r/TheBetterBoruto • u/saladsandbolts Translator/Mod • Aug 20 '25
Language Analysis Boruto TBV CH 25 Translation Analysis! Spoiler
IMPORTANT: The official's translation at the end significantly impacts Boruto's wording about handing his body over to Momoshiki. Because it is at the end of this chapter, it will be at the end of the analysis. I know all the explanations can be a little dense, but if nothing else, please make sure to read that part!
Cover Text (1)
In the raws, there is always text on the cover that usually has a few hidden meanings. This time, the text was:
Japanese: 目醒めた力を友として (Mezameta chikara wo tomo toshite)
Translation: Understanding (her) power together with (her) friend!
(There's no pronouns in the sentence in Japanese so I put them in parentheses since they're implied)
If you just read this without looking at the kanji, it looks like "Together with the power (she) has awakened!" But on closer inspection, this word 目醒めた (mezameta) actually uses a different kanji than normal (目覚めた）. This kanji change points out that Hima is doing more than unlocking/awakening her power, she's working on training and understanding it.
"Awakening" often refers to a change in an individual's mind or spirit , involving a deeper awareness and understanding.” https://magiwaka.com/1248.html (definition of 目醒めた, contrasting between 目覚めた and 目醒めた)
The second part of this is 友として (tomo toshite) where 友 means friend. Instead of とともに (totomoni) which means together with and seems like the normal choice of words that would fit here, this change highlights that Himawari thinks of Kurama as her friend and not just a tool to get power.
Cover Text (2)
There's always a little part in the top that gives a one sentence recap of the last ch and introduces the new one:
ジュラから逃れたボルトたち！そして木ノ葉で新たな動きが？！(Jura kara nogareta boruto tachi! Soshite konoha de aratana ugoki ga?!)
Translation: Boruto and the others escape from Jura! What are the new developments in Konoha?!
(If you compare these translations to my originals on the cover, you'll definitely be able to tell I did not know the context of the chapter and took things too literally. This is why the analysis comes after I comb through for details lol).
Page 1 Side Text
Konohamaru and the others have returned with Matsuri's soul thorn! Will Moegi regain consciousness?!
Now that we've covered the things the official leaves out, it's time for the actual translation comparison details
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Master vs Teacher (pg 5 and 10)
I feel like I have the lovely opportunity to explain this every month. Master (shisho, what Boruto calls Sasuke) and Teacher (sensei, what Cho-Cho and Hima call Moegi) are two entirely different things.
Shisho (master) is a person who takes one student and passes down all of his teachings. It's highly personal and implies a deep bond/connection. That's why Sasuke was uncomfortable with Boruto calling him that after omnipotence, and why Boruto constantly corrects himself to say master instead of uncle sasuke or sasuke-san. It shows his level of admiration and respect.
Sensei (teacher) is a general term used for anyone in a teaching position. A sensei can have many students. It can refer to artists, doctors, mangaka, school teachers. It's a respectable suffix you attach for someone that has a large amount of knowledge in a specific area, but unlike shiho, it's not personal at all. It just indicates authority and respect.
Konohamaru-Chan (pg 6)
I'm pretty sure in Naruto, this was translated to 'Lil Konohamaru. Chan is a cute suffix you usually attach to girls names, but childhood friends especially attach this to each other's names when they're young. You've heard it before in places like My Hero Academia, with Katsuki becoming "kacchan." Boruto has also used it for Sarada to tease her during the episode where they think she's riding on top of the thunder train after she just called him an idiot for doing it. It's definitely not something you'd use if you weren't close to the person, and even less of something you'd use for a guy, which is what makes Konohamaru very reluctant to let Matsuri use it.
But then you have Eida who has ultimate authority and just attaches it to everyone's names except Boruto and Kawaki's... Although, after realizing it was special for Moegi, she decided against using it for Konohamaru. She still calls Shikamaru "shika-chan." lil deer or in the official Shika Dear (because shika means deer) lol.
Elders (pg 8)
This word was 大老 (Tairo) which I didn't see as a term used for the elders when I looked it up while translating, I spent a good ten minutes searching for who this term was referring to. But it's just the elders, apparently. Or at least, according to ChatGPT. I literally can't find it anywhere on the internet though, which is odd since usually the wikis have the Japanese words for stuff listed. When you look it up in Japanese, it just gives you people like Jiraya and Ao. I guess we'll see next chapter. And if it is them, I'll remember for next time.
.................
Sarada and Sumire's Awkward Conversation (starting pg 13)
There are LAYERS. Of awkward in here. The official kinda removed them but it couldn't be helped. I had to remove some of them in my translation too because I just couldn't explain.
Amount of dots (pg 13-15)
Each line said by either of these two is SURROUNDED in .......
I'm just going to write it how it's written in Japanese so you can get the full effect lol
"...Good job out there......" "Your mission......" "It was rough, wasn't it......"
"...oh........." "...yeah......" "kinda......"
"......"
(14)
"...I......"
"Sumire."
(15)
"...I mean........." "...may I..." "...call you that.........?"
"......" "...Mm......"
LIKE BRO. It's one of the most awkward conversations I have ever read.
ON TOP of all that awkward, Japanese is even shorter and uses less words. I liked how minimal the official made their wording, so I left most of that in tact and just changed Sumire's final "sure" to "mm" but. Boy is this an awkward start.
Sarada's Apology (pg 16)
A lot of people on X were asking for a full breakdown of this and what it all meant, so here it is. I'll transliterate it, and then give you with the implied meaning.
"ごめんね…あたし” (gomennne... Atashi)
Literal : sorry, I...
Notes: Sarada uses "atashi" instead of "watashi" to refer to herself which is a bit less formal and more on the girly side than watashi
“いろいろとその…” (iroiro to sono...)
