Naruto, proposes that the Chunin Exam be held to raise morale after Isshiki’s attack. Everyone is fired up for the exam, eager to show off the results of their training and experience they’ve gained from missions.

Traveling merchants have been attacked by vicious robbers. Wasabi, Namida, and Tsubaki of Team 15 are sent to the site of the incident to investigate. Tsubaki finds a clue that seems to point to samurai from her homeland, the Land of Iron. Furthermore, the clue belongs to a certain person that makes Tsubaki tremble in fear. That person is someone that she respected long ago, a fellow apprentice with whom she trained and honed her swordsmanship with—someone with whom Tsubaki shares a certain fate!

With Denki as captain, Team 5 is assigned to a mission to transport automated puppets for mining purposes to an island in the Land of Water, to test and operate them, to gather data, and to analyze the results. However, lacking physical strength, Denki isn't very useful and ends up being ridiculed. Will Denki be able to restore his reputation as a ninja and successfully complete his first mission as captain?

Boruto and his friends manage to triumph over Funamushi, but they aren’t able to savor the victory. Everyone is having a difficult time believing Denki and Iwabe are still alive days after being captured. Meanwhile, Boruto discovers a hidden side of Funamushi when he is targeted by people who looked up to the pirate, as revenge begets more revenge. Boruto has always continued to push forward until now, but this causes him to question the point of fighting.