WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Sasuke Shinden: The Teacher's Star Pupil by Jun Esaka and Masashi Kishimoto, available in English from Viz Media now.
One major aspect that has differentiated the Boruto series greatly from the Naruto franchise is how science has been placed at the forefront. It became important in Boruto's solo movie in which he used a gauntlet shooting out scrolls that could be turned into various chakra moves -- such as bombs and energy blasts. But after he got caught and was scolded, Boruto realized he was short-circuiting his career and doing himself an injustice.
Since then, it's become his pet peeve, as he feels like scientific advancements tempt shinobi not to follow the right path. But in the Sasuke Shinden: The Teacher's Star Pupil novel, we actually see how science is making Sasuke a stronger ninja.
This wasn't a main focus in the Naruto franchise, with ninjutsu, chakra manipulation and mystical arts used for ninja development. But Sasuke informs Boruto he shouldn't reject science because he had one bad experience with it. He's learned the error of his ways and needed to embrace it so he could evolve. After all, science is an extension of what the older ninjas laid down for generations to come, which is why Sasuke wants to keep progressing via research and scientific tools.
He teaches Boruto how science helped him with his Ice Release after he studied Haku's techniques, which he encountered as a teen. This allowed Sasuke to create his own frozen techniques, which, while not as powerful as Haku's, still make him a better ninja as a result. And as an Uchiha, while he's strong in certain aspects with his Rinnegan and Sharingan, there are some things he just isn't capable of doing. Science, though, could improve Boruto and help him generate moves Sasuke and Naruto have that might not be available to him otherwise. Simply put, scientific innovation creates a more diverse ninja.
Sasuke says this isn't cheating, it's improving one's craft, and he mentors Team 7 to merge science and ninjutsu in the same way that they already work nature into their skills. This evokes a similar discussion as to when Marvel fans talk about science and magic bein related. He knows Boruto has had an existential crisis on the subject but the teen does learn, through various examples, why science is important. For instance, Sasuke creates pure water fields that break the conduction of bio-electric currents to stop ninjas from the Land of Water controlling Boruto's electrical impulses and thus, possessing his body. Sasuke even gives Sarada a gauntlet that creates this water barrier too, as he knows he doesn't have time to show her how to purify hers. It saves time and helps protect Boruto from the Purple Moon cult.
We also see Sasuke teaching them about the Lorentz Gun, where rather than charging up a kunai with energy to throw, one can save chakra by creating an electrical current on either side using their fingers and placing the weapon in the electromagnetic field generated. This will accelerate it faster, make it deadlier, and require much less chakra.
It helps them shoot a boat into the sky in the finale of the novel, which is leaking fuel and about to explode -- a feat made even more impressive by Sasuke freezing the ship to hold the fuel in. And so, he applies what he's teaching the students -- proving to them that a shinobi has to focus on their intellect as well as their body and spirit. Even Konohamaru learns from Sasuke, when a train is bombed by the Purple Moon, that water can create steam and explode, so ice is the better coolant.
It's shocking to see such a naturally talented and very powerful shinobi doing this but as Sasuke keeps reminding everyone, they must not fear science or feel guilty they're using it. It's there to make them better, no matter how experienced or inexperienced they are.
