Rift (Boruto episode)

Word reaches Funamushi that the bridges along his route have collapsed, making him suspect Kirigakure caught wind of the plan. Watching from cover, Denki and Iwabee spot a Funato scouting group slipping through the forest and hurry back to raise the alarm. Boruto praises how dependable the swordsmen have proven, and Kagura credits him for teaching him to place that kind of trust in people.

When Buntan brings up Hebiichigo's past attempt on Kagura's life, Hebiichigo admits she doubts they will win a pardon even if they live through this and refuses to squander another opening. Buntan then lays bare the escape she once arranged with Shizuma, who intended to leave Hebiichigo and Kyoho behind and spend Hassaku and Ichirota as expendable pieces. Poisoned prison food struck Buntan during that plot, and Shizuma coldly claimed his love for her as he walked away.

Buntan explains she kept silent out of shame and to spare Hebiichigo the same bitterness she now carries toward Shizuma, whom she plans to hunt down alone once freed. Denki and Iwabee arrive with news of the scouts, threatening the scheme to lure the Funato into a ravine, so the villagers begin evacuating to sell the illusion of a harmless settlement. A child snatches Kawaki's forehead protector during the heat and wanders off toward the mountains, prompting Kawaki, Kagura, Boruto and Mitsuki to slip out and retrieve the kids before the scouts spot them.

Kagura lifts the cursed seal binding the swordsmen, revealing it would have killed them had he fallen in combat. As the scouts probe the village about its barricades, a crying baby nearly gives everyone away, but Iwabee buries the house in earth and the village head blames the noise on cats. Metal Lee finds Hebiichigo, now free of her seal; she knocks him out rather than kill him, betting he will die against the Funato anyway. The scouts report back, Funamushi orders the advance, and Kagura lets Kyoho and Buntan chase after Hebiichigo despite Sarada's doubts.

Part of the Great Sea Battle of Kirigakure arc, the episode carries GOLD as its opening and Twilight Fuzz as its ending. It premiered in Japan on April 10, 2022, with the English broadcast following on November 14, 2023. Much of the runtime centers on the fractured loyalties among the imprisoned swordsmen.