Boruto Chapter 19 Preview: Konohamaru vs. Matsuri Showdown

So, we have Boruto Two Blue Vortex Chapter 19‘s official preview page, and this month’s preview is quite unique and different compared to previous ones. In this preview, we didn’t even get a page at all. Instead, we got the official cover of Chapter 19, which is very interesting because we have never seen this happen before when it comes to the official preview pages released for prior chapters.

So far in Two Blue Vortex, whenever they have provided a sneak peek for upcoming chapters, we would usually get a few panels with some context. While these preview pages give a bit of information, much of it is left open to interpretation, as they only provide one page. You can’t really judge an entire chapter based on a single page until you get the full product. Therefore, the fact that we got only the chapter cover for the upcoming chapter is something I want to discuss in today’s article, along with what it could potentially mean for Chapter 19.

In my last blog, I made predictions, such as Konohamaru fighting Matsuri and Sarada and Mitsuki battling Ryu. However, the decision to reveal only the cover this time, without any actual content, makes me think that the upcoming battles involving the Leaf ninja and the Shinju are going to be far more dangerous than we initially thought. Moreover, the fact that we see Moegi on the cover suggests that Konohamaru is going to face significantly more danger than we typically expect.

So far, Two Blue Vortex has had a pretty well-paced story. While the past few chapters have been slow, this has been consistent with the setup style of the Boruto manga, especially after Kodachi stepped down and Kishimoto took over to assist Ikemoto with the script. Since then, the manga has focused more on slower, detailed chapters, as we saw during the Kawaki arc at the end of Part 1. However, in Two Blue Vortex, things have moved fairly quickly overall.

That said, in the past three to four chapters, we’ve essentially transitioned into a new arc focused on side characters, with Sarada, Mitsuki, and Konohamaru at the forefront, facing off against the Shinju side villains. The pacing in these chapters has been deliberately slow to set the stage for upcoming battles. However, the end of the last chapter introduced some significant buildup, and I now fully expect these characters to finally clash.

When it comes to Konohamaru, I discussed in my last blog how he is going to face far greater danger compared to Sarada and Mitsuki. At least Sarada and Mitsuki have the other Sand ninja with them, including Araya, who wields a sword that counters Shinki’s iron sand. This might allow them to hold their ground for a while before they are forced to retreat—or potentially die.

Konohamaru, however, is in a different situation entirely, as he will be facing a Shinju opponent on his own. Predicting the outcome of this battle is difficult because the Boruto manga is so unpredictable. Every month, I ask for your predictions regarding the upcoming chapter, and with this preview page showing only the cover, I want to offer my thoughts on the upcoming battle between Konohamaru and Matsuri.

In terms of power levels, I’ll be honest: I don’t think Konohamaru has what it takes to keep up with someone like Matsuri. Ever since the Shinju were introduced, their immense power has been emphasized by almost everyone in the Hidden Leaf Village. Figures like Shikamaru and Kashin Koji have made it clear that the Shinju must be eliminated at all costs, or else the world will face annihilation. That’s how dangerous and strong these characters are.

From the perspectives of Konohamaru, Sarada, and Mitsuki, the mission to take down the Shinju hinges on striking when their guard is down—befriending them, luring them into a false sense of security, and then striking by surprise. The problem is, in the latest chapter, this strategy is no longer viable because the Shinju have realized they were deceived. The gig is up, and now they’ll have to fight head-on.

Sarada and Mitsuki might be able to hold out longer since they have more allies on their side. Meanwhile, Konohamaru is entirely on his own, and I’m not sure he has the strength to go toe-to-toe with someone as powerful as Matsuri.

So far, we haven’t seen Konohamaru’s true power. Despite fighting many opponents, he has been humiliated repeatedly. We saw this particularly in the Boruto anime, especially during the Kara arc when he faced the Inner members of Kara and was utterly outclassed. While I was critical of him at the time, I also gave him the benefit of the doubt because those Kara Inner members were essentially Otsutsuki-level threats. It’s unreasonable to expect someone like Konohamaru, who is “just” a Jonin, to successfully take on enemies of that caliber.

However, now that we’re into Two Blue Vortex and with the emphasis on these characters finally being at the forefront, I do expect Konohamaru to show off some new abilities and maybe some new powers to be able to fight someone like Matsuri. So far, we’ve seen Konohamaru fight just a little bit in TBV when they were fighting Hidari and Jura as they first came to the Leaf Village. When Sarada was fighting Hidari by herself, Konohamaru came to the rescue by using the Rasen Barricade, a jutsu he developed to counter Hidari’s Chidori. There is a possibility that Konohamaru may have developed even more jutsus like that, and I would love to see them.

