Boruto: Naruto Next Generations

Episode 89

Ku's grand plan comes crashing down and Mitsuki's true loyalties are revealed as the current arc continues to wind down. As the still-unnamed mad scientist figure prepares to extract hearts from human subjects, Mitsuki realizes he has to act fast. Using his snakes, he crafts a fake heart and delivers it to a delighted Ku. Thanks to some quick thinking, Sarada is able to break herself and Boruto free of Kirara's mind control, and the two reach the palace just in time to see Mitsuki hand Ku the heart. As Ku gloats about his victory, Mitsuki uses this opportunity to stab him through the chest. Although Boruto and Sarada are delighted to see that their teammate has come around, Ku, Kirara, and Sekiei are understandably enraged by this development. Meanwhile, Konohamaru and the newly-freed Kurotsuchi systematically dismantle Ku's plan by destroying Akuta reserves and freeing captured shinobi all over the village.

Despite building Kirara up as the Hidden Leaf genin's next big opponent, the speed with which Boruto and Sarada find their way around her mind control makes the whole affair anticlimactic. Granted, there isn't much interesting material to mine from her pitting Boruto and Sarada against one another for kicks, and since Kirara's still around, it's possible she'll face off against our heroes for real in an upcoming installment. The character is sufficiently frightening, and she certainly poses a substantial threat, so her brief skirmish with two-thirds of Team 7 hopefully won't be her final hurrah.

Mitsuki's plan to gain the Fabrications' trust before putting them down may not have been the most shocking twist to come out of this arc, but it fits with his character. Reticent and observant—and devoted to Boruto—Mitsuki remains mysterious enough to keep the audience guessing throughout the storyline and is characteristically precise in his plan's execution. The warm rapport he cultivated with Sekiei is sure to make their forthcoming battle all the more emotionally impactful. Unlike the other Fabrications, Sekiei trusted Mitsuki from the get-go, and to see his trust rewarded with betrayal has to hurt.

For his part, Ohnoki now seems fully aware of how wrong he was in setting this plan into motion. Through flashback, we learn that Ku's name was derived from the Japanese word for “empty” and that this name was bestowed upon him by none other than Ohnoki, who intended for him to have no will of his own. Seeing how much responsibility the old man is forced to take for such a large-scale blunder should prove to be one of the more interesting facets of this arc's aftermath. Since Ohnoki is indirectly responsible for a number of murders, it will be somewhat disappointing if he's allowed to walk away from this incident unscathed.

Episode 89 contains far less action than last week's preview would have viewers believe. Still, while Kirara's battle with Boruto and Sarada is quickly brushed aside, the show makes a fair amount of progress on the plot front this week, with this arc's conclusion now plainly in sight. After so much time apart, it's great to see Team 7 back together and Boruto's faith in his wayward friend rewarded.

Rating: B+

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Amy is an author who has loved anime for over two decades.