Recaps

Kyosuke Masaki and his friends opened Flash Wind Express and received a desperate first delivery: a contract had to reach Yokohama Airport before an international flight departed. Masaki raced off with the documents, and the chapter ended as the client’s phone rang at 9:00 a.m.

• Shohoku’s basketball team celebrated the gym’s renovation while Coach Anzai kept his role in the improvements quiet.
• Kyosuke Masaki and Kawamoto opened Flash Wind Express’s first storefront, installed a telephone, and distributed flyers around Heike.
• Koji Matsushita called Flash Wind Express and begged them to deliver a vital contract from Hiratsuka to Yokohama Airport before 9:20 a.m.
• Masaki took the documents from Matsushita and raced toward the airport on his Kawasaki Z2.
• Matsushita waited anxiously at his office until David’s temporary Japanese mobile number rang at 9:00 a.m.

Koichiro Nango delivered a birthday cake to Mika Sato on behalf of her boyfriend, who was stuck working late. He passed along the boyfriend’s heartfelt message, and the terrace fell silent in response.

• Koji Matsushita thanked Kawamoto for the urgent delivery that saved his contract and insisted on giving him extra money.
• A customer asked Kawamoto to collect a birthday cake in Heike and deliver it to Mika Sato in Yuigahama before seven.
• Koichiro Nango volunteered for the difficult delivery and picked up the three-tier cake just before the shop closed.
• Mika Sato began to lose hope that her boyfriend would remember her birthday as she waited with her friends.
• Nango arrived with the intact cake and told Mika that her boyfriend, Mr. Endo, was held up at work but had sent his wishes ahead.

Nango’s romantic cake delivery delighted Mika, while Flash Wind Express’s urgent jobs brought the crew strong earnings and a new sense of purpose. As the shop handled more evening requests, Sanae Nakagawa told Kawamoto that Weekly Shonen Sunday had approved the proposal and wanted to meet the next day.

• Nango delivered Endo’s birthday cake to Mika, and Chōji Takahashi later thanked him and gave him eighteen thousand yen.
• Kyosuke Masaki reflected on the crew’s new work, praised Nango, and rallied the riders to prioritize Flash Wind Express’s customers over racing.
• The crew accepted urgent requests for a Tokyo document and prescription cat food, and Masaki rode out to handle the deliveries.
• By evening, Kawamoto counted more than one and a half million yen in revenue, and A Zhe delivered limited-edition yokan to a customer who had forgotten his wedding anniversary.
• Sanae Nakagawa called Kawamoto to say Weekly Shonen Sunday had approved the proposal and asked him to bring his friend to discuss the details the next day.

Kawamoto and Takamiya secured a serialization deal for Naruto in Weekly Shonen Sunday's fiction section, and Takamiya prepared to write the next installment. The first issue featuring Naruto was released, and young manga reader Maeda Kenta began reading its opening despite his dislike of novels.

• Editor-in-chief Toyota praised Naruto's setting, characters, and writing, then offered Kawamoto and Takamiya a weekly serialization under conditions for pay, reader feedback, deadlines, and editorial approval.
• Takamiya accepted the terms with determination, and Toyota said the legal department would confirm the contract details.
• Outside the Shueisha building, Takamiya celebrated the serialization and pay while Kawamoto urged him to start writing the next volume.
• The following day, Maeda Kenta bought the latest Weekly Shonen Sunday and read his favorite manga before noticing Naruto in the fiction section.
• Though Kenta complained about the novel's length and title, he started reading its prologue about the calamity at the Hidden Leaf Village.

Kenta and readers across Japan became captivated by Naruto’s first installment and eagerly awaited the next issue. The story left them frustrated at the cliffhanger, while the Weekly Shonen Sunday editorial department faced a flood of calls.

• Kenta finished Naruto’s first installment, called the editorial department, and learned that the next part would come in a future weekly issue.
• Hirano Harunori read Naruto through the night and planned to buy the next issue of Sunday.
• Kinoshita Yumi was moved by Naruto and bought every copy of the latest Sunday issue at the bookstore.
• Readers across Japan embraced Naruto and recommended it to others, while the cliffhanger left them eager for more.
• The Weekly Shonen Sunday editorial department received a surge of calls, and staff asked Editor-in-Chief Toyota what to do about readers threatening to mail razor blades unless the next chapters were released.

