Warning: Contains spoilers for Boruto: Two Blue Vortex chapter #11.One of the more contentious parts of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations has been Sasuke’s seeming lack of care for Sarada. Things started poorly when it was revealed that Sarada had gone most of her life without ever seeing Sasuke, and most of Sasuke’s appearances focusing on his master-student relationship with Boruto as opposed to being a father to Sarada only made things worse.

Sasuke’s seeming lack of care for Sarada has always been a point of criticism in Boruto, but Boruto: Two Blue Vortex seems to be addressing that in a roundabout way. The main villains are sentient Divine Trees who take on the appearance and abilities of the people they absorb, and one of them, Hidari, was born after Sasuke was absorbed by a Divine Tree.

As such, Hidari’s interactions with Sarada in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex chapter #11 make a big statement about how important Sarada is to Sasuke, which can mean a lot for the story, going forward.

Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Uses Hidari To Reaffirm Sasuke’s Feelings About Sarada

No One Can Deny That Sasuke Loves His Daughter

Like all the incredibly powerful Divine Trees, Hidari doesn’t have a full grasp on who he is or what he should be doing beyond absorbing chakra. However, all of these creatures have a singular obsession with one person they want to “ear”, and in Hidari’s case that’s Sarada. Hidari reaffirmed that idea while he was fighting Sarada in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex chapter #11, as he remarked that the only thing he knew about from the get-go was her. That means that Sasuke’s affection for Sarada is the only part of his personality that managed to exist inside of Hidari, and that does a perfect job of showing how important Sarada is to Sasuke.

That line of dialogue from Hidari also addresses the criticism of Sasuke seeming to care more about Boruto than Sarada. While Boruto has always put a lot of emphasis on Sasuke and Boruto’s master-student relationship, Hidari’s knowledge of Boruto comes from the Divine Trees needing to absorb an Ohtsutsuki and not from Sasuke. This means that Hidari’s dialogue with Sarada is definitive proof that Sasuke cares more about Sarada than he does Boruto. It’s a small moment, overall, but it does a lot to fix what had been a contentious part of the series for so many years.

Sarada Could Be the Key To Saving Sasuke in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex

Another takeaway from Sarada and Hidari’s interactions in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex chapter #11 is that it sets up Sarada Uchiha as the key to saving Sasuke. The fact that Hidari remembers Sarada means that Sasuke’s memories do more than let Hidari use his techniques, so this could be a weakness to exploit tp beat Hidari, leading perhaps to the rescue of the real Sasuke. Whether Sasuke himself would be freed or his personality would overtake Hidari’s is unclear, but it sets up Sarada as a key player in the conflict, regardless.

The current dynamic between Sarada and Hidari also hints at how the rest of the Divine Trees will be dealt with. With all the villains sharing this unique obsession and connection to someone important to the person they are based upon, the Divine Trees will perhaps be defeated thanks to the emotional connection characters have with the people they were cloned from.

The way that’s handled through Sasuke and Sarada’s bond is sure to be especially poignant, and it leaves a lot to be excited about with Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, going forward.