Recaps

Minazuki Kei, a four-year-old reincarnated boy in Kirigakure, practiced his Ice Release but failed to keep a lake frozen because of poor Chakra control. He reflected on his past life and his exceptional affinity for ice, leaving his training unfinished.

• Minazuki Kei froze a lake with Ice Release, but the ice quickly cracked and melted away.
• Kei blamed his failure on poor Chakra control and lay on the grass, reflecting on having lived in the Naruto world for four years.
• Kei recalled that he had been born into Kirigakure’s Yuki Clan and had learned he possessed Ice Release.
• Kei recognized that he could summon ice with remarkable ease and had a stronger affinity for the power of ice than older clan members.

Kei trained to control and compress his powerful Ice Release, recognizing that his talent also made mistakes dangerous. He stopped before nightfall and returned to the Yuki Clan compound through Kirigakure’s oppressive streets.

• Kei assessed his Ice Release talent and decided to focus on single-point control rather than area-of-effect techniques.
• Kei reviewed his progress in chakra control and planned more compression exercises to improve the stability of his Ice Release.
• Kei resumed repetitive Ice Release training at the lake, pushing himself while keeping his young body’s limits in mind.
• Kei ended training as the sun set and headed back toward the Yuki Clan compound.
• Kirigakure residents gave Kei more space when they noticed the Yuki Clan snowflake on his sleeve.

Kei returned to the Yuki Clan compound and reflected on his parents’ deaths, his solitary life, and his determination to grow stronger. Kiko Minazuki arrived with food, and Kei welcomed her into his home.

• Kei entered the guarded Yuki Clan compound and returned to the home where he lived alone.
• Kei recalled that his father had died before his birth and his mother less than a year after it, while Kiko Minazuki and the clan had helped raise him.
• Kei finished his housework after returning home, relying on the life skills he had learned while living alone.
• Kiko Minazuki arrived with Kei’s favorite steamed egg custard, and Kei greeted her and invited her inside.

Kei shared a warm dinner with Kiko Minazuki, who worried about his plan to enter the Ninja Academy at five while the Second Shinobi World War continued. Kei remained determined to enroll next year, and Kiko accepted his decision while urging him to protect himself.

• Kei praised Kiko Minazuki's cooking and showed his affection for her as a mother figure.
• Kiko asked Kei to reconsider enrolling in the Ninja Academy next year because he would be only five and the war made ninja life dangerous.
• Kei told Kiko he had already discussed his decision with Uncle Takuya and insisted that time mattered for someone born into a shinobi clan.
• Kiko compared Kei's determination to his father's and warned him not to be impatient or reckless.
• Kei promised he would be careful, and Kiko left after reminding him to rest and not overwork himself.

Kei resolved to enroll in the Ninja Academy a year early so he could become an official Mist Ninja and prepare for the next war. As he trained for enrollment, the Second Shinobi World War began winding down, leaving him a few years to grow before the Third Shinobi World War.

• Kei watched Kiko Minazuki leave and reaffirmed his determination to survive and achieve his goals.
• Kei decided that entering the Ninja Academy at five would help him gain freedom, combat experience, and standing as a Mist Ninja.
• Kei used his knowledge of the future to conclude that the Second Shinobi World War was nearing its end and that the Third Shinobi World War would begin roughly five years later.
• Over the next two months, Kei continued training as the Five Great Shinobi Villages pulled back their forces and limited fighting to small border clashes.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi and Hanzo of the Salamander signed a peace agreement, prompting the other great villages to recognize that the war had to end.

The Five Great Shinobi Villages and other countries formally ended the Second Shinobi World War with peace treaties before the end of Konoha Year 37. As the armies returned home, Kei considered Kirigakure elder Genji’s importance to his future plans while the Shinobi World entered a fragile peace.

• The countries signed peace treaties, and the Second Shinobi World War officially ended before Konoha Year 37 concluded.
• Ordinary people across the Shinobi World, especially those in small countries caught between the great powers, welcomed the end of the fighting.
• The Mist Ninja army returned to Kirigakure ahead of the other villages, protected by the Land of Water’s sea barrier.
• Third Mizukage Aoki and Karatachi Yagura greeted the returning Mist Ninja, while Genji stayed away from the ceremony.
• Kei planned to visit Genji because the elder could play an important role in his future ambitions.
• The other shinobi armies returned to their villages as the war’s end brought a temporary calm, though tensions continued beneath the surface.

Kei focused on training after the Mist Ninja army returned, determined to be strong enough to survive the next war. As Kirigakure entered a new year, Third Mizukage Aoki scrutinized the clans’ Ninja Academy enrollment list and made a move concerning the Hozuki Clan, while hiding a grave illness.

