Gamamaru’s Vision Shapes Boruto’s Destiny and the Role of Shinjutsu

The prophecy of the Toad Sage was never meant for Naruto, and the introduction of Kashin Koji’s new Shinjutsu just proved that. A year ago, I wrote an article where I talked about how the origin of Senjutsu could have something to do with the Otsutsuki clan. The main thesis of that article was that when Shinobi tried to replicate Shinjutsu, they ended up creating Ninjutsu. But in the case of the Great Toad Sage, Gamamaru, his imitation of Shinjutsu led to the birth of Senjutsu. I then compared his power of looking into the future to Momoshiki, and considering the big plot twist from chapter 13, it seems like I was right. The Toad Sage was able to tell his prophecy to Jiraiya through a Shinjutsu known as Prescience, which Shibai Otsutsuki originally possessed.

Right now, four known people could use this power:

1. We have Momoshiki, who saw the future of Boruto and warned him about what was to come.
2. We have Shibai himself, who possesses all the divine powers currently being used by the cyborg. Next on the list is Kashin Koji, who unlocked this power after the Isshiki fight and decided to help Boruto save the world. He was able to tap into this power through the implantation of Shibai’s cells inside his body.
3. We have Toneri Otsutsuki, whose prediction about the Jougan makes it seem like he had future sight as well.

I’m not counting Boruto here because Momoshiki fueled his manifestations of this power—it was actually the host Otsutsuki who took a glimpse into the future. And because Boruto’s mind was fused with him, it gave him a glimpse of the forthcoming, too.

Not to mention, he foresaw one of the avoided futures, meaning that the things one sees using this ability are not absolute but just possibilities. This brings us to the Great Toad Sage and his predictions about the Child of Prophecy. Now that we know Gamamaru had tapped into the power of all Otsutsuki to see the future, a lot of things make more sense, especially the identity of the Child of Prophecy. While it was believed that Naruto was the one given the role of saving the world, with the reveal of the new intel on Prescience and how every foreseen future is liable to change, I think it’s now obvious that the writers have played a sneaky move by introducing Shinjutsu into the lore.

Till the point when Boruto was introduced, the plot holes were just seen as usual errors of the author while writing the story. The inconsistencies were looked upon as mistakes and not potential setups that could lead to something big. But with the introduction of a sequel with high hopes, many plot holes could now land upon a satisfying conclusion, like the whole Jashin plot. He could now return as an Otsutsuki god instead of getting buried inside the graveyard of potential setups. All this mysterious entity behind Obito could now be revealed to be Boruto for some mind-blowing reasons. Well, that’s the topic of one of my upcoming blogs.

We can now get an extension of a renowned plot point of the story—the Child of Prophecy, who was believed to be Naruto all this time, has now changed to Boruto for a sensible reason. As we know, Prescience makes one look at all possible futures, with some possibilities coming to life while others get avoided. When the Toad Sage foresaw a child becoming the apostle of peace, he must have seen Naruto based on how the story ended. But now that we have a sequel, it can be concluded that the future has changed, and whatever the Toad Sage had foreseen is now shouldered by Boruto.

The second possibility says that the Toad Sage foresaw Kashin Koji and Boruto saving the world, and he couldn’t differentiate between Jiraiya and him since they share the same genes. This clever writing has made the Toad Sage appear as if he did look into the events of Boruto way before the story even came into existence. Kishimoto himself said in an interview that he wouldn’t have created Boruto if Ikemoto wasn’t handling the artwork, but looking at how he was still able to connect all these dots is remarkable. In other words, if Boruto had never happened, it would have made sense for Naruto to be the Child of Prophecy. But to prevent a huge retcon from taking place, Kishimoto introduced Prescience to solidify Boruto’s role as the prophetic child.

Now, before we dive into how Gamamaru obtained Senjutsu, which may be an imitation of certain Shinjutsu like Ninjutsu, there’s a point about the author’s strategy to retcon without consequences that I want to mention. Indeed, Prescience may have granted Kishimoto the liberty to connect the dots from his original story to his promised sequel. Still, something that could disappoint a lot of his fans, including me, is the utilization of Prescience to retcon the prologue sequence. The future fight between Boruto and Kawaki was from a timeline that was successfully avoided. No one would even be able to question anything after the creators made this tricky move to play with fans’ expectations. But it also depends on how the story will turn out—not without this event, it could be better or maybe worse. I wouldn’t like Prescience being used to retcon a highly anticipated event from the story.

