WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Chapter #55, “Legacy,” of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations by Masashi Kishimoto, Mikio Ikemoto, Mari Morimoto and Snir Aharon, now available in English from Viz Media.
Following the victory against Isshiki Ōtsutsuki, Konoha is suffering some major blows in the Boruto manga. As of Chapter #55, Naruto has lost Kurama, the Nine-Tails, after the demon fox used up all its chakra in Baryon Mode and dissipated into the afterlife. Sasuke has endured a devastating loss of his own: Boruto, possessed by Momoshiki at the time, has destroyed the Rinnegan eye.
However, there is hope for the Uchiha Ranger. Sasuke might be able to save the Rinnegan with some help from his oldest and most sinister enemy, Orochimaru.
When Sasuke was a teen, the snake ninja was obsessed with him. Orochimaru placed his curse seal on Sasuke and tried to use him as a vessel because he was the closest thing to the perfect shinobi specimen around. When Sasuke temporarily became his protege, he continued to experiment on his DNA. Given that he also helped nurse Sasuke back to life during the Kaguya war, Orochimaru may have data on his genetics, particularly his ocular jutsu abilities with the Sharingan and the Rinnegan.
The Rinnegan not only allows the user to traverse space-time, teleporting in and out secret dimensions, but it also has a resurrection ability. If someone has it, it must be protected at all costs. While Katasuke and Konoha's science team might have done the groundwork on the eye, Orochimaru's more extensive studies on the Uchiha clan make him the best suited to leading to repair and recovery mission.
Sasuke is starting to trust the reformed villain a bit more, and Naruto is paying more attention to this science job should it be greenlit. You don't want the former Sannin unsupervised with Sasuke and his DNA, but desperate times call for desperate measures, especially as the threat of Kara still hasn't been fully extinguished.
Whether the council likes it or not, Sasuke knows Orochimaru is the best person for the job due to his experience, and it needs to happen sooner rather than later, as Sasuke has just returned to the village. To top it off, Sarada can also be used to help grow the eye back so Orochimaru has everything that he needs, which will paint a familiar picture of the lab he had in the old days.
What makes this team-up between former enemies such an enticing prospect is this is a chance not just to power Sasuke back up, but to test Orochimaru. He'll have access to the weapon he always wanted and a lot could go wrong, but there is a chance this mission can complete his redemption, proving doubters wrong.
