Claw Marks

Isshiki's fading spirit charges Code with carrying on the Ōtsutsuki will: sacrifice Kawaki or Boruto to the Ten-Tails, eat the resulting Chakra Fruit, and ascend. Code swears to obey. In Konoha, Yurito brings Kawaki to Sai and Shikamaru, who identify the strange markings as Code's Claw Marks, while Code himself heads for a facility still run by remnants of Boro's old cult.

Meeting Boruto at the Hokage Rock, Kawaki warns him off Amado's medicine and explains that Code outranks the other Inners in danger, having gained a Kāma even though he cannot serve as a vessel. Code slaughters the facility guards with ease, shrugging off one who pumps himself full of enhancers. Kawaki adds that Code's combat power once surpassed Jigen's, prompting him to have his own strength restrained out of deference to Isshiki's vessel.

Sai and Shikamaru liken the Claw Marks to the Flying Thunder God Technique and post watch on the four they have found, wary of decoys. Shikamaru tightens security on Amado, the only man able to lift Code's limiters, though Amado admits he would give in under torture. Inside the facility, Code pressures a member named Bug into leading him to Ada, a cyborg Boro secretly spared. When Bug hesitates to wake her, Code simply tears her storage open, only for Ada to rouse, ignore him, and dare him to kill her.

Isshiki's soul entrusts the Ōtsutsuki mission to Code and directs him to feed Kawaki or Boruto to the Ten-Tails. Konoha identifies Code's Claw Marks, compares them to the Flying Thunder God Technique, and increases protection around Amado, the sole person able to remove Code's limiters. Kawaki proposes branding Code with a Kāma to turn him into Boruto's spare vessel. Code forces Bug to lead him to the dormant Ada and slashes open her storage, but she wakes, disregards him, and defies his threats.

Part of the Code's Assault arc, this episode began the practice of showing the title before the opening credits, a format kept in later installments. Its ending credits also ran over story scenes rather than the standard ending sequence.