WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Episode 225, "Showdown Between Best Friends," now streaming on Crunchyroll.
One of the most intriguing switch-ups in Boruto was how Sarada, Sasuke's daughter, wanted to be the Hokage of Konoha. In the past, it was Naruto who aspired to be a leader, but his son now has no interest in following his father's footsteps as head of the Hidden Leaf. However, many fans did doubt whether or not Sarada had what it takes, but in the new Chūnin Exams, the young Uchiha warrior proved she's ready to grow into the job.
It occurred as she fought her best friend, Chōchō of the Akimichi clan, where Sarada initially came off a bit concerned and scared. She didn't want to hurt her bestie, with angered Chōchō who was going all out in their brawl. In fact, when Sarada landed one particular blow and apologized, Chōchō reamed her as she felt it was condescending and that Sarada wasn't taking their duel seriously.
But Sarada leveled up in the blink of an eye, coping with Chōchō's expansion and buzzsaw techniques as well as her butterfly jutsu, to show she was indeed Sasuke's successor. After a few fire bombs, Sarada used her Sharingan to duck, dodge and predict Chōchō's moves, all before unleashing the lightning blade known as the Chidori.
It was way too powerful for Chōchō, knocking her out and handing Sarada the win, leaving Sasuke proud as can be in the stands. It's a big moment in terms of legacy too, as the Chidori was passed down to Sasuke by Kakashi, the Hokage that came prior to Naruto, so it did feel like a passing of the baton as Sarada deployed this tactic in Boruto.
More so, seeing Sarada shift mentally and adapt in the heat of battle was what her father wanted from her all along -- he never needed her to be cruel and cold like he was, or even his ancestors such as Madara and Obito. Sasuke just wanted her to balance the fire and fight with compassion and empathy, and now he's seen that duality handled to perfection.
In fact, this was the same temperament Naruto showed -- tempering rage with humility -- and now it's shining a positive light on Sarada. She backed herself to be fierce while still showing mercy and respect to her opponent. Thus, as she graduated with her mentor Konohamaru also looking on in awe, it's clear she's no longer the "softie" her comrades thought she was, nor the self-loathing, pressure-inducing teen her dad was worried she'd evolve into. What also spurred her on was the need to protect Boruto knowing Momoshiki lives in his DNA, which has provided purpose.
And so, Sarada finally understood emotions are good in battle and that by being more human and less robotic, she can make the next big step. Her extra training with Sasuke definitely paid off, leaving him eager to see how she charts the course toward the Hokage's seat as Boruto continues.
