The powers that govern Naruto’s ninja villages may boast lofty, coveted positions of leadership, but this same power was responsible for plenty of suffering in its world. On top of particularly low points among Kage leadership, the Hidden Leaf’s various Hokage are indirectly responsible for the Uchiha’s Curse of Hatred, but this may soon face a turning point.
By the time of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, Seventh Hokage Naruto is nowhere to be found, while acting Hokage Shikamaru Nara has yet to fully assume the role of the village’s eighth leader. While the former particularly mended ties with the Uchiha’s sole surviving member, a new generation has paved the way for Sasuke’s daughter, Sarada, to take the role.
The Uchiha’s Curse of Hatred Is Largely Extinguished
After Naruto and Sasuke settled their differences at the Valley of the End, the hatred pushing Sasuke to pursue the Hokage role was defeated in place of him wishing to support his old home from the shadows. This led to his period of atonement and eventual moniker of Supporting Shadow to Naruto, but a more symbolic gesture could finally bury the Uchiha family curse.
Not unlike the Sith of Star Wars, the Curse of Hatred is actually born from the Uchiha’s tendency to form strong emotional links, whereupon any severed connection can manifest as extreme hatred. It’s the origin of the Sharingan, with its evolution primarily tied to traumatic events, typically the loss of precious friends or family members, leading to the Mangekyo Sharingan.
This is an offensively brief summary of the Uchiha’s Curse of Hatred, but this is partially because it is firmly in the past at this point. The Uchiha clan lives on in Sasuke’s daughter, Sarada, who is surrounded by friends and comrades she adores, striving instead to be like Seventh Hokage Naruto Uzumaki, instead of being driven by hatred.
Sarada Uchiha’s Ascent to Hokage Would Bury the Family Curse Forever
Unlike Sasuke’s original aims to become Hokage, Sarada is completely justified to pursue the title. Instead of wanting to take on the mantle, only to then eliminate all Kage and draw the world’s animus upon oneself like Sasuke once wished, Sarada’s dreams of becoming Hokage come from a place of love for her village.
“If becoming Hokage is my dream…I need…to start by…accepting myself.”
-Sarada Uchiha, Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Chapter #21
Much like how the village ultimately chooses its leader, Sarada acknowledges that a major part of this as a Konoha citizen, is accepting herself too. This results in her no longer holding back her massive power, unleashing the unlocked Mangekyo Sharingan she concealed since Boruto: Naruto Next Generations chapter #80.
Unlocking her power not through the trauma of losing a loved one, but by the mere potential of it, Sarada is thus able to sidestep the Uchiha Curse of Hatred in a significant way. While she’s still a Genin in the story, Kage would be hard-pressed to see her strong leadership as anything other than solid candidacy for Hokage.
One Other Hokage Should Lead Before Sarada
Beyond the hopeful return of Naruto to his seat, unfit in some aspects as he may be, Sarada is similarly young and unprepared for the role. However, in a Team 7 parallel to the events of Naruto, Konohamaru Sarutobi, Sarada and Boruto’s mentor, would be ideal if Konoha needed a truth Eighth Hokage, if Shikamaru ultimately doesn’t take the position.
Strongly resembling his original idol, Naruto, Konohamaru is a genius shinobi, a solid leader, and was groomed for the role since he was a child. These traits, mixed with emotional intelligence help him shine as a brotherly figure akin to Iruka Umino, make Konohamaru ready as a solid champion and fantastic Hokage candidate.
It’s not that Sarada currently doesn’t deserve the role; Shikamaru recognizes her ambitions, yet worries about her loyalty to Boruto in Two Blue Vortex chapter #1. With Shikamaru ultimately won over by the truth about Boruto, even this issue fades away. However, Sarada’s status as Genin is a strong parallel to Naruto first having to study before becoming Lord Seventh.
Sarada’s Hokage Future Has One Horrible Obstacle
Predictably raining on Sarada’s parade, while she has significant potential, the main obstacle ahead of her or Konohamaru’s Hokage future is the Boruto flashforward. Foretold in the events of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations chapter #1, Boruto and Kawaki are seen fighting atop a ruined Konoha. This point is talked to death, but bears repeating.
While Konoha is no stranger to rebuilding after disaster, the sight of Boruto and Kawaki fighting alone, unleashing their Kāma, implies the Divine Tree threat is gone. Such conditions could result in Boruto being overtaken by Momoshiki. Furthermore, the talk of the Age of Shinobi ending in this flashforward indicates a bleak possibility that there are no survivors around.
Whether Sarada or Konohamaru are dead is another interesting factor, but unproven in that there are no bodies to confirm this. Even if Kawaki and Boruto settle their differences amicably with no casualties from their fight, a Hokage can’t reasonably lead a pile of rubble. The Eighth or possibly Ninth Hokage would thus be overseeing a transitional period for Konoha.
For now, any future Hokage are still strictly hypothetical. It’d be beautiful to see Sarada take on the role when she’s ready. Sarada would lead the village by example, not by hatred. But there’s no denying that, by that eventual point, the shinobi world will have drastically changed after surviving sentient Divine Trees and whatever threats the series throws at it.
- First Episode Air Date
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October 3, 2002
- Cast
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Junko Takeuchi, Maile Flanagan, Noriaki Sugiyama, Chie Nakamura, Kazuhiko Inoue, Nana Mizuki, Hideo Ishikawa, Yûko Sanpei
