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The following article contains spoilers for Naruto and Boruto.
Narutois one of the most popularShonen Jumpseries worldwide, and while the original story ended years ago, there are still heated debates about the manga. Although Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and even Itachi Uchiha are usually the ones who draw more attention, Sakura Haruno is sometimes the target of intense debates.
Sakura once came to be the most hated female character inNarutoand also among anime fans in general. However, as time went by, many people changed their minds about her, seeing that she had a lot of unexplored potential as a character. Still, it’s fair to say that Kishimoto didn’t take the chance to show all of Sakura’s potential during the Fourth Great Ninja War, also known as the Fourth Shinobi War.
Has Sakura Surpassed Tsunade?
Sakura’s massive chakra control gave her a lot of potential as Tsunade’s apprentice. However, while Sakura has learned even the most challenging jutsu that Tsunade is able to perform, there isn’t enough evidence to say Sakura has truly surpassed Tsunade during the war. At best, they were at the same level.
This is something that frustrated many readers, as Sakura was expected to surpass her master like Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha did with their own masters. Furthermore, fans were expecting more ofSakura in the Fourth Great Ninja War.
Kishimoto Could Have Explored Her More
Kishimoto clearly struggled with Sakura when he was writingNaruto. First, he focused so much on Naruto and Sasuke that she was left aside in many parts of the story. It makes some sense that he would have a hard time developing her given that Sakura wasn’t even supposed to exist. His editor suggested the inclusion of a female character and a trio dynamic between Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura.
In any case, it remains true that Kishimoto could have done so much better developing her. Sakura is naturally at a disadvantage compared to Naruto and Sasuke considering that she doesn’t have Otsutsuki ancestry like them. Still, she is implied to have even more chakra control than any of them, which shows how dedicated and strong she can be. Kishimoto could have had Sakura learn a few genjutsu techniques, since this type of jutsu also requires refined chakra control, and she could shine with a few genjutsu abilities.
Sakura Did Great Feats in the Fourth Shinobi War
Even though many fans were frustrated by Sakura’s development in the Fourth Ninja War, where she could really shine with her newfound abilities, Sakura still accomplished some major feats. It was during this war that sheawakened the Byakugou Seal, after storing chakra for over three years. Although Tsunade had at least one other apprentice, Sakura was the only one who awakened the seal, a great deed given that she doesn’t have Otsutsuki ancestry (which Tsunade has as a Senju).
In short, it’s a jutsu where in an emergency you can pull out incredible power by releasing all of the chakra you’ve been storing in the mark bit by bit every day.
— Sakura talking about the Byakugou Seal
She was also able to save Naruto from near death with her medical ninjutsu, and she even rescued Obito from another dimension, proving that she has great stamina. Finally, while not as strong as Naruto or Sasuke,Sakura indeed helped to seal KaguyaOtsutsuki in the war. For someone born from regular ninjas, Sakura went far. For instance, her father was said to be only a genin, while Sakura is definitely a legendary ninja who never relied on “genetic nepotism” to get where she is at. Kishimoto could have explored this contrast between her and the other two members of Team 7 better, since it would make the readers feel more empathetic to her.
Can Sakura Still Shine in Boruto?
Sakura seems to be even stronger in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, but she is yet to make a cameo inBoruto: Two Blue Vortex. Manyfans expect the old Team 7(Team Kakashi) to reunite and join the new Team 7 (Team Konohamaru) in a potential final battle against the Otsutsuki clan (particularly against Shibai Otsutsuki, who might be the final villain).
However, since Boruto focuses on new main characters, it seems more important to the story to give Sarada, Kawaki, Mitsuki, and Boruto their own developments instead of giving Sakura the spotlight she didn’t have in the original series. Sakura would perhaps be better exploited as a teacher who occasionally helps in key moments. She could still play an important role in the Final Arc and in the Final Battle, but the story shouldn’t focus much on her. InBoruto, it seems that Sakura has surpassed Tsunade, which, as mentioned, is impressive for someone who doesn’t have any blood ties with the overpowered Otsutsuki clan.
