Appearances
World youth
He's aiming for a 3rd consecutive victory in the winters' nationals as the captain of Toho Academy senior high school (The strongest opponent! Netherlands youth, page 5). And despite being injured to both legs in his previous matches, he was not only the top scorer of the tournament, for a 3rd consecutive year (The strongest opponent! Netherlands youth, pages 8-9), but also scored the victorious goal in the final, achieving a V3 (The strongest opponent! Netherlands youth, pages 26 to 28).
Selected to play for Japan youth for friendly matches, he won't be able to play because of he was injured during the final of the Senior high school soccer tournament, and without Tsubasa playing in the Brazilian pro league, Wakabayashi gone missing, as well as Misaki in a bad condition and falling into a slump, they'll lose their first two friendly matches against Netherlands youth, said to be the strongest in Europe at the time, pretty badly, 0-6 and 0-7 (The strongest opponent! Netherlands youth, pages 29 to 43). He'll want to play despite his injury at the end of the second match to score at least one goal, even inheriting the Captain's armband from Matsuyama. However, he'll not even manage to shoot (The strongest opponent! Netherlands youth, pages 44 to 48).
Desperate to show a better performance, Japan youth will train in tears in the middle of the night, and be surprised to see Tsubasa who came to help them. Thanks to Misugi's advices for the defense, himself playing thanks to a painkiller injection, and Misaki playing despite his slump, they'll show a better performance but will still have troubles because of Tsubasa's current condition which isn't perfect (The strongest opponent! Netherlands youth, pages 50 to 79). However, energized by the sudden appearance of supporters in the stadium, Tsubasa's condition will improve, Wakabayashi will also appear to support Wakashimazu to not take any more goals, and everyone to win this match (The strongest opponent! Netherlands youth, pages 80 to 87). He'll contribute by scoring a hat trick, and the match will end up with a victory 10-1 (The strongest opponent! Netherlands youth, pages 66 to 103).
He'll watch the broadcast of Tsubasa's match against Santana's Flamengo (World youth arc, chapter 6, pages 46-47), recognize that Santana is a great player (World youth arc, chapter 7, pages 24-25).
Along with Misaki, they'll announce in the press conference that the members of Japan youth who were playing in senior high school won't join the J-league, prefering to focus on the youth national team, not only to win the asian preliminaries, but to win the World youth, blowing away a table and breaking it with his soccer ball in the process (World youth arc, chapter 10, pages 1 to 16).
Selected among the 22 members participating in All japan youth first training camp, he'll have a thorough inspection of his legs (World youth arc, chapter 10, pages 17-18), and be named captain of the forwards (World youth arc, chapter 11, pages 4-5). The inspection won't be long though, and he'll quickly be back to the training camp, during Hino Ryoma's appearance (World youth arc, chapter 11, pages 18-19). Upon learning that Wakashimazu would quit the team, he'll try to convince him to stay along with Sorimachi and Sawada, but will fail, even trying to stop him by force by kicking his tiger shot on Wakashimazu's back, but the latter will stop it with just one hand, he'll then recognize that Wakashimazu has what it takes just like Wakabayashi to fight for the title of best keeper in the world (World youth arc, chapter 13, pages 1 to 15). During the appearance of the Real Japan seven, he'll be the first to suggest a match to settle who are the real All Japan youth players, among the first group to play against them (World youth arc, chapter 14, pages 12 to 15), not wanting to let them take their place because they have sacrificed their pro career to focus on All Japan youth (World youth arc, chapter 14, page 35). Seeing that Misaki is eventually be happy to see that Japan may be strengthened by these players who are certainly able, he'll agree with Misaki but won't give up on winning the match, because he promised he'd be undefeated until he leaves Japan like Tsubasa (World youth arc, chapter 15, pages 4 to 10), but also for the sake of his familiy who agreed to let him pursue his dreams despite their money problems (World youth arc, chapter 15, pages 14-15). Despite all of this, him and the rest of his group will lose to the Real Japan seven, which he won't admit at first (World youth arc, chapter 15, pages 51-52), he'll also be angry at Misaki for doubting their decisions to focus on the youth national team rather than play in the j-League (World youth arc, chapter 15, pages 72-73). Moreover, he'll be among the 7 evicted members because he can't use postplay, but will have another chance for the 2nd round of the asian preliminaries (World youth arc, chapter 16, pages 14 to 17). He won't leave the training camp however, having promised to protect Japan while he isn't here, and decided to train his postplay, after regular training, and competing against Hino (World youth arc, chapter 16, pages 22 to 25). He'll encourage his teammates (World youth arc, chapter 17, page 6), and train his postplay even during trainings, while stille competing against Hino (World youth arc, chapter 17, pages 8 to 15). Matsuyama will then tell him to leave to have better suited training, affirming that Matsuyama will protect Japan in his place, and even hitting him in the process, swearing that Matsuyama'd make sure that no one would quit. He will feel that Matsuyama kind of had his revenge for when he hit Matsuyama in the cantina during the elementary school national tournament, but will listen to Matsuyama and leave to improve greatly, counting on Matsuyama to protect Japan (World youth arc, chapter 17, pages 14 to 19).
