Boruto Chapter 18: Konohamaru’s Dilemma and Matsuri’s Fate

So, we have the preview page for Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Chapter 18. This preview page continues the mission that Team 7 was pursuing in Chapter 17. The goal is to eliminate the Shinju, with one caveat: befriending them first.

On this preview page, Konohamaru continues his conversation with Matsuri. As we know, Matsuri does have some feelings for Konohamaru, which is why, in the last chapter of the Boruto manga, she was feeling a bit under the weather when trying to talk to him—simply because she couldn’t get her thoughts together.

That’s what the manga wants the reader to focus on. In this sneak peek page, Konohamaru and Matsuri sit together inside the Land of Wind. I’m just going to read the page to you:

“I was really nervous, but I don’t know why. At first, I was uneasy, but as we talked, I started to feel calm little by little. After all, it’s the first time we’ve met. Talking to you makes me feel like I can finally become the person I want to be in the future. It’s really fun.”

“Is that so? Well, then that’s good. Can I… can I call you Konohamaru-chan?”

So, that’s the preview page. It doesn’t look like anything crazy; however, let’s not forget that at the end of Chapter 17, Konohamaru and Matsuri start talking together when they sit down. This preview page continues that conversation.

I want to clarify: just because we see this preview page does not mean we won’t get anything crazier. Whenever there’s a preview page or a slow panel like this, people tend to conclude that we’re getting this for the entire chapter. That’s not the case here.

It shouldn’t be, as let’s not forget that in the last few pages of Chapter 17, Kawaki was pressing Amado to remove his limiters. Kawaki was limited in power when fighting all these villains at the start of Two Blue Vortex. So, at the beginning of Chapter 18, Kawaki eventually gets his limiters removed by Amado, enabling him to fight at full power.

However, I need to speak further in detail on this sneak peek page, as I could change the dynamic between Konohamaru and Matsuri. As we know, the current mission with Team 7 is to eliminate the Shinjus by first befriending them. Matsuri’s feelings for Konohamaru will make it easier for him to go for the kill since Matsuri’s guard has been dropped.

The fact that she’s calling Konohamaru “Chan” shows that she has some respect for him. This could make it harder for Konohamaru to go for the kill simply because he might see Matsuri as a friend. Konohamaru is not a little kid compared to some kids in Konoha. He’s a grown man, and with him being a Jonin, I expect him to go for the kill.

However, with Matsuri feeling this way and with all the Shinjus being told by Jura to look into their deepest desires, we know Matsuri’s most prominent target is Konohamaru. She does want to devour him—she made that declaration when she first appeared in Two Blue Vortex. This applies to all the Shinju that have appeared, such as Hidari, Mamushi, Jura, and Ryu.

Let’s not forget about that when it comes to Matsuri. Since she feels this way, she doesn’t attack Konohamaru immediately compared to some other Shinju. For example, when Hidari first saw Sarada, he immediately went for the kill and ultimately failed. Eventually, he will try to get his revenge.

However, unlike Matsuri, when she saw Konohamaru, she didn’t try to attack him right away. Instead, she became shy and didn’t want to talk to him until he decided to speak to her and suggested going to a separate place to sit down. With Konohamaru’s goal to receive the Thorn Soul Bulb from the Shinju by killing them, he must save his teammates.

Now that Matsuri is entranced by being around Konohamaru, he could use this advantage when fighting the other Shinju, such as Ryu. Let’s not forget that Sarada and Mitsuki have led Ryu away to another location. With Konohamaru having Matsuri feeling this way, there could be a chance that he may not kill her right away but instead use her as a pawn.

Let’s not forget that when Team 7 first encountered Matsuri and Ryu, Ryu referred to Matsuri as his superior, calling her “Elder.” There is a hierarchy in terms of who calls the shots. In this situation, Matsuri is so taken aback by seeing Konohamaru that Ryu decides to take control of the problem himself. This is how they eventually split up Team 7, with Konohamaru leading Matsuri away.

This will be interesting in the upcoming chapter because we will see how this conversation unfolds.

Will Konohamaru go for the kill, or will he keep Matsuri by his side and use her to get back at the other Shinjus? Let’s not forget that Jura told the other Shinju to look deeply into their desires to find out what they wanted. Regarding Matsuri, despite her goal of devouring Konohamaru, she could change her heart, especially if Konohamaru treats her the right way. This could mean Konohamaru flipping Matsuri to the Leaf Village’s side to have her as an ally or having Matsuri use her authority over Ryu to bring them to the Leaf Village altogether.

The overall goal of all these characters is to search for Boruto Uzumaki. This has been unanimously agreed upon among the characters. However, we know the primary mission is to eliminate all the Shinjus. There could be a scenario where they don’t have to kill them immediately. If they bring the Shinjus back to the Leaf Village, they could potentially use them as hostages and eliminate them at a later date, especially if Matsuri isn’t willing to devour Konohamaru or if Konohamaru hesitates to kill Matsuri right away.

I would love to see Konohamaru go for the kill here because the Shinjus are monstrous entities of chaos. They destroy anything in their path, and while they may have individual feelings, as seen with Matsuri, it’s too dangerous to play such a risky game. Let’s not forget that Sarada and Mitsuki are facing Ryu alone. If they fail to kill him while his guard is down, there could be a scenario where Ryu kills or gravely endangers them if they engage him directly.

The expectation for this mission, as outlined by Shikamaru and even Kashin Koji through his prescience jutsu, is for Sarada and Mitsuki to kill Ryu with or without the element of surprise. However, Ryu’s fate could change if Matsuri decides to betray the Shinjus and join the Hidden Leaf Village. In such a scenario, the hierarchy between Matsuri and Ryu could shift, making it easier for the Leaf Village to handle the Shinjus. Matsuri is considered superior to Ryu, and her betrayal would drastically alter the mission’s dynamics.

This preview page creates intriguing plot points that could unfold in multiple directions. Will Konohamaru kill Matsuri now that her guard is down? Or will Matsuri change her heart and join the Leaf Village, abandoning her mission to kill Boruto? Matsuri’s potential shift in loyalty could redefine the conflict entirely, especially given her earlier declaration of wanting to devour Konohamaru. Her apparent hesitation and budding connection with Konohamaru make this scenario plausible.

Let me know what you think about this preview page in the comments below. How do you feel about the interaction between Matsuri and Konohamaru? Which direction will this mission take? Do you believe Konohamaru will surprise Matsuri and kill her, or will Matsuri betray the Shinjus and align with the Leaf Village?

This chapter promises to be more engaging, especially with the Shinjus and the Leaf Village interactions. Although this preview page is vague, I anticipate some action in the upcoming chapter. Kawaki might get his limiters removed, and Team 7 will likely attempt to kill the Shinjus. Sarada and Mitsuki, for instance, could try to take down Ryu while his guard is potentially lowered.

In the comments below, let me know your predictions for Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Chapter 18. While this preview page doesn’t reveal much, the buildup suggests an exciting turn of events in the series!