Chapter Summaries

After receiving a fragment-based pressure system and basic ninjutsu, Amamiya Maki discovered that provoking people earned him pressure points. He drove Jiro Matsumoto and his friends away from the orphanage playground, then looked forward to earning more points at the Ninja Academy.

• Amamiya Maki received one Mangekyō Sharingan (Kamui) fragment and beginner rewards that included three ninjutsu techniques and a small amount of chakra.
• Amamiya Maki confronted Jiro Matsumoto, Takeshita, and Hirano when they mocked him and occupied the orphanage playground.
• Amamiya Maki insulted the boys and earned thirty pressure points, prompting Jiro and his friends to leave.
• Amamiya Maki considered how he could earn more pressure points at the Ninja Academy, then went to the dormitory before the next morning's gathering.

Amamiya Maki drove Taro Matsumoto away after the man confronted the orphanage over his son, earning stress points with his taunts and a Fireball Technique. A Root operative noticed Maki’s unusual skill, leaving Maki wary that he was being watched.

• Taro Matsumoto accused the orphanage and Amamiya Maki of insulting his son, Jiro, while Director Yuki tried to calm him down.
• Amamiya Maki used a Fireball Technique near Taro Matsumoto, then turned the dispute around by accusing him of disrespecting Lord Hokage and the orphanage.
• Onlookers joined in criticizing Taro Matsumoto, and Maki earned stress points from the pressure he put on him.
• A Root operative punched Taro Matsumoto and drove him away, then paused to assess Maki’s precise Fire Release and limited chakra reserves.
• Director Yuki warned Maki not to aim Fire Release at people, and Maki gained five more stress points by needling her.
• Amamiya Maki checked his system panel and suspected the Root operative had begun watching him.

Amamiya Maki hid his chakra during Root’s test and qualified for the Ninja Academy, then mistook young Minato Namikaze for Naruto while trying to provoke him. He left embarrassed after the system awarded him pressure points for the mental pressure he inflicted on himself.

• Amamiya Maki deliberately showed Root only a trace of chakra, avoiding recruitment while qualifying to attend the Ninja Academy.
• Monkey ordered the orphans who could extract chakra sent for further observation and said the rest would be eliminated.
• Two days later, Amamiya Maki searched the Academy enrollment crowd for Naruto Uzumaki and spotted a spiky-haired blond boy.
• Amamiya Maki insulted the boy, expecting to earn pressure points, but the boy smiled and asked how he knew about him.
• Amamiya Maki realized the boy was Minato Namikaze, hurried away, and received three pressure points for pressuring himself.

On his first day at the Ninja Academy, Amamiya Maki tested a sharp-tongued persona that earned him chakra and technique fragments by putting others under pressure. He befriended Minato Namikaze while provoking him, and the chapter ended with Minato beating him in a race and eagerly promising to race again.

• Amamiya Maki worried that his homeroom teacher, Junji Ito, might be connected to something monstrous, then relaxed when the man seemed ordinary.
• Amamiya Maki introduced himself as someone who wanted to become Hokage and indirectly insulted Shimura Danzō during theory class, earning pressure fragments.
• Minato Namikaze shared his homemade lunch with Amamiya Maki, who learned Minato was an orphan and earned fragments from pressuring him.
• Amamiya Maki encouraged Minato to work harder despite starting behind, and Minato thanked him after his smile faded.
• Amamiya Maki challenged Minato during a ten-lap run, finished second, and earned more Body Flicker Technique fragments by teasing him afterward.

After his first day at the Ninja Academy, Amamiya Maki learned that Yakushi Nonō had extracted chakra and feared Root would recruit her. He persuaded Matron Yuki to seek a safer path for Nonō, leaving her recommendation for the Ninja Academy as a possibility.

• Minato Namikaze tried to get Amamiya Maki to practice Taijutsu with him, but Maki made an excuse to get away.
• At the Orphanage, Yakushi Nonō told Maki she had extracted chakra and admitted she was nervous about Root's next test.
• Maki warned Nonō that Root would exploit her and advised her to hide her talent while he spoke to Matron Yuki.
• Maki told Yuki about Nonō's abilities and urged her not to let Root turn the girl into an assassin.
• Yuki agreed to request that Nonō take the regular test and said one recommendation slot for the Ninja Academy remained.
• Maki told Yuki he wanted to protect Nonō both as a friend and as a talented person who should not become Root's tool.

Amamiya Maki helped Yakushi Nonō begin studying medical ninjutsu and provoked Tsunade into revealing valuable skill fragments through his blunt remarks. The chapter ended with Maki keeping his fears about the approaching war to himself as Nonō wondered if his lack of family had made him a troublemaker.

