Boruto: Two Blue Vortex has been a thrilling return for the Naruto sequel series, but it still has some troublesome issues, namely in its fights, holding it back compared to its predecessor. Four years after the Omnipotence incident, Boruto Uzumaki comes back to Konoha when Code makes his bid to draw the young ninja out. But in the process, Boruto showcases his increasingly competent battle prowess, outshining many of his fellow ninjas, suggesting that perhaps Naruto still has the best fights.

Boruto: Two Blue Vortex began its run on August 20, 2023, with promises to show Konoha’s new generation of shinobi as mature, developed shinobi who can defend their village. Not content with the current trajectory, Masashi Kishimoto and Mikio Ikemoto appear to be crafting new threats to match Konoha’s ninjas.

But the series has a hard time appealing to Naruto fans, and while the first chapters of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex are exciting, it has an uphill battle to meet the hype of Naruto’s fights.

Boruto: Two Blue Vortex’s Battles Feature Boruto Too Much

The Protagonist Potentially Got Too Powerful

Boruto: Two Blue Vortex shows its protagonist returning to Konoha and showcasing his powerfully honed talents to a degree that indicates he’s perhaps too powerful for his good. Comparing Boruto to its predecessor, Naruto Part 2, this becomes increasingly clear as, while Naruto returns to his friends much more skilled under Jiraiya’s training, he still has some growing to do. A possible explanation for this is Boruto Uzumaki’s status as a genius compared to his father, especially under the guidance of the mentor who acknowledges this, Sasuke Uchiha, who enjoyed similar prominence in the previous series.

Compared to Naruto, Sasuke’s abilities were honed under Orochimaru to lethal new levels, causing him to become frighteningly stronger than his peers, especially in the Tenchi Bridge Reconnaissance Mission Arc when he meets Naruto again. In this sense, Boruto’s incredibly imbalanced might, as showcased throughout the chapters of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, parallels Sasuke’s developments at a similar age. Even with the help of his team, Hebi, and later Taka, Sasuke was recognizably on a greater level as a shinobi, as is Boruto now, indicated by his dominant battle prowess and carrying Sasuke’s Sword of Kusanagi.

Other Boruto Characters Deserve Greater Focus

People Aside from the Hokage’s Son Have Grown Too

Even as early as Boruto: Two Blue Vortex chapter #1, several key characters have been getting impressive training while showing significant promise in future fights. Such cases include Sarada Uchiha, who, despite remaining a genin, has a powerful grasp and early development of her Mangekyo Sharingan and the Chidori techniques. Also included is Himawari Uzumaki, who, despite her actual fight beginning and ending all too quickly after awakening her connection to a resurrected Kurama, shows tons of promise for future fights in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex. There’s also a whole ninja world ready to fight in the future.

This was the case in Naruto Shippuden and will increasingly become the case in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, with its fights becoming increasingly more complex and the supporting cast likely earning a chance to step up. This is especially true with Boruto’s latest near-fatal close calls. But it’s already happening in Boruto, with hints of a uniquely strong Team 10’s Ino-Shika-Cho formation empowered by unique factors like Inojin’s drawings, inherited from his father, capable of being a medium for his sensor-type Yamanaka abilities. There’s unique potential for Boruto‘s characters to have excellent fights like in Naruto.

Boruto’s Best Future Fights Won’t Include Its Protagonist

One of Naruto’s Best Features Was Showcasing the Supporting Characters

While much of Naruto Part 1 featured the young protagonist rising to the occasion and shocking his peers with his immense chakra potential, much of Part 2, or Shippuden, gave space to the supporting characters. This includes the earliest big fight in Naruto Shippuden, where Sakura joins Chiyo in fighting Sasori; Shikamaru’s plan to take down Hidan and Kakuzu; and the introduction of another prominent jinchuriki, Killer Bee, able to hold his own against Sasuke. Boruto: Two Blue Vortex features many powerful supporting characters who don’t have Boruto’s brilliance, yet that never stopped Naruto’s cast from having excellent fights.

So far, Boruto has built up numerous feuds that suggest this will likely happen, but until then, the first arc hasn’t set the best example of its fights when weighed against Naruto. Most clashes that don’t feature the protagonist are brief yet show promise. Still, they indicate future clashes, such as Himawari and Team 10 against Jura or Sarada and Konohamaru against Hidari. Even though the majority of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex’s fights are brief, like against Code in chapter #3, Bug’s God Tree in chapter #4, and Mitsuki in chapter #6, they’re kept short to tease more drawn-out conflicts.

It’s Still Too Early to Compare Boruto’s Fights to Naruto’s

Less Than a Year in, Two Blue Vortex Has Showcased Plenty of Potential

While Naruto still has the best fights for now, it’s easier to say this as Naruto’s story is concluded, while Boruto: Two Blue Vortex’s first arc is paced similarly to Naruto’s return. In its predecessor, however, the Kazekage Rescue Mission gives some much-deserved focus to Sakura, who fights and defeats a deadly Akatsuki member with Chiyo’s help, while the sequel builds up multiple conflicts with smaller fights. It’ll be more compelling when the first drawn-out battle occurs in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, and with these new God Trees threatening the world, their fights will surely be electrifying.