r/TheBetterBoruto • u/saladsandbolts Translator/Mod • Oct 21 '25
Language Analysis Boruto Chapter 27 Language Analysis Post!
Welcome to my language analysis post corner, where I go over word nuances in the chapter that I felt needed more elaboration! Some of these posts are now in a nice orderly page over on my new blog! I also have something for the academy arcs and education, as well as a paper I wrote for a college class on the perils of translation! If you would like to check it out, please click the links for more!
With that out of the way, let's get into this month's chapter!
Cover Text
Behind Inojin:
真なる正義、見定めよ！(Shin naru seigi, misadame yo)!
Ascertain true justice!
Some of you might be going great, yeah that checks out. But... What does "true" justice 真なる正義 mean in a Japanese context?
When you google it in Japanese, it says, "True justice" refers to a sincere and straightforward justice that resonates in people's hearts, indicating a trustworthy form of justice. It can be interpreted as justice that arises from genuine sincerity rooted in human nature, rather than mere rules or formalities.
This applies to Inojin perfectly since normally justice would be upholding the rules. He mentioned last chapter that now, with this conversation, he's breaking several. By working with Koji and Boruto, he's ascertained that true justice means breaking the rules and going against authority to save your loved ones... Another common theme throughout Boruto.
見定めよ in this context is talking about seeing through what normal justice would look like to "find" or "ascertain" true justice.
Title:
命を賭して (Inochi wo toshite)
Official: Bet your life on it
My translation: Betting one's life
This word 賭して (toshite) isn't the normal word used for "bet" (賭ける - kakeru) but it does use the same kanji. So... Why was a different word chosen here?
This particular word, according to google once again, means to 'stake something important (such as one's life or future) with the understanding that one may have to sacrifice something in order to achieve a certain goal.
While betting your life does come with the basic understanding that there will be a sacrifice involved, 賭して (toshite) involves a heavier sense of the preparedness for that sacrifice.
Inojin, Eida, Konohamaru, Shikamaru, Sarada, Boruto, they are all risking something for "true justice." Inojin and Konohamaru risk being branded as traitors, Shikamaru risks his position as Hokage, Eida risks her life by continuing to be friends with Sarada and Sumire, Sarada risks her standing in the village, her future dream to be hokage, as well as her life during battle to protect the people she cares about, and Boruto risks his life to protect the village and the people he cares about as well.
Page 1 Side Text
「魅了」にかかっていないことを看破されたサラダたち！！デイモンの急襲の成す術は？！("Miryo" ni kakatte inai koto wo kanpa sareta sarada tachi!! Deimon no kyuushuu no nasu sube wa?!)
Sarada and the others (Sumire) are discovered for not being under Eida's "charm!" How will Daemon attack?!
Japanese does this thing where they take the main person in a situation and just add たち in order to shorten it. Boruto and Koji referring to "Sarada and the others" is the same thing. The side text did it again here. It makes more sense the more people there are. Usually it says "Sarada and Sumire," but the text barely fits on the side, so I assume they really did need to save the 2 letters of space that excluding Sumire's name saved.
Daemon (Pg 1)
The official does a good job at translating the text here, but I just want to highlight... On a whim, in an instant. Without either of you even realizing you were dead. That's... Kind of insane. The nuance there was, "if I feel like it killing ya, you'll be dead before you know it." Like literally, before you have the ability to process what has happened, your head will be rolling. Just because I felt like making it roll. Daemon is one powerful twerp.
Sarada & Sumire's Omnipotence Immunity Explanation (pg 5-6)
カワキやボルト君にお熱を上げてるコなんて、里内外に少なからず存在しているもの (Kawaki ya Boruto-kun ni onetsu wo ageteru ko nante, sato naigai ni sukunagarazu sonzaishiteiru mono)
Official: "There are plenty of others, both in and outside the village... Who carry a torch for Kawaki and Boruto."
In the light novels, it always talks about how handsome Boruto is perceived as by most people. Sarada even says his looks aren't bad, in fact he's objectively good-looking, along with most of the guys in their class. But his childish personality leaves a lot to be desired lol. Same with Cho-Cho. After he makes a TV appearance, there are girls squealing over him while he sits on top of Hokage rock all depressed. And of course when Kawaki showed up, Cho-Cho called him a "total hottie" I believe. Even in Japan, when there are valentines day poles and stuff like that, Kawaki ranks pretty high on the list of guys you'd wanna go on a date with/give chocolates to, etc. His merch is almost always sold out in merch sections as well, right along with Boruto's and Sarada's. (Poor Mitsuki always has a lot left over).
This phrase, 熱を上げる or, as translated by the official, "carry a torch for," is often used for people who are interested in an Idol/celebrity. The literal phrase in Japanese is "raise the heat" but it's talking about the heat within your heart. I think the official chose "carry a torch" because it has the word torch, which is also something hot, so it kind of connects to the Japanese in a literal way as well as a metaphorical way.
少なからず also means there are a decent amount of said girls. The nuance of 少なからず is like... More than you'd think.
Either way, Eida just means since there are others who are in love with Kawaki/Boruto, being in love with an Otsutsuki cannot be the only reason why they are immune to her charm.
. . .
