'Boruto' Sets Up Next Anime Arc

The latest episode of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations put an end to the Byakuya Gang arc, and while the next arc is still some time away, the ending of the episode planted seeds for the series' next big adventure.

The anime is set to adapt the events of the film, Boruto: Naruto the Movie, and laid out clues for eagle eyed fans such as the advent of Ninja Tools and the mention of the Chunnin Exams in the preview for Episode 48.

At the end of Episode 47, Boruto is seen talking to Katasuke as he asks about the Ninja Tools the Byakuya Gang was trying to steal. Katasuke gets sort of an ominous aura as he says he intends to explain everything to Boruto. This sets up the events of the movie in which Boruto trains under Sasuke in order to impress his father and get him to pay more attention, something he's been dealing during the entire series to this point. But he's hesitant to join the upcoming Chuunin Exam, and only does so when he's talked into cheating by using specialized chakra technology by Katasuke.

Boruto then goes through a dilemma during the Chuunin Exams when he's caught cheating, and his father is kidnapped by a new set of ninja baddies from the Kaguya clan. This new arc has been hotly anticipated, but it has raised many questions for fans of the series as Boruto has proven to have already learned the same kind of lessons he learns in the movie and the manga run.

Fans were wondering if the Byakuya Gang arc would be completed before the series begins its full adaptatation of Boruto: Naruto the Movie. This seems to be the case, and more so, given that the next episode will flesh out more of Iwabee's team as they prep for the Chunnin Exams.

But now that the seeds have been planted, the Chuunin Exams arc is definitely on the horizon.

For those unfamiliar with Boruto's predecessor Naruto, it has quite a storied history. Originally created by Masashi Kishimoto, the series ran in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump for 700 chapters. The story follows Naruto, a young ninja with a sealed demon within him that wishes to become the leader of his home village. The sequel, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations is set several years after the events of the original Naruto story and featuring the children of many of its key characters such as Naruto and Hinata.