Recaps

Uchiha Mai drew Karl Malone’s basketball skills and discovered that the clips taught him devastating elbow techniques, which he added to his fighting style and planned to combine with Fire Style. The next morning, he arrived early for his meeting with Master Minato and found Might Guy and Kakashi already training.

• Uchiha Mai spent 100 Style Points on a half-star draw and received Karl Malone’s basketball skills.
• After accepting the reward, Uchiha Mai watched clips of Malone using powerful elbows against opposing players and recognized their value as fighting techniques.
• Uchiha Mai practiced the elbow techniques and incorporated them into his Mai Style Ancient Martial Arts, then decided to develop Nintaijutsu by fusing taijutsu with Fire Style.
• The next morning, Uchiha Mai arrived at the meeting place before nine o’clock and saw Might Guy frog-jumping around a lake while Kakashi practiced Hatake Style Kenjutsu.
• Uchiha Mai climbed an ancient tree and struck a dramatic pose to show off for the other trainees.

Namikaze Minato began training his new team with a pursuit exercise in which Kakashi had to take the alarm clock from Uchiha Mai and Might Guy before eleven. Mai escaped with the clock while Kakashi defeated and incapacitated Guy, leaving Kakashi guarding him and watching for Mai’s return.

• Namikaze Minato assigned Kakashi to pursue Uchiha Mai and Might Guy, who had to protect the alarm clock until eleven.
• Uchiha Mai and Kakashi raced for the clock, but Guy joined the fight by attacking Kakashi.
• Uchiha Mai took the clock and fled into the woods while Kakashi attacked him with Lightning Style: Earth Flow.
• Kakashi subdued Guy, pinned him down, and severed his tendons with his short sword.
• Kakashi held Guy at swordpoint and watched the surrounding woods for Uchiha Mai.

Kakashi tried to force Uchiha Mai out of hiding by threatening Might Guy, but Mai negotiated Guy’s safety in exchange for a promise not to deliberately break the alarm clock. Kakashi summoned Pakkun to track Mai, who discovered the Ninja Dog’s full name was Benjamin Parker and that he was Peter Parker’s uncle.

• Kakashi held Might Guy at knifepoint and threatened to kill him unless Uchiha Mai came out of hiding.
• Guy was moved by Mai’s speech and tried to sacrifice himself, but Kakashi pulled his blade away.
• Mai argued that Kakashi would not kill Guy during a training exercise and negotiated Guy’s treatment in exchange for not deliberately breaking the alarm clock.
• Kakashi stopped Guy’s bleeding, summoned Pakkun, and gave him a shuriken to track Mai’s scent.
• Mai asked Pakkun’s name and learned that his full name was Benjamin Parker and that his nephew was Peter Parker.
• Pakkun tracked Mai’s scent and ran into the woods.

Kakashi chased Uchiha Mai through the woods, expecting to overwhelm him with his swordsmanship. Mai used his Sharingan to parry Kakashi’s finishing slash, leaving Kakashi stunned by his speed.

• Kakashi followed Pakkun into the woods and dodged Mai’s ambush with a Great Fireball.
• Mai taunted Kakashi from a tree and claimed the distance between them favored his Fire Style and ninja tools.
• Kakashi advanced while batting away Mai’s shuriken and kunai as Mai retreated and gradually reduced his attacks.
• Kakashi cornered Mai and swung his short blade at his neck.
• Mai activated his One-Tomoe Sharingan and parried Kakashi’s slash with a kunai, numbing Kakashi’s wrist and surprising him.

Uchiha Mai turned the fight against Kakashi by exploiting his opponent’s assumptions and pressing his advantage after an early surprise attack. He left Kakashi gravely injured and unable to continue as he landed a crushing blow on him.

• Uchiha Mai knocked Kakashi from a branch with an elbow strike and nearly hit him with the Great Fireball Technique.
• Uchiha Mai suppressed the injured Kakashi with a relentless barrage of attacks while Namikaze Minato watched in surprise.
• Kakashi gambled on the Hatake Sword Technique’s Mikazuki Munechika, cutting Uchiha Mai’s back but exposing himself to a counterattack.
• Uchiha Mai used Reverse Peel to tear into Kakashi’s chest and fling him onto his back.
• Uchiha Mai landed on Kakashi and crushed several more of his ribs with his knee.

