Hidden Clues: Boruto Drops Major Hints about Naruto Villain's Epic Comeback

The villain Code caused confusion by remaking Naruto's White Zetsu army using the Ten-Tails as a base in the Boruto manga. Although the manga lacked clarity, the anime had previously hinted at the possibility during the Otsutsuki invasion when Boruto was possessed by Momoshiki. Subsequent episodes further foreshadowed this event when Kara members attempted to steal critical DNA related to the creation of the White Zetsu army.

In Naruto, Obito initially created the White Zetsu army using chakra from the Gedou statues and cells from the First Hokage. This process resulted in hundreds of thousands of soldiers. Code's recent attempt to replicate Obito's army appeared to be less ambitious in comparison, as he used smaller pieces from Kara's Ten Tails. This development took place in chapter 72 of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, created and supervised by Masashi Kishimoto, with art by Mikio Ikemoto and scripted by Ukyo Kodachi.

White Zetsu & the First Hokage's Cells Appeared in Boruto's Anime

Code's efforts in the anime were actually the culmination of various missions Boruto had been involved in. In episode 51, Konohamaru and Team 7 encountered a White Zetsu clone bearing the Otsutsuki symbol, hinting at a connection to Kara. Later, in episode 161, two members of Kara stole the First Hokage's cells from a woman who had obtained them through the black market. These cells were of great importance as Obito had used them to create the original White Zetsu clones. Hence, Code's actions were tied to the ongoing research conducted by the Otsutsuki and Kara, specifically related to the multi-faced Zetsu seen in episode 51.

Zetsu's Return to Boruto Could Make Orochimaru a Villain Again

Kara's theft of the First Hokage's cells becomes apparent when analyzing Code's actions with the Ten-Tails. This is evidenced by Isshiki's reaction to another mission involving the same Kara members who captured the cells. In episode 176, Isshiki condemns their use of the Divine Tree against the Konoha shinobi pursuing them. Interestingly, Isshiki does not express disapproval for their use of the stolen cells. This suggests that Isshiki still values the data gathered for the creation of the White Zetsu clones. Code subsequently utilizes this data to form his own army of White Zetsu composed of the Ten-Tails' tails.

As of episode 176, there are lingering queries regarding how Kara's experiments were completed, considering that Orochimaru retrieved the stolen cells at the end of the mission. Could Orochimaru and Code have formed an alliance thereafter? Boruto has yet to address the question of Orochimaru potentially becoming a threat once again, given the precarious alliance between him and Konoha. Seeing Orochimaru in a new role, maintaining superficial connections with various Konoha shinobi, feels unsettling, considering his past as one of Naruto's major antagonists. Furthermore, if Orochimaru did assist Code in creating the Zetsu army, it would be particularly distressing for Mitsuki. In this scenario, Boruto has reintroduced two classic Naruto villains in a manner that could deeply impact Konoha.

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations is streaming on Crunchyroll.