‘Inojin vs. Houki’ in Boruto episode 223 was a thrilling match that also showed why Mitsuki and Boruto are unlikely to be able to compete in the Chunin Exams final round. On several levels, ‘Inojin vs. Houki’ was thrilling. Houki is also a pupil of Inojin’s father, Sai, so I was eager to see how the two characters had progressed as ninjas. Sai’s son and his student were set to face off in a ninja duel to see if Sai’s son was stronger.
Sai’s ANBU-affiliated three-person team has a mysterious aura about it. That brief flashback to Sai assuring his squad that unlike their colleagues due of the secrecy of their operations they won’t be getting much credit was a nice touch. This means that the team should always focus on accomplishing their goals rather than pursuing fame.
Houki’s victory over Inojin was in large part due to his shady character.
As a teenage ninja in the Hidden Leaf Village, Houki was well aware of Inojin’s powers. When it came to Houki’s abilities, Inojin was completely blind. To excuse his lack of knowledge about Houki, Inojin stated that ninjas don’t always know what they’re up against when operating in the field, but I think he could have still contacted Sai to see if anyone could offer him an indication about Houki’s abilities. To be a ninja, it’s always best to go into a fight prepared.
Houki’s victory over Inojin is widely agreed upon by the anime community. His use of Earth-style jutsu to transform the battlefield into a perplexing labyrinth (made up of tall pillars) was quite astounding. Inojin was completely taken aback by such a surprise strike. That Houki’s strike had a flaw, yet he was still able to use it in his favour, was another thing I appreciated about the episode. Houki, who has a photographic memory, sped around the maze in order to establish a mental map of its layout. Houki was now ready to use Inojin’s blindspots to take down Inojin.
If Houki has the patience and skill to practise, I believe he will be able to design a specialised maze with deathtraps and other traps to keep his foes trapped. Earth Style: Toujinbo, a Houki maze-making move, is a dangerous one for ninjas who can’t escape quickly by flying away.
Even though Houki pleased me, the fight made me wonder about Inojin’s sensory abilities. When there are other individuals nearby, Inojin’s capacity to track chakra can be improved by perfecting his technique.
When they were both in the maze, why didn’t Inojin trace Houki’s chakra? Surely he could have done so as the war went on. It would have been nice if Inojin’s confusion over Houki’s whereabouts had been supported by some sort of rationale.
Defeating Inojin’s Mind Transfer Jutsu was the most difficult challenge for Houki. Houki’s misinterpretation of the ink splatters from Injoin’s paintbrush by Inojin was a clever ploy. Houki, on the other hand, had a plan B in case Inojin’s Mind Transfer Jutsu didn’t work out.
In the end, it turns out that Sai has been preparing his squad to deal with psychic assaults. Inojin’s jutsu was wasted on Houki’s Shadow Clone at first, but he was right. However, it was later discovered that the person who was hit was in fact Houki. A counter to the Mind Transfer Jutsu, however, was found by the young ninja.
Houki’s transformation into an oozy monster in the astral plane to force Inojin out of his thoughts was handled really effectively.
If Inojin had taken control of Houki’s body right away, Houki would have lost, according to Houki.” The next time Inojin comes up against Houki or someone else who is using a similar technique to counter the Mind Transfer Jutsu, he will keep it in mind.
Now that Houki has defeated Inojin, I’m eagerly awaiting the next bout, in which Iwabe will face Wasabi.
Wasabi, in my opinion, will prevail. After Boruto and Mitsuki decided to help Himawari and her friends, the episode ‘Inojin vs. Houki’ was shown. During the trial session at the Ninja Academy, Himawari and the other two young aspirants she met discovered that they enjoyed pretending to be ninjas and patrolling the village.
A suspicious group of people was spotted by the youngsters, so Eho and Yuina decided to investigate, while Himawari went to ask for help from Boruto. The group kidnapped Amado and took him away on a train in the episode. After following the train, Boruto and Mitsuki discovered that Amado’s carriage was vacant.
I doubt anyone in the Hidden Leaf Village would have missed the kidnapping of Amado. Mitsuki and Boruto may have been misled into following a phoney Amado out of the village by the group.
After the Boroshiki fiasco, shouldn’t Boruto be always under surveillance? I’ve deduced he’s been medicated to keep the Karma Mark at bay. It’s still possible, though. Boruto’s life is in jeopardy since the Kara organisation is still active. Salad is obviously concerned by the absence of her teammates from the Chunin Exams’ final round.
I believe Boruto and Mitsuki will be disqualified for failing to return in time. What do you say? Let’s wait and see.
A lot of people were curious about how Boruto and Mitsuki would be able to participate without using their Karma Mark and Sage Mode powers. I suppose not allowing them to compete at all solves the problem.
Other questions and thoughts:
Sai doesn’t take any risks when it comes to putting his team in harm’s way. It’s a miracle that the team hasn’t been wiped out. I guess you can’t argue with Sai’s training techniques, even if they are tough, given Houki’s amazing results.
I enjoyed Shikamaru praising Konohamaru for his efforts in planning the current Chunin Exams and the arena’s restoration. Konohamaru has been dubbed “Trashmaru” by the anime’s fanbase, therefore I hope the show’s writers spend more time showcasing his ninja skills.
A Sharingan user’s Genjutsu would be interesting to see how Houki fared. In the final round of the Chunin exams, Naruto made Kawaki accompany him. Kawaki is curious about the various jutsus that exist. ‘Inojin vs. Houki’: What did you think? Is Houki’s victory acceptable to you? Let us know if you have any concerns.