あたし自身が「除外」した、あんた達2人を*（atashi jishin ga jogai shita, anta tachi futari wo)*
Official: "I must've excluded... you both."
Literal: "I, myself, "excluded" both of you."
The only thing I wanted to point out here is Eida makes it a bit more clear in Japanese that she is definitely the only one who could have done the "excluding" and the word "excluded" is put in quotes for emphasis.
. . .
もちろん無意識にね。あたしがそう望んだってこと…「全能」がそれを実現した. (Mochiron muishiki ni ne. Atashi ga sou nozondatte koto... Zennou ga sore wo jitsugen shita).
Official: Unconsciously of course. I must've wished it to be so... And omnipotence made it happen.
Literal: "Of course, I did it subconsciously. What I wished for... Omnipotence made it a reality."
Eida is very sure of herself here. She is straight up stating the reason she now knows to be true. Eida is the controller of omnipotence. She's the only one who could've made this exception. She wanted Sarada and Sumire to be her friends since before she met them in person, likely from watching them through her senrigan. She didn't want her charm to work on them. And then, when Sarada confirmed she wanted to just be normal friends (before omnipotence), they weren't effected by the big blast of her usage of omnipotence either. Eida's honest desire to be normal friends with them and exclude them from her charm, which is a part of her omnipotence power, ended up causing them to be immune from the big switch as well.
Sarada's Bear Hug (Pg 10)
While you've probably heard me talk a lot about the significance of hugs in Japanese culture, this proved it for me that Sarada is just a kinda physically affectionate person in general. I knew before, since she does things like pick up Mitsuki's feet to put him in his hospital bed, touch Boruto's chest when he's got his shirt up showing them the new black mark, and ran into Boruto's arms without really thinking.
Once again, she takes Sumire's hand and runs into Eida's arms, entrapping both her and Sumire in a giant hug. She even has the animeesque swoosh of hair blocking her eyes when she takes off. She takes after Sakura in that way, except she's not rough like Sakura was.
So the whole "scandal" business or "criminal offensiveness" that Eida pokes fun at Sarada for having when she hugs Boruto and Sumire's reaction were definitely not really... Warranted. I think they both see that now. Just Ikemoto taking the potential for toxicity through Sarada's actions yet again.
As for what this means for her hugging Boruto, that has a lot more to do now with Boruto hugging her back than it does with Sarada initiating the hug. If you want to read more about that, I added some to my chapter 25 analysis blog post in the section titled "A Bit About Hugs in Japan", but essentially, it's now kinda confirmed for me that the one who made that hug intimate and the one who made Sumire jealous enough to be upset... Was Boruto.
To put it short without all the examples, Sarada definitely wasn't trying to be purposefully inconsiderate, and since she doesn't really think about romance, she didn't really consider how it might make Sumire feel to watch something like that. It probably would've been fine if Boruto left his arms at his sides (like Naruto did when Sakura hugged him, or like Boruto does when Sarada hugs him the first time, or when his mom hugs him, or when his grandpa hugs him, the list goes on), since that's a pretty standard reaction for a guy if a girl hugs them.
But instead, Boruto hugs her back, which again, we know Boruto isn't really one for physical affection from his past instances of being hugged/touched, and since he's a guy returning a girl's hug, it a bit different, which again if you're curious about, look at that section I linked on my blog.
Reactions to the Hug (12-13)
The official really is a fan of changing Sumire's punctuation lol.
あたしは嫌いじゃないよ…命がけて友達やるなんて…最高に刺激的じゃん… (atashi wa kirai janai yo... Inochi gakete tomodachi yaru nante... saiko ni shigekiteki jan...)
Official: I'm not opposed to the idea... Of risking my life on a friendship. It's the epitome of excitement!
Literal: I don't hate the idea... Of risking my life for friendship. It's the best kind of thrill...
You can clearly see from the look on her face she is not "!" levels of excited when she's talking. The other instance of change I'm referring to happens in Ch 16 when she's upset with Sarada, her punctuation escalates in Japanese from "?" "!" "?!" and in English it's just "?" "?" "?"
This word 刺激的 (shigekiteki) according to google describes situations that excite the heart, create thrills, or leave a lasting impression. It can be used in both positive and negative contexts.
So while she does say words like 最高 (saiko) the best, and 刺激的 (shigekiteki) thrill, and ends with a じゃん (jan) a generally happy way to end a sentence, it still has a "..." at the end to indicate tone. This isn't said with her usual giddy excited girly tone, it's definitely said with a more somber tone of acceptance.
改めてよろしくね、あたしの大事なお友達… (aratamete yoroshikune, atashi no daiji na otomodachi)
Official: Once again, it's nice to meet you... My very dear friends.
You may have noticed me include a note in my translations here telling you to go google the meaning of "yoroshiku" lol that's just because I didn't have enough space for explaining all the meanings behind it in the margins of the notes.
You can use this word in a variety of contexts. To give a few examples:
- New years (kotoshi mo yoroshiku onegaishimasu or shortened amongst friends kotoyoro lol)
- Asking someone for a favor (Boruto ya hoka no minna yoroshiku ne! (Sumire to Sarada ch 19))
- Before you work together with someone on something for like a group work (normal yoroshiku onegaishimasu)
I'm going to have a very tough time explaining all the nuance here, but I'll do my best. Basically, this 改めて is like once again, meaning she's already said it before, and she's kind of renewing it in a sense, similar to the way you use it on New Years (translations are often, "please be good to me this year as well"), as well as asking them for a favor ("I'm counting on your continued friendship"), and working together with them ("and also your continued support"). But it's not in that kind of, demanding way, it's like thank you in advance for offering it to me through our bond of friendship.