Training his postplay in Okinawa, he'll also train to learn a new shot, but Kira has no advice for him except do something other than soccer once in a while. He'll meet the Ace of the newly created softball club of Higa High school, Akamine Maki, who'll force him to help her and catch her balls because he wrecked havoc on the softball pitch. He will protest at first, especially since Maki spilled his favorite cola, stating that isn't good for a sport player's body. However he will eventually agree, remembering coach Kira's advice to do something else once in a while. He will still find similarities between Maki's pitches and the shots of his teammates, and Maki will give him a hint for a new shot when using her specialty, the riser ball, an especially strong and fast rising ball because she's hitting her arm on her hip. Thanks to that revelation he will train on his new shot, letting Sawada train with Maki instead (World youth arc, chapter 27, pages 10 to 21). To complete this new shot, he'll train in the mountains and shoot at a giant tree until he's brigning it down, finally completing the Raiju shot, he'll come back to see that Maki has lost her first match, and he'll encourage her to cry and use her frustration to be better win next time (World youth arc, chapter 28, pages 2 to 19). He won't tell Maki that he's leaving, leading to her trying to catch up to his bus without success, but he will wait for her, and Maki will give him a farewell gift, a cola can, which is actually a prank since it'll spill all over him. He will tell her that she'll win against the Okinan team next, to what she'll answer half jokingly that he will have to go on a date with Maki if she wins, and will taste cola, which she'll find better than she thought (World youth arc, chapter 29, pages 7 to 11). He'll finally come back to the training camp along with the other excluded members for the rematch against the Real Japan seven. just like the other members, he'll show his progress, his use of postplay at first, then he'll eventually use his Raiju shot, that Yamada will admit being unable to catch, and that will blow away Hino. Gamo will stop the match before the end at 10-2, the result being obvious and his new shot being a burden for his legs, Gamo will thus allow them to come back to the team, and reveal that the true prupose of the Real Japan seven was just to be a sparring partner, since most of them are actually too old to play in the world youth, Hino having the doublen ationality japanese and uruguayan, could join, but decided to play for Uruguay instead, continuing Hino's rivalry against him (World youth arc, chapter 29, pages 1 to 92). Gamo will tell him, however, to keep his raiju shot a secret until the world youth, to keep it a secret from the other teams (World youth arc, chapter 30, page 14). Despite this, he'll achieve a hat trick against Uzbekistan youth (World youth arc, chapter 31, pages 26-27) and against UAE youth (World youth arc, chapter 31, pages 36-37). He'll notice how stronger emotionally Misaki has become when he'll ask to take a free kick to score against Saudi Arabia youth, and it'll make him want to use his raiju shot against Saudi Arabia youth (World youth arc, chapter 32, pages 58 to 60). With Saudi Arabia youth setting the pace, Gamo will allow him to use his raiju shot (World youth arc, chapter 32, page 84). Thanks to his raiju shot, he'll achieve a hat trick against Saudi Arabia youth as well, unknowingly leaving a "V1" mark victory on the ground, meaning that Japan youth will win everything and be n°1 of the Asia youth championship (World youth arc, chapter 34, pages 38-39). However, right before the match against China youth, his mother will overwork, fall unconscious, and hit her head on a desk and on the ground, causing a traumatic head injury. His brothers and sister being alone, he will feel bad about favoring his dreams rather money, which is why his mom overworked. Feeling like he sacrificed his family, he'll consider leaving the Asia youth championship to take care of them, but Yayoi, who's trying to become a nurse, informed by Misugi, will take care of them instead. His teamamtes will be worried about him, and Ishizaki will reassure him and laugh it off, affirming that they'll be fine even without him, which will make him realize that despite his personality, he made a bunch of comrades thanks to soccer, and will decide to go back to Japan only after the match against China youth, thinking that giving up his dream would disappoint his mother, remembering how she was glad that he pursued his dreams rather than money (World youth arc, chapter 35, pages 6 to 18). Still scarred by his father's death, who he feels died because he couldn't keep his promise to win a match, he'll be espacially motivated to win against China youth, scoring a precious goal when China youth was starting to give the rhythm (World youth arc, chapter 36, pages 22 to 61). However, he'll learn at half time that his mother's condition worsened, and will lash out at Misugi, who managed to play soccer again despite his disease, but will quickly apologize (World youth arc, chapter 37, pages 12-13). Despite being desperately worried, he'll still be able to focus on the