Sarada & Mitsuki vs. Ryu

As of Boruto Two Blue Vortex Chapter 17, Sarada and Mitsuki are trying to eliminate the Shinju. After splitting up, Matsuri and Ryu were taken away, with Konohamaru handling Matsuri alone while Sarada led Ryu away. The goal to kill the Shinju has started to take shape. Shikamaru has made it clear that, for the mission to be successful, Team Seven would have to befriend the Shinju and then kill them when they let their guard down. By the end of the chapter, they’ve successfully befriended them. However, with Chapter 18 dropping soon, I want to discuss the potential battle between Sarada and Mitsuki versus Ryu.

Since the start of Two Blue Vortex, Sarada and Mitsuki have begun to gain more of the spotlight. Compared to their earlier roles, they have been more involved in significant missions and story arcs as of late. I’ve enjoyed seeing the series’ other main characters gain more value, as they previously felt sidelined while Boruto and Kawaki were driving the plot. The roles have now reversed, as this mission requires Boruto to remain in the village due to Jura hunting him. Jura has clarified that he will not pursue Boruto if he stays in Konoha, as Jura greatly respects the town. This was evident in the latest chapter when Jura visited a local bookstore to learn more about the ninja world. This respect ensures that the battle is unlikely to face interruptions unless other Shinju, such as Hidari and Mamushi, invade. This leaves Sarada and Mitsuki to deal with Ryu, alongside Yodo and Araya, who are scouting.

Ryu has already familiarized himself with Sarada and Mitsuki, recognizing that Konoha’s ninjas are kind, and Jura has vouched for them because of his respect for the Leaf Village. At the end of Chapter 17, Ryu and Matsuri are seemingly split up by Team Seven and the Sand Ninja. They are now primed to be betrayed and killed. Konohamaru seems to have made Matsuri uneasy and unable to speak correctly, making killing her at the right moment easier. Shikamaru had anticipated this outcome. Meanwhile, Ryu is expected to be more challenging despite being surrounded by more people. With Shinki powered by Claw Grimes, Ryu’s power level is likely much higher than Shinki’s, thanks to the Ten Tails boosting the overall strength of devoured characters.

The mission to kill the Shinju is progressing, and according to Kashin Koji, the chances of Team Seven failing are low—provided no unexpected variables, such as Boruto entering the battle or Himawari leaving the village, disrupting the plan. Let’s delve into the upcoming fight between Sarada and Mitsuki versus Ryu.

The first thing to establish is whether Team Seven and the Sand Ninja can catch the Shinju off guard and kill them. Matsuri seems more likely to be caught off guard than Ryu, mainly because Konohamaru is not entirely focused. However, given how powerful these villains are, it’s unlikely that the mission will be as straightforward as intended. These Shinju are incredibly strong and intelligent, capable of forming their thoughts. For example, Matsuri has developed feelings for Konohamaru, and Ryu has grown less aggressive toward Sarada and Mitsuki after becoming familiar with them.

In simple terms, both Shinju could theoretically be killed without much resistance. However, Boruto: Two Blue Vortex often introduces twists in the story, and Ryu might realize he’s being backstabbed despite currently having his guard down. This mission, orchestrated by Shikamaru and Kashin Koji, seems meticulously planned. Koji’s ability to foresee multiple timelines gives him insight into how events may unfold. Using this information, he ensured that Team Seven had a high probability of success.

Koji and Shikamaru are confident that Team Seven and the Sand Ninja can take down Ryu and Matsuri, even if they miss them off guard. If Konohamaru earns Matsuri’s trust, he should be able to hold his own against her, given his abilities and increased role in the story. Suppose Ryu survives the surprise attack and instead fights Sarada and Mitsuki head-on. In that case, it will allow them to fully display their strength in Two Blue Vortex against a formidable opponent.

