Chapter Summaries

Kei and Mei Terumi discovered that Prince Matou planned to seize control of the Land of Whales and hurried to support Ao, who was being overwhelmed by Cloud Ninja. After helping him escape the encirclement, the team prepared to fight on against Hato and the three remaining Cloud Ninja.

• Kei and Mei Terumi decided to pursue Prince Matou and left the unconscious, bound public security commander for Fuyuki Castle to handle.
• Kei and Mei Terumi sensed a powerful battle and rushed to find Ao, Shinji Akita, and the others.
• Kei and Mei Terumi found Ao badly wounded and surrounded by Hato and three Cloud Ninja, while Shinji Akita and his guards lay dead.
• Kei and Mei Terumi attacked with Ice Release and Water Release, disrupting the Cloud Ninja long enough for Ao to break free.
• Ao told Kei and Mei Terumi to fight the three Cloud Ninja while he faced Hato.

Kei and Mei Terumi fought Hato’s Cloud Ninja squad while Ao confronted Hato to keep him away from the younger Mist Ninja. Kei separated the Cloud Ninja with Ice Release and wounded one of them, as Ao and Hato’s battle intensified.

• Hato recognized Kei and Mei Terumi as a threat and ordered three Cloud Ninja to keep Ao occupied while he attacked the pair.
• Ao intercepted Hato’s strike, and Kei and Mei Terumi rushed toward the three Cloud Ninja as planned.
• Ao used Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique to push Hato away and isolate their battle from the others.
• Kei used Ice Release: Icicle Technique to separate the three Cloud Ninja while Mei Terumi charged the stronger Chunin with Boil Release.
• Kei attacked the Cloud Ninja on the left, broke through his guard, and stabbed him in the arm.

Kei fought off two Cloud Ninja who launched a desperate pincer attack, then used Ice Release to kill them both. With the pair dead, the battle continued elsewhere, where Kei’s allies still faced Lord Hato.

• Kei blocked the Cloud Ninja’s coordinated attacks until he found an opening and used Ice Release to force them onto the defensive.
• Kei’s ice cones pierced the wounded long-haired Cloud Ninja, killing him.
• The scarred Cloud Ninja charged Kei in grief and anger, but Kei struck him in the abdomen and decapitated him with a kunai.

Kei killed two Kumogakure Genin, but Ao was gravely wounded after losing to Hato. Kei rescued Ao from Hato’s attack and faced the Jonin alone, ending with Hato’s blade striking toward Kei’s neck.

• Kei killed the two Kumogakure Genin and prepared to help Mei Terumi, who was locked in a drawn-out fight with another Chunin.
• Ao was thrown into view, badly wounded, as Hato prepared to strike him with Lightning Release: False Darkness Jutsu.
• Kei blocked Hato’s lightning with an Ice Release wall, attacked with Swallow Snow Storm Jutsu, and rushed to help Ao.
• Kei briefly tended to Ao’s wounds and settled him against a tree, but Hato charged in and threatened to kill him.
• Hato used lightning-enhanced speed to attack Kei, knocked aside his kunai, and thrust his short blade toward Kei’s neck.

Kei endured Hato’s close-range attack and unleashed his uncontrolled Ice Release power to stop the Kumogakure jonin from advancing. His Swallow Snow Storm Jutsu forced Hato onto the defensive, leaving the battle’s momentum with Kei.

• Hato stabbed Kei near the collarbone, but Kei grabbed his sword and spread ice across the blade and ground.
• Kei froze his bleeding wound shut and released the full force of his ice power to keep Hato at a distance.
• Hato recognized Kei as a powerful Yuki Clan talent and intensified his resolve to kill him.
• Kei unleashed a greatly strengthened Ice Release: Swallow Snow Storm Jutsu, sending enlarged ice spikes at Hato.
• Hato used Lightning Release: Lightning Descent Jutsu to hold back the spikes, but Kei’s attack forced him to retreat.

Kei’s Ice Release pushed Hato to unleash a dangerous, unfinished Lightning Release Armor. Hato tore through Kei’s ice-crystal bullets and closed in on him.

• Hato shattered the ice coating his sword and recognized Kei as a prodigy whose Ice Release could threaten the Yuki Clan’s limits.
• Hato resolved to kill Kei and covered himself in Lightning Release Armor despite its pain and risks.
• Kei sent ice-crystal bullets flying in an encirclement around Hato.
• Hato slashed through the bullets and advanced until he stood directly before Kei.

Kei defeated the Kumogakure Jonin Hato in a desperate clash, but suffered severe wounds and collapsed. Mei Terumi and Ao reached him and found him alive, while Hato had been frozen into an ice sculpture.

• Hato charged Kei with his lightning-clad blade, and Kei chose to face the attack rather than flee.
• Kei raised a barrier of ice crystals around himself, and Hato's blade struck the ice protecting Kei's throat.
• Kei twisted away from the deadliest part of Hato's strike, then engulfed Hato in a surging tide of ice that turned him into an ice sculpture.
• Kei collapsed from his injuries as Mei Terumi and Ao rushed toward him.
• Ao examined Kei's chest wound and determined that it was deep but had not damaged his internal organs.