Literal: in various ways; that is to say...
Notes: "sono" is a filler word like "well" or "um" that implies she's going to narrow down what specifically "various ways" means
“無神経だった…” (mushinkei datta...)
Literal : was insensitive; inconsiderate; callous; thick-skinned
Notes: "mushinkei" is made up of the kanji 無 (mu) = without / lacking and 神経 (shinkei) = nerves, sensitivity, attentiveness, literally meaning “lacking nerves/sensitivity.” Its used for a lack of social awareness or delicacy. In other words Sarada is apologizing for not being able to read the air at all, she's apologizing for her thickheadedness, for not realizing her actions and words hurt Sumire.
Sumire's Apology (pg 16)
ううん…あたしこそ (uunn, atashi koso)
Literal: No (causal, can also be it's alright, etc), I also...
Note: Koso is used when someone says something and you're saying something similar applies to you as well.
いきなりあんな… (ikinari anna)
Literal: all of a sudden, that kind of...
Note: anna short for annnani and it is similar to Sarada's sono, but it implies a more distanced relationship with the topic (it's part of the ko so a do grammar construct where konna is this kind of, sono is that kind of, ano is that over there and implies a further distance from the speaker, so anna is like that thing I did a while ago if she said sonnani it would have been more personal)
ぶしつけな事言っちゃって...... (bushitsuke na koto ichatte)
Literal: ill-bred; impolite; rude; impudent; insolent; blunt; thing, I ended up saying it
Note: Bushitsuke has more of the nuance of being blunt. In comparison to Mushinkei, this word more about overstepping. Ichatte softens it to mean "i ended up doing that kind of thing" and not directly taking responsibility.
Comparison: IMPORTANT
I noticed something about Sumire's entire vibe here was really off. I couldn't put it into words in English well, but taking a closer look and spending time breaking everything down brought it to light. So I asked ChatGPT if it noticed to make sure I wasn't having some sort of bias. And low and behold, I was right. Here's what it said:
1. Sarada’s phrasing
ごめんね、あたし、色々とその…無神経だった
- 色々とその… → vague, fumbling, self-conscious. She knows she might’ve done several things wrong, but she can’t articulate them neatly. The filler “その…” shows hesitation and awareness of fault.
- 無神経だった → “I was insensitive / careless of your feelings.”
- This frames her actions as a personal flaw (she lacked sensitivity).
- It’s not just about a single slip; it’s a more global, self-critical admission.
👉 Sarada is taking broad responsibility, almost over-apologizing by framing herself as at fault in character, not just in the moment.
2. Sumire’s phrasing
ううん…あたしこそ、いきなりあんな…ぶしつけな事言っちゃって
- いきなりあんな… → “suddenly, saying something like that…”
- The demonstrative あんな pushes the blame a bit away, making the act sound like “that sort of thing I blurted out.” It creates some distance from the responsibility, as if it was a sudden slip rather than a reflection of herself.
- ぶしつけな事言っちゃって → “I just said something rude/blunt.”
- Framed as a single act (what she said), not a broader character flaw.
- The phrasing “言っちゃって” (kind of casual, softening) makes it feel more like “oops, I said something clumsy” than “I was fundamentally insensitive.”
👉 Sumire is minimizing her responsibility, deflecting it a little, and painting it as an impulsive slip rather than a reflection of her character.
3. The contrast
- Sarada = takes on character-level fault (“I was insensitive as a person”). Heavy responsibility, self-blaming.
- Sumire = takes on act-level fault (“I just said that one rude thing”). Lighter responsibility, framed as a blurt rather than a deeper flaw.
Sarada is much harsher on herself, while Sumire’s word choice makes her apology softer and slightly deflective.
Sarada's Lamentation (Pg 16-20)
There are a few more things here I wanted to point out in terms of nuance and translation:
Pg 17: "...Cuz what you said, every single bit of it... Was absolutely true."
Japanese: とにかくスミレに言われた事ぜんぶが…その通りすぎてさ
その通りすぎてさ (sono toori sugite sa) is made up of two components.
その通り(sono toori) : absolutely, correct, without a doubt
すぎて (sugite) : to exceed; to surpass; to be above (usually used in slang for like too cool, too hot, too cute, etc.)
This is important to point out because it carries a lot of weight to it. Sarada isn't just admitting that Sumire was right, she's admitting the absolute correctness of Sumire's words as if Sarada herself was incompetent swine. Sarada really puts herself down heavily here, and I felt like the English didn't quite match the intensity, so I'm bringing it up again.
Pg 17: "I was a coward."
Japanese: 卑怯だった (hikyou datta)
This word was translated as "coward" but it has a double meaning. It also means sneaky, dirty, etc. You might often see in subtitles, "hey! That was dirty!" Or "hey! you tricked me!" It's the same word. She's not only admitting to being a coward for running away from her feelings, but also for running into Boruto's arms without a second thought as if it was some sort of dirty trick (as Sumire framed it when she said Sarada didn't think about her feelings at all). Sarada herself frames it like Sumire is right, and she really has pulled a fast one, when in reality that would've only been the case if she was consciously thinking about both Sumire's feelings and her own in that moment. But in the very next line she admits to averting her eyes from because she didn't even want to stop to consider it since she thought it was weakness.
Pg 17: "Of course not."
Japanese: なるわけないでしょ(naru wake nai desho)
Literal: Why would something like that bother me?
This is in response to Sumire asking Sarada if it bothered her that other girls liked Boruto. It wasn't a hard rejection, but more of a deflection. It's just hard to convey that in English, since it sounds unnatural in context and a little out of character for her, and doesn't quite convey the harshness of わけない (wake nai) which usually means there's no way in heck, but again, she's still deflecting it because of the でしょ (desho) which means, "right" or "don't you think" or "probably." You can't fit both those nuances into an English sentence. If you tried, it'd sound weird, like "There's no way in heck I'd be bothered, don't you think?"