• Yakushi Nonō sat beside Amamiya Maki at the Academy, and Minato Namikaze lost their contest over who was Maki’s closest friend at school.
• Amamiya Maki took Nonō to the Mission Building and paid to hire a medical ninja to teach her, calling the fee a loan she could repay later.
• Tsunade entered the Mission Building, and Maki remarked that she seemed unhappy despite her achievements, earning fragments of Mystical Palm Technique, Monster Strength, and Chakra Control.
• Tsunade warned Maki not to speak so boldly to others and left after learning his name.
• That night, Maki avoided telling Nonō about the coming war and explained that troublemakers talked the way he did, leaving her to suspect his lack of family was the reason.

Amamiya Maki met Senju Nawaki at the Academy and deliberately put pressure on him, earning vitality and chakra fragments while deciding to keep observing him. He then reunited with Minato Namikaze, who brought him a chilled lunch box he had made.

• Tsunade said goodbye to Nawaki at the Academy gates, then left on a mission as students gathered around him for attention and an autograph request.
• Amamiya Maki introduced himself and Yakushi Nonō to Nawaki, praising him as a Senju genius and making him feel the weight of his family name.
• Maki earned vitality and chakra fragments by pressuring Nawaki, then asked him to help commoners when he became a powerful ninja.
• After Nawaki left, Maki decided to monitor him and use pressure to collect more fragments, while Nonō questioned his approach.
• Minato Namikaze arrived from training, took Maki's towel, and handed him a chilled lunch box he had made.

Amamiya Maki and Nonō studied basic medical knowledge under Senju En, whose lessons revealed Nonō's exceptional talent while Maki struggled through the theory. Their training left Nonō encouraged, Maki focused on staying alive and supporting her, and Minato Namikaze training harder so he would not fall behind.

• Senju En accepted Amamiya Maki and Nonō's mission to teach them basic medical knowledge twice a week, while warning that she could not teach medical ninjutsu.
• During their lessons, Nonō quickly grasped advanced medical concepts, and Senju En taught her and Maki about meridians, poisons, antidotes, and wound care.
• Senju En called Maki's skills passable and his talent what she expected from an orphan, while Maki kept studying to support Nonō and gain future benefits.
• Minato Namikaze saw Maki and Nonō studying medical manuals and repeatedly increased his training because he feared falling behind.
• After nearly two months, Senju En told Nonō that she was the second-best student she had ever seen, after Lady Tsunade.
• Maki told Nonō he studied because the Shinobi World was dangerous and she had the talent to become a medical ninja, while Minato continued pushing himself at the Training Ground.

Amamiya Maki and Nonō studied medical ninjutsu under Senju En while Maki used Minato Namikaze’s training obsession to earn system fragments and improve his own abilities. After another sparring session, Maki asked Minato about his home, which Minato lived in alone.

• Minato Namikaze intensified his daily training after seeing Nonō and Amamiya Maki study advanced medical knowledge.
• Nonō impressed Senju En with her grasp of chakra control, prompting En to teach her more advanced medical ninjutsu.
• Amamiya Maki earned system fragments by provoking psychological pressure in Minato and Senju En, then improved his skills with them.
• Amamiya Maki and Minato sparred after school, and Maki widened the gap between them by using his accumulated fragments.
• After training, Amamiya Maki asked Minato whether his home was large.

Minato agreed to let Amamiya Maki and Nonō move in, and the three began living and training together. After Senju En ended her lessons, she praised Nonō’s talent and told her that Tsunade might someday need someone like her; meanwhile, the Hokage reviewed reports on all three children.

• Amamiya Maki suggested that he and Nonō move in with Minato, and Minato agreed so they could train and spar together.
• The three children made Minato’s home their gathering place and studied and trained alongside one another each day.
• Senju En ended her lessons, explaining that she could not teach Nonō formal medical ninjutsu, and praised Nonō’s exceptional talent.
• Senju En told Nonō that Tsunade was the most gifted student she had seen and urged her not to disappoint her when Tsunade needed her someday.
• Nonō told Amamiya Maki she would not let him leave her behind, and he accepted her determination.
• The Hokage read Senju En’s reports on Minato, Nonō, and Amamiya Maki, then called the children interesting.

At the Ninja Academy, Amamiya Maki watched Jiro Matsumoto bully Minato Namikaze, then turned the confrontation against Jiro by exposing his father's humiliation. After the written exam, the students prepared for the afternoon combat test, and Maki hoped he would be matched with Jiro.

