The Otsutsuki Clan is literally the root of all evil in the Naruto universe. Arriving on Earth from another dimension thousands of years ago to harvest a chakra fruit from a God Tree, Kayuga Otsutsuki betrayed her family and ate the fruit to become a God to humanity. Taking a human as her husband, she gave birth to two sons to whom she ed some of her chakra energy. It is through their descendants that chakra was ed to the rest of humanity. One of her sons would go on to create ninjutsu. There have only been four people able to stop Kayuga: her two sons, and Naruto and Sasuke, who are the reincarnations of Kayuga's grandsons, Indra and Asura. The only other person to defeat an Otsutsuki was Naruto's son Boruto, who defeated Momoshiki Otsutsuki, who was sent by family leaders to check in on Kayuga after she cut off communication.

Related: Boruto Confirms the Otsutsuki Clan's Biggest Threat

When Isshiki Otsutsuki, Kayuga's original partner, was ultimately defeated by another Naruto-Sasuke collaboration, the feel for many fans was that by eliminating the Otsutsuki threat, Naruto creator Masahi Kishimoto had, at long last decided to turn his focus and attention to developing the "next generation" of shinobi from Boruto. As if reading fans' thoughts, Naruto and Sasuke became less important to the story as it highlighted the conflict between reconstituted Kara under Code, Eida, and Daemon, and the deepening bond between Boruto and Kawaki.

But then the Otsutsuki story vibe has come back with a vengeance. Fans already knew, that with Momoshiki's sacrifice, Boruto was more Otsutsuki, than Uzumaki. Next, Boruto strongly suggested that the kama inscribed on Kawaki and Code was still functional despite the "demise" of both Isshiki and Momoshiki. The obvious effect of this plot point is that it seems Kishimoto is not yet ready to make the story fully about Boruto or his peers. That is, whatever tale they have to tell, will be told through the prism of an ongoing story arc focussed squarely on Naruto.

Equally interesting is the fact that, with the return of the Otsutsukis, any rumors of Naruto and Sasuke's deaths in Boruto will have been greatly exaggerated. Being the only two people who have actually defeated multiple Otsutsuki, their involvement in taking down a new Otsutsuki threat would seem necessary. This involvement can take to form of a direct confrontation between the two senior ninjas and the Otsutsuki, or a more indirect approach through the younger ninja such as Sarada and Mitsuki. A more likely possibility is some type of direct-indirect combination. In any event, the uncanny ability of the Otsutsuki Clan to stay dead most likely delays the rise of Boruto and the next generation for a bit while also giving fans perhaps one last taste of Naruto at its finest.

Next: Boruto Should Reveal Kawaki is Amado's Daughter (Not Eida)

Look for the latest chapter of Boruto now available on Viz Media's Shonen Jump App!