is another question. However, this unexpected twist can be seen as a necessary development, as it paves the way for Himawari to finally come into focus.

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers.

Kurama’s return in Boruto Two Blue Vortex is great for Himawari

An annoyed Kurama as seen in the Boruto anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Boruto readers were given the impression that despite the seventh Hokage being sealed away by Kawaki, the Shinju, Jura, and Hidari had somehow sensed Naruto's presence in Konoha. However, Boruto Two Blue Vortex chapter 9 reveals that they are actually following Kurama’s chakra. This, quite unexpectedly, leads them to Himawari, whom Jura now wants to devour.

At the end of the chapter, Himawari manages to escape from them thanks to her friends. During her escape, Kurama reveals himself to her at the Mental Plane for the first time. But it is not the intimidating Kurama fans are familiar with; instead, it is a tiny tailed beast who is rather annoyed at being discovered by Ten-Tails. He then asks Himawari if she recognizes him, to which she replies that she does.

What has emerged as a really positive aspect of Boruto Two Blue Vortex has been its ability to reintroduce old elements in new forms. It is not merely a case of presenting old wine in a new bottle, but rather using the old to create something wholly original that still appeals to long-time fans.

Boruto's ingenious adaptation of the Rasengan is a prime example of maintaining both a sense of continuity with Naruto as well as being innovative and relevant in terms of the narrative. Similarly, the return of Kurama is a welcome development. As the Boruto Two Blue Vortex chapter 9 suggests, this is not just a smaller version of Kurama, but a Kurama whose relationship with Himawari is expected to be significantly different from his relationship with Naruto.

Himawari has been hinted at as a character with immense potential for some time now, but perhaps due to her age, the manga has largely kept her in the sidelines. Kishimoto has admitted to struggling with writing female characters, which has resulted in some peculiar character arcs in Naruto as well. However, there is hope that Kishimoto will handle Himawari's development with the same care he has shown for Naruto and Boruto.

Himawari as seen in the Boruto anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

The revelation that Kurama now resides within Himawari opens up a plethora of possibilities. This includes a probable recreation of the Fourth Great Ninja War, where Naruto, along with Kurama and the rest of the Ninja world, battled Kaguya Otsutsuki, who had merged with the God Tree to become Ten-Tails.

In Boruto Two Blue Vortex, Himawari, with Kurama, and the rest of the Ninja world could wage a Great War against the Ten-Tails beings. These beings were unintentionally created by Code when he used his claw marks on the juvenile Ten-Tails in Kara's possession. The Shinju, now self-aware and no longer driven by their instinct to consume chakra, pose a significant threat to the Ninja world with their wide range of powers.

Kishimoto's revelation of both the final battle between Kawaki and Boruto in the opening pages of the manga and now this hint at another Great War are certain to generate excitement among fans, who would be even more interested to see how the journey unfolds rather than how the story ends. This is similar to the anticipation created when Momoshiki revealed Boruto's future, causing readers to become more interested in how the events will unfold.