The Chūnin Selection Conference

Shikamaru comes to Naruto's office to press him on who should be promoted, since the exams were derailed by the Ōtsutsuki assault and only a single genin can be raised to chūnin. Naruto finds the decision hard. Shikamaru reminds him that a chūnin leads a team and must be judged on the ability to read a battle and make sound calls. Working back through the stages and how each passing candidate fought and strategized, the two narrow the field to Sarada, Sumire, and Denki. Naruto settles on Sarada, judging her equal to the others in tactics but the strongest fighter of the three.

Sasuke arrives to report in, admitting he has not located Urashiki but has found signs the enemy scouted several sites before Momoshiki and Kinshiki appeared, which Shikamaru reads as intelligence-gathering. Seeing Sarada's photo, Sasuke guesses Naruto's intent and, having heard from Sakura about her leaving the exams, raises his own doubts about the choice. After Sasuke departs, Naruto reconsiders, weighing Shikadai's role in resolving the Iwagakure incident, and ultimately promotes Shikadai to chūnin instead.

The episode serves as a clip show, revisiting events from the Versus Momoshiki Arc and Mitsuki's Disappearance Arc as Naruto and Shikamaru review the candidates. Its structure lets the deliberation double as a recap of the young shinobi's recent trials.