The way some of you readers have been guessing about Konohamaru for the past few years, it seems like he’s going to have to finally step up. The truth is, he is Naruto’s student, after all—Naruto’s disciple. And I’m going to be real here, man: if he wants to become Hokage and follow in Naruto’s footsteps, he’s going to have to truly step up. I think this is the perfect time for that.

Now, I don’t expect him to take down Matsuri, but one thing I truly want for Konohamaru is to actually put up somewhat of a fight—show some resistance against Matsuri and make it respectable. That’s the only thing I want. Because, listen, man, he has been one of Boruto‘s biggest punching bags and, in my opinion, somewhat of a letdown. Most of the battles he has partaken in aren’t really his fault, simply because a lot of these characters he’s fighting are way out of his league. Most characters would get destroyed like that as well. So, you know, I feel bad for him sometimes.

But at the same time, to be Naruto’s disciple, I think it’s time for Ikemoto and Kishimoto to give Konohamaru that respect, man. Whether he wins or loses, the only thing I truly want in this upcoming battle is for him to actually put up a respectable fight.

Now, moving on, I do want to talk about Boruto and Kashin Koji’s relationship because a lot of you brought up a point I wasn’t even really thinking about: the fact that Boruto may not actually trust Kashin Koji all the way.

Here’s the thing. With this current mission and the upcoming battles, Boruto’s actually not allowed to come to the battlefield. According to Kashin Koji, if Boruto were to make an appearance, so would Jura—and that would mean everyone is going to die. Simply put, Jura is way too powerful, and those are Kashin Koji’s words.

Now, I do believe Jura is that powerful for a reason. Hence why Boruto is asking Kawaki to get his limiter removed so they can fight Jura together. That is the ultimate battle that will probably happen later in the series. However, for now, they are banking on Sarada and Mitsuki, as well as Konohamaru, to take down these other Shinju that are currently relevant. If you take out the side Shinju, then you can target Jura later on.

Right now, at least according to Kashin Koji, the chances of them succeeding are actually very high. It’s not very likely for them to fail this mission. Hence, Kashin Koji does not want Boruto to join the battle, or else Jura will appear.

 Now, Boruto is not coming to help his teammates out simply because they are his friends and family, and the last thing he would want is for them to die in vain. Obviously, with Boruto, if he does become concerned enough and realizes that his teammates actually do need help, he may want to join the battlefield.

When it comes to getting to the Land of Wind, we know that from the Leaf Village to the Land of Wind, it takes around three days—by running there, of course. Boruto, however, has the Flying Raijin Jutsu. The question is, does he even have a marker on any of these characters for him to teleport there instantly? Obviously, Boruto does have the ability to teleport to different locations and even different dimensions, so if he does have a marker on any of these characters, he could instantly teleport there to help Sarada, Mitsuki, or even Konohamaru.

In my opinion, I do think Konohamaru is going to be put in great danger. Even though I want him to put up a good fight, I personally do not believe he has a chance at all when it comes to defeating Matsuri. However, I do think he’s going to put up a slightly better fight this time, simply because I believe he has gotten a lot stronger since the start of the series. Hence, I do think he’ll fare better.

That said, I still believe Boruto is going to come to the rescue, simply because a lot of these Shinju may be too overwhelming for a character like Konohamaru. I don’t want to doubt Konohamaru because he could be slated as the next Hokage following Shikamaru, for example. However, I think that for the story to progress, Konohamaru may need to grow stronger. I don’t want to see that scenario where he falls short, but there could be a chance Boruto senses the danger and comes to the rescue.

In my personal opinion, I want Konohamaru to put up a solid fight, but we’ll see where that goes. So, let me know how you guys feel about this article in the comment section below. If you haven’t already, share your predictions for the upcoming chapter and the battles between Konohamaru and Matsuri, as well as Sarada and Mitsuki versus Ryu alongside the Sand ninja.

Who do you think is going to win? Who do you think will come out on top, and why? These past few chapters in Two Blue Vortex have been a slow burner. However, now is the time to ramp it up to the absolute max as these battles finally heat up with these characters facing off. Let me know what you think about all that in the comment section below!

In Boruto Two Blue Vortex Chapter 19, the narrative intensifies as Konohamaru faces Matsuri, and Sarada and Mitsuki confront Ryu. The chapter delves into themes of love and reasoning, highlighting the internal struggles of the humanoid Shinju. The artwork, especially during the Iron Sand sequences, is notably impressive. Fans can read Boruto manga online to experience these developments firsthand. This chapter sets the stage for upcoming battles, leaving readers eager for the next installment.