match (World youth arc, chapter 37, pages 22-23), but his raiju shot will eventually be countered by Sho's reactive fast kick quick gun, by mimicking almost immediately how the raiju shot was kicked, while he learnt how to do it after many attempts, and will feel defeated (World youth arc, chapter 37, pages 56 to 69). However, performing his raiju shot once more will crush Sho's leg, making him feel half avenged, and he will also score an additional goal, making Japan youth win 6-3, and will learn just after the game that his mother is safe (World youth arc, chapter 38, pages 10 to 37). He'll go back to Japan to see her, but will be faced with the problem of paying the hospital fees, and will consider quitting Japan youth to get a pro contract with the J1 pro team of his hometown, the Urawa Red Diamonds. However, Wakashimazu, warned by Sawada, and knowing that he wanted to join the Juventus eventually, will prevent him to do so. Wakashimazu will give him the salary that Wakashimazu earned with the Yokohama Flugels. Then, he'll convince Wakashimazu to go back to the Japan youth team in Jakarta with him since Wakabayashi is injured and won't be able to play for a while (World youth arc, chapter 39, pages 2 to 22). They'll qualify to the World youth after winning against Iraq youth (World youth arc, chapter 42, pages 8 to 11). After the victory 2-0 against Korea youth in the final match, he will end up being the best forward of the Asian youth championship (World youth arc, chapter 43, pages 38-39).
Returning to Japan, after a press conference, he'll part with the others, probably to go back to Meiwa with Sawada (World youth arc, chapter 44, pages 2 to 4) and maybe Wakashimazu (World youth arc, chapter 45, pages 2-3). After learning that the World youth may be cancelled because of a civil war in the host country, Burunga, he'll be angry since they made great efforts to be able to play against the world (World youth arc, chapter 45, pages 2-3). Hearing about Misaki's injury, he'll dismiss the idea of visiting Misaki, saying that Misaki would prefer if the team worked hard to fill in the gap. Tsubasa will instead suggest to pray at Mt Fuji, since it was an idea from Misaki anyway, and he'll thus go with the rest of the team there (World youth arc, chapter 47, pages 25 to 39).
Right before the opening match of the World youth, knowing that Tsubasa has been training every night to create a new special shot, he'll ask Tsubasa if it's complete, and the latter will answer that he'll have the answer on the field (World youth arc, chapter 51, pages 15 to 17). After his raiju shot at long range was deviated by Espadas, he will indeed see Tsubasa use the sky dive shot (World youth arc, chapter 52, pages 128 to 145). Then, he'll most notably score the victorious goal by blowing away Espadas with his raiju shot, that he was able to kick thanks to Tsubasa (World youth arc, chapter 53, pages 18 to 25). Aware that the match against Uruguay youth will be a confrontation of strikers betweeen him and Hino, that Tsubasa can't lead the team like usual because of his injury, and with Misaki's absence, he'll decide to pull up the team himself for the match against Uruguay youth. Maki, having qualified to the softball national tournament by beating Okinan, escaped from the hotel to meet him, and will jokingly remind him about having a date if she managed to beat Okinan. She'll give him a charm that helped her defeat Okinan, which he'll accept, and promise to win against Uruguay youth. Sawada witnessed the scene, and so he'll ask Sawada to not tell anyone about this, but Sawada will still spill the beans. As a result, he will jokingly "kick Sawada to death" with his raiju shot (World youth arc, chapter 53, pages 54 to 59). He'll notice that Tsubasa isn't looking well before the match against Uruguay youth (World youth arc, chapter 54, page 10). He'll notice Aoi being depressed and unfocused just before the match against Uruguay youth, still thinking about Italy youth's loss, he will thus slap Aoi on the face and remind Aoi's responsibilities. After Aoi got his fighting spirit back, he will ask Aoi to be slap him in return, as it will be his responsibility to pull up the team. Aoi will thus slap him (World youth arc, chapter 54, pages 14 to 22). He'll then most notably score the first goal of the match, teasing Hino about it (World youth arc, chapter 54, pages 38 to 43), and score a second one (World youth arc, chapter 54, pages 82-83). However, Hino will show him that the tornado shot is better than his raiju shot by scoring on a ball in midair, which he is unable to do with the raiju shot, requiring to use the ground (World youth arc, chapter 54, pages 109 to 115). Jito, wanting to redeem himself for an own goal, will want to let him use his back for the raiju shot just like he would use the ground to perform the raiju shot as a jumping volley, in other words, sacrificing Jito's back in order to score. However, he will instead use Jito's back to jump higher and go above his markers, using his raiju shot immediately after landing, and scoring the equalizer, he will tell Jito that they need Jito's strength for after this match as well (World youth arc, chapter 55, pages 44 to 59).
