Boruto Episode 157

Boruto Episode 157

Hidden Rain Infiltration

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations episode 157 was very good. It wasn’t the most exciting episode from a battle perspective, but there was a lot of important information and references to previous parts of the series.

The episode starts with Team 25, now under Sai’s control, working with Sai, Sasuke, and the ANBU to locate the Kara hideout within the Hidden Rain Village. I like Team 25, so seeing them progress into this infiltration and intelligence gathering role is really exciting.

The Hidden Rain Village from the anime series Boruto: Naruto Next Generations
The Hidden Rain Village (Boruto Episode 157)

But, what’s even more exciting is where they were standing when we see them at the beginning of the episode. You may have missed it, but as the images above and below show, this is the spot where Jiraiya had his final stand against the Six Paths of Pain.

The Hidden Rain Village from the anime series Naruto: Shippuden
The Hidden Rain Village (Naruto: Shippuden Episode 132)

Some people might say that for me to recognize a building from 525 episodes earlier in the series, there must be something wrong with me. And perhaps they’re right. But the inclusion of references like this just goes to show how the Boruto series sneaks in little hints for those of us who love Naruto way too much.

I’m not ashamed to admit I’ve watched through all 500 episodes of Shippuden at least three times.

Another thing I loved about this reference is that none of the characters in who are at the location know the significance of where they’re standing. The members of Team 25 weren’t born yet at the time of Jiraiya’s death, and this is the first time either Sai or Sasuke has been to the Hidden Rain Village.

Also, considering that Jiraiya’s body was never recovered, the only “person” left alive (as far as we know) who knows that’s where Jiraiya died is Fukasaku, one of the Two Great Sage Toads.

Kara’s Footprints

Moving away from the reference to Jiraiya’s death, the majority of the episode focuses on Sai and Sasuke as they investigate the Kara within the Hidden Rain. At the start of the episode, they aren’t even sure that the Kara as an organization really exists, and that’s what they’re seeking to confirm.

Near the abandoned Kara hideout, they come across a boy by the name of Garashi Touno who claims that his friends were killed by the Kara. We later find out that while this is indeed true, Garashi himself was also a follower of the Kara.

What isn’t clear is whether Garashi was already a follower of the Kara, or if he became a follower after the deaths of his friends. If we’re to believe his version of the story, then he became a follower after his friends died. But based on how he described the way his dying friends looked, I have a feeling that he may have been involved even before that.

Garashi Touno (deceased) from the anime series Boruto: Naruto Next Generations
Garashi Touno (deceased)

We do know one thing for certain, though: Garashi was not a true member of Kara. We saw that he could use a few simple jutsu like the Shadow Clone jutsu, but aside from that, there wasn’t much to him. The Kara definitely wouldn’t let someone weak like that into their group, but as we saw, they’re happy to use him.

Also, I do want to point out that for a forbidden jutsu, a lot of random shinobi (and non-shinobi it seems) know how to create Shadow Clones. At this point, it’s basically like everyone forgot that this is a forbidden jutsu because it eats away at the user’s chakra and can kill them.

Kara Jutsu and Goal

While Kara is still definitely mysterious, we do have a little bit of information about them with which we can speculate further. First, we’ve potentially seen two jutsu that its members can use.

We know that toxic gas suddenly spread throughout their base in the Rain Village, and at the same time, the building began to collapse on its own. Is it possible for these occurrences to not be linked to jutsu? Sure. But It seems very unlikely for a few reasons.

As for the toxic gas, while there certainly could be a substance like this leaking up from beneath a sewage treatment plant, the arrival of it was too convenient. The gas only initially appeared after the Kara meeting was discovered by Garashi and his friends. This leads me to believe that it was one of the Kara members trying to kill the witnesses.

The collapsing building is a bit harder to pin down. But at the beginning of the current OP, we see a figure who appears to be Kawaki from episode 1 standing over the Leaf Village as pieces of it float into the air. So my question is, does Kawaki have some sort of jutsu that lets him destroy things? Perhaps maybe a jutsu connected to gravity?

The leader of Kara from the anime series Boruto: Naruto Next Generations
The leader of Kara

To be fair, we don’t know that Kawaki is a member of Kara. All we’ve seen of him was that he was present during the destruction of the Leaf Village in episode 1 opposing Boruto. But considering he seems to be featured (albeit in silhouette) alongside the Kara members in the current OP, I think it’s a safe bet.

Kawaki’s inclusion in Kara is connected to my theory about Kara’s goal as well. We know Boruto’s mark on his hand is connected to the Ōtsutsuki clan. Kawaki appears to have a similar marking. And Kara has been linked to both Ōtsutsuki clan symbols and biological experimentation.

I think Kara is attempting to “create” shinobi with the abilities of the Ōtsutsuki clan — which means Kawaki’s “Ōtsutsuki” marking could be artificial.

This would also tie into my explanation of how the Boruto series is all about “natural” things being superior to “technological” things. In the end, we may see Boruto (the natural Ōtsutsuki heir) defeat Kawaki (the manufactured Ōtsutsuki heir).

Conclusion

What did you think of Boruto episode 157? Did you recognize the reference to Jiraiya’s death when you first watched the episode? Do you think the toxic gas and building collapsing were the work of Kara jutsu? And what do you think Kara’s ultimate goal is? Let me know in the comments.

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My review of the next episode is available here.

2 Replies to “Boruto Episode 157”

    1. It was stated that they discovered biological experimentation equipment similar to what can be found in Orochimaru’s hideouts. And since Orochimaru specializes in human experimentation, I assume that’s what Kara is working on as well.

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