Toyota Kameichi reacted to the overwhelming response to "Naruto" by ordering the magazine to prioritize it and personally seek more manuscripts. Meanwhile, Flash Wind Express expanded rapidly across Shonan and beyond, leaving Kyosuke Masaki to recognize the pride and purpose in the business.

• Toyota Kameichi saw that feedback for "Naruto" dominated reader responses and imagined its potential as a major multimedia franchise.
• Toyota Kameichi called an editorial meeting and ordered the magazine to give "Naruto" more pages and resources, while assigning an editor to focus on Nozomi Takamiya and Kawamoto Kazuki.
• Flash Wind Express moved into a larger warehouse in Hiratsuka and handled a flood of urgent deliveries across the region.
• Kyosuke Masaki and the other staff recruited and trained more riders as orders spread into Shizuoka and Tokyo.
• Kyosuke Masaki watched the busy dispatch center and felt pride in running a business that made his brothers needed and prosperous.
• An urgent engine roar approached the warehouse.

Toyota Kameichi rushed to Heike to urge Nozomi Takamiya to finish the next Naruto manuscripts, then celebrated Takamiya’s success with his parents. That evening, Kawamoto learned that Shohoku would travel to Shizuoka to play Jousei High School in three games.

• Toyota Kameichi arrived at Kawamoto’s warehouse and pressed Nozomi Takamiya for the rest of the Chunin Exams arc, promising to stay in Heike until it was finished.
• Toyota Kameichi visited the Takamiya family and told Nozomi’s parents that Naruto was a major hit and that their son could earn a fortune.
• Nozomi Takamiya felt embarrassed but warmed by his parents’ pride, while Dad Takamiya thanked Kawamoto for helping his son find his path.
• Kawamoto received a call from Takenori Akagi, who said Shohoku would play three games against Jousei High School in Shizuoka.
• Takenori Akagi told Kawamoto that the team would leave by Shinkansen the next morning, and Kawamoto agreed to join them later.

Shohoku fell behind Jousei by 13 points before Akagi sent Kawamoto into the game with five minutes remaining. Kawamoto immediately scored, stole the ball, and cut the deficit to three, then blocked Mikoshiba’s fadeaway as Shohoku’s comeback continued.

• Jousei built a 13-point lead as Yufune’s three-point shooting and Shohoku’s fatigue stalled Shohoku’s offense.
• With five minutes left and Mitsui exhausted, Akagi sent Kawamoto into the game.
• Kawamoto hit a three-pointer to make the score 91–96.
• Kawamoto stole the ball from Mikoshiba and finished a fast break with a one-handed dunk, narrowing the gap to three points.
• Kawamoto blocked Mikoshiba’s fadeaway jumper before it could reach the basket.

Kawamoto entered with Shohoku trailing Jousei and scored 43 points in five minutes, leading Shohoku to a 131:98 comeback victory. After the final whistle, Mikoshiba was left stunned by Kawamoto’s performance.

• Kawamoto blocked Mikoshiba’s hook shot, then scored a three to give Shohoku a 98:96 lead.
• Kawamoto added more baskets and steals as Shohoku’s lead grew, while Jousei rushed and missed its attacks.
• Kawamoto scored through contact for an and-one, extending Shohoku’s lead to 110:96 with 2:05 remaining.
• Kawamoto kept hitting threes until Shohoku defeated Jousei 131:98, completing a 43:2 run.
• Mikoshiba asked Kawamoto if he was even human, and Kawamoto replied that he was used to it.

Shohoku faced Jousei again after their afternoon game, and Akagi questioned whether the team was truly strong without Kawamoto carrying them. Mikoshiba challenged Kawamoto to play at full strength, but Kawamoto scored Shohoku’s first nine points before Jousei called a timeout.

• Mikoshiba blamed his afternoon loss on fatigue and vowed to shut Kawamoto down from the start of the rematch.
• Akagi reflected that Shohoku had struggled against Jousei for thirty-five minutes and worried the team relied too heavily on Kawamoto.
• Mikoshiba asked to guard Kawamoto for the entire game and requested that he show his full strength; Kawamoto agreed.
• Kawamoto opened the game with a post fadeaway, then scored with a Dream Shake layup, a drive, and a three-pointer.
• Jousei called a timeout as Mikoshiba struggled to contain Kawamoto, and the coach urged him to stay focused and deny easy shots.

