22 Years Later, Boruto's Strongest Uchiha Is Inspiring The Sasuke Retrieval Arc's Epic Sequel

Back in Summer 2003, the Naruto franchise was in a very different place. The Chunin Exams ended in absolute disaster, with a multi-pronged offensive by Orochimaru and the cooperation of the Hidden Sand and Sound villages. Naruto Uzumaki showcased the first glimpse of his awesome potential in the battles that’d follow, with Sasuke Uchiha suddenly realizing others are surging ahead while his growth began to stagnate. Wishing to be strong enough to take down his brother, Itachi, Sasuke infamously defected from Konoha, commencing the Sasuke Retrieval Arc aka the Sasuke Recovery Mission. Now, over 22 years later, an interesting spin on this arc may be happening.

Rather than chasing down and recovering a wayward ninja hell-bent on betraying his village in the pursuit of greater power, Naruto’s son, Boruto, faces a different sort of challenge in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex. The young shinobi even trained directly under Sasuke during the three-year timeskip, with Boruto forced on the run after his village was effectively brainwashed to think he was an Otsutsuki who murdered his father. But now, as the next arc kicks off, the recurring villain Code has resurfaced, with Boruto being tipped off that he could be after Sasuke’s daughter, Sarada, setting up a very different rescue mission.

Boruto Is About To Invert the Sasuke Rescue Mission In A Big Way

In Boruto: Two Blue Vortex chapter #34, Boruto is warned by Koji Kashin about his imminent meeting with Code at the site of Bug’s imprisonment. Planning to bring the Thorn Soul Bulb to Bug and prevent Mamushi from returning, Boruto knew this reunion would happen one way or another, with Koji noting three possible outcomes:

Boruto kills Code
Code escapes, going after Sarada to take to the Divine Trees as a bargaining chip and lure out Boruto
Code sides with Boruto against the Divine Trees

After a brief clash, Boruto asks how Code intends to kill him “if he’s so scared”, with Code ominously suggesting he’ll see soon enough, before disappearing into his Claw Marks. Given Code could resurface anywhere, and certainly given his lack of implied desire to throw in with Boruto against Jura, it seems clear, for now, that he’s going after Sarada. This is especially alarming as the young Uchiha is growing increasingly blind from overuse of her Mangekyo Sharingan, putting her especially at risk while in recovery under Sakura’s care. Realistically, Sarada’s a sitting duck, and the only one with the foresight to save her is currently the rogue ninja and Konoha’s public enemy #1.

8 New Boruto Jutsu So Strong, They’re Beyond God Tier

Boruto’s upping the ante in the jutsu department, from space-time to all possible futures.

The result could set up an inversion of Naruto’s attempt to rescue Sasuke. Boruto may risk capture in Konoha, but he knows that leaving things to chance could result in Code snatching Sarada, taking her to the Divine Trees, and her potentially being devoured by Hidari. The implied outcome could be far deadlier to the concerned Uchiha in this variation on the classic Naruto arc, and could be a fantastic moment for these characters to fully address their bond.

Sarada Uchiha Is Dangerously Vulnerable In The Latest Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Arc

Despite risking losing her eyesight altogether as the price for her newfound power, Sarada still seems committed to using her Mangekyo Sharingan to help Boruto fight the good fight. Sakura even recognizes this stubbornness, seeing herself in her daughter, choosing to stand behind her instead of scold her dangerous loyalty. But the point still stands that Sarada is at her most vulnerable state yet in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, seemingly in no condition to fight as the last Inner of Kara is likely on his way to capture her. With Code merely needing to go as far as the nearest Claw Mark to Sarada’s position, and seemingly just Sumire and ChoCho, maybe Sakura, to protect her, things look rather dicey.

While several of these fighters can certainly take Code in a straight fight, his Claw Marks give him an instant retreat they won’t likely be able to keep up with. Given this strong possibility, it could be smarter for Boruto to try and intercept Code’s likely meeting with the Divine Trees, whether by more clever placement of chakra-infused objects for Flying Raijin ambush like in chapter #4, or something else unforeseen. For now, though, this unique predicament for Sarada raises the stakes in a fascinating new direction, speaking to the volatility of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex’s world given her immense show of power even a year ago, and it’ll be exciting to watch unfold.