Recaps

Yamanaka Kei led his new team through early missions before joining Namikaze Minato on an assignment amid the Sand and Mist conflict. After changing Pakura’s fate, Kei and Minato headed for Summoning Island to investigate whether Uzumaki Honoka had survived.

• Yamanaka Kei met Yuhi Kurenai, Might Guy, and Shiranui Genma, tested them with a Genjutsu, and began training them on D-Rank missions.
• Kei gave Kushina Uzumaki money and support, while Nara Shikaku urged him to teach Kurenai seriously.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen sent Kei and Namikaze Minato to investigate the fighting between Sand Village and Mist Village.
• Kei and Minato infiltrated the conflict, stole Samehada, and used disguises and coordinated attacks to kill shinobi from both sides.
• Kei controlled Pakura and the remaining fighters, killed the Mist and Sand shinobi while sparing Pakura, and altered her memories to make her a Konoha spy.
• Kei and Minato left Pakura behind, then discussed the purpose of ninja and the threat posed by Madara Uchiha on their return voyage.
• After hearing that Konoha was gathering Uzumaki survivors, Kei redirected the ship toward Summoning Island to search for Uzumaki Honoka.
• Kei and Minato sent three sea creatures to Mount Myōboku, provoking the creatures on Summoning Island to grow hostile.

Yamanaka Kei helped defeat the Ultimate Summoning Beast, secured new abilities and a Clam Clan contract, then returned to Konoha and began a life with Kushina. As he protected her and investigated threats connected to Madara, Kei also began planning research into life-transfer techniques.

• Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Honoka fought the Ultimate Summoning Beast while Yamanaka Kei rescued researchers and subdued the island’s rampaging creatures.
• Namikaze Minato sent the beast into the magma, and Kei later contracted the Hawk Falcon after showing it that its mates were safe.
• Yamanaka Kei signed the Clam Clan contract, severed the other signatories’ contracts, and returned to Konoha with Minato and Honoka.
• Yamanaka Kei mastered Water Release techniques, fused entries to gain Zero Frame Startup, and created a destructive Water Release Rasengan.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi classified the mission’s findings, and Kei took Great Sword Samehada as a gift for Kushina.
• Yamanaka Kei and Kushina confessed their feelings, began living together, and Kei placed a Flying Thunder God mark and Binding Lock Seal on her wrist.
• Yamanaka Kei and Kushina confronted Kurama about Madara Uchiha’s contract, and Kushina used the Contract Seal while Kei gave Kurama the Smiling Face Entry.
• Yamanaka Kei discussed life-transfer methods with Tsunade and Kushina, then outlined a research plan that made Tsunade wary of the groups it could provoke.

Yamanaka Kei studied new techniques, strengthened his ties with Konoha’s ninja, and prepared for a secret mission that took him to Mountain Graveyard. After copying Madara Uchiha’s Sage Body, Kei returned to face him, and their fight escalated around the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.

• Yamanaka Kei obtained the Darkness Genjutsu and Spiritualization Technique scrolls, then investigated Mountain Graveyard and identified it as Madara Uchiha’s hiding place.
• Yamanaka Kei freed Obito Uchiha from rubble, witnessed Tsunade confront Shimura Danzo at the hospital, and learned Danzo had concealed a Sharingan from her examination.
• Yamanaka Kei sparred with Jiraiya and Namikaze Minato, refining his combat skills and surprising Minato with his progress in Crow Flying Thunder God.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi sent Yamanaka Kei on a classified mission to Cloud Village, and Kei planned to detour through the Land of Iron to pursue Madara Uchiha.
• Yamanaka Kei reached Mountain Graveyard, bypassed a White Zetsu, copied Madara Uchiha’s Sage Body entry, and provoked Madara before escaping to activate the transformation.
• Yamanaka Kei returned to confront Madara, survived his Susanoo attacks, and blasted the cave with Water Release as the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path was revealed.
• Madara Uchiha countered Kei’s water attacks, destroyed his shadow clone, and realized Kei was targeting the Demonic Statue, forcing Kei to prepare for Madara’s full-power response.

Yamanaka Kei manipulated Cloud Village into war with Mist while building ties with Yugito and arranging Musai’s retirement. After surviving an apparent death during a mission against Mist forces, he uncovered that Stone had hired the Blood Dragon Eye ninja, and the System rewarded him as Cloud Village mourned him.

• Kei stripped Madara Uchiha of his powerful entries, fought him through clones and illusions, and appeared to kill him with a Water Release Rasengan.
• Kei collected Madara’s possessions and White Zetsu, then drew new entries and chose Complete Childhood for Itachi Uchiha.
• Kei entered Cloud Village disguised as Sesei, killed Redobi, befriended Yugito Nii, and obtained intelligence from Yakushi Nonou while planning assassinations.
• Kei attacked Dodai and used Unlucky Conflict to trigger a string of mishaps around Killer B, leading Third Raikage A to declare war on Mist.
• Kei helped Musai retire to a ranch, extracted Nonou and two Konoha spies from Cloud Village, then rescued Yugito by trapping Matatabi in Genjutsu.
• Cloud Village appointed Kei Special Jonin and Ninja School Head Teacher, but he departed with Toroi on a mission and intended to die at sea.
• Mist forces ambushed Toroi’s team, and Kei took an explosion in Toroi’s place before escaping with Flying Thunder God and hiding underwater.
• Kei discovered that Nikai’s fate had changed, captured Oshiro En, learned Stone had hired him under a Mist disguise, and received a Fate-type Entry Draw Chance after Cloud Village heard of Kei’s supposed death.