Naruto: The Seventh Hokage and the Scarlet Spring

Lore & Background

The plot follows Sarada Uchiha, who becomes concerned about the identity of her absent father, Sasuke Uchiha, and whether Sakura Uchiha is her birth mother. After seeing a photo of Sasuke's former associate Karin and noticing they wear similar glasses, Sarada questions her parentage. She follows the Seventh Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki, with her friend Chocho Akimichi to meet Sasuke, who has encountered a boy with the Sharingan. The group faces Shin Uchiha and his clones, leading to a confrontation where Sakura is taken. A DNA test using what is thought to be Karin's umbilical cord initially suggests Sarada is Karin's daughter, but it is later revealed that the cord belonged to Sakura, who was Sarada's biological mother. The story ends with Sasuke poking Sarada's forehead, and Sarada expressing her wish to become the next Hokage.

Reader's Guide

The manga was a commercial success, selling 619,964 units in Japan in its release week and topping North American charts in January 2016. Critics praised Sarada's characterization and her relationship with her parents, noting that the spin-off provided insight into the Uchiha family. The artwork was generally well-received, but the fight scenes drew mixed responses, and the villains were mostly criticized. Kishimoto developed the manga to further explore Sarada's bond with her parents and Sasuke and Sakura's long-distance marriage, though he struggled with writing Sarada due to inexperience with female characters. The story was adapted into an animated arc for the television series Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, airing from August 9 to September 6, 2017. The adaptation was acclaimed for its portrayal of the Uchihas as an enjoyable-yet-flawed family, and critics appreciated Sarada and Sasuke's relationship.

Did You Know?

• Kishimoto had difficulty writing Sarada because he was inexperienced in portraying female characters.
• The manga's main theme, according to Kishimoto, is 'feelings are connected'.
• The DNA test in the story initially used what was thought to be Karin's umbilical cord, but it was actually Sakura's.
• The animated adaptation of the spin-off aired as episodes 19–23 of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations.