It is Sasuke—the "genius" shadow—who saves the day. Using his last ounce of strength and the only trick Isshiki couldn’t predict (the Replacement Jutsu with a simple shuriken), Sasuke switches places with Naruto at the last second, allowing Kawaki to land the sealing touch.
The Setup: A War of Gods The episode falls in the climactic arc of the Kara Actuation saga. Isshiki Otsutsuki—a far more ruthless and powerful foe than even Kaguya—has invaded Konoha. With Naruto’s Baryon Mode (unleashed in Episode 217) having failed to kill Isshiki, the situation is dire. Naruto’s life force is nearly depleted. Sasuke’s Rinnegan has been destroyed. The village lies in ruins.
The moment that broke the internet occurs when Isshiki pins Naruto down with massive black rods, immobilizing him completely. As Isshiki strolls toward the children (Boruto, Kawaki, and the unconscious Mitsuki), Naruto—the Seventh Hokage—begins to scream. boruto 218
For over two decades, Naruto Uzumaki’s mantra was one of unshakable will: "I never go back on my word. That is my ninja way." Fans watched him transform from a lonely, ramen-obsessed outcast into the Seventh Hokage, the savior of the shinobi world. He was the hero who broke curses, befriended demons, and stopped a god.
The only hope left is a desperate, last-minute plan: use Kawaki as bait to shrink and trap Isshiki in a sealing cube. What makes Episode 218 stand out is not the choreography—though the animation by Studio Pierrot is fluid and explosive—but the exhaustion . This is not a fight between two fresh warriors. It is a death rattle. It is Sasuke—the "genius" shadow—who saves the day
But in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations , titled "The Proud Failure," that legendary hero meets an end that isn’t glorious or sacrificial in the traditional sense—it is brutal, desperate, and deeply ironic.
Not a battle cry. A scream of pure, helpless terror. The episode’s title is a direct callback to Naruto’s childhood. He was the "Number One Proud Failure"—the kid who failed the graduation exam three times but never gave up. That tenacity was his greatest strength. Isshiki Otsutsuki—a far more ruthless and powerful foe
is not a celebration of the old generation. It is a passing of the torch, burned and battered. It tells the younger generation (and the audience) that their heroes cannot save them forever. Eventually, the proud failure must finally fail.
