Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Episode 279

Numbers Game

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Episode 279 features the 4th test of Ouga’s maze. This test is a battle royale in which a maximum of 5 of the remaining 8 competitors can survive. As far as we understand it, there’s no loophole in the rules this time around.

The twist of the test is that each of the 8 competitors gets a card with a number on it. The cards have the numbers 1-8 on them. To survive, you must have cards that are equal to or greater than 7 at the end of the 2-hour time limit.

So, as Namua points out, that means only 5 people can survive, at most. The combinations of cards that qualify are 8, 7, 6+1, 5+2, and 4+3. However, there’s nothing stopping someone from collecting more cards than they need. This would eliminate potential competitors from future tests.

Now, I know I said there’s no loophole in the rules that would allow more than 5 people to survive. But, I’m not convinced that’s actually the case just yet. Episode 279 didn’t complete the test. So, there’s still room for something to happen in the next episode.

We should keep in mind that Boruto wants to save as many people as possible, though. If there’s a way for more people to survive, he’ll figure it out. But, I don’t know what that way is, at the moment.

Unlike the candle test, everyone can’t share the same cards. Also, unlike the previous test, it doesn’t seem like brute force is going to work. If you don’t have the right number of cards, you can’t escape from the test area.

And cutting the cards into smaller denominations still only allows for 5 survivors. There are only 36 points.

Who Killed Batta and Fugou?

Someone killed Batta and Fugou. But, not before Batta learned that Fugou’s briefcase didn’t actually contain money. And when she learns this, Fugou explains to her that his family is in danger. He needed to get out of the maze so that he could save them.

Well, none of that matters now. I don’t know if we’ll ever follow up with what happens to Fugou’s family. But, I also don’t really care. What I did care about was Batta. She was a good character because she was struggling with the morality of her actions.

Anyway, who killed Batta and Fugou? We know it wasn’t Boruto, Namua, Shamo, or Yatsume because they were all together. That leaves Rokuro and Kiseru. And considering Rokuro is a murderer, he seems like a good suspect. On top of that, he showed up nearby with Batta’s and Fugou’s cards.

Technically, Rokuro could be the killer. However, after Boruto defeats him, he claims that they were already dead when he arrived on the scene. Further, he claims that their cards were left behind. They had the #2 and #3 cards, which means Rokuro now has 6 points in total.

Now, if what Rokuro says is true, that would mean Kiseru is the killer. And, when you think about it, this makes sense. There’s a lot of evidence pointing toward that being the case.

First, Batta suspected Kiseru of being a spy for Ouga and stole his communication device. Second, Kiseru has the #7 card, so he didn’t need to take Batta’s and Fugou’s cards. And third, though only known to us, Kiseru is an Outer of Kara. He’s not a good guy.

But, could there be another explanation? Is Kiseru really to blame?

Confronting Kiseru

At the end of the episode, Boruto stays behind to confront Kiseru. Namua, Shamo, Yatsume, and Rokuro all exit the test area without him. That means between Boruto and Kiseru, there’s only 1 card remaining. Kiseru has the #7 card, and whichever one of them has it in the end will survive.

This is why I’m not sure there won’t be a loophole Boruto can use to escape from the test. We know Boruto isn’t going to die. But, it seems unlikely that he’d take the #7 card from Kiseru knowing that Kiseru will die as a result.

Something else has to happen. And from the preview for the next episode, we see that something does happen. It looks like Yatsume returns to the test area to back up Boruto. But, why would she do that? Is it because she’s grown to like Boruto? That could be part of it.

I’m still extremely suspicious of Yatsume. She’s the only one trapped within Ouga’s maze who we know nothing about. And, she does some very odd things. For example, she began crying when watching Boruto, Namua, and Rokuro fighting. She said watching them fight for their lives brought her to tears.

That’s kind of a strange thing to say. And it makes me think she’s connected to Ouga. Doesn’t Ouga want to see the competitors fight for their lives? Is Yatsume actually Ouga? I have a feeling she might be. We haven’t seen Ouga’s real body yet, only puppets.

Also, earlier in the review I said that Batta and Fugou’s killer had to be either Rokuro or Kiseru. That’s not actually the case. They were killed before Yatsume and Namua met up. If Yatsume is the killer, she needs to kill Kiseru to cover her tracks.

Conclusion

What do you think of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Episode 279? Can you come up with a way to allow for more than 5 people to survive this test? Who do you think killed Batta and Fugou? And, do you think Yatsume and Ouga are the same person? Let me know in the comments.

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My review of Episode 280 is available now.