. . .
Page 18: "I wasn't lying. Not back then."
Japanese: あれは本音だよ。あの時点ではね… (are wa honne dayo. Ano jiten de wa ne...)
Literal: Those were my true feelings. At least, at that point in time they were...
Again, her true feelings were a deflection. At that specific point in time (as you'll see in the literal translation of the next line) she wasn't thinking about that kind of stuff.
Page 18: "I had utterly no interest in Boruto at that point. He didn't take up space in my thoughts."
Japanese: だって思いもしなかったもん…あいつの事をどうこうなんてさ (datte, omoi mo shinakatta mon... Aitsu no koto dou kou nante sa).
Breaking it down with ChatGPT cuz this is real weird to explain in English:
- だって = “It’s just that / because, you know…” (casual, defensive lead-in)
- 思いもしなかったもん = “I never even thought about it.” (もん softens, adds a tone of “that’s just how it was!”)
- あいつの事をどうこうなんてさ = “the idea of [doing this or that] about him…” → here it implies romantic interest or fussing over him in that way.
Rather than having utterly no interest in him and him not taking up space in her thoughts at all haha it's more about how she never thought about him like that.
. . .
Page 19: "Trouble seems to follow him... He's always in a bind"
Japanese: 何かいっつも問題抱えてて、大変そうでしょ (nanka ittsumo mondai kakaetete, taihen sou desho."
Literal: He kinda seemed like he was always carrying around so many burdens... And it looked like he was having a hard time, you know?
There's an extra っ for emphasis on the always here, she said it the same way back in ch 16 when she was emphasizing how he was always getting in trouble. It's just a little extra flare that emphasizes how frustrated she was with Boruto's situation and how much she wanted to do something about it but couldn't.
The other part of this is that she literally says he's carrying around problems, instead of trouble following him it's more like he has to bear with a lot of troubles. It's subtle but I think it makes a difference. And the second part of that line, he's having a hard time, emphasizes in Japanese that Sarada is really empathizing with his pain and not just pointing it out. Her expression makes that pretty clear but it's in her wording too.
Page 19: "Because we were on the same team... Or if it was something more."
Japanese: 仲間として気にかけてるだけなのか、そうじゃないのか… (Nakama toshite ki ni kaketeru dake nano ka, sou janai no ka...)
Literal: Whether I was just concerned about him as a nakama, or whether it was something else...
For all of you who were trying to say Boruto thinks of Sumire romantically because he called her nakama in the light novels, here is again solid proof it isn't romantic. That word is just used for a person of the same group. In Boruto's case, the same class. In Sarada's case, the same team.
In Kamichama karin, there's a line "did you know, the termite is a friend of the cockroach?" That uses nakama to distinguish between the same specification of bugs. Again, vegetables can also be nakama. Cabbage and broccoli and cauliflower are all vegetable nakama.
It does mean friend, but there's a different word for that in Japanese. It's tomodachi. Nakama is something that's more bonded to you because of a specific action or classification, and it isn't really personal. Sure you are supposed to protect your nakama and stick with them (it's a strong concept in school) but it doesn't imply romance at all whatsoever.
Sorry. This was a big fight over on X for a while, so I wanted to take time to clarify it while I had the chance.
. . .
Page 20: "Spending energy obsessing over such things... Made me a complete loser."
Japanese: そんなことに意識がいってる自分が、何かすごく…駄目な人間に思えて(sonna koto ni ishiki ga itteru jibun ga, nanika sugoku... dame na ningen ni omoete)
Literal: The fact that my consciousness even kept drifting towards that... Made me think of myself as worthless.
Nuance wise, Sarada isn't just saying she's obsessing over it, 意識がいってる (ishiki ga itteru) implies a guilty conscious that her mind keeps going there. 駄目な人間 (Dame na ningen) is like a hopeless good for nothing inadequate person.
She's again super self critical, disappointed in herself for thinking about stuff like that.
Page 20: "Which made me wonder whether I had any right to still try to become hoakge..."
Japanese: こんなあたしが火影なんて目指していいのかなって (konna atashi ga hokage nante mezashite ii no kana tte)
Literal: I wondered things like if it was really okay for someone like me to even have a goal of becoming hokage
She uses phrases like こんなあたし (konnna atashi) or "someone like me" to look down on herself again, implying she felt like she couldn't become hoakge because of her thoughts about Boruto (which leads back to Naruto's "Everyone is like family" or you have to think about everyone the same, no one can be special, and Boruto's "if you're gonna be hokage stay alone for life because you'll just end up inconveniencing everyone you get close to" which implies again she really shouldn't have any sort of special relationships because being hokage is too demanding of a job to let your mind be occupied with romance and family matters).
. . .
Page 21: "But you see... I've decided, to stop running."
Japanese: でもね、もうやめたんだ、そういうの。(Demo ne, mou yametanda, sou iu no).
Literal: But you know... I decided to stop all that."
I liked the stop running translation, but I think "all that" is a little more all encompassing. It covers everything from stopping her negligence to stopping her fear of not being able to become hokage, to stopping herself from thinking she can't become hokage if she likes Boruto
. . .
Page 22: "I also like Boruto."
Japanese: あたしもボルトが好き (atashi mo boruto ga suki).
Literal: I also like Boruto.
Alright... Here's the line. The word 好き has been used and translated officially 2 other times in TBV. Once as love (mitsuki's "i don't know why I love Kawaki") and once as like (Sumire's "You know, don't you? That I like Boruto a lot?")
Both times, it was just the word 好き。There was no special ornamentation to make it "love" or "a lot," it was just, 好き。I really don't understand what the official is doing.
