As the Fourth Great Ninja War quickly approaches, Sunagakure hosts a special Chunin exam to strengthen the troops of the Allied Shinobi Forces. Among the participants are Konohamaru Sarutobi, an ambitious rookie, and Naruto Uzumaki, who has become a renowned ninja. Despite the significant disparity in skill, Konohamaru is excited at the prospect of proving himself in a competition against Naruto—the one person he both admires and sees as his rival.

During their voyage, Naruto, Yamato, Gai, and Aoba stop at an island to recover from severe seasickness. There, they unexpectedly meet up with Sakura, Ino, and Choji, who are on an assignment to gather medical herbs for Tsunade.