Kawamoto overwhelmed Jousei with an unstoppable scoring performance, leading Shohoku by 25 at halftime and leaving Mikoshiba and his teammates shaken. After Kawamoto was substituted out, he looked ahead to the nationals and possibly going to the United States in search of a worthy opponent.

• Kawamoto scored through Mikoshiba with a spin move and a three-point play, then used his strength to back him down and score again.
• Kawamoto dominated the rest of the first half with an array of shots, drives, steals, and assists as Shohoku built a 45-20 lead.
• Mikoshiba and Jousei's players left for the locker room devastated, while Akagi, Miyagi, and Kogure watched Kawamoto in shock.
• Akagi suggested Kawamoto rest in the second half, and Kawamoto agreed because he had achieved his objective.
• Kawamoto thought about finding a real opponent at the nationals or going to the United States before Shohoku substituted him out.
• Jousei's players remained numb despite Kawamoto's absence, haunted by his 38-point first half.

Mari Kawai arrived to cover Shohoku’s final practice game against Jousei and questioned why MVP Kawamoto Kazuki was not playing. After she praised Kaede Rukawa and called Kawamoto a benchwarmer, Ayako revealed that Kawamoto had nearly overwhelmed a national quarterfinalist by himself in just five minutes.

• Mari Kawai and two Shohoku news club members arrived at Jousei’s gym, and Ayako allowed them to watch and take photos from beside the bench.
• Mari found Kawamoto Kazuki and asked for an exclusive interview, but he declined and said he was following the coach’s arrangements.
• Shohoku started the game without Kawamoto, while Kaede Rukawa scored repeatedly and led the team’s offense.
• Mari wondered aloud why Kawamoto had won the MVP when Rukawa looked like the stronger player, prompting Ayako and the other Shohoku members to react with disbelief.
• Ayako told Mari that Kawamoto had nearly reduced a national quarterfinalist to tears by himself in five minutes and said Rukawa was no match for him.

Shohoku narrowly defeated Jousei, and Mari Kawai grew intrigued by the strange respect Kawamoto Kazuki received despite not playing. After Kawamoto ended her interview with a single matter-of-fact answer, he went to Flash Wind Express, where Murasame returned from a delivery looking unsteady.

• Shohoku beat Jousei 78–77 after Akagi scored the winning putback, while Rukawa led Shohoku with 35 points.
• After the game, Jousei's players flocked to thank and praise Kawamoto, prompting Mari Kawai to suspect he was hiding extraordinary abilities.
• On the Shinkansen, Mari tried to interview Kawamoto, but his answer that he excelled at whatever the team needed left her unable to continue.
• Kawamoto went to Flash Wind Express, learned Murasame had taken an urgent cigarette delivery, and saw Murasame stagger into the base.

After Idaten delinquents beat Murasame and steal his motorcycle, Masaki, Kawamoto, and the Racing Angels set out to confront them. They roar through the rainy night toward Heike, determined to reclaim the bike and punish the gang.

• Murasame returns to the Racing Angels base beaten and explains that Idaten members took his delivery cigarettes without paying, attacked him, and stole his motorcycle.
• Masaki praises Murasame for fighting back and vows that Idaten will pay for dishonoring Flash Wind Express and the Racing Angels.
• Junya volunteers to go after Idaten, and Masaki asks Kawamoto to join them.
• Kawamoto puts on his helmet, and Masaki, Kawamoto, Nakajo, Kamishima, and Junya ride out toward Heike in the rain.

Masaki and his four companions stormed Idaten’s warehouse to destroy the gang, and the fight erupted against hundreds of members. As Junya, Nakajo, and Kamishima battled through the crowd, Kawamoto revealed overwhelming strength and began cutting down the attackers; the fight continued with Idaten’s men still surrounding them.

• Masaki and his companions smashed through Idaten’s warehouse doors and declared that Idaten would disappear from Shonan.
• Junya, Nakajo, and Kamishima charged into the crowd and began fighting the gang members with their distinct brutal styles.
• Masaki stayed by his motorcycle, precisely knocking down anyone who came near while watching Mitani on the platform.
• Dozens of Idaten members targeted Kawamoto, but he crushed one attacker’s hand and punched him through the crowd.
• Kawamoto broke another attacker’s wrist, struck a second with his elbow, dodged two knives, and stabbed one knife wielder in the thigh with his companion’s blade.

