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The continuation of theNarutoseries in the form ofBoruto: Naruto Next Generationshas led to all sorts of new developments, some that have shaken the series to its core. These developments have also tipped the series' power scaling, leading to a clear imbalance in power. With the introduction of the Otsutsuki and new antagonistic threats, the sequel had already introduced an entirely new power ceiling, yet theBoruto: Two Blue Vortexmanga has upped the ante even more by bringing in a new antagonistic threat at such a scale that has never been seen before.
The Shinju, orthe God Tree Clones, are the newly introduced threat in theBorutomanga, one that has taken over the narrative altogether. These entities possess power comparable to a God and strength that has never been witnessed in the franchise before. It’s safe to say that the Shinju are arguably the strongest foes that the series’ protagonists have ever faced. However, these events have further madeBoruto’spower scaling rather complicated, an issue that the series is already riddled with.
Debut Date
July 28, 2025
The Shinju are the latest antagonist threat to be introduced to theBoruto: Two Blue Vortexmanga, ones that have been stated to be morepowerful than even the Otsutsuki. Such a bold statement pins these characters to be the epitome of power so far in the Boruto universe, and rightly so, as these creatures are direct embodiments of the Ten Tails itself. The Shinju, or God Tree clones, came about after Code used his Claw Marks on the Ten Tails to conceive his claw grimes.
While these claw grimes initially presented themselves as unassuming creatures, they eventually consumed the strongest chakra source they could find and mimicked their powers, albeit to a much greater level. So far, only a handful ofShinju have been introducedto the series, though their power is clearly superior to anything seen before. While most of the Shinju have come about after consuming shinobi, Jura, the Shinju’s de facto leader, is a direct manifestation of the Ten Tails itself, deeming him the strongest out of the bunch.
Shinju are also a rather unique set of antagonists, as their aims and motives so far remain unclear. Instead of going on a rampage, these antagonists have depicted obscure behavior so far, with their actions comparable to newborn wild animals, since they follow nothing but their own primal instinct. WhileJura is much more intelligentthan his counterparts, the rest of the Shinju are currently only targeting the loved ones of the shinobi they consume, such as Sarada in the case of Hidari. This makes Shinju a highly unstable and unpredictable group, making it all the more difficult for Konoha to make sense of their objectives.
Boruto’s Power Creep Issue
The Series’ New Antagonistic Threats Have Led to a Power Creeping Predicament
Even before the introduction of the Shinju,Borutohad beenundergoing a power creep issue, one that began right after the series' beginning. After the series continued to introduce more and more Otsutsuki into the mix, the power ceiling quickly rose to unprecedented levels where most of the characters in the Boruto universe became nothing but insignificant fodder. After the conclusion of Naruto Shippuden, Naruto and Sasuke were deemed to be the epitome of all power in the universe. However, the new Otsutsuki introduced to the series were able to defeat the two previously deemed gods in a matter of mere moments, with Jigen’s fight against the two being a prime example.
This collapse of the status quo further led to an even bigger imbalance, as newer and stronger antagonistic foes kept on being introduced. Afterthe loss of Sasuke’s Rinneganand Naruto’s Kuruma, Boruto and Kawaki took center stage as the most powerful protagonists in the series. Moreover, the introduction of Eida and her Omnipotence ability added another layer to the series' power scaling, as an ability of such extent has never been witnessed before.
As new elements are added into the mix, it has become impossible to keep track of the series' power scaling and the hierarchy of power. With an already intricate mess and complex workings, the introduction of Shinju is just another obscure concept that has been thrown into the mix, leading to an even more convoluted power scaling. WithNaruto and Sasuke out of the picture, Boruto and Kawaki taking on the role of the strongest characters, and the Shinju freely rampaging, the series might have bitten off more than it can chew.
The Shinju’s Effect on Boruto’s Power Scaling
The Shinju Have Raised the Series’ Power Ceiling to Inconceivable Heights
It’s clear that theBorutoseries’ power scaling had already become an utter mess, but with the introduction of the Shinju, the series’ power system has become even more convoluted. As themanifestation of the Ten-Tails itself, each Shinju clone possesses power that is equivalent to a tailed beast. While the strength of each Shinju is yet to be showcased, a few instances of their power have revealed strength that is comparable to a god. Jura’s early fight against Kawaki is a good example, as he was able to instantly crush him in a one-on-one battle.
It’s worth noting that after the time skip,Kawaki has become strong enoughto take on Otsutsuki, yet even he failed to defeat Jura. Other instances, such as Hidari’s battle, also reveal that the Shinju clones are utterly impossible to defeat. Moreover, even if they were to be defeated with the combined prowess of all Shinobi, they can be brought back to life through their thorn bulb. This makes them an unbeatable foe, as the method to their defeat remains unknown. These events also disrupt Boruto’s hierarchy of power, as newer and stronger antagonists keep piling on.
Boruto’s Hierarchy Of Power
It’s clear that Boruto and Kawaki have far surpassed the strength of Naruto and Sasuke, and even some Otsutsuki, yet they pale in comparison to the strength of the Shinju. This deems the Shinju to be the strongest entities in the Shinobi world as of yet, as even those who have strengthcomparable to an Otsutsukihave failed to defeat them. This has further convoluted Boruto’s premise, since no clear hierarchy of power exists anymore.
It’s also worth noting that the immense power of these new foes has relegated every other shinobi who isn’t an Otsutsuki tonothing but mere fodder characters. Only a handful of characters are now vital to the story, as the rest are nothing more than insignificant pests compared to these antagonistic foes. Moreover, the ever-increasing antagonistic threats have madeBoruto’spremise seem like nothing more than a gag, as theNarutouniverse went from mere ninjas to aliens wielding godlike powers. In a way,Borutohas forsaken the essence of the original series, and the introduction of the Shinju has further made matters complicated for the series' already-perplexing power creep issue.
