The following article contains spoilers for Naruto and Boruto.
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Boruto: Two Blue Vortexhas introduced many mysteries that will likely be revealed as the story unfolds.Boruto: Naruto Next Generationsintroduced Shibai Otsutsuki, an enigmatic figure and the most powerful member of the Otsutsuki clan.
Shibai hasn’t appeared in the story yet, and it would currently be impossible for him to do so, since he supposedly became a god. However, there is a good chance that he will return or that his remains will play a significant role in future story arcs.
Who Is Shibai Otsutsuki in Boruto?
Shibai is introduced in the finalchapters ofBoruto: Naruto Next Generations. He is first mentioned in the story during Chapter 75, “The Domain of Gods,” when Amado explains more about Eida/Ada and Daemon. Shibai was a power-hungry Otsutsuki, as usual, who destroyed several planets in his hunt for more power. He traveled from planet to planet to consume Chakra Fruit, becoming insanely powerful in the process.
According to the story, he avoided death by using Karma Resurrection and consuming Chakra Fruits. He achieved such a high level of power that he ascended to godhood and is considered a deity among the Otsutsuki. His techniques are much more powerful than the regular ninjutsu in the Naruto universe — they are called shinjutsu.Momoshiki confirms to Borutothat Shibai achieved such a high level of power that he ascended to a different dimension, and discarded his mortal body in the process. Therefore, he should no longer exist physically in Boruto’s universe.
Shibai could see through time and instantly travel to anywhere using his powers. Among his abilities is Omnipotence, a powerful shinjutsu that can change reality at the user’s will. Eida can use this technique because Amado introduced some of Shibai’s genes into her. However, it is unclear how much control she has over it. She also inherited the Senringan.
Why Fans Expect Shibai to Return?
Many fans are skeptical that Shibai would “simply” leave the world after such a long pursuit of becoming the most powerful person in the universe. Furthermore, they don’t believe that Ikemoto would introduce such a character if he didn’t intend to bring him back later.
Not only that, but all we know about Shibai has been told or deduced by other characters, which makes fans curious to learn more about him and see him in action. While not impossible, it would be frustrating to create such deep lore about someone only to discard it, especially since there are many ways to incorporate Shibai into the story. For instance, the remains of his body could trigger events related to him. Since he is so overpowered, fans believe that Shibai should be the final villain.
Could Amado Actually Be Shibai?
As a researcher,Amado is expected to knowthings that regular characters wouldn’t. For example, he has deduced that they must be living in a simulation by rationally analyzing the available evidence — he may be the only character who is not Omnipotence-immune to have figured it out on his own. Currently, Amado seems focused on resurrecting his daughter, Akebi Sanzu, with the help of cloning technology.
However, fans are skeptical that Amado was “lucky” enough to find Shibai’s remains, and how much he knows about Shibai. They believe that there must be a deeper relation between Amado and Shibai: Amado somehow is Shibai, in their opinion. While that may be a reasonable theory, Amado could have learned most of it after meeting Jigen, as the story suggests. Shibai’s remains could also be related to Isshiki. At this point, Amado could be hiding something and be related to Shibai, or he could just be a very good scientist.
Akebi Could Also Be Related to Shibai
Amado asked Kawaki to help him bring Akebi back by implanting his Karma. Kawaki agrees to it, as long as Akebi does not turn into an Otsutsuki — and he tells Amado that he will kill her if she does. This, of course, has led fans to believe thatAkebi will turn into a powerful Otsutsukiand become an antagonist in an upcoming arc.
All I need is for you to implant this vessel with a Karma… and my daughter can be reborn.
Amado Sanzu in Boruto TBV Chapter 18
Many fans believe that, in his desperation to revive his daughter, Amado will end up reviving Shibai. Whether due to Kawaki’s Karma or something else in the process. Since the story has already hinted that Akebi could return as an Otsutsuki, it seems likely that this will happen. However, many believe that she will not just be another Otsutsuki; she will be Shibai. There could be other ways for Shibai to return as an antagonist, but Akebi and Amado seem to be the best options for now. If Akebi turns out to be an Otsutsuki, there is also a good chancethat Amado will die.
Boruto: Two Blue Vortexis available toread on MANGA Plusin English and Spanish.
