Замах на рубль удар на копейку!

Hashing Out the Strategies!

Konohamaru suggests that they need to take advantage of Katasuke’s matching mecha-suit arm to fight back against Ao.

Basically, there is lag-time between being able to absorb jutsu… So they’ll exploit that and attack him from a blind-spot.

Boruto gets assigned the finishing-blow.

Boruto faints because he can’t wield the chakra sabre though (because of the energy drain inefficiency).

Sarada notices that it’s literally a double-edged sword (Hint: this is important to consider later in the chapter).

Some more Katasuke and Boruto wholesomeness convo. Fluffy.

SCENE 2:
Kashin Koji and Ao Convo

KK casually mentions that Ao seems to be losing his touch since Boruto+Co escaped.

KK jabs that maybe Ao got emotional about meeting up with other shinobi again.

But Ao has no chill. He responds:

As far as being a shinobi is concerned, that part of me is long dead.

Nowadays, I’m a mere tool who’s being kept alive due to science…

That’s right. Merely a ‘tool’ that only fulfills the objectives of ‘Kara’ as an Outer.

The same as the scientific ninja weaponry... I don’t have things like ‘emotions’.

KK seems pleased with that answer and warns Ao that an ambush is incoming.
SCENE 3:
Ao VS Boruto+Co

Mitsuki: Raiton: Shiden (Purple Lightning)

Konohamaru: Katon: Homuranagase (Blazing Meteors)

Sarada: (Shannaro~!) Punch + Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu (Great Fireball Technique)

The idea is the overwhelm Ao with barrage of attacks to create an opening for sneak attack.

Ao figures this out, obviously.

Ao easily absorbs all of the ninjutsu, as expected.

And then Boruto incoming from above with the chakra sabre!

But reversal of fortune and the following happens:

Gave a hint on NF when someone asked "What if Boruto gets stabbed"

https://www.narutoforums.org/posts/58230733/

Page 29 reenactment (sorta~) https://i.imgur.com/cJoYbnD.png

But it’s all good, because it’s a kage-bunshin :D~!!

Mitsuki (with an elongated arm) keeps Ao’s hand firmly on the chakra sabre.

So the vampiric energy drain slows Ao quite a bit.

Ao realizes that he got bamboozled! lol~

Absorption ball VS absorption ball = cancelled eachother out (reminds me of Chidori and Rasengan blending).

But surprise! Boruto had a Rasengan in his right hand too and hits Ao’s mecha arm/chest.

End PG as noted above.