Uchiha Mai defeated Kakashi in their team exercise, earning Kakashi’s trust. After recovering, Mai began developing a seal-free Fire Style and Taijutsu technique, but his first attempt went wrong, and Master Minato offered to help.

• Uchiha Mai pinned Kakashi and stopped him from destroying the alarm clock, securing victory in the exercise.
• Master Minato declared Mai and Might Guy the winners and sent the injured boys to Konoha Hospital.
• A day later, Mai left the hospital and went to the lakeside to develop a new Fire Style and Taijutsu technique.
• Mai attempted his Rising Dragon-inspired Oniyaki, but his chakra flows interfered and the premature flames blasted him into the lake.
• Master Minato appeared and offered Mai a hand, asking why he had not sought his teacher’s help.

Namikaze Minato helped Uchiha Mai troubleshoot his Fire Style Nintaijutsu, but their experiments repeatedly blew up in Mai’s face. Over the following days, Minato continued tutoring him while also training Kakashi and Might Guy, leaving them jealous and Mai exasperated.

• Uchiha Mai asked Namikaze Minato for help developing a hand-seal-free Nintaijutsu, and Minato demonstrated his Fire Style control.
• Minato suggested changing the chakra route for Mai’s technique, but their experiments caused four explosions and left Mai nearly stripped of his clothes.
• Mai claimed he had run out of chakra, so Minato sent him home and arranged to continue the next day.
• Over the next few days, Mai met Minato at the lakeside to keep developing his Nintaijutsu.
• After Kakashi and Might Guy left the hospital, Minato trained them in teamwork each morning and tutored Mai each afternoon, making Kakashi and Might Guy jealous.

Uchiha Mai completed his new Fire Style Nintaijutsu after half a month of training with Namikaze Minato and gave it an extravagantly long name. With their teamwork improved, Minato led his students to request an A-Rank mission, and Might Guy told Sarutobi Hiruzen they were ready to take one on.

• Uchiha Mai finished developing the 100th Style: Oniyaki under Namikaze Minato's guidance.
• Minato tried to name Mai's technique, but Mai revealed its lengthy title first, leaving Minato impressed and Kakashi and Might Guy exasperated.
• Minato decided his team's training had prepared them for an A-Rank mission, and Might Guy eagerly agreed.
• Minato led Mai, Kakashi, and Might Guy to the Hokage Office to request a mission.
• Might Guy told Sarutobi Hiruzen that their team wanted an A-Rank mission and that Minato believed they were strong enough.

Namikaze Minato accepted an A-Rank mission to find Tsunade in Tanzaku Town and bring her back to Konoha, or protect her if she refused. The team prepared to leave, with Might Guy eager to meet and learn from her.

• Sarutobi Hiruzen warned Namikaze Minato that an A-Rank mission might be too difficult for his newly graduated students, but Minato insisted they could handle it.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen assigned the team a mission to bring Tsunade back from Tanzaku Town or stay and protect her, explaining that Konoha needed her as a deterrent amid rising tensions.
• Namikaze Minato promised to bring Tsunade back within a week, but Sarutobi Hiruzen gave the team a month and ordered them to protect her if she would not return.
• Namikaze Minato dismissed the team to prepare, and the next day Might Guy excitedly told Uchiha Mai and Kakashi that he wanted to meet Tsunade and ask for her guidance.

Uchiha Mai traveled with Minato, Kakashi, and Guy to Tanzaku Town on a mission to find Tsunade, using a new system reward that converts wealth into temporary combat power. The group reached town by sunset, where Minato chose a cheap hotel because Kushina’s shopping list had drained most of his money.

• Guy showed Kakashi and Uchiha Mai a poster of Tsunade and explained that Might Duy had given it to him to get her autograph.
• Minato arrived late after running errands for Kushina, who had asked him to shop and take photographs in Tanzaku Town.
• The team set out for Tanzaku Town, and Uchiha Mai spent 300 Style Points on a draw that gave him the Gongshoudao skill.
• Uchiha Mai learned that Gongshoudao lets him pay wealth for a temporary, fixed increase in combat power, with larger boosts for shorter durations and diminishing returns.
• The group reached Tanzaku Town at sunset, and Minato booked a room at the old Regent Grand Hotel because he had little money left.