Both characters have already fought, such as Sarada teaming up with Boruto to kill Hidari and Mitsuki battling Boruto. However, both characters can fight against a higher power, especially Sarada. We all know Sarada has unlocked her Mangekyou Sharingan since the end of Part One, but we haven’t seen it much. It’s not confirmed that she can activate the Mangekyou independently, and I believe she still hasn’t been able to use it.

When the Omnipotence event occurred, making Boruto the villain of his own story, Sarada was so distressed to see her friend lose his livelihood that she awakened the Mangekyou. In a battle against Ryu, who can display incredible powers such as Shinki’s Iron Sand and magnetic particles, I think it’s reasonable to say that both characters will be pushed to death if they fail to take Ryu down with his guard dropped.

This could change drastically if Yodo and Araya join the battle. However, they are currently scouting the mission, with Yodo using her super-hearing ability to listen to both parties’ conversations. Let’s be honest—both characters won’t do much in this potential battle other than provide intel to send back to the village. In my opinion, they would be cannon fodder, so they don’t matter much.

If Ryu discovers that Konoha is working with the Sand Ninja for the same mission, it could compromise the original goal of taking him down by surprise. Despite this, I still think Ryu will realize what is happening and can defend himself using his Black Sand. This will force Sarada and Mitsuki to fight him head-on at full power. With Koji calculating their chances of succeeding to be very high, Sarada and Mitsuki most likely have enough strength to kill Ryu alone.

This would be a great way to gauge how much stronger they have become post-time skip. Among all the new-generation characters seen in action in Two Blue Vortex, Boruto is the only one to display all of the new abilities and powers he has gained during the three-year time skip. He had a massive advantage with Koji training him via the Precognition Jutsu. However, with the scale of the series growing over time, it’s fair to expect more abilities from the other main characters like Sarada and Mitsuki, especially in this upcoming battle.

Mitsuki has shown glimpses of his Sage Mode a few times in Part One, particularly in the anime, but not often in the Boruto manga. He used his Sage Mode for the first time for an extended period when he tried to kill Boruto in the Two Blue Vortex arc. In a battle against a Shinju as intense as Ryu, Mitsuki will be forced to use Sage Mode to its maximum output, potentially damaging his body permanently or even risking death.

We know that Mitsuki’s Sage Mode is not perfected and damages his body whenever he uses it. However, he used it more effectively in his recent fight against Boruto without harming his body. This suggests that Mitsuki could draw even more power from Sage Mode, though it could still damage his body further. Ryu might counter this with techniques like the Magnetic Barrier Palm Jutsu, which immobilizes characters using Iron Sand and can crush them from within using Black Sand.

In a scenario where Mitsuki is on the brink of death, I think this could trigger Sarada to reactivate her Mangekyou Sharingan. Since she doesn’t have control over Double Mangekyou Sharingan (DMS), she would need to be put in a dire situation to unlock its potential. It’s time for Sarada to showcase her powers truly. She has gotten much stronger post-time skip, but we don’t know where she stands in the power hierarchy of the story.

At a minimum, Shikamaru and Koji expect Sarada and Mitsuki to be capable of fighting Ryu. However, given the urgency Shikamaru has expressed regarding the Shinju, I think it will be a tough fight for Sarada and Mitsuki to kill Ryu. Seeing brand-new abilities from Sarada’s Mangekyou Sharingan—and potentially a Susanoo—would add more variety to her combat style, as she’s a fun character to see in action.

Let me know your thoughts on this article in the comments section below. Do you think Sarada and Mitsuki can successfully pull off a sneak attack on Ryu while his guard is down to go for the kill? Or do you believe Ryu will catch on? Koji’s calculations predict their success thanks to his Precognition Jutsu, so one way or another, Ryu should be defeated by the two. Whether they manage to sneak attack or fight him head-on, we will see Sarada and Mitsuki in action again. Hopefully, it’s the latter, as I would love to see these two main characters fight with their backs against the wall without any help from Boruto since he cannot leave the village.