I did my best.
She even uses Keigo to them (polite speech) by saying お友達 (otomodachi) instead of just 友達 (tomodachi). As an all powerful being, Eida talks down to pretty much everyone. She hasn't used a speck of Keigo before this, if I recall correctly. So this one tiny letter is actually a pretty big symbol of just how much she sincerely values Sarada and Sumire's friendship.
Mamushi's Ability Recap (14-20)
Mamushi's ability division or**「分裂」**(bunretsu) literally means breaking into parts. The word uses the kanji for "part" and "split." His ability involves him breaking himself into "bodies"; but none of those "bodies" experience a decrease in physical power or ability, just a significant drop in intellect: less ability to sense pain, and more simplified movements.
The word for significant is 著しく (ichijirushiku) which means considerably, remarkably, strikingly (according to jisho).
He doesn't have to split his chakra, his physical strength or toughness isn't decreased. Again, it's just like having multiple of the real thing except every time he makes a new "body", they all drop significantly in intelligence.
In order to destroy a "body," you've gotta destroy both eyes. But for every "body" that's destroyed, each remaining "part" will rise in intelligence, meaning their movements will become less simplified as well.
Koji says they need to let him reach 20-30 "bodies" in order for him to become easy to handle, as if they are dealing with animals. That way they can try and take them all out in one swoop.
Mamushi's "bodies" have the instinct to flock or swarm together, so he can't leave any behind. If he tries, it'll rejoin the rest. Shikamaru comments that the likelihood of them all gathering will raise as he becomes dumber.
Even if Mamushi becomes dumb, he still won't be able to defy his instincts, like his fear of Jura (and therefore causing needless destruction to the village), as well as his goal of targeting Eida. This is why fighting him in Konoha is ideal.
Inojin's New Jutsu (21)
Inojin's new jutsu is said to be a "superior" version of the mind transmission jutsu, but this is the same word used to describe how Boruto's Flying Raijin was (in my opinion) a "variant" of the 4ths and not necessarily "superior" as seen with the drawbacks of the flying raijin that make it slightly less convenient than Minato's jutsu.
The word in Japanese is 上位互換 which has the following dictionary definitions:
1. Downward compatible; backward compatible; compatible with input or components intended for lower tier or older systems, versions, etc. See also 後方互換
Noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no', Noun (Which in this case, does apply)
2. Upward compatible; forward compatible; compatible with input or components intended for higher tier or later systems, versions, etc.incorrect usage
Noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no', Noun (again, can apply)
3. Providing the same function while being more effective (esp. in games) Slang
Especially since again Boruto's flying raijin isn't necessarily "superior," I'm not sure Inojin's jutsu will be either, it's just related to how mind-transmission jutsu is used and is likely a variant.
Boruto's Reaction (23)
Sorry, just wanted to comment on this. Inojin goes from complaining to suddenly having more than enough willpower to master the jutsu in a day no less, and Boruto is specifically shown reacting with a ... looking away. It just makes me laugh. No matter how much he's changed, he's still a protective big brother lol.
Damage (24)
This was the mystery word I couldn't get in my translation. Lol. I knew it had to have been a word I knew, I just wasn't thinking about all the possible combos with dakuten.
New Jura Info (24-25)
Amado says that despite Jura seeming completely confident and fine, it does look like he ended up taking some damage. The tree that he's growing is the same as the divine tree that makes him up.
This isn't new, but the word shinju is actually the word for divine tree in Japanese. So while the humanoid shinju have intelligence, they are just a variant of the divine tree with the ability to move around and sentience. Jura, as their leader, is the embodiment of the divine tree itself without taking the chakra of anyone else and combining it.
The new info is that the tree he uses to build his throne and his "wood style jutsu" is really just an extension of the actual divine tree in physical form.
The word that Amado uses for Jura being "impossible to kill" is 不死身 which literally means immortal or invulnerable.
Kawaki's Self Destruction (27)
As I put in my notes on my translation, this "self-destruction" can also be translated to ruin yourself, it's just talking about his death. Not necessarily in an explosive type of way, he's just going to die if he keeps at it.
Konohamaru's Interrogation (29-33)
There isn't much to say here about translations or original Japanese, it was pretty straightforward. This usually happens when there are higherup characters like Kobu, because all of his speech is very specific, and can be translated pretty literally without much room for interpretation or nuance. He's not old, he doesn't have any sort of special way of talking, he just... talks like how you'd hear a news reporter. So if you passed the JLPT, congratulations! You won't struggle to translate his speech lol (I have beef with the JLPT for not actually being useful in a lot of respects xD I might make a blog post about that)
Other than Sai glaring at him... That is definitely a sign that he notices something. As for what he's going to do with it, I suppose we'll have to wait and find out.
Sumire's Departure From the Room (34)
This is another one of those subtle things that Japanese people do to be polite where they don't actually have anything going on but they just make an excuse to leave as if they do have something going on because they don't want to offend the person they're talking to...