Minato and his students tracked Tsunade to a casino in Tanzaku Town after Uchiha Mai forced an innkeeper to share what he knew. The group entered the casino and noticed an unusually crowded low-stakes table.

• Minato rented a room and asked the innkeeper about Tsunade, who demanded extra money for information.
• Uchiha Mai destroyed the innkeeper’s counter, paid him for details, and learned Tsunade had lost more than ten million yen gambling.
• The innkeeper said Tsunade was likely at the town’s largest casino, so Mai led Kakashi and Might Guy there.
• Minato caught up with his students after wondering whether his role as their team leader mattered.
• At the casino, Mai spotted a low-stakes table surrounded by several dozen people.

Uchiha Mai found Tsunade gambling in Tanzaku Town and watched her play Texas Hold'em. The chapter ended with Mai realizing that Tsunade’s poor decisions at the table explained her reputation for losing money.

• Uchiha Mai squeezed through the crowd and recognized Tsunade at the gambling table.
• Tsunade bragged about her gambling experience, and Mai flattered her by pretending she looked eighteen.
• Master Minato arrived with Guy and Kakashi but held back when he saw Mai talking with Tsunade.
• Tsunade received pocket twos in an early position and called a 2,000-yen raise.
• Mai questioned Tsunade’s play and concluded that folding would have been the best move.

Tsunade lost heavily at the casino before Namikaze Minato told her the Hokage had sent him to bring her back to Konoha. She refused to return, and as the negotiations failed, Uchiha Mai nearly attacked her before Minato stopped him.

• Tsunade called a huge bet with pocket twos, lost 140,000 yen to an opponent’s AK straight, and then lost most of her remaining chips.
• Tsunade left the casino, where Namikaze Minato greeted her and explained that the Hokage had ordered him to bring her back to Konoha.
• Tsunade refused to return and teased Minato while he introduced Might Guy, Hatake Kakashi, and Uchiha Mai as his squad members.
• Tsunade left the casino and told Minato to either report that she wanted to stay in Tanzaku Town or drag her back by force.
• Uchiha Mai nearly attacked Tsunade to trigger her Hemophobia, but Minato grabbed him and stopped him before he could act.

Uchiha Mai exposed Tsunade’s debts and proposed a gambling deal to persuade her to return to Konoha. After Minato lent them 500,000 yen, Tsunade and Mai gambled through the night, and she woke furious after Mai lost more than 200,000.

• Uchiha Mai deduced that Tsunade was broke, indebted, and avoiding work, then urged her to return to Konoha.
• Tsunade challenged Mai to win ten million yen in ten days, and they negotiated a seventy-thirty split with Mai taking seventy percent.
• Tsunade had only a little over 7,000 yen, so she pawned her outer garment to Minato and borrowed 500,000 yen from him.
• Tsunade and Mai returned to the casino to gamble through the night.
• The next morning, Tsunade grabbed Mai by the throat and berated him for losing more than 200,000 yen.

Uchiha Mai blamed Tsunade for his poker losses and convinced her to let him play without interfering. Over ten days in Tanzaku Town, he turned his borrowed stake into a fortune, repaid Master Minato, and parted ways with Tsunade.

• Uchiha Mai argued that Tsunade’s reactions at the poker table had cost him money, while Tsunade worried about repaying Master Minato.
• Uchiha Mai persuaded Tsunade to let him play without her interference, and she agreed to wear a mask, stay quiet, and hide her reactions.
• Uchiha Mai and Tsunade played at the Tanzaku Town casino over the next ten days while Master Minato, Might Guy, and Kakashi secretly watched over Tsunade.
• Uchiha Mai turned his 500,000 stake into 7.66 million despite losing 260,000 on the first night and falling short of his ten-million goal.
• Uchiha Mai repaid Master Minato, split the remaining money with Tsunade, and went his separate way.

Uchiha Mai persuaded Tsunade to return to Konoha by trading taijutsu lessons for Texas Hold'em instruction, and the team set off from Tanzaku Town. On the way, enemies ambushed the group to target Tsunade, but seeing Minato kill an attacker triggered her fear of blood and left her unable to fight.

