Team Rivalry: Practical Skills Training!

Instructor Hana announces a hands-on training day and divides the students into trios, placing Himawari with Kae and Sosha, and Kawaki with Harika and Soul. On the walk home, Himawari promises to keep an eye on Kae during the exercise, but Kawaki, wary of his hidden assignment, warns her not to let Kae learn of it and pointedly skips their usual fist bump. The next morning the squads pick leaders, Kae for one, Kawaki for another, and Hana dangles a reward for the top team. Rivalry crackles between Eiki and Osuka, and Hana cautions everyone against wandering too far into the forest.

The trials begin with a tree-climbing relay, where Kawaki's fixation on guarding Kae drags down his teammates, while Eiki's group with Suzu and Neon shines. He falters again in the shurikenjutsu round, letting Himawari's team finish first. Over a lunch break, Kande impresses everyone by lighting the cooking fire with Lightning Release rather than sticks, and Hana hands out a curry recipe. Frustrated by Kawaki's lack of effort, Harika seizes leadership and tells him to save himself for the afternoon. Amid the cleanup, Kae drifts away from the group, so Himawari enlists Kawaki's help, guided by Mimi toward the direction Kae took and reminded of Hana's warning about the deep woods.

Kawaki comes upon Konashi berating himself over Kae, who had gone to a large tree expecting advice. Konashi, whose family has run a sweets shop for generations, had wanted her honest opinion on his confections for a coming contest but was too bashful to ask and bolted after encountering a flame bear. When the beast menaces Himawari and Kae, Hana throws herself in as a decoy, striking with her Wind Release, yet the bear's flames burn through her jutsu. Kawaki arrives in time to boot the creature off her and fell it with a single punch, then scolds Hana for losing. Star-struck, Konashi finds his courage, and Kae warmly praises his sweets. In the afternoon rounds Kawaki dominates, winning over his doubtful teammates, though Kae's squad ends the day with the most points. Himawari regrets not clicking with Kawaki, who grudgingly admits she did shield Kae, while Konashi begins idolizing him.

Hana sorts the Academy class into three-person teams for a practical field exercise with a prize for the winners. Kawaki's covert task of protecting Kae repeatedly costs his squad during the tree-climbing and shurikenjutsu tests. Konashi lures Kae into the deep forest hoping for feedback on his sweets, drawing a flame bear that overpowers Hana's Wind Release. Kawaki arrives and defeats the bear in one strike, Konashi finds new confidence, and Kae's team finishes the day in first place.

This is episode 265 of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, set within the Kawaki & Himawari Academy Arc. It aired in Japan on 4 September 2022 and in English on 26 March 2024. The opening theme is Kirarirari and the ending theme is Biboroku.