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How You Use It

EpisodeEp. 186

Boruto episode 186 stages the full duel with Ao: the young squad wears down his absorption powers with baited ninjutsu, and Boruto finally throws the cyborg's own creed about tools back in his face before sparing him.

Arc: Ao Arc
Japanese Airdate: February 14, 2021
English Airdate: September 6, 2022
Chapters: 21, 22
Opening Song: BAKU
Ending Song: Answers
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Summary

The Leaf team lies in wait for Ao, with Mitsuki's snake scouting ahead. They talk over his skill and agree to bring him down as shinobi should. When Ao closes in, Mitsuki's Lightning Release counter is simply soaked up, so he falls back and Konohamaru follows with a Fire Release. Ao notices how freely they spend their chakra and reads a plan behind it. Striking while Ao drains Konohamaru's flames, Mitsuki forces a dodge that opens the way for Sarada's taijutsu, though his hardened gear lets him hit back.

To swallow everything at once, Ao raises a larger absorption sphere, and clocks that Boruto is missing, guessing he anchors the whole scheme. Boruto drops from overhead with a chakra blade, has it taken from him, and gets run through, only for that Boruto to burst apart as a shadow clone while the blade siphons Ao's own chakra.

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Key Events

The real Boruto answers with a Rasengan, using the Jutsu Absorption Arm so his sphere cancels Ao's and the blow lands. Ao rips off the arm Boruto wrecks, then unleashes controlled drones overhead. Boruto vaults between them planting explosive tags and cutting others down with electrified shuriken, while Ao insists Kara let him transcend into something beyond a mere shinobi. When shadow clones fail because the jutsu cannot copy his scientific ninja tools, Boruto disperses the armed clone, rises from the rubble, and drives a Rasengan into the weaponised arm, hurling Ao into a ruined building.

Beaten, Ao goads Boruto to finish him and calls the mercy naive. Boruto instead turns Ao's "it is how you use it" logic back on him, urging him to put Katasuke's tools toward something good. As Konohamaru comes to and plans to haul Ao back to Konoha, Ao calls out to Koji, who summons a toad.

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Notes

Drawn from chapters 21 and 22, the episode sits in the Ao arc of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. Its title doubles as the thematic heart, tracing Ao's belief that a weapon's worth lies in the wielder, then handing that idea to Boruto as a case for restraint.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What happens in the How You Use It episode of Boruto?

In How You Use It, Boruto's squad wears down Ao's absorption powers with baited ninjutsu, and Boruto ultimately spares Ao after turning his own philosophy about tools back on him.

How does Boruto defeat Ao in this episode?

Boruto combines a Rasengan with the Jutsu Absorption Arm so his sphere cancels Ao's absorption, then destroys Ao's weaponized arm and hurls him into a ruined building.

Why can't Boruto's shadow clones beat Ao's absorption?

Boruto's shadow clones fail against Ao because the cloning jutsu cannot copy his scientific ninja tools.

What does Boruto say to Ao instead of finishing him off?

Boruto turns Ao's own "it is how you use it" logic back on him, urging him to put Katasuke's tools toward something good rather than being killed as Ao expects.

What arc and manga chapters does How You Use It adapt?

How You Use It is drawn from manga chapters 21 and 22 and belongs to the Ao Arc of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations.

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This content is original writing by Daddy Jim Headquarters based on the Naruto anime series, manga, and official materials. Episode and chapter references are cited where applicable.

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