• Jiro Matsumoto insulted Minato before the monthly exam, but Minato stayed calm while Amamiya Maki stopped Nonō from intervening.
• Amamiya Maki gained pressure points for watching Jiro fail to provoke Minato, then answered exam questions that reflected Konoha's distorted version of history.
• After the proctor announced an afternoon practical combat test, Jiro provoked Maki, who retaliated by mocking Jiro's father and leaving him speechless.
• Amamiya Maki earned more pressure points and a Chakra Capacity Fragment, then wished Minato luck and considered the upcoming matchups.

Amamiya Maki and Minato Namikaze tied for first place in the practical exam’s shuriken-throwing test, while Jiro Matsumoto’s attempt to find someone to challenge ended with him insulting the Ino-Shika-Cho trio. The chapter left Shikaku Nara deciding to play along with Jiro’s outburst.

• Junji Ito began the practical exam’s ninja tool throwing test, and Jiro Matsumoto scored eight hits on stationary targets and three on moving ones.
• Minato Namikaze hit every target’s bullseye, earning a perfect score and drawing cheers from the students.
• Yakushi Nonō scored seven stationary hits and five moving hits, while Amamiya Maki used pressure points to raise his Shuriken Throwing proficiency to proficient.
• Amamiya Maki also scored a perfect ten out of ten on both target sets, tying with Minato Namikaze for first place.
• Frustrated by his ranking, Jiro Matsumoto challenged Inoichi Yamanaka, Shikaku Nara, and Choza Akimichi to fight him one-on-one and insulted them.
• Shikaku Nara recognized that Jiro was an ordinary villager and decided to play along rather than argue.

Amamiya Maki provoked Shikaku Nara with pointed remarks, prompting Shikaku and the other Ino-Shika-Cho members to take the throwing test. The trio performed casually, while Jiro Matsumoto convinced himself he had tied with Choza, and Maki gained more ability fragments from the encounters.

• Jiro Matsumoto confronted the indifferent Ino-Shika-Cho trio after losing face, then left with other civilian ninjas.
• Amamiya Maki made pointed comments about clan privilege and his orphan status, and Shikaku Nara recognized the danger of being drawn into the accusation.
• Shikaku Nara volunteered to take the test, and Inoichi Yamanaka and Choza Akimichi followed him to the throwing line.
• Shikaku hit nine stationary and three moving targets, Inoichi hit six and eight, and Choza hit eight and three.
• Shikaku privately told Amamiya Maki to speak plainly, while Jiro Matsumoto took his three moving-target hits as a victory over Choza.

Hiruzen Sarutobi praised Amamiya Maki’s exam essay, while its argument that Hokage must first earn the villagers’ recognition angered Shimura Danzō. Maki discovered the essay had earned him stress points and chakra nature transformation fragments from both men.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi read Amamiya Maki’s essay praising the Third Hokage and marked it as an exemplary answer.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi showed the essay to Shimura Danzō, who objected to its claim that a Hokage must first have the villagers’ recognition.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi defended his authority as Hokage, and Shimura Danzō stormed out before Hiruzen decided to remember Maki as a promising student.
• At the Ninja Academy, Amamiya Maki ate tamagoyaki offered by Minato Namikaze as system notifications awarded him fragments for indirectly stressing Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō.
• Amamiya Maki suspected that Danzo’s stronger reaction came from a line in his essay about people hiding in the shadows.

Amamiya Maki ranked first in the monthly exam and began targeting Shikaku Nara to obtain fragments of the Nara Clan’s techniques. After pressuring Shikaku during a break, Maki gained Shadow Imitation and Shadow Stitching fragments and planned to approach the other clans gradually.

• Junji Ito announced the monthly exam rankings, with Amamiya Maki first, Minato Namikaze second, and Shikaku Nara third.
• Amamiya Maki noticed Minato’s frustration and resolved to use him as a steady source of pressure points.
• Maki approached Shikaku after class and teased him about sleeping through lessons despite placing third.
• Shikaku challenged Maki’s insinuation that he was slacking, and Maki gained fragments of Shadow Imitation, Yin Release, tactical analysis, and Shadow Stitching.
• Maki returned to his seat and decided to keep pressuring Shikaku slowly before seeking the Yamanaka and Akimichi clans’ techniques.

Hiruzen Sarutobi visited the academy and praised Amamiya Maki’s essay, mistaking his staged tears for sincere emotion and deciding to favor him. Maki gained new technique fragments from the reactions he provoked, while Nonō later saw through his act.

