Sasuke was nerfed in the worst way possible in Boruto

For all its pros, the Boruto saga has been divisive at the same time. This division has been for a plethora of reasons, but it has mainly been due to character direction and pacing. Some fans are okay with the frenzied pace, and there are equally as many who find the frenetic pacing to be a problem. These fans understand that the Boruto saga is a monthly release, but at the same time, they hope that it can become weekly.

Weekly releases for these fans mean a lot of details can be spread to them and can settle with them. An event like the invasion of Konoha needed more than the measly chapters it got, same with the Sunagakure arc, which looks like it’s winding down. The monthly releases don’t allow the story to breathe; it rushes everything. It also might affect the direction each character takes.

Throughout the Boruto saga, there have been moments where characters have made the most stupid decisions. One of those moments is during Sasuke’s fight with Isshiki. The Uchiha is capable of using the Almighty Push to stop the Otsutsuki, but he never does it; in fact, he never uses it throughout the saga.

Another moment that looked preposterous but served as the beginning of Sasuke being phased out is when Borushiki stabs his eye. This is avoidable, but Ikemoto allows it to happen, to ensure Sasuke is ruled out from having influence on Boruto. Keep reading to find out why it makes no sense.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the author’s opinion and may contain spoilers.

Why Sasuke’s debuff in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations makes no sense

Sasuke facing Kinshiki in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations (Image via Studio Pierrot)

As much as the Boruto saga tries its best to branch away from the original Naruto, it still exists in the same universe. This means that preestablished rules hold as much sway unless a change has been made. When characters in the universe don’t follow the rules that have been set, it leads to plot inconsistencies.

One example of this is Neji’s defeat by Naruto in the Chunin exam. Naruto’s win is accepted by everyone as a continuation of the Uzumaki’s quirky wins in that exam. As the series progresses, Naruto’s win looks more and more fraudulent, and this is because Neji’s Byakugan should have spotted the Uzumaki underground. Sasuke’s first loss to Jigen (Isshiki) was also similar.

Sasuke possesses the Rinnegan and the Sharingan and has experience facing super-fast opponents like Raikage and even the Sage of Six Paths Naruto. Despite this, he gets tossed around by Jigen. He also conveniently forgets to use his Rinnegan, which would have wrapped up the fight, had he used the Preta Path’s ability.

Sasuke only uses a few of his Rinnegan abilities (Image via Studio Pierrot)

The same thing happens when Sasuke loses his eye. All of a sudden, the man whom the two Otsutsuki couldn’t sneak up on is stabbed in the eye by Borushiki. Many fans say Sasuke was tired and emotionally spent, so he wouldn't have expected his own student to attack him. However, that reason won’t fly.

Sasuke, unlike Naruto, is always battle-ready, and knowing his student is possessed by Momoshiki will be the reason to be on his guard. Almighty Push should have also been used by Sasuke to save his eye.

Final thoughts

Sasuke losing his eye is the only way the Uchiha would lose their relevance in the series. The loss of the Rinnegan means that Sasuke can’t retrieve Naruto from the dimension he is kept in. It also means his involvement with the Boruto saga will be reduced.

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Edited by Meenakshi Ajith