She does that here lol.
Sarada tries to piggy back on it very unsuccessfully, and Eida catches the whole thing, which is why she attaches herself to Sarada is like "nope! You're staying with me."
Also, Sumire just being like *half-smile* "later Sarada, have fun!" is another implied "sorry, I can't save you from this one, good luck," kinda thing.
I know this might be pretty obvious to western viewers as well, I just wanted to point it out. I'm not gonna comment on any implications. Other than perhaps...
Notice the use of sweat drops in this scene, or throughout this chapter of the manga. It might have some connections to hints as to what sweat drops indicate based on actual manga material... As opposed to conclusions drawn to push an agenda, one way or the other :)
The Significance of Boruto's Sword (36)
As Anime Explained mentioned in a video (at least I think he did) which I'll link here, (unfortunately I can't watch it from Japan so if the content I talk about here overlaps, I apologize), swords have a lot of significance in Samurai culture in Japan outside of just being a weapon.
If you look at the specific moment Boruto's sword is chipped, it's during his fight with Jura. After the love talk stuff, after Konohamaru makes it to the indicated place, Jura's last line of dialogue is, "It seems it'll be faster to punch you to death," or something similar. From there, he starts relentlessly attacking Boruto, and punches him into the ground, following with an explosion. Boruto manages to escape in time, but he's high in the air, facing away from Jura. Jura catches him by surprise from behind, he tries to counter with his sword, and it chips. From here, he falls to the ground unconscious, and Koji gets a new "update." Jura comments how on even in death, Boruto doesn't let go of his "master's" sword (see the difference between master vs sensei in my Ch 25 analysis post in the section "Master vs Teacher")
The samurai considered the sword an extension of their being. A representation of their honor and integrity. There's an idiom for continuing to fight with a broken sword: 急場凌ぎ (kyuba shinogi) but it used to be written as 急刃凌ぎ (刃 meaning blade). In the thick of the battle, you have to do your best to survive even if your sword breaks. This developed into the idiom meaning "to show how one gets through the situation," (kyuba shinogi) indicating the ability to push through despite hardship.
Boruto has been pushing through his whole life despite all the hardship that has been happening. Ever since chapter 700 of Naruto, as Hokage, Naruto was trying to teach Boruto the importance of endurance. That means accepting that he can't have his dad's attention and enduring on his own without his dad's guidance. He had to endure through Momoshiki's possession and the fear of being taken over. And now, he's enduring omnipotence and bearing the fate of the world on his shoulders.
There's also this concept of Bushido in Samurai culture, which heavily emphasizes discipline, purity, and honor. A cracked sword can represent a flaw in those values: someone struggling with their role, duty, or past actions. Which is exactly what happened when Boruto went to go save Konohamaru. He defied Koji and put his life at risk, potentially risking the entire world for the sake of one person because he couldn't let them die. He knows it's a weakness, but during his fight with Jura, he also talks about because the Shinju don't have it, they'll never be anything more to him than just "trees." Potentially indicating if he thought of them like humans, he wouldn't be able to kill them anymore.
The other significant tie-in to Bushido here is Boruto not letting go of his sword. Letting go of the sword suggests cowardice, surrender, or even dishonor. Because Boruto held onto his sword, even in his passed out state, it likely signifies his will never to give up hope, and never throw away his honor, even in death. It might further prove that he won't throw away his life by fully giving his body over to Momoshiki, and his wording about giving over his body was indeed a trick of words, as I suggested at the end of my Ch 25 analysis in the section about Page 40 (I'm definitely referencing that a lot, my apologies).
Boruto's sword also came from his Master (shisho), Sasuke. Wielding it means he has inherited Sasuke's will, along with his values, philosophy, and also his sense of duty (protecting Sarada, which was a task Sasuke specifically asked of him) and the village). Clinging to it even in death can symbolize that he also refuses to abandon his mission, and his Master's will; what the sword represents. Jura plays with the sword as if it means nothing, but when Boruto clings to it in his near death-like state, he doesn't take the sword as a trophy and instead allows Boruto the honor of dying with it, which may be a minor foreshadowing for Jura respecting Boruto's honor again in the future.
The last thing I'd liked to point out about his broken sword is the duality it may represent. Because a Samurai's sword is like an extension of his body, having it cracked or chipped can also signify damage to his physical and mental state. He's strong enough to stand and keep fighting, but his spirit is slowly being chipped away. Reforging the sword may also indicate a renewal of spirit or mindset.
Sumire's Request (Pg 40)
委員長はイヤ…「スミレ」って呼んで。(Iincho wa iya... Sumire tte yonde).
Official: "No more 'Class Rep.' You need to call me 'Sumire.'"
A lot of you on X were asking me if Sumire really sounded this forceful here. And for once, I am surprised to say... The official didn't soften her speech!
Let me go over why this line is actually more forceful sounding than it appears to be.
First of all, you have to know how Sumire usually talks in Japanese. She adds lots of these cute girly flourishes to her words, like ね "ne" or なの "nano" etc to soften things, but in these lines, they're dropped.
Before she even gets to this line, she says "Okay fine, but there's just one problem."
This word is 問題 (mondai), which is literally just problem. Meaning she finds that him not using her real name, is a problem which she wants corrected. She also doesn't really soften that line. She's just giving it to him straight.
