Hindrance

With Amado at Code's mercy, he asks to speak with Ada about Kawaki, calling the boy his insurance should Konoha turn on him. Code dismisses it as bluffing to buy time, but Ada tells him not to interrupt. When he presses that she cannot deny him Amado on top of Kawaki, she signals Daemon, who locks Code down and reflects his killing intent back as fresh cuts. Amado points out that Ada holds a Konoha invitation meant to bring her close to Kawaki, an opening her bond with Code would ruin.

Code lashes out at Amado and is again turned aside by Daemon. In the village, Shikamaru explains Ada's enchanting power to Naruto, Sasuke, Boruto, and Kawaki, recalling that several cyborgs mightier than Jigen had been discarded. Code confesses he loves Ada and asks whether she truly no longer needs his strength; unmoved, she has tired of his feelings, real or not. Learning from Bug that Daemon's reflection only triggers through his hands, Code still finds himself outmatched and prepares to flee, taking Bug along and swearing that once he becomes an Otsutsuki he will finally know whether he loves Ada or wants her dead.

Ada mockingly praises Amado for wriggling free and splitting her from Code, though he notes she also wanted an excuse to drop him. Amado explains that Kawaki has regained his Karma and Isshiki's growing abilities, leaving only himself able to oppose the boy: he has planted an emergency shutdown command that only he can see, one Jigen had earlier forbidden him from installing. He urges Ada to accept Shikamaru's offer and build a rapport with Kawaki, promising to mediate. Elsewhere, Code blames Kawaki for stripping away everything he valued and vows to destroy the Hokage, his friends, and all of Konoha.