• Uchiha Mai and Tsunade split their winnings, and Tsunade eagerly asked him to teach her Texas Hold'em.
• Uchiha Mai proposed that Tsunade teach him taijutsu in exchange for card lessons, and she agreed to return to Konoha with the group.
• Minato, Uchiha Mai, and Kakashi noticed signs of an ambush and quietly shifted the team's formation to protect Tsunade.
• Disguised enemies revealed themselves and launched ninjutsu at Tsunade, confirming that she was their target.
• Minato killed one attacker with his kunai, causing Tsunade's fear of blood to overwhelm her and preventing her from fighting.

Uchiha Mai saved Tsunade from an ambush after her Hemophobia left her unable to move. Once Tsunade revealed her condition, Minato sent Mai with him to pursue the attackers and left Kakashi, Might Guy, and Toad Takumi to guard her.

• Mai used [Gongshoudao] to rescue Tsunade from the enemy ninja’s focused attack, and the attackers fled.
• Minato stayed with Tsunade instead of immediately pursuing the enemies, then stabbed a corpse again after mistaking Tsunade’s warning gesture.
• Mai turned Tsunade away from the corpse, and Tsunade admitted that she developed Hemophobia after the Second Shinobi World War.
• Minato realized the attackers might expose Tsunade’s weakness and ordered Kakashi, Mai, and Might Guy to protect her while he pursued them.
• Mai requested permission to join Minato, and Minato summoned Toad Takumi to guard Tsunade with Kakashi and Might Guy.

Namikaze Minato and Uchiha Mai pursued the Kumogakure squad that had attacked Tsunade, but discovered Narita Daisaku waiting in a second ambush. Mai baited the enemy into focusing on Minato and withdrew, preparing to strike during the fight.

• Namikaze Minato briefed Uchiha Mai on Narita Daisaku and the four or five Chunin accompanying him as they tracked the fleeing squad.
• Uchiha Mai explained that he had noticed an oddly shaped tree and suspected an enemy using the Transformation Technique before the first ambush.
• Namikaze Minato stopped the pursuit and exposed Narita Daisaku, who had disguised himself as an ancient tree and prepared another ambush.
• Narita Daisaku revealed that four Chunin were hidden nearby and threatened Minato and Mai, believing his five-person squad could defeat them.
• Uchiha Mai taunted Narita Daisaku by claiming Minato could beat twenty opponents with one hand, then retreated to wait for a chance to attack.

Uchiha Mai used [Gongshoudao] to evade Kurokawa’s sneak attack and then overwhelmed him with powerful taijutsu, while Master Minato dodged the attacks of four enemy ninja. The fight continued with Mai pressing Kurokawa before he could complete a ninjutsu.

• Narita Daisaku ordered Kurokawa to deal with Uchiha Mai while he and two other ninja attacked Master Minato, and a fourth kept watch for an opening.
• Master Minato used his hand-seal-free Body Flicker Technique to evade the attackers, including a surprise Lightning Style strike.
• Uchiha Mai used [Gongshoudao] to dodge Kurokawa’s sneak attack and countered with a kick that fractured Kurokawa’s arm.
• Kurokawa retreated and tried to form hand seals, but Mai threw shuriken and closed the distance before he could finish.
• Mai traded taijutsu with Kurokawa and gained the upper hand, arguing that Kurokawa’s ninjutsu could not outpace his fists at close range.

Uchiha Mai used a sudden burst of speed to interrupt Kurokawa’s ninjutsu and unleash a lethal close-range attack. Kurokawa’s throat was shattered, leaving him badly wounded and bleeding heavily.

• Kurokawa struggled to widen the distance from Uchiha Mai, who repeatedly forced him back into close combat.
• Narita Daisaku ordered Kurokawa to finish Mai and support the team, as Master Minato pressured Narita and the other Hidden Cloud shinobi.
• Kurokawa forced Mai back and retreated twenty meters to form hand seals, believing Mai could not reach him in time.
• Mai spent 300,000 to activate [Gongshoudao] for two seconds and rushed past Kurokawa’s defenses at greater speed.
• Mai slashed Kurokawa’s chest, then struck his throat with his wrist, shattering his airway and causing massive bleeding.