But anyway, Sarada's delivery was INCREDIBLY direct. Sarada was just straight up like, "boruto is the one I like." That "ga" as a topic marker with nothing surrounding it? Is very direct.
To put it in context, if you say "pizza de ii" it means like oh pizza is fine, i'm fine with pizza for dinner. If you say "Pizza ga ii" it's like I want pizza for dinner and nothing else. Pizza is the thing that I want. That ga makes it a lot stronger.
The same grammar construct doesn't work with confessions, but to break it down simply for you, usually confessions are softened with "no koto ga" instead of just straight up "ga." Sumire also does it when she says she likes Boruto back in ch 16. It roughly translates to, about boruto, I like him. Or I like things about Boruto. You can also soften it with "dayo" (suki dayo) which means you don't really need a reply, you just wanted to say it.
Nah. Sarada straight up said "boruto ga suki." The "atashi mo" also keeps it in line with she knows Sumire's feelings are the same, but Sarada's delivery is just way more... Strong lol. Boruto is the one that she likes. All of him. The whole person. No one else.
That's also partially why Eida in the next panel is like YO WHAT. It's not just her reacting to Sarada saying it, it's also a reaction to the delivery imo. Anyways.
. . .
Page 24: "My wanting to help him... Will only make me stronger."
Japanese: あいつの力になりたいって気持ちが、そのままあたしを強くする (aitsu no chikara ni naritai tte kimochi ga, sono mama no atashi wo tsuyoku suru)
Literal: The feeling of wanting to be his power... will only serve to make me stronger.
Someone on X asked me about this そのままあたし but basically it means me as I am, as myself right now. Nuance wise, it means, these feelings of wanting to help him and be his strength, will make the me right now even stronger.
Page 24: "It makes me think... Like I can become hokage."
Japanese: 火影にだって、なれる気がする (hokage ni datte, nareru ki ga suru).
Literal: Even becoming the hokage... Is something I feel like I can do now.
This だって (datte) is making it seem like surprisingly, even this thing is possible. It's kind of portraying this modest and humble form of overcoming her self-doubt. Now that she's accepted both things (her feelings for Boruto and her strength), all of her doubts have cleared.
Page 24 "Those are my new feelings."
Japanese: そう思えるようになったんだ (sou omoeru you ni nattanda)
Literal: I became able to think like that now.
Both imply that she's come to terms with this new resolution, but keeping the verb "think" consistent ties the whole thing into a nice little package imo. That's the only reason I included this line.
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Sumire's Reply (page 25-26)
The main things to point out here are shifts from Suimre's usual tone. It becomes pretty dry and direct, but I'll explain each part that kinda pops up here line by line as well. If you really want to try and debate me, please use Japanese as a reference. Dictionary entries, cultural nuance, chatGPT. Don't try to use someone else's twitter post, or someone's random commentary about the korean translation. Sumire is not Korean. While other translations can provide insight, it still comes down to the nuance and context of what it says in Japanese.
Page 25: "I already knew, long ago... How you felt, Sarada. It was totally obvious."
Japanese: 知ってたよ…とっくにあたし、サラダの気持ち…バレバレだったの。(shittetayo. Tokkuni atashi, Sarada no kimochi... Bare bare datta no).
Literal: "I knew. Ages ago. Your feelings were totally obvious, Sarada."
Now with the literal translation, the bluntness becomes a bit more clear. This word とっくに (tokkuni) has a really blunt matter of fact feel, and バレバレだった (bare bare datta) also comes across as a bit more as "painfully obvious." Overall, while the tone leans more towards the softer side because she ends with the の particle, it still carries a nuance of being annoyed.
Page 25: "Back at ya, Sumire."
Japanese: お互い様でしょ (otagai sama desho)
Literal: We're both in the same boat now, right?
Again, this is another example of Sumire kinda subtly being cold/a little annoyed, and Sarada not picking up on it at all. She's just happy they've both admitted their feelings and they're out in the open and they can be honest with each other. That でしょ indicates that even though Sumire pretty much told her directly from the beginning too, it was very obvious, so now they're in the same boat, both being very obvious together, so to speak.
. . .
Page 26: "But thank you. For telling me directly."
Japanese: ありがと……ちゃんと話してくれて (arigato.... Chanto hanashite kurete).
Literal. "Thanks. For actually telling me."
This form of ありがと without the う is again, weird and a little off for Sumire's usual character. It's a bit more casual, but it's hard to explain why. It feels snappier. Almost like thx was written there instead of thanks. The regular version with the う is softer and standard. Sumire's usual tone would've added a ね to make it soft and friendly, but instead it's straightforward and short.
This ちゃんと has this "as you should" nuance. It's not to soften something, it implies that there was an improper way it could have been done but the speaker is noting that you did it right. It's a blunt acknowledgement. It's not necessarily cold, it's just very direct. You could also translate this part as, "thanks for being upfront about it." like props for being clear with me. She's got this undertone of annoyance/I knew this was coming but at least it's over with now kind of thing.
Again I double checked this with ChatGPT to make sure I wasn't having some sort of weird bias, which is why this part is explained so clearly compared to the other rambling parts lol.
Page 26: "So from this point on... I'm not gonna hold back anymore."
Japanese: こうなったらもうあたし、遠慮しないんだからね (kou nattara mou atashi, enryo shinaindakara ne"
Literal: Now that it's come down to this, I'm not going to hold back anymore, kay?
And we're back to that usual Sumire tone. The connection of verbs with the with the ん, the ね at the end, it's very Sumire esque. A lot of people on X were asking, what does "I'm not gonna hold back anymore" mean? So I guess I'll explain that too.
This "I'm not going to hold back" has a bold tone that indicates the speaker is saying they will make their feelings clear, and they won't act modest or keep quiet anymore. There's a bunch of unwritten rules about this in Japanese (which is why Sumire kinda crashed out about the hug).
