Potential Value

Boruto reveals he has used his Kama to pull the group into a separate dimension, admitting he has no idea where they are but wanting only to keep Isshiki away from Konoha. Naruto wryly notes the recklessness is inherited. Isshiki seizes Boruto and gauges that Momoshiki's Kama has decompressed within him to roughly eighty percent. When Sasuke swaps places with the boy and lunges with a Chidori, Isshiki catches his arm and kicks him aside. Rather than chase them back to the village, Isshiki elects to slaughter them where they stand, hoping the shock will break Konoha's resolve and expose Kawaki.

Far off, Kawaki stirs from a dream of Jigen to find his Kama gone, and Amado reassures him that Isshiki can inhabit Jigen's failing body only a few more days. In the fight, Isshiki shrinks Naruto's Rasengan, weathers his chakra arms, and shatters his shadow clones with a barrage of floating cubes that operate apart from his shrinking trick. He wrenches Sasuke's blade small, drops him, then restores it to full size to finish him off.

With Sasuke facing death, Boruto hurls himself between them, and Isshiki abruptly hesitates. Seizing the opening, Boruto drags Sasuke clear and dares Isshiki to explain why he passed up an easy double kill, concluding the Otsutsuki simply cannot afford to end his life. Watching from afar, Amado becomes convinced the boy is the linchpin to bringing Isshiki down. The chapter runs in volume 13 as part of the Kawaki arc.