Training his postplay in Okinawa, he'll also train to learn a new shot, but Kira has no advice for him except do something other than soccer once in a while. He'll meet the Ace of the newly created softball club of Higa High school, Akamine Maki, who'll force him to help her and catch her balls because he wrecked havoc on the softball pitch. He will protest at first, especially since Maki spilled his favorite cola, stating that isn't good for a sport player's body. However he will eventually agree, remembering coach Kira's advice to do something else once in a while. He will still find similarities between Maki's pitches and the shots of his teammates, and Maki will give him a hint for a new shot when using her specialty, the riser ball, an especially strong and fast rising ball because she's hitting her arm on her hip. Thanks to that revelation he will train on his new shot, letting Sawada train with Maki instead (World youth arc, chapter 27, pages 10 to 21). To complete this new shot, he'll train in the mountains and shoot at a giant tree until he's brigning it down, finally completing the Raiju shot, he'll come back to see that Maki has lost her first match, and he'll encourage her to cry and use her frustration to be better win next time (World youth arc, chapter 28, pages 2 to 19). He won't tell Maki that he's leaving, leading to her trying to catch up to his bus without success, but he will wait for her, and Maki will give him a farewell gift, a cola can, which is actually a prank since it'll spill all over him. He will tell her that she'll win against the Okinan team next, to what she'll answer half jokingly that he will have to go on a date with Maki if she wins, and will taste cola, which she'll find better than she thought (World youth arc, chapter 29, pages 7 to 11). He'll finally come back to the training camp along with the other excluded members for the rematch against the Real Japan seven. just like the other members, he'll show his progress, his use of postplay at first, then he'll eventually use his Raiju shot, that Yamada will admit being unable to catch, and that will blow away Hino. Gamo will stop the match before the end at 10-2, the result being obvious and his new shot being a burden for his legs, Gamo will thus allow them to come back to the team, and reveal that the true prupose of the Real Japan seven was just to be a sparring partner, since most of them are actually too old to play in the world youth, Hino having the doublen ationality japanese and uruguayan, could join, but decided to play for Uruguay instead, continuing Hino's rivalry against him (World youth arc, chapter 29, pages 1 to 92). Gamo will tell him, however, to keep his raiju shot a secret until the world youth, to keep it a secret from the other teams (World youth arc, chapter 30, page 14). Despite this, he'll achieve a hat trick against Uzbekistan youth (World youth arc, chapter 31, pages 26-27) and against UAE youth (World youth arc, chapter 31, pages 36-37). He'll notice how stronger emotionally Misaki has become when he'll ask to take a free kick to score against Saudi Arabia youth, and it'll make him want to use his raiju shot against Saudi Arabia youth (World youth arc, chapter 32, pages 58 to 60). With Saudi Arabia youth setting the pace, Gamo will allow him to use his raiju shot (World youth arc, chapter 32, page 84). Thanks to his raiju shot, he'll achieve a hat trick against Saudi Arabia youth as well, unknowingly leaving a "V1" mark victory on the ground, meaning that Japan youth will win everything and be n°1 of the Asia youth championship (World youth arc, chapter 34, pages 38-39). However, right before the match against China youth, his mother will overwork, fall unconscious, and hit her head on a desk and on the ground, causing a traumatic head injury. His brothers and sister being alone, he will feel bad about favoring his dreams rather money, which is why his mom overworked. Feeling like he sacrificed his family, he'll consider leaving the Asia youth championship to take care of them, but Yayoi, who's trying to become a nurse, informed by Misugi, will take care of them instead. His teamamtes will be worried about him, and Ishizaki will reassure him and laugh it off, affirming that they'll be fine even without him, which will make him realize that despite his personality, he made a bunch of comrades thanks to soccer, and will