Kāma Mark

A cursed brand marking a vessel for alien assimilation and a key to ultimate power.

The Kāma, or Karma, is a mark that members of the Ōtsutsuki clan leave on people so they can later resurrect through them. In the narrative of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, this phenomenon appears on Kawaki Uzumaki alongside thirteen other children and teenagers experimented on by Jigen. The mark is not merely a symbol but a mechanism that allows the user to alter their physiology for combat through microscopic Shinobi-Ware implanted in the body. For Kawaki, the Kāma represents both his connection to Kara and the source of his desire to escape its influence.

Quick Facts

Primary users: Boruto Uzumaki, Kawaki

Lore & Background

The Kāma originates from the Ōtsutsuki clan's technology, used by Jigen to experiment on children he purchased, including Kawaki. These subjects were given the mark, which allows them to alter their physiology for combat. The mark works as a back-up of an Ōtsutsuki that will take over its bearer's body. In Kawaki's case, the Kāma was implanted alongside microscopic Shinobi-Ware, giving him unique abilities. However, the mark also signifies his status as a target; when Jigen tracked him down, he sought to brand Kawaki with a new Karma after Boruto's mark reached a high decompression level.

Reader's Guide

It allows the host to access immense power but risks complete assimilation by the donor's consciousness. Key moments include Boruto's possession by Momoshiki during the battle with Boro and Kawaki's struggle against Isshiki, who sought to use him as a vessel. The mark can be activated to alter physiology, providing combat advantages beyond standard ninja techniques. However, it also poses a threat of overwriting the host's identity, as seen when Boruto loses control under Momoshiki's influence. Strategic use involves balancing power with resistance, though the long-term goal for the Ōtsutsuki remains the complete assimilation of the host. Notable events include the attack on Konoha by Isshiki and the subsequent battle where Kawaki and Sasuke fend off a possessed Boruto.

Did You Know?

Kawaki was one of 13 children experimented on by Jigen to receive the Kāma mark.
The flashforward in Boruto's first chapter shows an older Kawaki declaring 'the age of shinobi has finally come to an end.'