• Junji Ito announced Hiruzen Sarutobi’s arrival, and Hiruzen praised Amamiya Maki’s essay to the class.
• Amamiya Maki pretended to cry, prompting Hiruzen Sarutobi and the teachers and students to become emotional; Maki gained Clone Technique fragments.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi shook the students’ hands and resolved to elevate Amamiya Maki as an example of loyalty to Konoha and the Hokage.
• Shimura Danzō watched the visit from the Hokage Building, resented Hiruzen Sarutobi’s public praise, and unknowingly gave Maki Wind Release fragments.
• Amamiya Maki realized Danzo’s irritation had earned him rewards, then denied to Nonō that his tears had been an act.
• Nonō guessed that Maki’s red eyes came from yawning, and Maki decided he would need to keep her out of the way next time.

At the Ninja Academy, Amamiya Maki used pressure points from his system to master the three basic techniques and impressed his classmates with his performance. He and Minato Namikaze emerged as rival prodigies, and Hiruzen Sarutobi heard about Maki’s talent.

• Junji Ito taught the class the Clone Technique, and Minato Namikaze demonstrated a flawless clone.
• Amamiya Maki pressured Minato, spent system points to synthesize proficiency in the three basic techniques, then demonstrated the Clone, Substitution, and Transformation Techniques.
• Maki’s display impressed Junji Ito, stirred Minato’s competitive spirit, and left Shikaku Nara wary of Maki’s sudden improvement.
• Maki’s performance unsettled Jiro Matsumoto, who generated pressure points for Maki’s system.
• Minato promised Maki he would not lose the next monthly exam, and news of the two orphan prodigies spread through Konoha.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi heard about Maki’s achievement and felt his belief in the boy had been vindicated.

Jiro Matsumoto spread rumors that Amamiya Maki had cheated to become a top student, turning the class wary of him. Amamiya Maki rejected the need to explain himself to rumor-followers and resolved to clear his name by striking back the next day.

• Jiro Matsumoto decided to stop confronting Amamiya Maki directly and instead damage his reputation with rumors.
• Jiro Matsumoto told Takeshita and other classmates that Amamiya Maki's sudden success came from dishonest methods.
• Amamiya Maki noticed his classmates avoiding him, and Nonō told him Jiro Matsumoto had accused him of cheating and using shady methods.
• Amamiya Maki reassured Nonō that the rumors reflected prejudice rather than her failure to defend him.
• Amamiya Maki said he would prove his innocence without explaining himself to Jiro Matsumoto or people who blindly believed the rumors, and Nonō expected him to turn the tables the next day.

Amamiya Maki confronted Jiro Matsumoto over the rumors he spread and challenged him to a public spar. Maki defeated him with one punch, and Jiro was left owing Nonō a public apology the next morning.

• Amamiya Maki exposed Jiro Matsumoto's fabricated eyewitness account and demanded justice for Nonō, whom the rumors had also harmed.
• Amamiya Maki challenged Jiro to a best-of-three spar, wagering a public apology and the identity of whoever had supplied Jiro with false information.
• Jiro accepted, and students gathered at the Training Ground to watch as Minato Namikaze, Nonō, and Shikaku Nara observed.
• Amamiya Maki dodged Jiro's repeated attacks and tapped his shoulder until Jiro grew furious and exhausted.
• Amamiya Maki evaded Jiro's strongest punch and knocked him to his knees with one uppercut.
• Amamiya Maki told Jiro to apologize to Nonō in front of everyone during morning reading the next day.

Amamiya Maki waited for Jiro Matsumoto to apologize to Nonō, but Senju Nawaki publicly invoked the Will of Fire and pressured Jiro into keeping his promise. Nawaki then confided that Tsunade’s medical ninja system proposal had been rejected, and Maki ended the conversation by startling Nawaki with a pointed question.

• Amamiya Maki held back from confronting Jiro Matsumoto when Nonō gently stopped him.
• Senju Nawaki brought dango to Amamiya Maki and Nonō, then challenged Jiro Matsumoto for breaking his promise.
• Jiro Matsumoto apologized to Nonō for spreading rumors and slandering her and Amamiya Maki before fleeing the classroom.
• Senju Nawaki told Amamiya Maki that the Third Hokage had rejected Tsunade’s medical ninja system proposal, leaving her upset.
• Amamiya Maki warned Nawaki not to share private matters about the village’s higher-ups with outsiders, and Nawaki said he trusted him.
• Amamiya Maki asked whether being a good person meant having guns pointed at him, causing Nawaki mental stress and earning Maki three vitality fragments.