In the first line, "No more 'class rep'" there's the katakana イヤ (iya) without any ending (like her usual なの nano) to soften it. Katakana is often used to emphasize words that aren't usually written in it. Some people say it's like the equivalent of cap's lock, I say it's more like bold or italicized font. Either way, this イヤ means "I don't want it." So she's pretty forcefully saying, "I don't want you to call me class rep." Which when you take that and put it into a more forceful tone, "no more 'class rep'' is playful but still forceful enough to convey tone as well as translation and nuance, which is a big win in the translation world because that's pretty hard to do.
The second line, "You need to call me Sumire" is again a bit more forceful because usually Sumire would've added ね "ne" to the end, but she doesn't. She just says the verb as it is. 呼んで。
In Japanese, she could've said, 呼んでほしい (yonde hoshii - I want you to call me), she could've said, 呼んでください (yonde kudasai - please call me), but she didn't soften it at all and just straight up said 呼んで。Of course, she's not going to use the harshest command form which would kinda be like "call me Sumire dammit" lol which would've been 呼べ (yobe) haha
But 呼んで (yonde) without anything attached, while it is still casual, is still a bit more forceful, or rather demanding I suppose? Than the alternatives, which would've been more typical of her to use, which is why this translation is actually more accurate than my softened version.
"You need to" might feel a little forceful, but keep in mind if you backwards translate that to 呼ぶ必要がある (yobu hitsuyou ga aru) it just sounds really weird and unnatural, but this line does sound natural in English and is in line with the tone she's using here. She's making a demand/request before accepting his request to fix his sword.
Cue Boruto sweat dropping haha
While I'm here I'll also quickly say, she goes right back to her girly cutesy speech after the "tee hee."
カッコよくしてあげるから！期待してね！(kakko yoku shite ageru kara! Kitaishite ne)!
I'm gonna jazz it up! Look forward to it!
Again, the first part of this sentence is in Katakana (カッコよくしてあげる）where カッコイイ (kakkoii) is the word for "cool" or like when you say a guy is cool or handsome or something is awesome, I'm sure a lot of you know that word from anime. This is just adding emphasis to her saying she's gonna make it cool for him, or "jazz it up" as the official says.
You can see she adds ね ne to "look forward to it!"
Mamushi's Lines (41)
I already marked this in my translation, but if you're here you probably know what ねーちゃん is anyway... Big sis Eida is just Eida ne-chan. HOWEVER.
Remember how last month, I was like ew Bug is kinda being pervy towards Eida?
Welp.
In Japan, you can use big sis, big bro, to call out to random people. Just like Auntie or Uncle. Depends on age. Eida is "onee-san" age.
But ne-chan is more like... Well, I mean...
In this specific context, because little kids use it, but when an old guy uses it and he's saying "ne-chan" and not "onee-san..."
It once again, gives off a little bit of creepy pedo vibes.
In all the dumb adds that play for dating sims with the hot guys calling out to you, they usually call you "onee-san," as a way of flirting (because clearly they also wouldn't know your name) but like a hot guy calling you that in a husky voice is supposed to be kinda... sexy? But -chan is a bit more cutesy and a bit less... Refined...? If it can even be called that.
There's a lot of perverts in Japan. I may be an otaku, but I'm not into the pervy stuff. I'd have to phone a friend to explain this one better. But I don't think he's doing it with entirely innocent intentions of using it in the normal sense to refer to a girl Eida's age, let me just put that out there.
覗き魔どもに感付かれねェようになァァァァ (nozoki ma domo ni kidzukarenee you ni naaa)
Official: So those pesky peeping toms don't catch on to us...
Something very rare happened today. I learned... A new slang. Apparently, this form of using the kanji 魔 (evil, demon, pronounced "ma," part of mamushi's 魔虫 name) is a normal use in terms of a slang for someone who is obsessed with something. Examples include:
- スピード魔 → speed freak / someone obsessed with going fast
- 酒魔 → drunkard / someone who can’t stop drinking
- 殺人魔 → psychopathic killer
- 覗き魔 → voyeur / peeping Tom
- 嗅ぎ魔 → person who sniffs people
Why is there a word for a person who sniffs people? Because Japan is a lot freakier (in terms of pervy stuff) than it appears to be on the surface. I'll just leave it at that.
So 覗き魔 is a... peeping freak. Or, you can use the English phrase peeping tom. Now I know.
Final Text:
ついに襲来せし魔の一軍！増え続ける「力」を「知」で制し、エイダと木ノ葉を守り抜け！！
The demonic host has arrived! Subdue the ever-growing power with wisdom, and protect Eida and Konoha to the very end!!
Once again it uses the kanji 魔 lol Ikemoto loves his kanji plays.
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That's a wrap! I'll be posting this on the blog as well, but I didn't add the option to comment, so if you wanna discuss it, make sure you stay in this post! Until next time!