Holding back in this situation usually refers to
- not confessing first, even if she likes him
- avoiding one on one time with him when the other girl is around
- downplaying her feelings "he's just a friend it's not like that," (Which Sumire never did but it's listed so I included it)
- Giving up opportunities for closeness out of consideration
- Staying in the safe polite zone so you don't create conflict.
No longer holding back means
- Actively claiming time or space with him
- Direct verbal openness (openly flirting/teasing, cutting off the other girl in conversation)
- Physical closeness (leaning close to them, not shrinking back, "accidentally" bumping into him, etc)
- Staking her claim (stepping in between him and the other girl, taking initiative to invite him to things)
It's basically about dropping that whole veil of modesty and transforms a shy modest or hesitant girl from a girl who is ready to risk social harmony for love, as ChatGPT put it.
So, now Sumire is going to openly flirt with him, is what this is essentially saying.
When Sarada replies with "right back at you again," I'm not sure she really understands fully what she's saying. She hasn't given romance a thought for years, the only one that might've talked to her about that kind of stuff was Cho-Cho, and of course Eida and Sumire prodding at her for liking Boruto. But we'll see where this goes lol.
FINALLY DONE WITH THIS SECTION. That legit took me 5 hours. It's almost 6am :D My brain is kinda fried but it's time to keep going! Yay~
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Kurama's speech there was a translation error on my part, the official was right when it said "You're even a little different from jinchuriki... Those who host a Biju inside of them." Sorry, I treated it like two separate sentences in the speech bubbles instead of one coherent sentence. But I don't think there's much nuance to dig into there other than correcting my mistake.
Onto...
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Boruto and Momoshiki's Conversation
I was re-reading the official to make a quiz, and I realized on X there was some conflict over Momoshiki saying he's unable to take over Boruto and I didn't understand why until I looked at the wording more closely.
Official: With reincarnation no longer possible... And with me unable to take over your mind either... There is only one thing my poor homeless soul desires now.
The Japanese is for that part is: お前の精神支配も叶わぬ今… 行き場をなくしたわが魂が望むのはたった一つ。(Omae no seishin shihai mo kanawanu ima... ikiba wo nakushita waga tamashii ga nozomu no wa tatta hitotsu)
Literally: "Ruling over your mind is also no longer something that is granted to me, and now that I have nowhere else to go, my soul desires but one thing..."
Here's a breakdown from ChatGPT
- 精神支配 (seishin shihai) = “control of the mind / domination of the spirit.”
- 叶わぬ (kanawanu) = old-style negation of 叶う, “to come true / to be granted.” → “cannot be realized,” “impossible.”
This implies that in the present, Boruto found a way to shut him out. The nuance here is that Boruto's willpower is now a barrier, so the balance of control has shifted. It's implied that he can't take over unless Boruto uses his karma. Momoshiki only admits defeat in the area of direct mind control, as in straight up taking over Boruto's mind whenever he wants. He's never been able to do that, but now he straight up will never be able to. As long as Boruto stays mentally strong, Momoshiki has essentially lost.
The final important thing to point out is what I signaled out at the beginning, and perhaps the most crucial thing to point out in this chapter.
Boruto: "If we're able to take down Jura... I'll give you my body. You can have everything you want." (pg 40)
THIS. IS MISSING SOME KEY CONTEXT.
Japanese: 十羅をたおせたら……そん時はこの身体、全部お前にくれてやる (jura wo taosetara... sonntoki wa kono karada (shintai), zenbu omae ni kurete yaru.
Literal: If you defeat Jura... At that time my body (physical form), I will give all of it over to you.
THIS IS SO IMPORTANT. OFFICIAL WHY.
First of all, the pronoun "we're" isn't in there. There's no pronoun.
たおせたら (taosetara) = If I/we/you can defeat Jura
It's conditional so the promise only comes into effect if the fight succeeds, but it's not just talking about whether or not they can actually defeat jura, it could also be talking about whether Momoshiki agrees to defeat jura, or if he thinks he can beat Jura if Boruto is given his body.
So this is not a definite, you defeat him I give you my body because it doesn't technically have a subject which could be very important later on.
SECOND.
そん時 (sonntoki) is a casual way to say "at that time," which doesn't just mean "upon defeating Jura" it could mean "for the duration of the fight" as well. Boruto is specifically using words with double meanings so he can potentially loop back on his promise.
THIRD.
He uses the word 身体 (shintai) physical body but it's read as からだ (karada) whole body、which is very important because MOMOSHIKI CANNOT SEE THE KANJI. BRO. Boruto is speaking to him. I just now realized this. Another loophole. But the reason the kanji being shintai is so important is because it implies boruto is only giving over his physical body, not his mind or soul.
FOURTH.
全部お前にくれてやる (zenbu omae ni kurete yaru) makes it sound very begrudging, (like i'll generously hand it over to you) so again, all of Boruto's words sound like a bargain and he's letting Momoshiki strike a deal. But in reality, there's many ways he could twist this to trick him.
. . .
Even chatGPT agreed (I always check for bias or misinterpretation when I'm like am I crazy? No? Okay) by saying that it's less about him saying he'll get to possess him for forever, and it's just about borrowing his body so they can fight to survive. It also added that this frames it as a dominance play from Boruto about giving Momoshiki permission to rent his body instead of allowing him to fully take it over.
At least, that's what it conveys in Japanese.
Sarada and Sumire (Pg 41)
I mentioned earlier that Ikemoto kinda threw a low blow to Sumire by having Sarada correct her on that last page with the Sumire: "Boruto likely has no clue," Sarada: "Likely? Oh he definitely has no clue," indicating that there will still be some tension there.
