Boruto’s Latest Arc Challenges One of Shonen Jump’s Greatest Stories Ever

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Since the significant time-jump in “Two Blue Vortex,” Boruto has noticeably improved, and a major factor contributing to this is the complete change in antagonists. In contrast to the initial storyline of Naruto Next Generations, Boruto, the first part focused primarily on the Otsutsuki clan’s direct involvement. However, “Two Blue Vortex” has instead chosen to focus on a new adversary that is indirectly linked to the Otsutsuki. I’ll delve deeper into this topic after the spoiler warning.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Boruto: Two Blue Vortex up to Chapter 24!

The storyline titled “Two Blue Vortex” in Boruto series is revisiting a common narrative pattern that battle shonen fans are well-acquainted with: introducing sentient enemies out of nowhere. These new adversaries, known as the Divine Trees, bear a striking resemblance to the universally praised Chimera Ants from Hunter x Hunter. We’ll delve into how Boruto‘s interpretation of this trope sets it apart from the most celebrated execution in shonen genre and discuss what makes it so compelling.

Boruto: Two Blue Vortex’s Divine Trees Follow a Time-Tested Pattern

In the realm known as Two Blue Vortex, the Divine Trees appear following the defeat of most Kara Inners. This event sets the stage for Code to assume the Otsutsuki’s will, a responsibility he accepts by choosing to sacrifice either Boruto or Kawaki. By doing so, he aims to make the Divine Tree tangible and absorb all the Earth’s wisdom and energy. To boost his offensive power, Code splits the Ten-Tails into beings called Claw Grimes. These creatures can transform shinobi into Divine Trees, draining their chakra and rendering them completely immobile.

The Ten-Tails fragments begin to mirror the chakra (and thus the souls) of shinobi; other Claw Grimes metamorphose into Divine Trees, evolving into humanoid forms of Claw Grimes. This transformation took everyone by surprise, even Code himself.

In less predictable forms of life, it’s found that they may develop self-awareness and consciousness beyond what audiences typically anticipate, not just in anime and manga (such as the replicants in Blade Runner). However, the approach to evolution seen in Two Blue Vortex shares similarities with the Chimera Ants from Hunter x Hunter, where the emergence of sentience is linked to the ingestion of human prey.

To maintain an engaging atmosphere for readers unfamiliar with “Hunter x Hunter”, we’ll restrain from disclosing excessive details about the Chimera Ants. However, their evolutionary process primarily involves assimilating characteristics from their victims. This progressive adaptation culminates in the emergence of a formidable and intelligent “King”, Meruem. Although he perceives Chimera Ants and their rapid advancement as proof of their supremacy over humans, a significant aspect of the Chimera Ant narrative revolves around his encounters with people and the development of a rudimentary sense of morality or ‘conscience’ within him, stemming from his humanoid transformation that carries an innate curiosity.

What Makes Boruto‘s Divine Trees So Surprising and Effective?

Regardless of their shared characteristics, Boruto’s portrayal of the humanoid evolution concept offers unique advantages and has generated some of the most intriguing (or simply fascinating) scenes in Two Blue Vortex yet. Unlike Code who is eager to carry out the Otsutsuki’s plans as quickly as possible, Jura, the head of the Divine Trees, develops a curiosity towards humans and is insatiably curious about their wisdom. One of the most captivating moments in Two Blue Vortex thus far occurs when Jura temporarily suspends all actions to allow the Divine Trees to continue learning more about humanity.

Beyond what you see, some intriguing occurrences stem from Jura’s simple desire to read and learn at present. For instance, Shikamaru issues a directive to leave him alone and interact with him like an ordinary customer when he visits Konoha for books, due to his apprehension about his power and his amusement over his peaceful thirst for knowledge. Furthermore, the growing consciousness of the Divine Trees regarding the human world significantly impacts their strategy: in the “Matsuri and Ryu” storyline, the strategy against the Divine Trees revolves around exploiting their curiosity, passive nature, and limited understanding of humans.

What sets Boruto’s Divine Trees apart is their clever use of contrast. Initially, the villains in the early part of the story were quite simple: the Otsutsuki wanted to consume the planet, while the Kara androids, experiments, and clones followed only the orders they’d ever been given. This is strikingly different from Naruto’s villains who had complex emotional lives. The introduction of Two Blue Vortex emphasizes this uniqueness because the Divine Trees aren’t “evil for evil’s sake,” and in fact, they barely fit the definition of ‘evil’ to begin with.

In their own league, distinct from the antagonists in both Naruto and Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, these Divine Trees could potentially emerge as the most captivating villains either series has encountered. At the minimum, they serve as a powerful illustration of the transformation and growth in the nature of villains within Naruto and Boruto.

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2025-08-04 03:10