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This article contains spoilers from the Boruto series.
The reveal that Hidari’s existence can be attributed to Sasuke Uchiha trapped inside a Chakra Tree is quite the blow to fans of the character - especially since this meant someone with the equivalent of Sasuke’s powerset (with an Otsutsuki power-up) has no reason to hold back against an aged Boruto and any of his peers.
Hardcore Sasuke fans fromNarutomight even treat this reveal as an insult to the character, as not only was Sasuke already depowered with the taking of his Rinnegan, but he’s now practically put out of commission to pave the way for a threat that… Boruto has (un)surprisingly defeated with his new planet-powered, one-hit-killing Rasengan: Uzuhiko. Questionable power-ups and his convenient revival aside, Hidari’s “true” role in theBorutostory is still something tucked deep inside the story. However, fans theorize Hidari might be the key to Sasuke getting a much-deserved return to the frontlines.
The Hidari Connection
Extraterrestrial Antagonists Usually Have A Human Sympathizer
It’s a no-brainer thatthe Human God-Treesare especially made more lethal by the fact that they have so little understanding of “emotions” their “templates” possess - making them dangerous beings of “instinct” armed with God-Tree physiques and Otsutsuki-esque powersets. Perhaps the only thing stopping them from rampaging the world is their “obsession” with their mission: the “consumption” of the being their templates hold the most dear.
If That’s How It Is, I’ll Just Have To Sever That Bond.
Story-wise, the Human God-Trees are the equivalent of an invading alien race already making themselves known as humanity’s biggest threat. In fact, Jura has made it abundantly clear that destroying Konoha is well within his means had it not been for his curiosity in human emotion and culture. Thing is, as Redditor u/Careful-Ad984explains in a thread, stories featuring invading aliens almost always features a human sympathizer - one that “connects” the perspectives of these beings with that of humanity’s traits of hope and perseverance. This is where Hidari comes in.
The Hidari-Sasuke Theory
Hidari Might Be Made Whole With Sasuke’s Fatherly Love
Compared to his Human God-Tree companions,Hidari is the only one whose connection with his “target” is biological(Sarada, daughter of Sasuke) and not adoptive (Ryu to Gaara, step-dad of Shinki) or borderline romantic (Matsuri to Konohamaru, love interest of Moegi). It’s very likely that Sasuke’s close ties to Sarada might be embedded into Hidari. This is crucial, as an Omnipotence-affected Sasuke has chosen his blood ties to Sarada more than his altered “memory” of Boruto, opting to defect for the sake of his daughter.
If Boruto sticks to Naruto’s roots of “repeating” story beats (like a Jiraiya-figure training Boruto), it won’t be surprising if Hidari chooses to “betray” his purpose if it means following his templated “instinct” to protect Sarada. It may even come to a point where Hidari will sacrifice himself to help Sasuke for Sarada’s sake… finally letting him experience the raw human emotion of parental unrequited love even if it means his true demise.
An Uchiha And God-Tree Hybrid
A Reversal Of Madara’s Endgame
Boruto seemingly opens with its “final” conflict, one where an aged Boruto and Kawaki clash for the fate of not just Konoha but the world of ninjas. If Naruto and Sasuke are still alive by then to usher in this true “new” world, then the two become their own versions ofHashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, respectively. And seeing how Madara turns into an antagonist who takes the power (and physiology) of the Ten-Tails’ Chakra Tree in the Fourth Great Ninja War, Sasuke doing the same with Hidari but for the greater good can make for quite an ironic twist in the concept.
Going by this comparison, Sasuke taking in the Otsutsuki-refining traits of a Chakra Tree means potentially restoring his Rinnegan. Not only that, but Sasuke could even “evolve” his Rinnegan into his own Dojutsu much like Jura and other Otsutsuki. When combined with Hidari’s powerset, Sasuke could even get Claw Marks and God-Tree-based shapeshifting. These power-ups aren’t even unnecessarily buffing Sasuke either, as his tapping into powers of antagonists have always been an ever-present part of his character theme.
A Demi-Ten-Tails Sasuke Is The Perfect Evolution To The Character
Sasuke Has Always Been About Growing Out Of One’s Darkness
Hidari-Sasuke ties directly into his character’s identity of accepting (and evolving out of) inner darkness and family legacy, as shown through his eyes. Sasuke “bonds” with Itachi in vengeance, as he willingly takes in the Curse Mark in his quest for Itachi’s death while his sight“evolves” into the Mangekyo Sharingan after their reconciliation.
I Don’t Know. My Body Just Moved. There Was No Time To Think.
The end of the series has Sasuke with wisened eyes associated with beings that caused suffering - and having suffered himself, this meant Sasuke finally knew how to use his Rinnegan for the good of others.
Sasuke “absorbing” his own “darker clone” to regain his Rinnegan can thematically represent Sasuke “reclaiming” himself - no longer is he just a mere deuteragonist, the Hokage’s Shadow, nor Boruto’s teacher. Instead, he is Sasuke, and he is ready to step into the light. This theme can be made even more impactful should Sasuke manage to use his new physique to develop his own Dojutsu, practically stepping out of his family’s shadow to finally form his own legacy as an Uchiha.
The Naruto Power-Up Speculation
Naruto Can Get His Own Jinchuriki-Related Power-Up
It’s quite poetic ofBorutofora little Kurama to choose Himawari as its new Jinchurikiand for Sarada to awaken her Mangekyo Sharingan out of concern and affection - two brand new takes onNarutoconcepts previously associated with isolation and grief. In the context of power scaling, Sasuke getting a Hidari power-up might mean Naruto can get a new buff related to the power of the Tailed Beasts. Such a speculation ties directly into the power themes of the two characters.
Naruto’s growth has always been about accepting his inner strength - initially rejecting Kurama in favor of Sage Mode before eventually treating the Nine-Tails as his friend. Taken from the perspective of Sasuke taking in an enemy’s power for his own, Naruto acknowledging a new “inner” power could:
Rebuffs Can Be A Fix To The Sequel’s Nerfing Fumble
No Longer Just An Obligatory Nerf
Naruto and Sasuke remained asNaruto’s biggest players in the eyes of fans, especially in the series endgame, where the youngsters became instrumental in saving the world from the extraterrestrial threat that was Kaguya Otsutsuki. And whileNext Generationsprotagonists Boruto and Kawaki did defeat Momoshiki Otsutsuki and Isshin Otsutsuki, respectively (resulting in some of modern anime’s best fight scenes), such was their notoriety that the story just had to be set up to nerf them: Kuramajust hadto sacrifice himself to weaken Isshiki and make him ripe for defeat (Baryon Mode), while Momoshiki-possessed Boruto enucleated Sasuke off his dastardly-powerful Rinnegan.
Not only did these moves reduce Naruto and Sasuke to pre-Fourth Great Shinobi War power levels, but this was considereda dirty nerf for fans. After all, it took the story forcibly weakening Naruto and Sasuke just to force Boruto and Kawaki into the spotlight, as though they could never do this on their own. And as the new duo earn the respect of new fans, aBorutoendgame involving Sasuke and Naruto supporting the protagonists with thematic buffs could provide a fitting closure to this nerfing fumble.
