While the most recent chapters of the Naruto sequel manga, Boruto, have focused on the return and transformation of Jigen's Kara under a younger, and more potent management, fans should neither forget nor ignore Konoha Village's own next generation of young shinobi, such as Team 7's Sarada and Mitsuki. Although they are in the process of learning to be ninjas, they certainly have all the "building blocks" to overcome a major threat to Kara and assume the mantle of Konoha's "heirs apparent".
Being assigned to Konoha Village Academy's Team 7 can be an awful burden. While the Academy has produced countless stellar graduates over the years, few teams have produced more next-level shinobi than Team 7. In the early days, the team consisted of three unassuming genin named Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura. Ultimately, these three would go on to make life-altering impacts not only on Konoha but also on all ninja communities throughout the nation. Even before reaching their peak, all three were individually trained by a member of the Sannin, perhaps the greatest trio of ninjas to ever walk the earth. Needless to say, the inaugural Team 7 left some massive shoes to fill upon their graduation.
Despite the accolades of the prior team members, however, there is nothing to suggest that the current team of Boruto, Sarada, and Mitsuki cannot surpass their elders. The most obvious takeaway from the current Team 7's abilities is that their skill set makes them more capable of dealing with the similarly young members of the new Kara. First, there is the fact that Boruto, Sarada, and Mitsuki's bloodlines are much stronger than prior team members. As the children of the prior Team 7 members, both Boruto and Sarada have the biological and historical benefits to succeed. Sarada, for instance, possesses her mother Sakura's acute control of her Chakra. On the other hand, she also inherited her father's Sharingan and Chidori. Mitsuki, on the other hand, as a clone of Orochimaru, has benefited from the best that ninja technology has to offer. Mitsuki has already achieved a cooler sage mode than even Naruto.
Additionally, all benefit from having access, more so than their predecessors, to the knowledge and advice of their parents and caretakers. Indeed, rather than struggle to understand their powers, let alone the politics of being a ninja, the current members of Team 7 have an abundance of mentors, teachers, and family members to help and guide them as they mature. As a result of these circumstances, their powers and abilities also suggest that there is no better team to oppose Kara as it is currently organized.
Interestingly, after playing a major role in the story from its beginning, there has been an obvious absence of Team 7 members Sarada and Mitsuki in the latest story arc. Indeed, as shown in Boruto Chapter 69, even the characters themselves seem at a loss as to why they have not been more involved with countering Kara's reemergence. While this simply may be necessary to flesh out the story by adding more background on Kara's new members in Boruto, the fear is that Sarada and Mitsuki will be permanently, rather than temporarily pushed to the sidelines. Hopefully, this won't be the case, and Team 7 will finally get their chance to show why they are the heir apparent to the Naruto generation.
Look for the latest chapter of Boruto now available on Viz Media's Shonen Jump App!