Kawaki’s troubled past is one of the biggest reasons he struggles to accept kindness in Boruto. As a child, he was abused by his biological father and eventually sold to Jigen, who subjected him to brutal training and human experimentation as part of Kara’s efforts to create a vessel for Isshiki Ōtsutsuki. Kawaki survived the process, but the experience left him emotionally isolated and convinced that his existence had value only when he was useful to someone else. Even after escaping Kara, those experiences continue to affect how he views trust, family, and his own worth.
Naruto becomes important because he gives Kawaki something he has never experienced consistently before: unconditional care. Instead of treating him as a vessel or weapon, Naruto allows him to stay with the Uzumaki family and gradually shows him that he can belong somewhere. That relationship helps Kawaki open up, although his fear of losing Naruto eventually becomes one of his greatest emotional weaknesses.
How Naruto Helps Kawaki Heal From His Past
Kawaki’s childhood begins with neglect and abuse from his father, who eventually sells him to Jigen. Under Kara, his situation becomes even worse as he is subjected to experiments designed to implant Kāma in compatible children. Kawaki survives while other candidates die, but his body is heavily modified and his experiences leave him emotionally closed off.
After Kawaki escapes and reaches Konoha, Naruto becomes his guardian. At first, Kawaki has difficulty trusting the Uzumaki family and frequently clashes with Boruto, but living in a peaceful household slowly changes him. Naruto does not force Kawaki to immediately behave like a member of the family, instead giving him time to become comfortable with his new surroundings.
Naruto also understands Kawaki’s loneliness because he experienced isolation himself while growing up as the jinchūriki of the Nine Tails. This shared experience allows Naruto to recognize that Kawaki’s anger and defensiveness are connected to his painful childhood. When Kawaki learns more about Naruto’s past, he begins to see the Hokage as someone who survived hardship without allowing it to completely define him.
The bond becomes stronger when Naruto protects Kawaki from Kara and later helps him learn ninjutsu. Kawaki eventually asks Naruto to become his teacher, while his relationships with Boruto and Himawari also become increasingly important. The official story describes Kawaki’s previously empty heart gradually being filled by the familial love of the Uzumaki family and his friendships in Konoha.
However, Kawaki’s healing is incomplete. His fear of losing Naruto eventually turns into an extreme determination to eliminate every Ōtsutsuki threat, including Boruto because Momoshiki remains inside him. His past therefore explains both sides of Kawaki’s character: Naruto teaches him what love and family feel like, but his trauma makes him terrified of ever losing them.
