Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Episode 74 -

Mitsuki didn't move. He looked at Boruto, then at the Fabricants behind him—beings who, like him, had been "made" rather than born. For the first time, Boruto saw a flicker of doubt in his friend. Mitsuki wasn't running away; he was searching for his own will, trying to see if he was a person or just a tool for someone else’s ambition.

"You’re persistent," Kokuyō said, his voice a flat, unsettling monotone. He didn't use ninjutsu; he used pure, overwhelming physical prowess. Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Episode 74

The battle was frantic. Boruto’s Shadow Clones were popped like bubbles, and Sarada’s Sharingan could barely keep up with Kokuyō’s blurring movements. It was a clash of philosophies: the Leaf genin fought for a friend, while the Fabricant fought because it was programmed to survive. Mitsuki didn't move

Boruto stood in the dust, his hand still outstretched. He hadn't brought Mitsuki home, but he had seen the truth: Mitsuki was hurting, lost in a crisis of identity that no Rasengan could solve. Mitsuki wasn't running away; he was searching for

The group began their trek deeper into enemy territory, no longer just runaway genin, but a rescue party determined to save a soul.

"Mitsuki!" Boruto yelled, reaching out a hand. "Let’s go back! We can fix this!"

Just as Kokuyō prepared to deliver a crushing blow to a grounded Boruto, a familiar snake-like silhouette flickered at the top of the canyon. Mitsuki was there, his gold eyes cold and unreadable.