Ikemoto’s Latest Interview: Kawaki’s Role in the Series

On the occasion of Konoha Day on August 24, 2024, fans had the opportunity to interview Boruto creators Masashi Kishimoto and Ikemoto. During the interview, the authors shared new details about the series and dispelled some theories. One particularly intriguing revelation that caused a stir on the internet was the role of Kawaki in the story.

Upon being questioned about the challenges in their stories, Kishimoto shared that there were no difficulties in concluding Naruto, as every character had undergone proper development.

Despite facing challenges in every turn of his manga series, Ikemoto persevered. He had to introduce Kawaki as a plot device, but later, Kawaki became the center of the series for him. This was necessary due to the protagonist’s already privileged position in the story.

Please note that the following article contains potential spoilers from the Boruto series and reflects the author’s personal opinions.

The Significance of Kawaki in the Story of Boruto

Pain as seen in the anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

During an interview, Kishimoto and Ikemoto were questioned about any challenges they encountered while developing the plotline for Naruto and its sequel, Boruto.

According to Kishimoto, the Pain arc presented numerous challenges due to the conflicting ideologies of the central antagonist and protagonist. The author struggled with deciding which character was truly in the right, making it difficult to declare a definitive moral stance.

Despite this, the remainder of the series proved to be less difficult. Kishimoto expressed satisfaction with the conclusion of the narrative involving Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha.

Kawaki as seen in the anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Then, the focus shifted to Ikemoto, who discussed the challenges he encountered while writing the sequel series. He explained that every aspect of the sequel was tough, particularly because the protagonist had everything in comparison to Naruto.

Additionally, Boruto did not share his father’s ambition of becoming the Hokage, as he was not as dynamic of a character as Naruto. To ensure the series maintained its compelling storyline and captured the interest of viewers, the author introduced Kawaki.

Initially, the author acknowledged that Boruto was the main character, but eventually, the attention shifted towards Kawaki. The author viewed this as a positive development as it allowed the series to come to a satisfying conclusion and transition into its sequel, the Two Blue Vortex series.

Exploring the importance of Kawaki

In the first episode of the series, Boruto introduces Kawaki as one of its main characters, who is portrayed as the son of an abusive father.

Eventually, he was purchased by Kara, a secret organization controlled by Isshiki Otsutsuki. There, he underwent experiments, along with several other children, to determine their suitability as vessels for Isshiki Otsutsuki.

Despite being chosen as a vessel for Isshiki, Kawaki managed to escape and find refuge with Naruto Uzumaki. His arrival in the Hidden Leaf Village initially seemed safe, but it caught the attention of Isshiki, making the series more exciting.

Eventually, thanks to Naruto’s assistance, Kawaki was rescued and Isshiki perished. Despite this, he selected Code as his potential host. After seeing someone show genuine concern for him, Kawaki felt a desire to safeguard Naruto and made the decision to distance himself from the protagonist (as Momoshiki posed a potential threat to his life).

The series reached its climax as Kawaki sealed away Naruto and Hinata in a different dimension, determined to eliminate the protagonist before releasing his rescuer.

After the Omnipotence incident, the Two Blue Vortex began with the protagonist’s character showing significant improvement from the start of the series, all thanks to the presence of Kawaki.