Wild Beast Cubs

Sarada dwells on what Sumire once confided about her feelings for Boruto. Nearby, Ryū and Matsuri study a toad they suspect Boruto left behind, and Yodo, using her sharp hearing, catches their talk and warns the group that Matsuri's sensory gift means their discovery is only a matter of time. Konohamaru readies the plan but catches Sarada's unease; she brushes it off and vows to stay focused. Yodo confirms that reclaiming Ryū's Thorn Soul Bulb should let them free Shinki, and after some bickering with Araya she is reminded not to take risks.

Konohamaru, Sarada, and Mitsuki stroll up to the two God Trees playing at friendliness, and Matsuri's pulse quickens the moment she sees Konohamaru. Through a remembered exchange with Shikamaru, Konohamaru learned that felling a Human God Tree exposes its Thorn Soul Bulb, and returning the bulb to its tree can revive the person it devoured, while failing to recover it lets the enemy keep resurrecting Ryū and Matsuri. Shikamaru, feeding the intel from beneath a hidden toad, admits his source is above Konohamaru's clearance and lays out the harsh plan: win the God Trees' trust, then turn on them. Told this cuts against everything Naruto would counsel, Shikamaru answers that he is not Naruto and is only trying to save humanity.

Both sides agree to cooperate toward their shared aim. Mitsuki spots one of Boruto's metal markers on the ground, and Konohamaru splits the group to search, sending Ryū off with Sarada and Mitsuki while he draws Matsuri aside. Ryū, relieved by how warmly the Leaf ninja treat him, notes that his leader Jura holds Konohagakure in high regard. Konohamaru, following Shikamaru's read that Matsuri harbors feelings she does not yet understand, uses her inner confusion as the opening to separate her from Ryū and sits with the shaken girl to talk.

Away from the action, Koji has Ada use her Senrigan to monitor events, reassuring her that Mamushi is at their base. He tells Boruto that Konohamaru has succeeded in dividing the two God Trees, and that the plan hinges on the others overwhelming Ryū while Matsuri is isolated. When Boruto probes their odds of failure, Koji dodges, then forbids him from stepping in, warning that Jura would strike and kill Boruto just as with Himawari. Elsewhere, Jura casually shops in a Konoha bookstore under the clerk's nervous eye; alerted to his presence, Shikamaru orders everyone to treat him as an ordinary customer. Jura pays for a stack of books and tells the clerk to keep the change as credit. Finally, in Amado's office, Kawaki snatches the cigarette from his mouth and pins him to the wall, demanding that Amado unlock the full extent of his power.

Konohamaru's team fakes friendship with Ryū and Matsuri to execute Shikamaru's befriend-and-betray strategy against the Human God Trees. Shikamaru explains that Thorn Soul Bulbs can revive devoured victims and reveals his intel comes from a source beyond Konohamaru's clearance. Konohamaru separates Matsuri from Ryū by exploiting her hidden feelings. Koji bars Boruto from intervening under threat of Jura. Kawaki corners Amado and orders him to draw out all his power.

From the Matsuri and Ryū Arc of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, this chapter appears in volume 5. Its title draws on Shikamaru's likening of the God Trees to wild cubs that act on instinct rather than born malice, the rationale he gives for manipulating and then eliminating them.