After nearly dying from his wounds, Minazuki Kei regained consciousness in a house on Kujiraai Island and learned that Team 7 had secured the mission. The castellan of Fuyuki Castle had captured Matou and his followers, while Kei’s recovery began under Kisame Hoshigaki’s watch.

• Ao took responsibility for the mission’s unexpected difficulty and ordered the team to get Kei medical treatment.
• Mei Terumi carried the unconscious Kei to the eastern coast of Kujiraai Island with Ao and the others following.
• Kei endured a near-death experience before recovering consciousness in a house on the island.
• Kisame Hoshigaki told Kei that Ao was recovering and that Mei Terumi was helping the castellan of Fuyuki Castle.
• The castellan captured Matou and his subordinates, completing Team 7’s first C-rank mission.

After learning that the mission had ended successfully, Kei recovered from his injuries and reflected on his growth and mistakes in battle. Mei Terumi visited him the next morning, and he asked about Ao’s condition.

• Kisame Hoshigaki told Kei that the Cloud Ninja had been killed, Matou had been captured for judgment in the capital, and the governor had promised payment and help with Kirigakure.
• Kei relaxed, recognized that his control over Ice Release had improved, and fell asleep while Kisame stood guard outside his room.
• Kei woke at dawn and considered learning Medical Ninjutsu, refining his Ice Release, and choosing faster, more appropriate tactics in combat.
• Mei Terumi entered and asked how Kei’s wounds felt; she scolded him for downplaying injuries that had nearly killed him.
• Kei asked about Ao, and Mei Terumi teased him for worrying about his teacher while he was still recovering.

After recovering from the battle on Kujiraai Island, Kei returned to Kirigakure with Team 7. Ao reported the incident and arranged reinforcements, then sent the team home to rest while he briefed the village.

• Mei Terumi told Kei to focus on recovering while she, Kisame Hoshigaki, and Ao handled the mission’s remaining work.
• Kei spent three days recovering as the Land of Water’s daimyo ordered troops to Kujiraai Island and Ao alerted Kirigakure and requested Mist Ninja reinforcements.
• After the reinforcements arrived and treated Kei and Ao, Ao led Team 7 back to Kirigakure, where they arrived on January 18.
• Ao classified the mission as A-rank, told Kei, Mei Terumi, and Kisame Hoshigaki to rest, and left to report to the Mizukage.
• Kisame Hoshigaki left after giving Kei a pointed glance, and Mei Terumi suggested that Kisame might challenge him again.

After returning from a dangerous mission, Kei discussed the rising tensions with Mei Terumi and worried that war could break out between the great villages. Back at the Yuki Clan compound, he was summoned to meet clan head Minazuki Shun.

• Kei and Mei Terumi discussed the Cloud Ninja mission and the growing risk of the Third Shinobi World War.
• Kei left Mei Terumi and returned to the clan compound, reflecting on his need to improve after his battle with Hato.
• Kei checked in with Aunt Kiko, declined lunch, and unpacked at home.
• A young Mist Ninja arrived and told Kei that the clan head wanted to see him.
• Kei followed the young Mist Ninja to Minazuki Shun's residence in the innermost part of the Yuki Clan compound.

Kei met Minazuki Shun, the head of the Yuki Clan, who praised Kei’s mission performance and stressed that he should remember his clan ties. Shun revealed that someone outside the clan had arranged Kei’s team assignment, but withheld the person’s identity.

• A young Mist Ninja escorted Kei through the Yuki Clan’s guarded residence to meet its leader.
• Kei greeted Minazuki Shun formally, and Shun invited him to speak without such reserve because they were relatives through Kei’s father.
• Shun explained that Kei’s team assignment had not been arranged by the Yuki Clan, but by someone else in the village.
• Kei asked whether someone had deliberately placed him on a team with Mei Terumi and Kisame Hoshigaki under Ao’s leadership.
• Shun refused to name the person, called Kei the most outstanding member of the clan’s next generation, and urged him to remember his identity as a Yuki.

Minazuki Shun tested Kei’s loyalty and gave him a scroll containing the clan’s Ice Release knowledge, then discussed with Minazuki Sogen whether Kei was connected to Genji. Kei realized the meeting had been a test and suspected Genji was behind the attention on his team.

• Minazuki Shun praised Kei’s response about serving the clan and village, then gave him an Ice Release training scroll and offered the clan’s support.
• After Kei left, Minazuki Shun asked Minazuki Sogen whether Kei had a special connection with Lord Genji.
• Minazuki Sogen argued that Kei’s clean record and Minazuki surname meant Shun had little reason to suspect him.
• Minazuki Shun remained uneasy about the attention Genji and the other clans were paying to Team 7.
• Kei realized Shun had been testing him and guessed that Genji was connected to the team’s assignment.

Kei returned home still unsure why he had been chosen, but resolved to rise from being a pawn to the top of the world. At the Mizukage Building, Ao reported that Kumogakure might threaten Kirigakure, prompting Karatachi Yagura to reconsider the village’s strategy and summon senior figures.