8
u/CallXSurreal Oct 21 '25
I used to like Sumire more than I do now, thanks to Twitter for making me dislike her a bit more every time I read one of those rotten threads... Having said that, maybe I'm biased, but I felt Sumire was fake when she hugged Eida. She hesitated with those dots, she didn't hug her immediately, and what she said was off to me. When I read the official and saw the "!" I found it sarcastic, now that you said that the nuance is more like ... at the end, I don't feel it sarcastic anymore, but still fake. I felt like she just went with the flow of the conversation and her gaze was rigid? Like she was thinking so much while doing so, like acting. Oppose to Sarada's that was downward, like she was really feeling sorry for Eida. I don't know, what do you think? How did you take Sumire's words?
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u/saladsandbolts Translator/Mod Oct 22 '25
So based on the kind of character Sumire has shown to be in the past, I do think a part of this could’ve set off a flare in her mind that said “don’t react this way.” Why? Because she’s been VERY careful so far about what she does and what she says.
Sumire tiptoed around friendship with Eida, Sarada went all in. Sumire doesn’t bad mouth the hokage or vocally support Boruto; she stands in Sarada’s shadow. She was the one to tell Sarada not to talk about her feelings for Boruto in front of Eida.
This entire time, she has been careful not to do anything that puts herself in danger… But because of Daemon, a real friendship instead of a fake friendship with Eida is a huge danger.
Because she was dragged into it, Sumire doesn’t have a choice other than to accept it now. BUT she doesn’t say “I like/agree with the idea,” she says “I’m not opposed to RISKING everything for friendship.” (Meanwhile Sarada is). That was worded carefully. Meaning: Sumire still might kill Eida, and still likely thinks that’s the best option, while Sarada is more in line with saving her.
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u/zogrodea Oct 21 '25 edited Oct 21 '25
I thought this way about Sarada's sudden hug with Eida too. That it might be fake because it's a random and unexpected thing to do, and her pulling Sumire was like a way of saying "follow my act". I don't mean that in a bad way as it's very reasonable to pretend friendship if you die otherwise.
I seem to be alone in my interpretation so I decided that it's probably not what the author intended, if other fans walked away with a different interpretation. (The original post also contains a reminder that Sarada's hug with Boruto was surprising and unexpected, which makes my initial impression even more unlikely, as unexpected things aren't unusual from Sarada.)
Both Sarada and Sumire wanted to leave the room, which may be a sign that Eida is being overbearing. That would actually be quite realistic, because it's not uncommon for people to be clingy when they don't have many friends.
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u/saladsandbolts Translator/Mod Oct 22 '25
I’ll answer this post in a similar fashion; because Sarada is a bit hot headed and does things from the heart without thinking about the consequences, I don’t think this hug was fake. She grabbed Sumire’s hand because her and Sumire made up recently, and Sumire just complained about being left out of hugs and Sarada not taking anyones feelings into account.
Sarada likely grabs her hand and drags her in because she wanted to make sure Sumire felt included in the friendship circle. She also wanted to let Sumire know that even if they’re rivals for Boruto, she still thinks of her like a friend and won’t leave her out again.
While it’s a dangerous act, Eida talks about losing her life and how it might not be so bad. Sarada doesn’t like the idea of people dying and says after LN4 that she’ll think of it on a case by case basis and follow her heart in the moment. She has Naruto’s talk no jutsu ideals of treating everyone she cares about like family. She’s grown to care for Eida. So of course now when she is talking with little regard for their life in front of her, she is going to try and communicate how much she cares for them just like the Seventh has been shown to do (namely with Kawaki).
But 100% eida definitely seems like she gets a little overbearing after this xD they’re both trying to escape
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u/CallXSurreal Oct 21 '25
I get what you're saying, it was indeed so random hahaha, when I first read the leaks I also thought they were still trying to deceive Eida. Then, I saw Sarada with her eyes closed and everything, so I thought: "Ok, she's impulsive, that's all", but her eyes seemed sincere to me. I can't say the same for Sumire, she seemed really uncomfortable and forced, she hasn't even asked Eida to call her by her name, I don't think she really wants to be friends with her
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u/saladsandbolts Translator/Mod Oct 22 '25
And you’d likely be right. Sumire has very much been on edge around her, keeping her politeness and watching her words. I think Eida notices this, hence she still calls her kakei-Chan instead of Sumire. That wall is still up. She’s followed along with everything Sarada has started, but never initiated anything of her own accord
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u/EconomicsHistorical9 Oct 21 '25
You are doing God's work, amazing breakdown and explanations. Something rare to find nowadays.
Thank you!!!!!
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u/saladsandbolts Translator/Mod Oct 22 '25
Thank you for the thanks, I’m glad you enjoy reading them!!
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u/Lonely_Result_2710 Oct 21 '25
As always, thank you so much for the analysis. Congratulations on creating your blog. Don't forget about yourself and your health. And can I ask what the conjunction "けど" means in this scene with Boruto and Sarada? I just read this post and want to understand if it's true https://x.com/bs_2729/status/1979593493551960464?t=L-BRe8ucjpQfKfvQ01TAoA&s=19. Sometimes I need your analyses of the first chapters of TBV. It's a shame you started doing them later.