• Kei briefly watched the Mist Ninja army return, then left to continue training and prepare for the war he expected in five years.
• The army’s return settled Kirigakure’s unrest, and the Second Shinobi World War was declared over as the calendar advanced to Year 38 of Konoha.
• Kei learned that he would enroll in the Ninja Academy in March, and the clan enrollment list was delivered to Aoki.
• Aoki saw that the Hozuki Clan had submitted only a handful of students and judged the list to be a test of his authority.
• Aoki ordered Hokuto to deliver the enrollment list and a scroll directly to Genji.
• After Hokuto left, Aoki coughed blood, then steadied himself and hoped the clans would not force his hand.

After the war, Kirigakure grew more peaceful as March brought the annual Ninja Academy enrollment rush. Kei joined Minazuki Satoru and other Yuki no Minazuki Clan children on their way to register, while villagers watched them with awe and envy.

• Kirigakure's streets became livelier after the war, and residents brought their children to the Ninja Academy for March enrollment.
• Kei headed to the academy with more than a dozen eligible clan children, led by the adult clansman Minazuki Satoru.
• Villagers made way for Kei's group when they saw the six-sided snowflake emblems on their clothes.
• Kei reflected that clan children were far more likely than common-born applicants to extract chakra and become ninja.

Kei enrolled at Kirigakure’s Ninja Academy with the other Yuki Clan children, while civilian-born applicants waited for assessments. He entered a class with two high-status clan boys, Kazeki and Shinya, and carefully balanced showing promise with concealing his full ability.

• Kei observed that elite-clan children looked down on civilian-born peers as they traveled to the Ninja Academy.
• The Yuki Clan children bypassed the entrance assessments because they had already extracted chakra, and Minazuki Satoru reminded them to follow Elder Sogen’s instructions.
• Kei was assigned to a class with Kazayasu Minazuki and Minazuki Shinya, descendants of powerful clan elders and rivals for the title of the clan’s most talented young member.
• Kei reflected that he needed to display enough talent to earn resources and support without drawing dangerous attention.
• Kazeki and Shinya welcomed Kei and offered their help, while Kei responded modestly and let them believe he might become a useful ally.

Kei entered Class Three at Kirigakure’s Ninja Academy, where he recognized several children from prominent clans and spotted the young Mei Terumi. The instructor Minato welcomed the class and warned the students to study diligently and follow his guidance.

• Kei reminded himself to focus on surviving before attempting to change the cruel shinobi world.
• Kei, Kazeki, and Shinya entered the classroom, drawing attention from the other students.
• Children from the Kaguya and Hozuki Clans stared aggressively at Kei and his companions, and Kazeki and Shinya glared back.
• Kei recognized Mei Terumi, then chose a seat near the window while Kazeki and Shinya sat in the middle of the classroom.
• Minato introduced himself as the class instructor and told the students to study diligently and obey their teachers.

Minato warned his students about the danger and harsh realities of ninja life, then began having them introduce themselves. Kei listened closely to his classmates, especially Mei Terumi and several clan heirs, as he considered building ties with Kirigakure’s future prospects.

• Minato urged his students to take their training seriously and understand the risks of becoming ninjas, though most responded carelessly.
• Minato explained that the students would study together and might later become teammates, then asked them to introduce themselves.
• Yoshitsugu Matsuoka introduced himself, sharing his dream of becoming a ninja like the Mizukage along with his favorite food and hobbies.
• Kei used the introductions to assess his classmates, paying particular attention to the Kaguya and Hozuki children and Mei Terumi.
• Kei considered befriending promising classmates early to support his future plans.

On the first day at the Ninja Academy, Minato taught the students about teamwork and began a lesson on what it meant to be a shinobi. Kei kept a low profile while observing the rivalry between classmates from Kirigakure’s great clans.

• The students introduced themselves and shared dreams of becoming great shinobi, while Kei chose modest words to avoid drawing attention.
• Minato urged the class to value teamwork, explaining that shinobi relied on cooperation to complete difficult missions.
• The children answered Minato seriously, and he began the academy’s first lesson on what it meant to be a shinobi.
• Kei listened while thinking ahead, and the peaceful first day passed with quiet rivalry between his clan brothers and classmates from the Hozuki and Kaguya Clans.

After his first day at the Ninja Academy, Kei chose not to approach Mei Terumi and began planning how to develop his Ice Release while earning the Yuki Clan’s support. The chapter ended with Kei returning home, convinced that he needed to reveal his talent gradually and wait for the right moment.

