The following contains spoilers for Chapter 15 of Naruto: Konoha’s Story — The Steam Ninja Scrolls: The Manga, “Mirai’s King,” by Masashi Kishimoto, Natsuo Sai, Sho Hinata, Nathan A. Collins and Brandon Bovia, now available in English from Viz Media.
In Naruto: Konoha’s Story — The Steam Ninja Scrolls, one of the major details the spinoff has shown is the growth of Konoha. The Hidden Leaf was set in some archaic ways in the Naruto era, but the Boruto period is a time of progression and evolution. Still, it’s not without its hiccups, as legacy issues are present for both heroes and villains.
That said, the older heads have realized things need to be done differently. It’s why Kakashi has gone rogue in terms of being more liberal as a mentor, something Mirai Sarutobi can appreciate as she charts her future. Interestingly, as Chapter 15 wraps the story, fans are seeing how the way Konoha now lays out missions has tremendous benefits.
Naruto: Steam Ninja Scrolls Melds Two Generations Properly
As Steam Ninja Scrolls comes to an end, Mirai finds out Kakashi knew about the Ryuki cult all along. In fact, the Jashin worshipers and Hidan devotees were something Tenten, Choji and Kiba had scouted a while back. Thus, Mirai and Co. were never there on a diplomatic mission in the Land of Steam — it was all a follow-up after others scouted and did recon.
Kakashi was testing Mirai to see how she’d handle unpredictable, impromptu wars. This is a huge shift in the way seniors deal with issues in the Naruto/Boruto franchise. Normally the ANBU special ops squad would be deployed, but it seems Konoha wants to scrub those days as these covert ops agents — which included Kakashi and Itachi — made the village seem deadlier. There’s a lot of blood in ANBU’s ledger, so it makes sense.
What’s also important is, outside of giving the youngsters real-time trials, underplayed shinobi get importance as they come off proactive. Their stories could be more than just flashbacks, but it shows a synergy Konoha didn’t have before with old and young Hidden Leaf ninjas, where only the experienced ones took these jobs on. This way, the past soldiers remain relevant, while the new generation learns through doing rather than simulations and sparring. All the while, there are still older heads like Kakashi and Guy keeping watch.
Naruto: Steam Ninja Scrolls’ Trial Unifies the Land
There’s an additional bonus to having the old generation create trials outside the Hidden Leaf, and it’s proven with how Tatsumi and Mirai bond. Mirai saved her from Ryuki’s blood technique, and they forge a friendship in the process. Tatsumi also helps Mirai get over Asuma’s death, with Mirai understanding she can keep her father’s legacy going. Steam Ninja Scrolls’ story makes the Konoha-nin more human and accessible, with other regions realizing the Hidden Leaf is over its war-torn days.
It’s a massive lesson on globalization, as Mirai discovers meeting foreigners can help with her growth. Their cultures, perspectives and beliefs are different from Konoha, so they’re not bogged down to her past or the Hidden Leaf’s history. These create objective, neutral and fresh bonds, which ties into why Sasuke didn’t mind roving as an Uchiha Ranger. Strange lands improve one’s mindset as well as their physical skills, and make no mistake, Mirai does so with her genjutsu on this job.
Without learning from outsiders, she would’ve remained rigid and a robot who was shackled to knowing one way of life. This freeing up of her mind was Kakashi and Naruto’s plan, and Mirai has passed it with flying colors. In the process, it’s proof that integrating Konoha’s shinobi with new lands makes for a better warrior. It ultimately enhances Mirai’s claim to be the new Hokage someday, with this job requiring her to be the most perfect people person.
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