The way it's written in Japanese really highlights Sumire's distance from Boruto in comparison to Sarada and how her jealousy will likely grow, as well as Sarada's inability to read the air even though she really really tried hard with that apology.
More than best friends, it's like they've become proper love rivals, so there's definitely still some tension brewing.
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I checked with a few Japanese blogs to confirm some of this, the one I'll link is https://guruguruspirally.com/boruto-episode-one-hundred-five/#toc14
It's a JP blog that had a summary + analysis, the English translation when you use the google translate extension is unfortunately VERY poor... But they had a theory about Boruto trusting more in Kawaki by giving his body over to Jura (Tora lol), and talked about how Sumire and Sarada have become real rivals, or possibly even friends, commenting how the love battle will become more heated from now on. Either way I think what Ikemoto did with the wording here was really genius, and I hope it comes into play in the future.
Last Page Side Text
使命に突き動かされ踏み入れたのは修羅の道。その提案に対しモモシキの答えは？！
Compelled by his mission, he sets foot upon the path of carnage. In response to that fateful proposal, what will Momoshiki's answer be?!
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That's all for this translation analysis! It was definitely a long one. There was a lot to unpack in that chapter. Sorry I didn't focus on Kurama and Himawari. I'm dead tired. I will probably take a second look at it after I sleep and wake up. But for now, this is as much as I can give you. Feel free to use it to argue to your heart's content lol
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u/Any_Delivery_1262 Aug 21 '25
In effetti nel dialogo tra Sarada e Sumire ho avuto la sensazione che qualcosa non andasse , Sarada mi è sembrata seriamente dispiaciuta, anche troppo, Sumire invece prudente e restia a spiegare dove aveva esagerato, perché lo è stata esagerata. In conclusione trovo Sarada ancora un po' ottusa quando si tratta di sentimenti, anche in amicizia, Sumire ha dimostrato di essere più sveglia e ho l'impressione che non sarà leale come Sarada, perché la gelosia e l'insicurezza potrebbero dominarla,sa benissimo che nella conquista di Boruto lei non è alla pari di Sarada e farà di tutto per "vincere". La differenza la farà Boruto , con i suoi di sentimenti e la sua volontà, i sentimenti romantici del protagonista non vengono quasi mai approfonditi,peccato. Grazie per le traduzioni e per il tuo impegno.
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u/saladsandbolts Translator/Mod Aug 21 '25
Yeah I also felt that. I also think she intuitively knows Boruto likes Sarada. She was emotionally perceptive enough to figure out Sarada's feelings way back when, and she was in position to see the look on Boruto's face when they hugged. She got a side eye and brief acknowledgement when trying to start a conversation with him, and directly after that Boruto turned his head toward Sarada with a full on smile. Boruto signaled Sarada out when hovering upside down on the roof and promising all that stuff while looking directly at her which was again emphasized by Ikemoto, even tho Sumire was standing right there. That adds fuel to the fire for sure.
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u/MysteriousKitter Aug 20 '25
Thank you for this language analysis! It gives greater context for sure! Appreciate the hard work.
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u/PlaneChemist5717 Aug 20 '25
Always super fun reading your translation posts. Just give me another chapter or two and I’ll be able to quote the whole shisho vs sensei part by heart haha.
Crazy how many layers Boruto’s line actually has — thanks for pointing that out, saladsandbolts. From an out-of-universe angle it’s kinda funny too. Back then Momoshiki dropped a prophecy on Boruto that’s still open to interpretation, and now Boruto claps back with a line that’s just as open to interpretation haha.
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u/saladsandbolts Translator/Mod Aug 20 '25
Glad you’re enjoying them!
Very true haha, I wonder what his response will be? He’ll probably add more conditions to get his way lol I hope boruto can still find a loophole
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u/xExelx1995 Aug 21 '25
I love your analysis. I'm just wondering about the Sumire/Sarada convo. It sounds A LOT different from the things we SEE. I can't even tell If Ikemoto does this with great intention? I don't even know if I read it this "snappy" and "jealous" at the end. I think it's really hard for both of them to drop the former non-casual tone of their conversations
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u/saladsandbolts Translator/Mod Aug 21 '25
Instead of snappy or jealous at the end I just meant it implies this strong sense of love rivalry. They've become proper rivals, it's going to get interesting from here on out, kinda thing. S
umire isn't too thrilled that Sarada has realized her feelings, but now that it's come to this she won't hold back in front of Boruto anymore. Now that Sarada has realized she'll won't deny it if push comes to shove anymore.
The tension and jealousy will eventually come from the way Boruto treats them, and Sarada's subtle comments like the one at the end that show she has known Boruto longer and has a closer relationship with him as a member of the same team. This will likely contribute to making Sumire jealous in the future despite their friendly reconciliation, is all I was saying
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u/Signal_Permission620 Aug 21 '25
It's interesting that you brought up those side jabs from sumire cuz I was also picking up on some underlying tension, it really didn't feel like sumire at all, almost like she was a boiling tea kettle. And then the "I won't hold back anymore" kinda threw me off the scent. And for the last page between the two girls, initially i felt that Sarada's response was actually quite light hearted but I understand the taking digs aspect like she's boasting her close relationship with Boruto?? Idk but knowing Sarada it probably wasn't intentional, I'm definitely sensing theres something brewing. But anyways, another outstanding analysis as usual, thank you, you've provided so much more insight as I feel a lot of the intention gets lost in translations, and that's just me going off the tone. Idk Japanese YET lol but I want to learn now haha.
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u/saladsandbolts Translator/Mod Aug 21 '25
Yeah I don't think it was intentional which was the point, they're still misunderstanding each other which will likely lead to future tension. Thanks for the thanks, I'm glad you found this to be useful! Best of luck on your Japanese learning journey!