Kawamoto Kazuki and the Racing Angels defeated Idaten in the warehouse, with Kawamoto’s overwhelming fighting skill breaking the gang’s resistance. Masaki and the others captured Mitani Jun and his officers, then rode off with them as Kawamoto left alone into the rain.

• Kawamoto silently overwhelmed Idaten’s fighters, impressing Junya, Nakajo, Kamishima, and Masaki with his combat skill.
• Mitani Jun charged Kawamoto, but Masaki intercepted him while Kawamoto defeated the blond youth and two other officers.
• Masaki knocked Mitani down and tied him up as the warehouse battle ended, with half of Idaten’s members fleeing and the rest defeated.
• Junya and the others bound Mitani’s officers to their motorcycles, while Masaki declared that the Racing Angels called the shots on Shonan’s nights.
• Masaki and the others dragged the captured Idaten leaders into the rain, and Kawamoto Kazuki rode away alone on his blue Z1.

Kazami Academy coach Takahashi Nanase visited Shohoku with his team for a practice game and introduced first-years Chiba Hidekazu and Shimizu Seisaku as key newcomers. Chiba challenged Kawamoto Kazuki’s reputation as a three-point shooter, but Coach Anzai said Kawamoto was not in the gym and left the answer for the game.

• Takahashi Nanase arrived at Shohoku with the Kazami Academy team, greeted Coach Anzai, and gave him a box of Gunma’s Fujiwara tofu.
• Takahashi praised Shohoku’s basketball atmosphere and discussed the modified motorcycles and Flash Wind Express riders he had seen on the way.
• Takahashi introduced Chiba Hidekazu, Kazami’s aggressive first-year point guard, and Shimizu Seisaku, a dependable first-year small forward.
• Chiba asked to meet Kawamoto Kazuki and said he wanted to test the Kanagawa MVP’s three-point shooting, prompting Sakuragi to defend Kawamoto.
• Coach Anzai told Chiba that Kawamoto was not in the gym and that Kazami would see his three-pointers during the practice game.

Shohoku fell far behind Kazami after Mitsui’s second-half shooting collapsed and Shimizu Seisaku repeatedly hit three-pointers. Coach Anzai sent Kawakawamoto into the game to turn the tide, and Kawamoto scored a three before taking on Shimizu defensively.

• Chiba Hidekazu volunteered to guard Kaede Rukawa, while Shimizu Seisaku served as Kazami’s other defensive anchor.
• Akagi scored inside and Shimizu Seisaku made three-pointers as Shohoku and Kazami stayed close through halftime.
• Mitsui missed four straight threes after the break while Shimizu Seisaku hit five in a row, pushing Kazami’s lead to seventeen points.
• Kazami widened the margin to twenty-two as its zone defense contained Kaede Rukawa, prompting Coach Anzai to call Kawakawamoto into the game.
• Kawakawamoto asked to defend Shimizu Seisaku, then made a three-pointer after Kaede Rukawa passed him the ball.
• Kawakawamoto matched up against Shimizu Seisaku as Kazami began its next possession.

Kawamoto Kazuki disrupted Kazami Academy’s offense with steals and lockdown defense while helping Kaede Rukawa fuel Shohoku’s comeback. Shohoku cut its 22-point deficit to nine, and Kawamoto fixed Chiba Hidekazu with a chilling stare after making a three despite Chiba’s threatening closeout.

• Kawamoto stole the ball from Shimizu Seisaku and passed upcourt to Kaede Rukawa for a tomahawk dunk.
• Kawamoto denied Shimizu an answer-ball opportunity, and Kazami’s rushed shot missed before Kawamoto made a three-pointer to cut the deficit to 14.
• Kawamoto stole the ball from Shimizu again and knocked it upcourt for Kaede Rukawa, who dunked to narrow the deficit to 12.
• Kawamoto escaped Chiba Hidekazu’s pressure, caught Kaede Rukawa’s pass, and hit a three-pointer despite Chiba lunging toward his face.
• Kawamoto stared down Chiba after the shot, leaving Chiba unsettled as Shohoku closed the gap to nine points.