Boruto is finally back with a shiny new series, called Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, and the first chapter is fulfilling the desire of many fans by putting the spotlight on Sarada Uchiha, who is showing that her many similarities to Naruto make her his true successor, both as a protagonist and as a future Hokage.
Chapter #1 of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex opens three years in the future with an angry Sarada trying to convince the Eighth Hokage Shikamaru Nara that Boruto is not, in fact, a traitor to Konoha. While Sarada’s efforts are ultimately pointless, because Eida’s Omnipotence power prevents everyone (except Sarada and Sumire) from seeing the truth, her attitude toward Shikamaru proves that Sarada is truly following in Naruto’s footsteps, in more ways than one.
Sarada Will Succeed Naruto Not Just As Hokage, But As Protagonist Too
The dialogue reveals that Sarada is still a Genin, the lowest rank in the shinobi hierarchy, just like Naruto, who despite his incredible power was prevented by various circumstances from advancing to the higher rank of Chunin. It’s still unclear why a talented kunoichi such as Sarada was not promoted during the three years of the time skip, but it likely has to do with her stubborn defense of Boruto, who is considered a traitor by the entire village. As Sarada proudly declares, her role model remains the Seventh Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki.
More importantly, Sarada reminds Shikamaru that her father was also once considered a traitor (and Sasuke is actually a traitor again, after helping Boruto flee), but Naruto never gave up on him and ultimately brought him back to Konoha. It’s this attitude of someone that never gives up on their friends that Sarada strives to emulate, and she has not given up on her dream of becoming Hokage, even if she has to do it while still a Genin, as Naruto did. This entire scene really succeeds in making Sarada stand out, just like many fans have been asking for a long time. She is now a mature and proud kunoichi who does not waver in her convictions, no matter the circumstances, and this makes her more similar to Naruto than ever before. Naruto’s “ninja way” (nindo) was to never run away and go back on his word, which forged his character into a beacon of hope and determination to which others could not help but feel attracted.
Sarada’s Determination Makes Her Naruto’s True Successor
Sarada is displaying the same level of belief and determination, going against what literally everyone else perceives as truth and reality, in order to save her best friend Boruto. This, and the fact that she is still a Genin, are making Sarada incredibly similar to Naruto, and making her a good candidate for the role of protagonist in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex. After all, Boruto and Sarada’s relationship was the reverse of that of their fathers since the beginning, with Sarada wanting to become Hokage and Boruto desiring to be her “shadow”. It remains to be seen if Sarada will actually follow in Naruto’s footsteps not just by becoming Hokage, but also the real protagonist of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex.
Boruto: Two Blue Vortex is available from Viz Media.
