WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Chapter #53, “That's Reality,” by Masashi Kishimoto, Mikio Ikemoto, Ukyo Kodachi, Mari Morimoto and Snir Aharon, now available in English from Viz Media.
The latest chapter of the Boruto manga proved to be quite a game-changer. Kawaki finally got his freedom, killing Isshiki Ōtsutsuki. This means the alien couldn't have placed a new Karma mark on the teen, and thus Isshiki couldn't be reborn in Kawaki's body. This was the main goal since Isshiki took over Jigen's frame and started the Kara terrorist cell. However, Isshiki's death here may have confirmed who really ends up possessing Kawaki years down the line, as seen in the flash-forward at the start of the series.
That opening scene featured an older Kawaki fighting with Boruto, speaking about killing Naruto, the Hokage. Konoha's destroyed as well, making it seem like Boruto has no choice but to kill his "brother." At first, it seems like Kawaki betrayed his adoptive family, but when the truth about the Karma mark was revealed, fans thought Isshiki actually succeeded and was reborn in him. If Isshiki's dead, then someone else must be in Kawaki's body.
That mystery may be solved, as this latest chapter shows Boruto attacking Sasuke, stabbing him in his Rinnegan eye. It leaves Naruto and Kawaki shocked, but this is really Momoshiki who's finally possessed Boruto after he had his own Karma mark on the kid. It stands to reason Momoshiki may now go after the prize himself, putting a mark on Kawaki so he could be reborn there.
This is a smart move because that means Naruto and Sasuke would have to kill Boruto to stop the process. It's unlikely they could ever follow through on that, and what makes it so feasible is Momoshiki knows Kawaki's the perfect vessel. He understands what Isshiki was doing all along and this may be why Momoshiki lay in wait, as he wanted to see Isshiki lose so he could steal the vessel for himself. Many believed it was all about possessing Boruto to create a new and better Momoshiki, but it could be that Boruto was being used so Momoshiki could get a window of opportunity to take Kawaki.
It appears readers fingered the wrong clansman all along. It makes sense that Momoshiki has plotted for this, as Naruto and Sasuke foiled his invasion with Kinshiki. Admittedly, he didn't know of Isshiki's plan when he initially arrived, but through Boruto's eyes, he appears to have been given this lucky trump card. What also strengthens this theory is that he's always been Boruto's ultimate nemesis and Kawaki's words in the flash-forward fit Momoshiki's essence. He's talking about history, family and how he knows Boruto on a deeper personal level, so that Kawaki could only have someone familiar inside him.
Isshiki was all a fake-out, a clever piece of misdirection that was seemingly masking Momoshiki's endgame. It seems readers have been duped, capping a deceptive, long-winded game of chess, which would allow Momoshiki to now enact his own God Tree plan and achieve immortality.
