WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Chapter #56, “Code,” of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations by Masashi Kishimoto, Mikio Ikemoto, Mari Morimoto and Snir Aharon, now available in English from Viz Media.
The Boruto manga has taken a shocking turn by revealing the true power of Code. Initially, the rebellious teen came off like a lackey whom Jigen didn't trust, keeping him mostly in the shadows -- but as the anime teased in its filler/prequel stories, there was something more.
Now, it's been revealed Code is the person Isshiki Ōtsutsuki saw as his true successor, transferring his full power to him. Still, we didn't really know what Code could do with his own skills, but that drastically changes in Chapter #56 via a brutal display that unleashes him as the ultimate killer.
Code's basking in his newfound upgrade, making it clear he'll honor his god Isshiki after Boruto, Naruto, Sasuke and Kawaki killed him. He heads off to a mysterious snowy mountain -- Boro's lair -- to begin his mission. At the same time, the Kara traitor Amado is revealing insight to Naruto's team how Code could restart the movement. He confesses Code was meant to be a vessel like Kawaki but while he couldn't take Jigen's DNA, the experiment somehow made his cybernetic body even more powerful than Isshiki/Jigen.
It's why Amado also had to put limiters on, as the boss didn't want Code losing control and killing everyone. This stuns Naruto, who felt Isshiki was the greatest enemy he ever faced, only to now find out Code poses a much bigger threat. He doesn't have Kurama anymore and Sasuke lost his Rinnegan, so Konoha are panicking to find a solution. Shikamaru admits killing Code will end the reign of terror Kara opened, but Amado makes it clear it'll be easier said than done.
Readers then see what Amado's talking about with the brawl in the wintery conditions juxtaposed. Code's black band actually extends from his face and appears around his enemies a-la Shikamaru's shadow-justu, ripping them in half as if they're tentacles.
Code also can move at super-speed, making it seem like he's teleporting. And apart from the bands, he's got hands that can morph like Kawaki's into anything he envisions, efficiently killing Boro's death squad. His former teammate is dead so he wants Boro's arsenal, and honestly, the ease at which he slaughters everyone evokes memories of Uchiha Madara when he killed many shinobi over the course of several decades.
The opposition's left begging before they die, with one old man getting lucky by giving Code what he came for -- access to a mysterious robot to wage a new war on Konoha. It leaves fans wondering how deadly Code will be when he finds more of these cyber-soldiers to join the cause, when he removes his limiters, and more so, when he lets the Ōtsutsuki inside him cut loose.
