Kawaki Academy Arc: Hana
So this episode was mostly about Himawari's teacher Hana, although we got to learn some stuff about the students too.
Contrary to her character design, Hana has no relation to Sai, Yakumo Kurama, or any of the other painting-type shinobi. She's a clumsy wind user who perpetually sounds like she's on helium.
So she's invited some special instructors to teach the class: Boruto, Sarada, and Mitsuki. Ehou's mind immediately sees it as a networking opportunities. He says you have to get connected to get ahead, because if you get the wrong sensei or team, you may never get a chance to make it to jonin or even chuunin.
It's sad that civilian kids have to think so cynically when they're young, especially while rich kids like Hima can stay innocent, but it's definitely realistic. Props to the writing team for that subtle commentary.
Anyway, Team 7 takes the kids to the gym for some demonstrations. In true little brother style, Boruto gets in Kawaki's face and acts obnoxious. Kawaki kicks him away, and the two start fighting in class.
Poor Himawari just mutters "this always happens." She knew those two would embarrass her the moment they were in a room together.
While Mituski is showing a lightning technique, some of the little kids move for a closer look, because like moths to a flame, they have no sense of self-preservation. Hana wind-blasts them of the way before one of them can get electrocuted, but instead of being a badass moment, the kids whine and she apologizes.
Next up is a bit of product placement, I mean team-building. Boruto brings enough burgers for half the class, then says they have to fight over them. They can go anywhere on campus, and whoever has the red balls by the end of the period wins the burgers.
But since it's peacetime, none of these children know how to fight, so it becomes an awkward game of tag.
(Unrelated note: I apologize to Harika for insulting her fashion sense. Other than the aviator helmet, her outfit is actually put together well. She even has a cute purse...or maybe it's a bug-carrying sack like Shino and Shibi used to wear. Who knows?)
Mimi, who I misgendered last time and is actually a girl, is the only child who thinks "Hey, maybe instead of fighting we should go visit the vending machines." Ehou decides this is AGAINST THE RULES, even though as Soul (girl in red) points out, the teachers never said anything against scavenging.
He confiscates Mimi's candy bar, and soon the whole class is fighting over whether poor Mimi deserves chocolate. Despite Hana's efforts to calm them down, the class splits up, with Ehou and Soul leading each side. Everyone except Kae and the Uzumaki kids boycotts school because they don't want to study with "the enemy."
In one of Shino and Anko's little peanut gallery conversations, Shino concludes this lesson must have been "too advanced" for children who haven't learned about teamwork yet.
The crotchety old man in me wanted Iruka to come down and remind these kids that if they don't come to school, they can't graduate and become ninja. But instead it becomes Hana's duty to bring the class back together.
She approaches both ringleaders to coax them back to school. Soul apparently idolizes Gai-sensei to the point that she has his picture in an old-fashioned locket. So Hana personally sewed Soul a hideous spandex uniform for her to wear. Soul understandably refuses, saying she admires Gai's skills, not his fashion sense.
I'm calling it now, this girl is the new Tenten: a snarky mom-friend who is obsessed with taijutsu. She's skyrocketed in my personal tier list for this class.
Hana bribes Ehou with ramen and a Hokage speech. She then sends out mysterious invitations to each student. They all show up at school, and she announces they're having a cherry blossom viewing party.
The kids point out that it's not the right season for cherry blossoms. She has the kids close their eyes, and then suddenly petals are raining down from the sky. As a viewer, I thought this Hana's chance to step out of Team 7's shadow and show off her fancy genjutsu.
But actually the petals were paper. She was just using wind jutsu to blow the petals around like a fan. But everyone agrees it's the thought that counts.
Soul and Ehou confide in Himawari that they mostly came out of pity for Hana-sensei, since even though she can't do anything right, she still tries hard.
On one hand, that's pretty brutal after Hana visited them both personally for a pep talk. On the other hand, Hana tripped over a rock and needed Himawari and Kawaki to catch her. She also burned the lunch she cooked for the students beyond recognition. So it's a little understandable why the kids doubt her competence.
The last shot shows Shino asking Boruto if he'd like to be a guest instructor again, and Boruto nopes out of that quickly. He's seen how brutal these kids can get. Genocidal aliens he can handle - petty preteen drama he cannot.