Warning: This post contains SPOILERS for Boruto #77It finally seems like the tensions between Kawaki and Boruto are about to erupt into the fight that's been foreshadowed since the beginning of the series. However, when tensions finally explode, it won't be Kawaki or Brouto doing the actual fighting.
When Kawaki first arrived at Konoha Village as a former member of Kara, Boruto was one of the few people who respected him. Their relationship event developed to the point where Boruto and Kawaki considered each other brothers. Unfortunately, Boruto and Kawaki are not average teenagers as both had an Otsutsuki Clan kama inscribed on their palms. A kama is a device that allows an Otsutsuki Clan member to have some control over the holder's body until the Otsutsuki gains complete control. Accordingly, the Otsutsuki who places the kama on Boruto and Kawaki, namely Momoshiki and Isshiki, have the ability to increase their "ownership" of the two boys, until either exists in body only.
Boruto & Kawaki's Big Fight is Actually Between Momoshiki & Isshiki
The addition of Momoshiki and Isshiki's "souls" into Boruto and Kawaki means any climatic fight between the two is bigger than appearances suggest. The degree to which the Otsutsuki soul has gained control of the vessel determines how much of the person remains human or becomes Otsutsuki. In this case, it will also determine how much of the fight between Boruto and Kawaki is actually their human selves. Based on the degree to which both Otsutsukis have completed the transfer of their souls into the boys, the fight, when it occurs, should basically be between Momoshiki and Isshiki, and not Boruto and Kawaki.
Boruto Vs. Kawaki Will Be the Ultimate Otsutsuki Brawl
Despite his name and bloodline, Boruto is more Otsutsuki than Uzumaki. This occurred in Boruto #66 as the result of Momoshiki's rescue of Boruto after Kawaki punched a hole in his chest. While Momoshiki's actions eliminated the possibility of him returning to his original form, it did result in a transfer of enough of his soul to fundamentally transform Boruto's DNA, making him a full Otsutsuki. Moreover, Momoshiki still "lives" in Boruto's mind as a sort of alter-ego. Conversely, while Kawaki in Boruto #54-55 escaped Isshiki's transfer at the last minute, his kama retained enough of Isshiki's soul to access his powers. This apparently makes him enough of an Otsutsuki to satisfy the sacrificial requirements for the cultivation of a God Tree. Moreover, being that he was engineered for the single purpose to be Isshiki's vessel and raised under his strict guidance, he is all but an Otsutsuki.
Boruto and Kawaki are not the same boys who started out in the series. Along the way, they have become Otsutsukis. This transformation will only deepen as the story progresses. It will also be the reason why the once close friends and brothers will come to blows over the future of the Ninja World. When they meet on the battlefield, while they might appear to be Boruto and Kawaki, the reality will be that they are two Otsutsukis in an age-old competition for survival.
Boruto is available to read from Viz Media.