• Kei questioned why he had been selected, then accepted that being useful as a pawn showed he had value and vowed to climb to the top.
• Ao gave Karatachi Yagura a detailed report about possible Kumogakure plans and affirmed that he would take responsibility for his intelligence.
• Karatachi Yagura told Ao to relay the information to Genji and ordered Juzo Biwa, Munashi Jinpachi, and Suikazan Fuguki summoned.
• Kirigakure’s senior clan leaders grew tense at the possibility of a Cloud Ninja invasion and set aside their disputes to unite against the outside threat.

Karatachi Yagura ordered extra elite troops to reinforce the northern maritime frontier, hoping to deter the Cloud Ninja without provoking a war. After watching for signs of wider mobilization, Kei felt reassured, and Team 7 left Kirigakure with Ao.

• Karatachi Yagura ordered around a thousand additional elite troops to reinforce the Land of Water's northern maritime frontier against a possible Cloud Ninja incursion.
• Kirigakure's leaders favored targeting Konoha or Sunagakure rather than committing to a war with the Cloud Ninja.
• Kei watched the Yuki Clan and Kirigakure for signs of emergency mobilization and relaxed when he saw none.
• Ao summoned Kei, Mei Terumi, and Kisame Hoshigaki after their rest in the village.
• Ao led Team 7 out of Kirigakure, with Kei, Mei Terumi, and Kisame Hoshigaki following him.

Ao led Team 7 through a steady run of C- and B-rank missions, helping Kei, Mei Terumi, and Kisame Hoshigaki grow while attracting attention in Kirigakure. After the squad swiftly completed another B-rank mission, Jackdaw praised Ao and predicted they would soon take on A-rank missions.

• Ao became more cautious after Team 7’s first mission and assigned them mostly C-rank missions, with some B-rank missions confined to the Land of Water’s main island.
• Team 7 completed nearly twenty missions in three months, gaining experience and drawing notice, especially Kei and Mei Terumi because of their Kekkei Genkai.
• Kei, Mei Terumi, and Kisame Hoshigaki eliminated a group of Kusagakure missing-nin and recovered the mission item without Ao needing to intervene.
• Ao returned to Kirigakure with Team 7 in under three days, and Jackdaw praised their efficiency and suggested they would soon handle A-rank missions.

After Team 7 completed a difficult B-rank mission, Ao gave Kei, Mei Terumi, and Kisame Hoshigaki three days off and reminded them not to overtrain. Kisame challenged Kei to a spar the next morning, and Kei agreed, determined to give the fight his all.

• Ao collected the mission payment and told Team 7 to rest for three days after their recent missions.
• Ao warned Kei, Mei Terumi, and Kisame Hoshigaki to balance their training while their bodies were still developing.
• After Ao left, Kisame challenged Kei to a spar at Training Ground Nine at eight the next morning.
• Mei Terumi asked to watch the spar, and Kei and Kisame agreed.
• Mei Terumi teased Kei about the challenge, and Kei said he was confident but would not assume he could defeat Kisame.

Kei and Kisame Hoshigaki began their serious spar at the third training ground, with Mei Terumi watching. Kei countered Kisame’s Water Release with Ice Release, but Kisame closed in with his greatsword and landed a kick that sent Kei flying.

• Kei told Mei Terumi he intended to beat Kisame Hoshigaki decisively and win him over through strength.
• Kei arrived at the third training ground, where Kisame was waiting and Mei watched from a tree.
• Kisame opened with Water Release: Water Ripple Jutsu, and Kei froze the incoming waves with Ice Release.
• Kisame drew his greatsword and attacked at close range; Kei blocked his strike with a kunai and tried to freeze the blade.
• Kisame withdrew, swept Kei’s kunai aside, and kicked him hard enough to send him flying.

Kei fought Kisame in close quarters as Kisame used relentless attacks to prevent him from unleashing Ice Release. Kei revealed he could form one-handed seals, froze Kisame, and forced him to concede defeat.

• Kisame attacked Kei with rapid close-range strikes, forcing him to retreat before he could complete his hand seals.
• Kei and Kisame clashed with kunai and great blade as Kisame used swift repositioning and a heavy assault to keep up the pressure.
• Kisame pinned Kei's kunai with his great blade and reached for Kei's head, leaving him with a lethal opening.
• Kei formed one-handed seals and used Ice Release: Tide of Frost to freeze Kisame's legs and great blade.
• Kei escaped the attack, moved behind Kisame, and placed his kunai against Kisame's neck.
• Kisame admitted defeat.

Kei defeated Kisame by using one-handed hand seals to spring an Ice Release trap, then reflected on the limits of his new technique. Kisame left determined to challenge him again, while Mei Terumi stayed to tease Kei.

• Kei used one-handed hand seals to catch Kisame in an Ice Release trap and win their spar.
• Mei Terumi praised Kei's rare skill, and Kei explained that he had trained for years but could only use one-handed seals for simple jutsu.
• Kisame left angrily, promising that he would eventually defeat Kei.
• Mei Terumi teased Kei about Kisame challenging him again and declined Kei's offer to spar.
• Kei let Mei Terumi stay and reminded himself not to rely too heavily on assumptions drawn from the original story.