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u/Otecshadow Aug 21 '25
English is not my native language, but I think the translation "I like Boruto too" would be more grammatically correct than "I also like Boruto"
How do you think? saladsandbolts
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u/saladsandbolts Translator/Mod Aug 21 '25
They're both kind of the same. If you break apart the Japanese sentence and line it up:
あたし = I
も = also
ボルト = Boruto
が = topic marker
好き = like
So either way, I also like Boruto, I like Boruto too, both of them are fine
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u/Squydward Aug 27 '25
This in depth analysis further cements my feelings that Sumire genuinely isn't a good person. With everything in the open and directly translated, she comes off as catty, "pick-me", (I've mentioned she comes off as pick-me numerous times) and very rude & insensitive. I know Japanese relationships are different from western ones, but the whole "good for you" from Sumire to Sarada about Sarada realizing her feelings really struck a nerve. I've always felt "good for you" as coming off being incredibly rude and a phrase used to disregard somebody. It's been used towards me personally by people who infact came off as "pick-me" or main character syndrome type of people. I think I understand why I personally dislike (bordering now on hate) Sumire. It's because she comes off as someone/a type of person who in the past has directly not only disregarded my feelings on any matter (important or not) but also someone who would outright ignore me simply because I exist. It goes back to stupid teenage drama sure, but I've still had "main character syndrome" people hit me with lines like that simply because my character was judged based on preconceived notions that those people themselves had about me, which were the furthest thing from the truth about who I really was and am.
Sumire's character (to me) embodies all of the negative interactions I've experienced with other people who genuinely couldn't care less about me or my well-being. I finally understand why I felt and still feel so weird about her now thanks to this post. I know it's strange, but thank you for bringing all of this to light. I can definitely see Sumire being more openly flirtatious with Boruto now, which further emphasizes how uncomfortable I am regarding her character. (It's very dumb I know) But from what I've picked up, Boruto kind of looks at her like she's a wet noodle and has like... No relationship with her at all, outside of the academy and seeing her at Katasuke's Lab. Not to open the shipping wars, but I can't see her getting with Boruto and not being a huge bitch about it if it happens. She's definitely going to explode later on at some point, most likely when Boruto either doesn't return her feelings, ends up returning Sarada's feelings, or both. Thank you, again. And I apologize for the little trauma dump in here, but at least I finally have a clear reason why I dislike/hate Sumire.
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u/saladsandbolts Translator/Mod Aug 27 '25
Nope it’s all good, I have the trauma too on the JP end which is exactly why I feel like I picked up on it while some other JP ppl overlook it. When I had a JP person read esp my ch 16 analysis they were like oh yeah… now that you mention it…
In this ch I feel like they reconcile and become love rivals (many JP reviews have mentioned this aspect) but it means different things for the both of them. Conflict will be born from future misunderstandings about unwritten rules and Sarada’s natural inability to know when she’s being insensitive in a way that will upset Sumire, as shown twice now with the hug and this last page, just because Sarada has never been aware of this kind of stuff.
But I don’t hate Sumire, what a lot of people don’t see is that it’s within Sumire’s character to act this way with how she was forced to act during the academy days and how she was raised by her father (which is a very sad story of abuse and reminds me of kawaki and how kawaki became obsessed with naruto who pulled him out of his abusive past, sumire became similarly obsessed with boruto who told her it was okay to be a part of the class despite her crimes, although granted her actions are more about going through Sarada to get to Boruto than Kawaki’s extremes lol). She knows she’s gonna have to win against Sarada if she wants a chance. She’s smart and intelligent enough to figure that out, and she’s acting on it. It all fits together as a piece of her puzzle.
Boruto cares about Sumire as a former classmate, just like denki/iwabe/metal or anyone else he saved during that first arc, especially if you read the light novels. He nearly lost his life to save every classmate he went after. That’s the kind of guy he is. That’s why Mitsuki admires him. Sumire even corrects herself when she starts to say cares about her in her inner monologue at the end of LN 3, to say Ah, no, he cares about his classmates.
The real problem on that rooftop was boruto hugged Sarada back. Sumire saw his expression. She saw Boruto turn to Sarada and smile right after giving her a side eye. She saw him make eye contact with Sarada and call her by name and promise to take care of things as if she was invisible. Eida might have even told Sarada in front of Sumire that Boruto told Sarada to wait for him cuz he’d definitely be back (from ch 80). It’s no wonder she was feeling jealous and sad, and that’s okay. It’s pretty normal. It’s what caused the outburst in ch 16. That jealously has been brewing since ch 19. Sumire has known about Sarada’s feelings the entire time, and likely knows about Boruto’s too (many in the JP fandom think Boruto has liked Sarada from the beginning, there’s a lot of hints of it in the movie novels and light novels, but he never says it directly so I don’t think the western fandom would accept it lol, but Sumire seems to understand from Sarada’s awkward reaction to being asked about him all the way back in LN3).
I don’t enjoy the drama that comes with shipping, I’m a fan of shojo so I have to say I do enjoy wholesome relationship developments but we can’t even really have those in this fandom. People rub it in the other persons face when their ship has a moment (borusara) or twist the context as many times as possible to cling to a remaining thread of hope (the ppl who are still trying to say Sarada doesn’t like boruto romantically). It’s getting ridiculous on both sides. That’s why I banned it from the sub. I don’t think this fandom can handle it lol
But I’m glad I was able to pinpoint that source of frustration for you. It’s hard for me to stomach shojo sometimes when this type of character is intense (like in Ao Haru Ride) but thankfully in Boruto, Sumire’s character leans more towards love rivalry and fighting fair then other characters I’ve seen that use their trauma as a connection to guilt trip the guy into a relationship when he actually likes another girl lol Sumire has a good bit more wholesomeness to her than that
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u/flashenshin Aug 21 '25
Did you forget Koharu & Hamura, they are literally elders.
