Team 15 sets a trap to lure the bandits. When they finally confront Sazanka, Tsubaki suffers a mental breakdown, her hands shaking as she struggles to draw her sword against the man she once respected. Sazanka taunts her, claiming he has grown stronger by soaking his blade in blood.
Upon investigating the crime scene, Tsubaki discovers precisely cut bamboo, a signature style she recognizes as belonging to , her former senior and rival from the Land of Iron. Sazanka was once a prodigious samurai who abandoned his path after losing to Tsubaki in a tournament where the prize was rumored to be Mifune's legendary sword, Kurosawa . Devastated by the loss, Sazanka attempted to steal the blade, killing several fellow students before fleeing to live as a rogue. The Climactic Battle Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Episode 231
, titled " The Rusty Sword ," aired on January 9, 2022. This character-driven episode focuses on Tsubaki Kurogane and Team 15 as they confront a threat from Tsubaki's past in the Land of Iron. Plot Summary Team 15 sets a trap to lure the bandits
: Some viewers noted the irony of Wasabi leading the team as a Chūnin while Tsubaki, who clearly possessed superior combat skills and the resolve to finish a life-or-death fight, remained a Genin. Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Episode 231 - Anime Review The Climactic Battle , titled " The Rusty