Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Episode 228

Kawaki’s Path to Genin

I knew that Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Episode 228 wasn’t going to be a very good episode ever since watching the preview for it at the end of Episode 227. However, I was glad to see that the entire episode wasn’t Kawaki working with Team 5.

Let’s be honest, Team 5 is the worst current generation genin team in the Leaf Village. Okay, well, there’s Team 40 too. But Team 40 is a bit different because I don’t believe they go out on missions anymore. They’re an interrogation team now.

Anyway, in Episode 228, we see Kawaki going on D-rank missions with genin teams other than Team 7. The reasoning for this is that Kawaki needs to be able to work with more people than just Boruto if he’s going to become a shinobi.

I should also point out that D-rank missions are too easy for the teams Kawaki is paired with. Typically, they would be doing C-rank missions. They’re only doing D-rank missions because they’re helping to facilitate Kawaki’s test to become a genin.

The problem I see with this is that because those missions were too easy for the teams, they weren’t a good test for Kawaki. For example, Iwabe could have captured the panda by himself. That means there’s not really a role for Kawaki to play unless Team 5 purposefully uses suboptimal tactics to complete the mission.

The C-rank mission Kawaki is going to go on with Shikadai and Chouchou will be a much more representative test for his abilities. He’ll actually have a role to play in the success of the mission since Inojin isn’t around and the mission is of higher difficulty.

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

While the missions Kawaki participated in weren’t failures, Kawaki’s role within those missions was (arguably). Personally, I don’t think Kawaki did anything wrong when he was helping Team 15 capture the runaway child. After all, he didn’t even touch the kid.

But, what’s not up for debate is that Kawaki didn’t work as a member of the team during any of the missions he participated in. Of course, this isn’t entirely his fault. He was stuck onto pre-existing 3-man squads, so it’s no wonder he didn’t quite fit in.

Kawaki doesn’t particularly understand the point of working with a team. I’m sure he understands that by working together, a team can achieve more than any of the individuals that make it up could on their own. He’s not stupid. But he doesn’t seem to recognize how a team benefits the individuals as well.

As Sarada attempts to explain to him later on in the episode, by working as a member of a team Kawaki will grow stronger himself. He’ll learn new things from his teammates and through overcoming challenges that he couldn’t on his own, he’ll gain valuable experience.

And in order to work well as a team, the members all need to get along, which is why everyone kept stressing the importance of friendship to Kawaki throughout the episode. To truly work as a team, all the members need to trust each other completely.

This isn’t something that Kawaki would learn from participating in D-rank missions, though. He needs to go on a mission where the stakes are higher and every member has an important role to play for the success of the mission. You know, kind of like the mission he’ll be going on next week, as previously mentioned.

Beginning of the End?

Just to be clear, I do still think Kawaki is going to join Team 7 as a fourth member. However, this episode may have been the beginning of the end for Kawaki’s relationship with the Hidden Leaf Village. As we know, he eventually turns on and destroys it.

But, why do I think this is the case? Well, it all has to do with Kawaki’s stated feelings about shinobi. He’s not particularly interested in shinobi, thinks going on missions is a waste of time, and would rather train on his own than work as part of a team to grow stronger.

Clearly, the shinobi lifestyle isn’t for Kawaki, at least based on what he says. You could argue that deep down, he does want to be included as a shinobi. But for now, that’s just an assumption so I’m going to ignore it.

Now, what do Kawaki’s feelings about shinobi have to do with anything? Well, I’ve watched the opening scene of Episode 1 a lot. And one of the things Kawaki states in that scene is that the age of shinobi has come to an end. It’s basically a more extreme version of his current view of shinobi.

Clearly, something drastic has to happen for Kawaki to end up as we see him in the first episode of the series. Perhaps Team 7 fails an important mission and it reinforces Kawaki’s feelings about the weakness that comes with working as part of a team rather than on his own.

But, even that doesn’t seem like it would be enough. Kawaki wouldn’t turn on the Leaf Village because of that. Unless maybe in some twisted way he sees what he’s doing as proving to the Leaf Village that they should give up the way of the shinobi? I’m still not sure.

Conclusion

What do you think about Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Episode 228? Should Kawaki be allowed to become a genin based on his performance in these missions? And, while I may have asked this before, how do you think Kawaki’s path will diverge from that of Boruto’s? Let me know in the comments.

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My review of Episode 229 is available now.