Now, coming back to the Great Toad Sage and how he obtained the power of Senjutsu and divination. Senjutsu, or Sage techniques, is a specialized field of jutsu that involves the use of natural energy. Those who practice Senjutsu, referred to as sages, master the ability to absorb natural energy into their bodies, merging it with their chakra to form Senjutsu chakra. Gamamaru was a master of Senjutsu, and even while he was still very young, he already had a deep understanding and control of natural energy. By harnessing it, he could easily lift massive stone structures.

It’s still unclear whether his Prescience power was an outcome of his Senjutsu chakra or not, but I have the best theory to explain what’s going on. Gamamaru got a glimpse of the future because he possessed natural energy. We know Shibai Otsutsuki, or any Otsutsuki god, must be connected to the chakra of the whole universe. When a toad-like Gamamaru cracked the code of utilizing natural energy, it must have crossed the eye of Shibai or Otsutsuki as well, not just because he was the first to do so but also due to the fact that he possessed Senjutsu for a very long time. Absorbing natural energy over centuries must have made him a part of nature, and as we know, the gods of Otsutsuki are connected to nature.

Whenever a divine event like the Omnipotence occurred, the Toad Sage must have been alarmed that something had happened. This is where his divine prophecy enters the scene. I think when the infamous memory rewrite that Momoshiki talked about occurred, it must have been the same time when the Toad Sage got a glimpse of Boruto and Kashin Koji. Now, I’m not saying both events took place simultaneously, but there must be a bridge connecting these two events. So, the Omnipotence that Momoshiki mentioned as being responsible for triggering the Prescience in Gamamaru is a huge possibility. The Senjutsu just brought him closer to the Otsutsuki, as they could be similarly utilizing their powers.

Even the reveal of Usuhiko made this possibility more concrete. Assuming it’s an Otsutsuki ability, then it’s very clear that these creatures utilize outside forces to create their abilities, similar to how Gamamaru operates by utilizing natural energy to boost his chakra-based powers. In a nutshell, the Toad Sage imitated the way of the Otsutsuki, and that’s how he ended up unlocking the power to see the forthcoming.

Now, here’s an interesting analogy of the Senjutsu users that was intentional. All the people who learned the Sage art from Mount Myoboku got entangled in divine intervention. The lineage of Minato and Naruto saw the birth of Boruto, who’s on his way to becoming the world’s saviour. At the same time, Jiraiya got a clone of himself after death, who is now shouldering an even greater fate than him. This means Mount Myoboku has some hidden significance in the story that could likely be revealed later. It cannot be a coincidence that the prophecy-teller, the one who fulfils the prophecy, and the one who was the subject of this prediction all have ties to this place.

What if Shibai was connected to Mount Myoboku? I have an exciting theory to back this claim. We know that many divine figures from various religions and mythologies have inspired Shibai Otsutsuki. Still, one of them that stands out the most is Shiva from Hindu mythology. Shiva is known as the Destroyer God and even has multiple avatars like Vishnu and Ram. This avatar analogy could fit well with Boruto, but that’s the topic for another article. The reason I think Shiva could be the key to understanding the link between Shiva and Mount Myoboku is due to the fact that his divine abode is said to be Mount Kailash in the Himalayas. It’s considered his spiritual residence, and looking at how the dots are connecting so well, Mount Myoboku can be the holy sanctuary of Shibai Otsutsuki.

Maybe he ascended to a higher plane at this place, and his remains were later found by Jigen when he was exploring the world. This might explain why Mount Myoboku is considered to be a sacred place in the story. The connection of Shibai Otsutsuki with this place could have made toads like Gamamaru manipulate the natural energy, something that no one in history was able to do before. So we could say that Shibai was the one who brought Senjutsu to the ninja world, while Kaguya is understood as the pioneer of Ninjutsu.