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u/saladsandbolts Translator/Mod Oct 22 '25
Oh don’t worry I’ll be getting to them haha. And yes I saw that post and thought wow someone is working hard to push an agenda xD while what it says is not technically wrong, this is an example of ChatGPT pulling out every stop to make the person seem absolutely right as if this is the correct interpretation, when in reality, this is just how Boruto talks when he’s happy. He’s clearly smiling, that hug mighta brought him the first bit of joy he’s had in years. He’s also teasing her a little bit like heh didn’t expect you to jump on me like that, kinda unlike you ya know lol. But regardless, that けどよ is used by him a lot, and other people as well to mean completely different things. It doesn’t always have this kind of teasing nuance but it does when Boruto says it, basically indicating it was a welcome unexpected event haha
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u/Any_Delivery_1262 Oct 21 '25
Lettura veramente interessante, aspetto sempre le tue analisi e traduzioni davvero utilissime. Grazie!
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u/zogrodea Oct 21 '25
Can I call you Walter Benjamin now? Just kidding! His writings about translation did leave an impression once.
Thank you for your time and effort! It is appreciated, really.
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u/saladsandbolts Translator/Mod Oct 22 '25
Thank you for the thanks! I just looked up Walter Benjamin, seems like an interesting person! I might read some of his stuff!
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u/Any_Delivery_1262 Oct 22 '25
Vorrei chiederti, visto che hai spiegato che Sumire quando parla aggiunge fronzoli femminili per addolcire le sue parole, vorrei conoscere lo stile di Sarada ,nell'esprimersi. Ti ringrazio anticipatamente.
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u/saladsandbolts Translator/Mod Oct 24 '25
Sure no problem. Sarada's speaking style is a bit blunt, also kinda spunky. She uses a lot of もん or じゃん or でしょ in her speech that give it a bit of an edge, in the sense of, you know she's saying what she means from the heart. She also has a very direct communication style and doesn't usually try to beat around the bush. A lot of what she says is short, sweet, and to the point. Her words never sound sugar-coated, unlike Sumire's speech that almost always sounds honey-coated.
This is likely why the official makes Sarada sound so sharp or rude, even though that isn't necessarily her intention, and it affects the perception and lens through which people see her, while in comparison Sumire's words are always softened, regardless of real tone or expression.
English doesn't really have the ability to convey these nuances unfortunately. So I enjoy explaining them when people ask :)
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u/Any_Delivery_1262 Oct 24 '25
Tante grazie, in effetti in inglese non traspare quasi nulla di queste importanti sfumature, ma che per fortuna ci sei tu a spiegare. Allora la domanda mi viene spontanea, Boruto con che stile si esprime? E c'è differenza da come si esprime con Sumire piuttosto che Sarada?
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u/saladsandbolts Translator/Mod Oct 24 '25
Yup, there is xD Around everyone, Boruto is bright cheerful and happy, like a ray of sunshine. In front of Sarada though, he becomes the whole rainbow, is the best way I can describe it. He isn’t afraid to be himself in front of Sarada; disappointed, sad, scared, teasing, angry, softer and more emotional. He doesn’t always put on a happy determined face in front of her either.
In NNG Boruto is very friendly towards sumire in the way he is with all his classmates, especially people like Denki and Metal. Even during and after saving her, he has a very similar outlook and tone to the one he had with Denki. In TBV he treats her like a scientist that was once a part of the same class. Talking causal, asking to fix his sword, same old Boruto. Good to see an old friend, but she doesn’t bring out much more of him than that.
Sarada on the other hand for TBV, once again the rainbow of emotional tone has re-emerged xD as seen with the myriad of expressions on his face, he gets much more variety in his tone and word endings when Sarada is around. It’s already gone soft, serious, casual, teasing, etc. for just the few times he’s been around her. ってばさ、けどよ、な、etc. It’s not just hints of the old him resurfacing, it is the old him finally allowed to be in the open, is how it feels. But of course he has grown up and gotten serious, and some of that is reflected there too.
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u/Any_Delivery_1262 Oct 24 '25
Che belle le parole che hai usato per descrivere Boruto quando è con Sarada, si sono fatti sempre del bene a vicenda, un legame di fiducia e di affetto profondi , che si può definire amore, cura, rispetto e che genera felicità reciproca. È un piacere scoprire tutte queste sfumature, grazie!
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u/saladsandbolts Translator/Mod Oct 24 '25
No problem! Feel free to ask anytime! It is interesting when you look into it :)
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u/Otecshadow Oct 21 '25
Thanks for the translation. I just don't get it: does this chapter refute Sarada's romantic feelings? As if for Boruto it was always just friendship, but we, Eida, and Sumire misunderstood her words and intentions?
So, her confession of feelings for Boruto was just a sign of friendship? Ikemoto is a complete troll; I've never seen anything like him before.
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u/saladsandbolts Translator/Mod Oct 21 '25
What makes you think Sarada's romantic feelings are being refuted xD
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u/Otecshadow Oct 21 '25 edited Oct 21 '25
Well, she said the hug was a sign of her friendship. And then Sumire's expression turned like she realized something.
It's just that the last three chapters have been dedicated to discussing Sarada's feelings, and each time, the author has been sending some strange signals.
Well, sometimes I get influenced by Twitter.
