The Naruto franchise may be named after Naruto Uzumaki, but the series has always been about two characters with entwined destinies: the titular hero Naruto plus his friend plus rival Sasuke Uchiha. So far this new series has focused on Naruto’s jovial son Boruto, but this new arc will turn its eye onto Sasuke’s serious daughter Sarada, plus the dark history behind the Uchiha Clan. Though lacking in action, this episode sets up this story with a primer on the Uchiha family plus some surprisingly emotional scenes from Sarada.
The episode opens with a father son bonding montage. Shikadai, Metal, plus even Boruto are spending time with their dads, as the sullen Sarada looks on wondering where her own mysterious father is. She asks her mother, her friends, eventually resorting to researching the Uchiha clan itself. But there are no satisfying answers for her. Filled with doubts about her parentage, Sarada decides to set out plus find the answers for herself.
As I’ve said previously, I like Boruto’s willingness to admit the faults of the adult characters, plus this episode is another prime example. Sarada’s questioning pushes Sakura to her breaking point, leading her to destroy her own house plus lose the faith of her daughter. This is a surprising emotional outburst from Sarada, who has been cool plus collected so far. It’s a short segment that really helps set the stakes for the coming arc, showing us just how painful this family mystery is for her.
Outside of Sakura’s earth shaking overreaction the episode is light on action, but makes up for it with intriguing hints at where the next arc may be taking us. The show’s first arc dealt with the modern-day consequences created by The Foundation, plus the second will be a deeper look into the Uchiha clan’s troubled past. It is apparent that Sarada knows very little about her clan, plus the mystery deepens when she is turned away when researching family records. Any longtime viewer knows that the Uchiha Clan are the center of the one of the series most important plus complex storylines, plus Sarada’s exploration of her family history will hopefully provide an exciting second look at the infamous Uchiha family.