• Kei decided to avoid getting involved in the Academy students’ competition and to let any connection with Mei Terumi develop naturally.
• After Kei left the classroom, Mei Terumi watched him go and guessed that he had been struck by her beauty.
• Kei planned to pursue Ice Release training on his own while gradually showing enough talent to attract the Yuki Clan elders’ support.
• Kei returned to his doorstep at sunset and reminded himself to get the timing right.

After more than half a year of disciplined training, Kei improved his Ice Release chakra control and continued building his physical, spiritual, and chakra foundations. He kept a modest profile at the Ninja Academy and avoided distractions as winter arrived.

• Kei maintained a strict routine between the Ninja Academy, his home, and the woodland training ground, driven by the threat of another war.
• Kei practiced Ice Release on the lake and created a large formation of ice while using less chakra than before.
• Kei concluded that his talent for sensing and combining wind and water chakra far exceeded that of his clansmen, and he focused on increasing his chakra reserves through body and spirit training.
• Kei concealed much of his progress at the Ninja Academy and left the spotlight to his older clansmen and classmates from the Hozuki Clan and Kaguya clan.
• Kei kept his interactions with Mei Terumi minimal, and after a brief bout of dejection, she focused on her own studies and training.

Kei completed his Ice Release training and reviewed his plans for improving his chakra control, physical conditioning, and equipment. After returning home, he studied shinobi theory and discovered that he could memorize material unusually quickly.

• Kei trained his Ice Release at the lake until sunset, refining his techniques while his chakra and strength dwindled.
• Kei reflected on his training goals, deciding to focus on Ice Release, chakra control, and physical conditioning before pursuing more advanced plans.
• Kei noticed that his ninja tools were worn and planned to buy replacements the next day.
• Kei returned home, ate a simple dinner, and studied shinobi theory, including chakra, combat techniques, ninja tools, and traps.
• Kei found that he could retain study material after reading it only once more and considered obtaining a low-level Genjutsu technique to try.

Kei maintained strong grades while keeping his practical abilities understated, then was jolted awake by an elite force from his clan racing past his home. He suspected they were heading to the Mizukage Building to take part in a coup, but did not know what would happen next.

• Kei kept his practical performance below that of his two older clansmen while ranking at the top of his class in theory.
• Kei studied late, washed up, and fell asleep, expecting to rest until dawn.
• Kei awoke to hurried footsteps, grabbed a kunai, and rushed to the attic to investigate.
• Kei sensed nearly a hundred powerful figures from his clan racing past his house and disappearing into the darkness.
• Kei saw that the force was heading toward the Mizukage Building and feared they were mobilizing for a coup.

Kei spent the night fearing that an upheaval in Kirigakure might become a coup and threaten the Yuki Clan, but dawn passed without any sign of widespread fighting. He chose not to investigate and returned home to rest after agreeing to attend Uncle Hisashi’s birthday dinner.

• Kei worried that a coup could engulf the ninja village and prepared for the worst while staying inside his home.
• Kei waited anxiously through the night, but dawn arrived without signs of war or violence in Kirigakure.
• Kei considered investigating the previous night’s events but decided that acting without strength or reliable information would be too dangerous.
• Kei met Kiko Minazuki, who invited him to Uncle Hisashi’s birthday dinner and mentioned that Takahiro wanted to see him.
• Kei accepted the invitation, watched Kiko leave, and headed home to catch up on sleep.

After a month of uneasy calm, Kirigakure announced that the Third Mizukage, Aoki, had died of illness and that Karatachi Yagura would succeed him. Genji’s support and the Land of Water’s daimyo’s decree quelled suspicion of foul play, while Kei realized a fierce power struggle had likely preceded the transition.

• Kirigakure’s leadership announced that the Third Mizukage, Aoki, had died of illness and that Karatachi Yagura would become the Fourth Mizukage.
• Mist Ninja and civilians reacted with disbelief, and some suspected that Aoki had been killed amid Kirigakure’s history of attempted coups.
• Genji publicly confirmed the announcement, and the Land of Water’s daimyo issued a decree that helped settle the unrest.
• Kei concluded that the Yuki Clan and other clans had mobilized because a major power struggle had taken place among Kirigakure’s higher-ups.
• Kei anticipated that the other great ninja villages might exploit the transition, but believed Genji would help Kirigakure weather the critical period.

After Kirigakure’s orderly transition to Karatachi Yagura as Fourth Mizukage, Kei used the ensuing peace to train and prepare for war. In winter of Konoha Year 40, he applied to graduate early, believing the Ninja Academy could teach him no more and that conflict was approaching.

