Welcome to the Maze

" Welcome to the Maze " ( 迷宮へようこそ , Meikyū e Yōkoso ) is episode 276 of the Boruto: Naruto Next Generations anime.

## Synopsis [ ]

Boruto doesn't recognise his surroundings when he wakes up. He exchanges words with Kiri bounty hunter Anaguma , and asks about an exit. Anaguma points him to a Fire Release user, who has been trying to break out for a while with no result, and accidentally hits Shamo , an Iwa shinobi as he approaches. Boruto checks on him, and Kiseru recognises Boruto, also a Konoha shinobi and an acquaintance of Konohamaru . A girl asks about Anaguma's bounty, Rokuro , who she thinks smells of blood. Anaguma tells her to be careful. An old man arrives, congratulating them on surviving, claiming that a drug storage facility along the tracks of their Thunder Train exploded, exposing them to toxic gas, requiring them to be taken to a containment facility in case they were contaminated. A Kumo kunoichi has no recollection of it, but the old man blames it on the gas, claiming that many passengers died over inhaling too much of the gas. Before letting them go, the man wants them to go through a test, believing that the choices they just happened to make that allowed to survive were not coincidences, but a subconscious ability to avoid death.

He wishes to test that ability, and offers a card-drawing test. Kiseru feels confident, but Boruto finds it suspicious. Another Kiri bounty hunter draws a death card, and is killed by the old man with a blade extending from his finger. Boruto attacks the old man with Wind Release: Gale Palm . Kiseru calls Boruto to inspect the old man, revealed to be a puppet. Ōga introduces himself as the lord of the maze, and explains that the experiment isn't a game, and his is an underground maze unknown to all but him. He ignores Boruto's admonishment and proceeds explaining there will be five experiments, detailed in scrolls he presents them. If they don't pass all the experiments, they'll never leave the maze. A Kusa shinobi complains about it, knocking over one of the scrolls, selecting an experiment by accident. The scrolls summons them to a different location. The Kumo kunoichi wants a civilian to spend what she presumes to be money he has on a briefcase he's holding tightly to hire her, finding him unlikely to survive on his own. Kiseru criticises the Kusa shinobi, who pushes him back. Boruto stops Shamo from falling when the stone floor near the edge of the platform they're on collapses. Yatsume introduces herself to Boruto. Another section of the floor collapses near an old man. Ōga explains they have to leave the brittle platform and reach another platform above them. Boruto and Kiseru rush and attempt to attack Ōga, but he disappears. The brittle platform continues to collapse, and the man with the briefcase accepts help from the Kumo kunoichi, who uses a powerful Wind Release to lift them to the firm platform. A participant warns her that such a strong jutsu will collapse the platform, and she is unbothered by his accusation of caring only for herself. The Kusa shinobi also jumps to safety. The platform continues to collapse, some participants falling. Anaguma attempts to hold it together with Water Release threads . Rokuro says he won't be able to hold it alone. Yatsume is exasperated when Boruto jumps back down to help the old man, while the Kumo kunoichi finds him naive. Kiseru uses the firm platform's fence to make a rope ladder for everyone else to climb, but can only support one person at once. Shamo helps a young girl who sprained her ankle. Anaguma warns Boruto his jutsu won't hold for long. A man loses his patience when the platform continues to give while an old couple takes too long to climb. The rest of the threads give away, throwing Anaguma off the edge. Rokuro holds him with his legs, and asks civilian Kakesu to tap Anaguma's keys on his cuff to release him so he can use his jutsu to save her. Anaguma urges her not to trust him. She releases Rokuro, who lets Anaguma fall, and ignores Kakesu when the floor under her collapses. He has a bladed arm. The man and the old man fall as more of the platform collapses. Boruto asks Namua to help a woman, while he carries the girl with the sprained ankle. Shamo asks for help as Boruto reaches the top. Boruto manages to grab him as the rest of the platform collapses and Boruto Streams himself and Shamo up, Yatsume grabbing them at the bottom of the ladder. Ōga allows them to rest before the next experiment, and they return to original room. Boruto criticises Rokuro for sacrificing Anaguma, but he's determined to survive, even at the expense of everyone else. The Kumo kunoichi notes there were 14 survivors. Boruto wants to survive to capture Ōga.

## Trivia [ ]

- When Ōga shows the life and death cards, their fronts and backs change without being turned over between frames.
- Despite his full name being mentioned in the episode, Kiseru's family name is absent in the credits.
- Despite her name being singled out in the episode, Kakesu's role isn't singled out in the credits, most likely being one of the roles credited as "Labyrinth people".

## Credits [ ]