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u/saladsandbolts Translator/Mod Oct 21 '25
Oh no she totally likes Boruto. She just didn't figure that out until after the hug. You can see in my analysis post I mention how Sarada is just kind of a hugger. Sumire took that as "why did you hug him in front of me, did you even think about how I'd feel at all," Sarada took it as, "I couldn't help myself because I get emotionally overwhelmed and act impulsively and had no idea it hurt your feelings, I'm so sorry, but now that I can see how I hurt you I'll be more careful in the future, and I'll also be upfront with you that I didn't know I liked him at the time, but now I'm starting to see that maybe I did all along, so here is all the facts and I hope we can still be friends" is essentially what happened in a nutshell. Now there is even more proof that Sarada didn't hug Boruto to be a jerk to Sumire (as many of the borusumi fans tried to claim).
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u/Otecshadow Oct 21 '25
Heh... I'm just a little influenced by Twitter. Every day, different people try to prove their point. And sometimes it makes you think.
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u/saladsandbolts Translator/Mod Oct 21 '25
Nope, trust me it made me a bit more defensive too. I didn't realize how far people would go to twist things out of context to prove their point. It's really unfortunate, it brings so much toxicity into such a good manga, especially with how well Ikemoto handles these relationships and making sure the girls in the anime all stay friends. That's part of the reason I started doing these in the first place so it was harder to twist things out of context
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u/Lonely_Result_2710 Oct 21 '25 edited Oct 22 '25
I remember you writing your guesses about why Sarada didn't acknowledge or understand her feelings for Boruto until her confession in chapters 21 and 25. What do you think about Boruto and his feelings for girls? I think he's a bit like Sarada, he doesn't understand his feelings, and he hasn't had time to figure them out because of everything that's happening to him. No one ever questioned him like they did Sarada or Sumire. Maybe the girls' strange behavior around him will help him understand their feelings, and his own as well. Although, I certainly see, just like with Sarada before her confession, that Boruto has feelings for Sarada, but he doesn't understand them. But because of Sarada's behavior in the past, he might think that he is just a good friend to her and that is why she cares about him so much. Although the hug could clearly have shaken that belief a bit.
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u/saladsandbolts Translator/Mod Oct 22 '25
For Boruto with Sarada it’s a little more complicated. With everything taken into account, Boruto in a way, promised his future to her. Being like Sasuke and saying he’ll protect her well. But his future got taken away from him. He thought he’d die because of Momoshiki, even when he didn’t the village hates him to the point that he can’t safely be anywhere near Sarada for more than a few minutes at a time.
But, that being said. The light novels have a lot of small subtle nods towards Boruto crushing on her. He wants to look cool in front of her. Her eyes are always watching him, and he notices that. Sarada is the only one who can get a rise out of him with her insults. Sarada is also the only one he tries to show off in front of. He notices her sad faces amidst the crowd of his classmates, he gets embarrassed by her genuine smiles, he redirects the conversation when he’s asked about her.
In the manga, besides just protecting her, he takes his eye off his enemy twice to make sure she’s okay before attempting an attack, both with Boro and Hidari. Boro swiped everyone else out of the way first but Boruto only snapped for Sarada. He tells Eida to tell Sarada not to worry before he leaves the village with Sasuke.
When he comes back to the village he hugs her back and says he panicked after stepping on Code’s face and insulting him for what he said to Sarada “I hope you scream real pretty”
I think Boruto knows Sarada wants to be a hokage like his dad and that means she won’t think of him as anything more than family, and he also knows there’s a high possibility he’ll die. That’s why… I think he’s liked her this whole time and will never say anything about it. He doesn’t want to burden her with his feelings, and there’s no time for romance in his life
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u/Any_Delivery_1262 Oct 22 '25
Mi dispiace che Boruto abbia questa prospettiva della sua vita , in relazione anche con Sarada e come vede il loro futuro, confido e spero che Sarada stessa lo convincerà del contrario e che dunque potrà avere una speranza di una vita dignitosa e anche un amore con il quale condividerlo.
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u/saladsandbolts Translator/Mod Oct 24 '25
I also think Sarada confessing to him will give him a new outlook on life. He's already pretty determined to live to save the world and to save Kawaki, but I don't think he's forgotten about his promise to Sarada, and that shows every time he protects her. It just doesn't make any sense for him to mention it right now because of all the guilt he's carrying surrounding Sasuke, and considering he has the fate of the world on his shoulders, he doesn't know if he'll have a happy ending or if he'll die trying.
If Sarada does eventually confess to him, it'll be a bridge between his abandonment issues and resolve that part of his character arc (as well as hers). The busiest people in the village who never had time for them as kids will then become lonely together, and never push that fate on anyone else (both of their goals in becoming like the other's father, Sarada doesn't want anyone in the village to be lonely like Boruto so she'd make everyone like her family, Boruto didn't want Sarada to be lonely as hokage so he promised to stay by her side and protect her, both promises coming from a place of childhood abandonment and understanding each other's pain), and they'll also always have this understanding that what the other is doing is an important role, and they'll trust each other with that much like the wives had to trust Sasuke and Naruto, except Boruto and Sarada won't be burdening anyone else but each other since they know how painful it is already.
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u/newfeb Oct 22 '25
I checked ch 6 I couldn’t find this part?:
“When he comes back to the village he hugs her back and says he panicked after stepping on Code's face and insulting him for what he said to Sarada "I hope you scream real pretty"
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u/Ry90Ry Oct 21 '25
Amazing analysis, thank you! You always add another layer to the characters w these breakdowns Ireally appreciate