• Genji helped Karatachi Yagura contain clan unrest and secure the transition after Aoki’s death.
• Kirigakure held a grand inauguration ceremony for Karatachi Yagura, easing tensions among the shinobi villages and ushering in a temporary peace.
• Kei trained relentlessly, knowing the peace would not last and pushing his body and mind to their limits.
• In winter of Konoha Year 40, Kei submitted an early graduation application to Minato.
• Kei told Minato that he had carefully considered his decision and that staying at the Ninja Academy would waste his time.

Kei applied for early graduation, and Minato encouraged him to prepare for the January exam. Outside the Ninja Academy, Kei met Mei Terumi, who had also applied and guessed that he had done the same.

• Kei told Minato he had prepared to graduate early, and Minato reminded him the exam would take place in January.
• Minato reflected on how clan backgrounds and resources gave shinobi like Kei an advantage over civilians.
• Minato noted that Kei and several other clan students, along with Mei Terumi, had applied for early graduation, and that Mei had topped the class for three years.
• Kei left Minato’s office and encountered Mei Terumi waiting for him outside the administrative building.
• Mei asked Kei whether he had applied for early graduation, correctly guessing that he had.

Kei denied Mei Terumi’s suspicion that he had been holding back at the Ninja Academy. Mei challenged him to prove himself at the graduation assessment, while Kei remained unaware that her suspicions began with a glance he had given her years earlier.

• Mei Terumi confronted Kei and asked for a fair match, accusing him of holding back in class.
• Kei denied that he had ever gone easy and argued that hiding his ability would serve no purpose.
• Mei told Kei she would see him at the graduation assessment and left with a disquieting smile.
• Kei wondered why Mei had taken an interest in him, not realizing her suspicion came from his first glance at her.

Kei worried that Mei Terumi would force a confrontation during Kirigakure’s graduation exam, then prepared to face the exam as hundreds of students gathered in the forest west of the village. Vice Principal Koshimizu Tsuki began addressing the candidates, leaving Kei and the others to face their first test.

• Kei left the Ninja Academy worried that Mei Terumi might corner him during the graduation exam and decided to prepare in advance.
• Students submitted applications for early graduation, bringing the number of candidates for this year’s exam to 317, many of them young members of powerful clans.
• On January 8, Kei joined the other candidates in the forest west of Kirigakure for the graduation exam.
• A red-haired staff member reported that all 317 candidates were present to Vice Principal Koshimizu Tsuki.
• Koshimizu Tsuki surveyed the candidates with an intimidating gaze, testing whether they could withstand the pressure.

Kei prepared to pass Kirigakure’s graduation exam without drawing attention, while anticipating interference from Mei Terumi. Koshimizu Tsuki began the exam, and Mei entered the forest in the first batch, leaving Kei to face the challenge ahead.

• Kei reflected on Kirigakure’s harsh traditions and decided his immediate priority was passing the graduation exam smoothly.
• Kei and Mei Terumi exchanged wary, teasing glances as they waited for the exam to begin.
• Koshimizu Tsuki warned the students that they could treat one another as enemies or teammates and that only their final results mattered.
• Koshimizu Tsuki sent the first batch of examinees into the forest with instructors, beginning the individual missions.
• Mei Terumi entered the forest with the first batch and gave Kei a meaningful look before leaving.

Kei entered the graduation assessment grounds in the same group as Heiji Kaguya, who immediately attacked him. Kei evaded the first strike and prepared to fight as Heiji threatened him and drove the other candidates away.

• Kei worried that Heiji Kaguya would interfere with his assessment task when they entered the forest together.
• Kei joined Heiji and four other candidates at the designated entrance to the examination grounds.
• Heiji charged Kei as soon as they entered and brought a heavy kick down on him.
• Kei dodged the kick, questioned Heiji, and drew a kunai as Heiji declared he would kill him.
• Heiji threatened the other candidates, who fled into the forest.

Kei and Heiji Kaguya clashed, with Kei using Ice Release to keep the close-combat specialist at a distance and restrict his movements. Heiji broke through Kei’s attacks but ended the chapter pinned in place and wounded by ice needles.

• Heiji drew a bone spike from his body and charged Kei, whose kunai met it in a clash that revealed Heiji’s superior strength and speed.
• Kei froze Heiji’s bone weapon and retreated while Heiji shattered the ice and tried to close in.
• Kei formed six ice pillars around Heiji, but Heiji used Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets to pierce and break them apart.
• Kei bound Heiji’s feet with ice and attacked him with the Flying Swallow Snow Storm Technique.
• Heiji used Dance of the Willow to block most of the ice needles, but several pierced his skin and drew blood.