Will Naruto Train Sarada? Is He Really The Best One To Do It?

Boruto: Next Generation has established right from the beginning that Sarada wishes to be the next Hokage and looks up to Naruto. She admires his ideals and wants to carry on his legacy as the next Hokage.

On the other hand, Boruto wishes to be nothing like his father. When Sasuke took on Boruto as a student in Episode 54, fans assumed that Naruto training Sarada would create the perfect parallel.

Although Naruto training Sarada would make sense thematically, in reality, he’s not the ideal sensei for a Shinobi Uchiha.

Naruto will not train Sarada as, being the Hokage, he does not have the time. He has never shown interest in wanting to train Sarada and wouldn’t be able to teach her anything unless she became a jinchūruki.

Kakashi Hatake is best suited to train Sarada, particularly with the Sharingan.

1. Why Naruto Will Not Train Sarada

Naruto will not train Sarada Uchiha because he has neither the time due to his Hokage duties nor the knowledge to educate and train an Uchiha. It also seems like Naruto has already taken Kawaki as his pupil, and Kakashi Hatake will likely mentor Sarada.

All the previous Hokages that have taken on pupils have been childless or without any families and obligations. Naruto’s duties as the Hokage leave him with very little time to take on a student.

Naruto never had the time to train his own son Boruto properly. Boruto resented his father for not spending enough time with him and his family. Taking on Sarada as a pupil could be insulting to Boruto.

Naruto and Sarada don’t have a lot in common other than her goal of becoming the next Hokage. Sarada is already very strong, intelligent, and has good leadership skills and wouldn’t need Naruto to teach her these things.

Besides, Naruto has never shown much interest in taking her on as a student and already had his hands full with Kawaki.

Moreover, Naruto wouldn’t have much to teach Sarada unless she became a Jinchūriki which is unlikely. Sakura has almost no way of getting more powerful eyes unless Sasuke dies or gives her his own eyes.

Sarada uses many of her mother’s jutsus and the Sharingan– neither of which Naruto is familiar enough with to guide her.

2. So, Who Will Train The Future Hokage Sarada Uchiha?

I. Sasuke

Sasuke has trained Sarada in the past and even trains her in Episode 168. Though the Uchiha father trains her from time to time, it is unlikely that he will officially take her on as a pupil.

Another important factor is that Sadara’s career plan is quite different from Sasuke’s. As much as she looks up to her father, Sarada does not wish to walk the same path as him.

While Sasuke did wish to become the Hokage for a brief period of time in Naruto Shippuden’s finale, it was just a means to an end and not his true wish.

Sasuke could teach Sarada to master the Sharingan, but Kakashi would arguably be better as Sarada is a half-blooded Uchiha.

II. Sakura

Just like Sasuke, Sakura has also trained Sarada before. Taking on Sarada as a pupil would be an excellent opportunity for Sakura to make herself relevant in the ongoing storyline.

Sarada has already been trained by Sakura in Chakra Enhanced Taijutsu and Cherry Blossom Impact and will likely get the Slug Summoning from her as well.

Perhaps Susanoo armor could be used to turn Katsuyu into a hybrid, medic-attack slug as Katsuyu is only helpful to medics, and Sarada doesn’t seem to have the liking for being a healer.

Furthermore, in Episode 152, while Team 7 was being taught medical ninjutsu, Sarada admitted she didn’t have the aptitude for it since her Academy days. If Sarada doesn’t wish to be a medic, what Sakura can teach her will be limited.

 III. Kakashi

Since Sarada dreams of being the next Hokage, who better to train her than the Sixth Hokage who trained both her mother and father as well as the Seventh Hokage? Having retired, Kakashi would also have the time to train Sarada.

Besides being one of the most powerful Shinobi, Kakashi has experience with Lightning Style and, most importantly, the Sharingan. He’s the only non-Uchiha who has been able to utilize his Sharingan’s true potential.

Kakashi managed to use Sharingan despite its chakra-draining effects as a non-Uchiha and could teach Sarada how to use it without tiring herself out since Sarada is a half-blooded Uchiha and suffers the same side effects.

Besides the ocular jutsu, Kakashi could also help Sarada master Chidori taught to her by Sasuke not too long ago. He could help Sarada advance in Taijutsu.

Sarada has strength but lacks speed when it comes to Taijutsu; Kakashi, having taught Sasuke– who went on to advance in the area heavily, would be able to pinpoint all her weaknesses and help her overcome them.

Along with learning the ins and outs of Uchiha’s ocular jutsu, Kakashi would be the perfect guide for Sarada to reach her goals. Because let’s face it, Naruto and Tsunade are not the ideal candidates to give Hokage guidance to someone else.

On the other hand, Kakashi understands and values diplomacy– one of the most critical factors in international politics.

Lastly, Training Sarada could potentially be an opportunity for Kakashi to make up for the mistakes he made in training Sasuke– particularly, failing to teach him life lessons.

 IV. Tsunade

Since Sarada’s chakra control is very similar to Sakura and Tsunade, the fifth Hokage would also be an excellent choice to train Sarada.

Tsunade would be the perfect match due to her chakra control, Byakugou, and elemental fire, earth, water, and lightning release. Tsunade, together with Kakashi, would be the perfect combination to help Sarada reach her maximum potential.

3. Will Sarada Become The Hokage?

Sarada has the potential to become the Hokage despite being an Uchiha. However, she needs time to mature and will likely follow Konohamaru as the Ninth Hokage.

Whether Naruto dies or not, there’s the need for someone else to bridge the gap as Sarada is still very young.

Konohamaru bridging the gap would give Sarada more time to mature and fully understand what it really means to be the Hokage. She often places the position, as well as Naruto, who she admires, on a pedestal.

As an Uchiha aspiring to be the Hokage, Sarada first needs to learn about the previous Hokage, Itachi and Danzo, and the history of her clan.

Learning about the past and the effects the actions of previous leaders had on the village would be an opportunity for Sarada to understand the gravity of her actions and choices if she did become the Hokage.

Sarada’s dream of being the Hokage hasn’t been challenged yet, neither has she had to make any decisions with her dream hanging in the balance.

With the Shinobi system threatening to go extinct, Sarada would need to become a different type of leader.

Sarada has already shown to have inklings of leadership– one of the most important qualities of being a Kage. All she needs is the time to develop these leadership skills fully.

Sarada is very much like her mother in the sense that she is sweet and kind to villagers. She is also headstrong and passionate and isn’t afraid to express that, unlike her father.

Sarada might as well be the one to restore the Uchihas’ standing in the Shinobi world.

Besides being the first Hokage with ocular powers, she would be the first Uchiha Hokage since the formation of the village– fulfilling the dreams of several ancestors before her.

4. About Boruto

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations is written and illustrated by Mikio Ikemoto and supervised by Masashi Kishimoto himself. It came into serialization in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump in June 2016.

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations is the series that follows the exploits of Naruto’s son, Boruto, during his academy days and further on. The series follows the character development of Boruto and the looming evil that challenges the fate of him and his loved ones.