Boruto and Sarada’s development
Sarada and Boruto have always had a relationship of trust with each other since they were kids,
In the novels we find out that Boruto was the one to bring Sarada out of her shell when she was to shy to play with the other kids, and due to that she’s envious yet grateful to him. We also learn that Boruto wants to look cool in front of Sarada, simply because he knows she’s watching. These are small seeds, the rationalizations of children who don’t yet understand the complexity of their feelings, but to everyone around them (Mitsuki making comments about the two of them constantly, and most recently Sumire telling Sarada she already knew about her feelings for Boruto all the way back when they were kids)
In TBV we’re slowly seeing the both of them realize just how much they care for each other. Sarada admits her feelings to herself and reawakens her MS, while Boruto is more subtle. We don’t get to know his thoughts so we must pay attention to his actions.
Before he even left the village, he promises to become Sarada’s protector, and keeps his word, going as far as to lose his eye while shielding her from Kawaki’s attack. Before AND after the time skip we can see how he gets angry/more serious every time she’s in danger. When she’s attacked by Boro, Boruto gets viscerally angry to the point where I would argue it made it easier for Momoshiki to possess him. When she steps between him and Kawaki (or in the anime, between him and Deepa), we see his expression and he looks almost angry with her for putting herself in clear danger.
When he learns of Code targeting her again, Boruto goes after him, taunting him and not holding back at all, to the point where even Koji notes that he didn’t have to go THAT far. — He was clearly bothered about her being targeted because of him.
Later in TBV we only ever see him let his guard down and return to his playful self when he’s talking to her, and there are multiple reasons for this;
- First and most obvious, she knows the truth about omnipotence.
- She sent him Sasuke, and vouched on his behalf, allowing him to escape the village safely at the cost of losing her father after only JUST getting him back in her life somewhat consistently in the past year.— That isn’t small. Boruto and Sarada both understand each other’s pain when it comes to their absent fathers.
- She’s known him since they were kids. They’ve both seen each other at their best and their worst over the years and that trust that they’ve built is everything
- This is a personal HC but I truly believe he just likes to see her smile. Both times we see him joking with her in the time skip is when she was acting closed off or upset towards him. (She was feeling embarrassed after the hug and sat head down feet together and hands in her lap | She was feeling guilty about him losing his eye for her sake)
Overall even though we’ve only gotten a confession from Sarada as of right now, their relationship is strong and there’s clearly feeling from both sides even if Boruto is too busy at the moment to stop to consider them. I can’t wait to see where they go from here and how the next arc shapes their relationship! What are your thoughts?