It may not be a coincidence that both Gamamaru and Hagoromo crossed paths in their lives. They both had ties to the most influential people in the universe, and their meeting was like a setup that determined the fate of this world. Hagoromo returned to help Naruto and Sasuke in sealing Kaguya, while the prophecy of the Toad Sage led to the foundation of Boruto’s role in saving the world. There is more to the lore of Gamamaru, which solidifies the possibility of him having a divine connection. He literally used a crystal ball to tell the story of Kaguya to her sons, which seems very similar to the mechanism of Eida’s Rasengan, which is also a Shinjutsu. By this, it can be concluded that he had the power to see the future and take a glimpse of the past as well.

Now, here comes the most interesting part of the theory, which could become the epitome of excellent writing. Gamamaru said to Hagoromo, “Toads really dream because the dream of a toad is destiny.” He then added that he saw a blue-eyed boy who would name all the Nine-Tail Beasts and bring in a miracle, too. So, certainly, he was talking about Naruto. But now that the tale’s plot has returned to the story, what if this prediction was a double entendre meant for both Boruto and Naruto? We have the Shinjutsu, which are made from Ten-Tails, and assuming the prophecy of the Toad Sage was about them, it can be assumed that four more Shinjutsu will appear, and Boruto will be the one who will figure out a way to handle them.

This may sound far-fetched, but because there are so many similarities between Boruto and Naruto’s legacy, I won’t be surprised if the prophecies were about Boruto all this time. Thanks to Prescience, Kishimoto got away from the blame for ruining the great elements of Naruto’s story for the sake of improving Boruto as a series. Another thing about Gamamaru is that he said a toad’s dream is destiny. This single statement of the Great Toad Sage again links him to Shibai Otsutsuki. By growing up in a place that may be associated with the divine, he was able to tap into sub-divinity.

How did he know that his dreams would come true? Who gave him this rattling piece of information in the first place? And how was it possible for Gamamaru’s prophecy to get influenced by Omnipotence? I’m about to answer all these questions.

Gamamaru’s divine knowledge: what if he was receiving some signals or messages from Shibai Otsutsuki through his dreams? This may sound a bit absurd at first, but think about it—the god of the Otsutsuki needed some mediums to intervene in the mortal world, and Gamamaru could be the first person he used in this endeavour. We know from chapter 13 of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex that Shibai is protecting Boruto, maybe because he needs him for some top-tier divine mission that only he can handle.

Now here’s why people like Jiraiya and his clone are involved here. Shibai Otsutsuki wanted Boruto to come into existence for reasons that are not known to us. Still, for that to happen, he needed to ensure Naruto married Hinata and that the Shinobi world got away with all possible threats. The death of Naruto or all the important figures in his life would have meant that Boruto would never be born, but Boruto was more like the divine will of the Otsutsuki god, so he had to appear one way or another. It’s like a plot armour that ensures your bloodline does not go extinct until you are born, and that’s exactly what happened.

With Gamamaru being the first chess piece, his foretelling of a child of prophecy paved the way for Jiraiya and Kashin Koji to find a suitable person. Once everything started lining up too well, Boruto’s destiny began. In other words, Shibai manifested the legacy of Boruto from a mere dream of Gamamaru. All the events were set up to bring forth the most powerful Otsutsuki ever to exist. Kashin Koji is more or less the seal of the Toad Sage prophecy, which Shibai rooted. The reason I think so is that the whole point of all the events must have been to connect Boruto with the Otsutsuki god, and that’s what has been happening.

First, Boruto encountered a group named Kara, who were utilizing Shibai’s cells as experiments. Then he apparently got the cells of Shibai injected inside his body through Mitsuki, when he took a sample of Boruto’s blood to create antibodies. His life took a 360° turn due to the powers of the same deity, and the latest pillar of hope that he found is also utilizing Shibai’s Prescience power to help him out. The similarity Boruto shares with the deity in his Otsutsuki form is another major hint that Shibai wants him.

Now, to understand what purpose Shibai could have with Boruto, we will need to figure out the interconnectedness of all the predictions made through Prescience. At the beginning of the article, I mentioned that Toneri could also have the power to look into the future, explaining his Jougan prophecy from the anime. The dojutsu that will guide Boruto in dispelling the darkness will soon glimmer in his right eye. It’s the Jougan—something that the Otsutsuki see as troublesome, and that could turn out to be the pinnacle of Boruto’s fate.

Shibai seems to wield the same eye, as confirmed by the Otsutsuki god panel, and he could have been pushing Boruto into circumstances that would awaken this eye for him. So, how exactly would this play out? Well, we have the master blueprint of Samurai 8, which has explored these divine concepts in more depth than Boruto, and judging by the similarities of the warrior god and the Otsutsuki god, it seems like the Jougan may be the bridge to Boruto’s divinity. But for that to actually happen, Boruto needs to unlock the Prescience first, and here is how we would get there.

The one responsible for Boruto’s Jougan awakening looks a lot like Toneri Otsutsuki, not just in base form but in the chakra mode, too. Mitsuki seems to be the key to Boruto’s awakening of the Shinjutsu simply because he transferred the cells of Shibai from Boruto to the body of the prodigy. Once these cells activate, Boruto will find his right eye glimmering with divine power.

Now, a common question that I have heard is: if we already saw Boruto with the Jougan in the anime, how does it make sense for Boruto’s blood mixed with Shibai’s cells to activate the prior eye for him? While the theory of the anime and manga witnessing different timelines will explain it all, I really want the Toneri part of the story to be manga canon since he was canon to the novel material. Here is what could have happened.

Just like how Toneri’s dream is destiny, Boruto’s dream also showed his destiny, which was to awaken a divine Shinjutsu. Now, as for the Jougan, whose true nature and abilities remain a mystery, think of it as a power that is independent of time. I’m saying this because time plays a huge role in all the Shinjutsu abilities that we have seen so far. Daikokuten sends the user to a dimension where the flow of time literally stops; Senrigan has a past vision, while Prescience has a future vision. So think of the Jougan as an omni-temporal power that can exist anywhere on the timeline.

Now that we know fate in the Naruto-verse is not linear but more like a lined-up set of events, it could be that the Jougan has a consciousness of its own. After being revealed to Boruto in a dream, it manifested itself in the past, which surprised the blue-eyed boy. In other words, the Jougan time-travelled to show itself to Boruto when he had his right eye upright. But right now, in the story, he doesn’t have a functioning eye in the right socket, so the Shibai cells undergoing fusion to awaken this omni-temporal power in Boruto’s right eye is a huge possibility.

Well, that’s how the words of Gamamaru acted as the base for Boruto’s attainment of the Shinjutsu. Now, looking at the prologue sequence where the story is headed, here are some prophecies that I believe could come true and how.

First, we have Toneri’s prophecy of the Jougan awakening to help Boruto in dispelling the darkness. I think, just like how Kashin Koji’s Shibai cells were activated in a verge-of-death type of situation, the same could happen with Boruto. Meaning, the Jougan is going to awaken when there won’t be any hope left. A tough fight with the Shinjutsu, especially Jura, who has killed Boruto in one of the possible timelines, could be the key to the prior eye’s awakening. The reason Mitsuki looks a lot like Toneri might be a clever foreshadowing that not many people were able to catch.

Then we have the Toad Sage prophecy of Boruto bringing peace to the world. Well, that will also certainly happen, as there’s a deity waiting for Boruto to handle his matters in the mortal world. The real big mission of the prodigy would begin after everything from the Shinju to the Kawaki conflict gets resolved, and the missing Otsutsuki panels from the Ten-Tails dimension are a big proof of this. Shibai’s partner will certainly return to have a fight with the prodigy whom the deity has himself chosen. Their lore could get even more exciting if this partner of Shibai Otsutsuki is revealed to be none other than Jashin.

In Boruto Two Blue Vortex, Gamamaru’s prophetic insights take center stage as Kashin Koji unlocks new Shinjutsu powers. As Boruto steps into his role as the new Child of Prophecy, he faces looming Otsutsuki threats and potential encounters with Toneri. The connection between Senjutsu and Shinjutsu deepens the lore and sets the stage for Boruto’s quest for peace, promising exciting developments in the upcoming chapters.