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If there is one thing that we love in a story, it is a good callback. When a series has been going as long as Naruto has, there is plenty to call back to. If you include the ongoing Boruto manga, Naruto has been intermittently published for more than 25 years. While the series has generally been good about paving its own way, the latest chapter of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex sets up a return to one of the best arcs in the original manga and anime.

Chapter 16 of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex sees Konohamaru, Sarada, and Mitsuki sent to the Land of Wind to rescue Gaara. While the circumstances are different this time, there is a clear parallel between the upcoming arc and the Kazekage Rescue Mission arc in Naruto Shippuden. Once again, Gaara has been captured and taken from his home and, once again, it is the Hidden Leaf Village that is sent to rescue him.

The timing of the arc is even a callback to the previous manga. The Kazekage Rescue Mission arc was the first mission Naruto was sent on following the manga’s time skip and the anime’s shift to the Naruto Shippuden title. Similarly, this new story in Boruto is one of the first arcs following its long hiatus and change to the Two Blue Vortex subtitle.

We could complain about Boruto: Two Blue Vortex rehashing the best moments of Naruto, but the manga has already done a good job of distancing itself from its predecessor. Boruto is an outcast ninja and is gaining power to rival his father or grandfather, which makes for a very different tone to this story. Instead, this new arc feels like an extended reference to the moment when Naruto Shippuden came into its own. The stakes were raised and one of the series’ most epic battles played out as Naruto’s team tried to rescue Gaara. Plus it was the last time that Sakura was allowed to do anything cool on her own and we won't forget that.

So long as Boruto: Two Blue Vortex doesn’t make a habit of revisiting storylines from Naruto, Chapter 16 sets up a fun callback and offers a way to contrast the new characters against the Team 7 we’ve known for years.

"In the ninja world, those who don't follow rules are trash." as Obita Uchiha once said. And while we can't say these are rules, they are the king things you'll want to read next about Naruto: 

• How to watch Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden in order
• Want to visit the Ninja World? You can in 2026, as Naruto is getting the theme park treatment
• The 10 best Naruto arcs, ranked best to worst 
• 25 years later, Naruto's portrayal of a world tackling the sins of its past remains frustratingly relevant