Uchiha Mai killed Kurokawa and joined Namikaze Minato against Narita Daisaku, who sacrificed an arm to escape. Mai intercepted and killed the exhausted Kumogakure Jonin, then took credit for the victory.

• Narita Daisaku expected Kurokawa to help him, but Uchiha Mai killed Kurokawa with Outer Style: Dream Bullet and a throat strike.
• Mai rushed to support Namikaze Minato as Minato continued to overwhelm Narita Daisaku.
• Narita Daisaku used Lightning Style: Lightning Fist, forcing Minato to sever his arm and interrupt his attack.
• Narita Daisaku fled, but Mai activated Gongshoudao and intercepted him at increased speed.
• Mai defeated Narita Daisaku with 100th Style: Demon Burner and claimed that Narita had died because he angered him.

Minato and Uchiha Mai defeated five Kumogakure shinobi, then returned to find Tsunade playing cards with Kakashi, Might Guy, and Toad Takumi. Tsunade said her Hemophobia had subsided and asked whether the enemies were dealt with.

• Minato accepted that Mai had killed Narita Daisaku and praised his strength after the two searched the corpses and cleaned up the battlefield.
• Minato questioned Mai about the name of his Oniyaki technique, and Mai recited its full, exaggerated name to satisfy him.
• Minato sealed all five enemy corpses in a Storage Scroll, and he and Mai washed off the blood before returning to Tsunade.
• Minato scolded Kakashi, Might Guy, and Toad Takumi for playing cards instead of protecting Tsunade, but Tsunade said she had invited them and could defend herself.
• Toad Takumi returned to Mount Myoboku, and Tsunade asked Minato whether he had already dealt with the enemies.

After the team returned to Konoha, Minato distributed the mission reward and the others reacted to Mai’s Jonin kill. At home, Mai checked his Style Points and discovered that a new One-and-a-Half-Star Prize Pool had unlocked.

• Minato led the team back to Konoha and announced that their mission had succeeded, proposing how to divide the 800,000-yen reward.
• Kakashi, Might Guy, and Tsunade were surprised to learn that Uchiha Mai had killed Narita Daisaku, a Jonin.
• Kakashi and Might Guy invited Mai to train with them, but he declined so he could rest and learn taijutsu from Tsunade.
• Tsunade gave Mai her address and told him not to teach his gambling techniques to anyone else in the village.
• Mai returned to the clan grounds, visited Fugaku’s home, and later checked his system to find 478 Style Points and a newly unlocked One-and-a-Half-Star Prize Pool.

Sarutobi Hiruzen confronted Hatake Sakumo after an enemy squad infiltrated the Land of Fire and ambushed Tsunade, despite the Anbu’s intelligence network. Sakumo accepted responsibility, and Hiruzen warned that Danzo was waiting to take his position as Anbu commander.

• Uchiha Mai decided to save his draws for the One-and-a-Half-Star Prize Pool and went to sleep.
• Namikaze Minato submitted his revised mission report to Sarutobi Hiruzen, who praised Uchiha Mai’s rapid growth and talent.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen ordered Namikaze Minato to bring Hatake Sakumo to his office to answer for the Anbu’s failure to detect the Kumogakure squad.
• Hatake Sakumo admitted the failure and offered to die in atonement.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen rebuked Hatake Sakumo over past and present failures, recounted the resources and authority he had given the Anbu, and warned that Danzo coveted his position.

Sarutobi Hiruzen reflected on how he secured the Hokage position and kept Danzo from gaining control of the Anbu. After Hatake Sakumo accepted blame for the Anbu’s latest failure, Sarutobi ordered him to investigate and purge the organization.

• Sarutobi Hiruzen recalled how he secured Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura’s support, then brought Danzo into his alliance with promises of advisor positions and Root.
• Danzo repeatedly challenged Hatake Sakumo’s fitness to lead the Anbu as he sought to expand his influence over the organization.
• Hatake Sakumo admitted fault for the Anbu’s intelligence failure and offered to resign after completing an investigation.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen ordered Hatake Sakumo to investigate every intelligence station and the Anbu itself, purge the organization, and report back for the aftermath.