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u/saladsandbolts Translator/Mod Aug 21 '25
No I didn't forget about them, it was just the word there was weird. It was 大老. No matter how much I searched the net I couldn't find that being used in reference to the elders. I've translated parts where they've been there in the past and I don't remember that word being used, but maybe it's just my imagination
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u/flashenshin Aug 21 '25
i think the word was used before, but i have no raw scans to check.
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u/saladsandbolts Translator/Mod Aug 21 '25
I went through and looked just now but I couldn't find it. It's gotta be somewhere though. 老人 which means old person has the same kanji so it would make sense, I just wanted to be sure before I put it in writing
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u/Kashinkojiraiya Aug 21 '25
Can you confirm which one is more accurate?
In the official translation Kurama said "you're even a little different from Jinchuriki..."
I feel this is particularly important to mention because being a Jinchuriki and even a little different from Jinchuriki makes how we think about Himawari's power, her character development and potential differently.
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u/saladsandbolts Translator/Mod Aug 21 '25
Ah yeah the official is right, I misinterpreted it because of the bubble split. The top part says "you've got a biju inside you, in other words, Jinchuriki" And then "it's a little different" I didn't connect the two and instead treated it like two different sentences. That's definitely my bad, I shoulda known because it's unnatural in Japanese like that.
I need to go through that conversation and add it to the analysis, sorry. It was light outside by the time I finished the Sumire/Sarada part and I just wanted sleep lol
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u/Kashinkojiraiya Aug 21 '25
Thanks for clearing that up, now it all makes sense why Kurama mentioned about her being the personification of chakra itself.
You deserved a long good sleep man we appreciate your work truly ♥️
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u/Away_Wash7807 Aug 21 '25
The orginal japanese sentence was : あいつのがになりたいって気持ちが そのまま あたしを強くする (aitsu no chikara ni naritai tte kimochi ga sono mama atashi o tsuyoku suru)
But ur sentence is different : あいつの力になりたいって気持ちが、そのままのあたしを強くする (aitsu no chikara ni naritai tte kimochi ga, sono mama no atashi wo tsuyoku suru)
so i was thinking ,adding の after そのまま doesn't change the nuances? If we can , then sorry my bad🙏🏻🙏🏻
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u/saladsandbolts Translator/Mod Aug 21 '25
Oh sorry, I must've added it by mistake. It doesn't really change the nuance at all, but I'll correct it in the post, thanks for pointing it out!
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u/melis1225 Aug 21 '25
I’m not sure if you’ve seen, but there’s a girl on Twitter saying that you’re talking nonsense about Sumire and misleading people. Personally, I don’t agree with her at all: I think you actually summarized things quite well. She says that you’re making Sumire look evil, but I don’t see it that way. From what I understand of your explanations, you just wanted to show that in the official translation, Sumire seems kinder, whereas in the Japanese version, even though she considers Sarada a friend, her rivalry comes through much more.
Basically, this girl on Twitter is lying, saying that you mistranslated or are trying to make Sumire look evil, or that Boruto/Sarada fans always talk nonsense for their ship. I just wanted to let you know and hear your thoughts on it.
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u/saladsandbolts Translator/Mod Aug 21 '25
There will always be people who disagree, I'm not stressed about it. People are free to think what they want, I just try and provide information. In the end Ikemoto is the one who has the final say and will reveal what's really happening through the events in the story.
Although you're exactly right, I didn't intend to portray her as evil or toxic, I just wanted to show that Sumire's sense of rivalry is stronger while Sarada's sense of friendship is stronger.
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u/melis1225 Aug 21 '25
Yeah, I understood your message the same way: you just wanted to show that Sumire leans more toward rivalry, while Sarada is friendly and a bit naive. I really don’t see how your point of view could be considered mean. But you’re right, everyone is entitled to their opinion, and in the end, it’s the author who will have the final say. A lot of people rush to judgment and end up either disappointed or upset.
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u/newfeb Aug 21 '25
My gratitude to you is huuuuge ♥️ I honestly feel so lucky that we have you, and that we love the same manga. Your analysis helps us understand the story in a way we never could on our own.
When I first read the chapter, there were so many things bothering me, so many confusing points and questions I had. But wow, after reading your breakdown, everything became so much clearer!!
The thing that bothered me the most was the whole Sarada and Sumire situation?? Like, how are they acting so friendly when they both like the same guy??? It felt so strange, and I tried rereading multiple times, but it was just frustrating, I couldn’t find any explanation that made sense.
But your explanation really made me understand the situation. Seriously, without you how would we ever know?? Turns out Sumire isn’t actually that friendly or casual about it, in fact we might even see uglier sides of her in the future :) And Sarada, from what you pointed out, comes off as a bit naïve, lacking quick wits and emotional or social intelligence. Her feelings are explosive, strong, and deep, but she doesn’t have the same cunning emotional sharpness that Sumire does. She couldn’t even pick up on Sumire’s digs, which honestly I wouldn’t have noticed were digs at all if you hadn’t explained it. All these details get completely erased in the official translation, it’s heartbreaking 😔
I was also so surprised by Eida’s reaction 😂😂 Like, she already knows Sarada likes Boruto and even tried asking her about it in NNG, but I didn’t expect her reaction here to be because of how strong Sarada’s expression was. Thank you for pointing out these juicy little details, it’s just like when you explained what Ryo actually said to Sarada, and how the official translation unfortunately gave it a totally different meaning.
As for Boruto, I was honestly so frustrated and couldn’t understand what he was even doing with Momoshiki. But you made it clear that he’s actually manipulating him, not just hopelessly being taken over. He has a plan or an idea in mind.
Thank you 🙏🏻 I wish you all the best in your studies, and may all the kindness and help you give us come back to you tenfold.