decide to go back to Japan only after the match against China youth, thinking that giving up his dream would disappoint his mother, remembering how she was glad that he pursued his dreams rather than money (World youth arc, chapter 35, pages 6 to 18). Still scarred by his father's death, who he feels died because he couldn't keep his promise to win a match, he'll be espacially motivated to win against China youth, scoring a precious goal when China youth was starting to give the rhythm (World youth arc, chapter 36, pages 22 to 61). However, he'll learn at half time that his mother's condition worsened, and will lash out at Misugi, who managed to play soccer again despite his disease, but will quickly apologize (World youth arc, chapter 37, pages 12-13). Despite being desperately worried, he'll still be able to focus on the match (World youth arc, chapter 37, pages 22-23), but his raiju shot will eventually be countered by Sho's reactive fast kick quick gun, by mimicking almost immediately how the raiju shot was kicked, while he learnt how to do it after many attempts, and will feel defeated (World youth arc, chapter 37, pages 56 to 69). However, performing his raiju shot once more will crush Sho's leg, making him feel half avenged, and he will also score an additional goal, making Japan youth win 6-3, and will learn just after the game that his mother is safe (World youth arc, chapter 38, pages 10 to 37). He'll go back to Japan to see her, but will be faced with the problem of paying the hospital fees, and will consider quitting Japan youth to get a pro contract with the J1 pro team of his hometown, the Urawa Red Diamonds. However, Wakashimazu, warned by Sawada, and knowing that he wanted to join the Juventus eventually, will prevent him to do so. Wakashimazu will give him the salary that Wakashimazu earned with the Yokohama Flugels. Then, he'll convince Wakashimazu to go back to the Japan youth team in Jakarta with him since Wakabayashi is injured and won't be able to play for a while (World youth arc, chapter 39, pages 2 to 22). They'll qualify to the World youth after winning against Iraq youth (World youth arc, chapter 42, pages 8 to 11). After the victory 2-0 against Korea youth in the final match, he will end up being the best forward of the Asian youth championship (World youth arc, chapter 43, pages 38-39).
Returning to Japan, after a press conference, he'll part with the others, probably to go back to Meiwa with Sawada (World youth arc, chapter 44, pages 2 to 4) and maybe Wakashimazu (World youth arc, chapter 45, pages 2-3). After learning that the World youth may be cancelled because of a civil war in the host country, Burunga, he'll be angry since they made great efforts to be able to play against the world (World youth arc, chapter 45, pages 2-3). Hearing about Misaki's injury, he'll dismiss the idea of visiting Misaki, saying that Misaki would prefer if the team worked hard to fill in the gap. Tsubasa will instead suggest to pray at Mt Fuji, since it was an idea from Misaki anyway, and he'll thus go with the rest of the team there (World youth arc, chapter 47, pages 25 to 39).
Right before the opening match of the World youth, knowing that Tsubasa has been training every night to create a new special shot, he'll ask Tsubasa if it's complete, and the latter will answer that he'll have the answer on the field (World youth arc, chapter 51, pages 15 to 17). After his raiju shot at long range was deviated by Espadas, he will indeed see Tsubasa use the sky dive shot (World youth arc, chapter 52, pages 128 to 145). Then, he'll most notably score the victorious goal by blowing away Espadas with his raiju shot, that he was able to kick thanks to Tsubasa (World youth arc, chapter 53, pages 18 to 25). Aware that the match against Uruguay youth will be a confrontation of strikers betweeen him and Hino, that Tsubasa can't lead the team like usual because of his injury, and with Misaki's absence, he'll decide to pull up the team himself for the match against Uruguay youth. Maki, having qualified to the softball national tournament by beating Okinan, escaped from the hotel to meet him, and will jokingly remind him about having a date if she managed to beat Okinan. She'll give him a charm that helped her defeat Okinan, which he'll accept, and promise to win against Uruguay youth. Sawada witnessed the scene, and so he'll ask Sawada to not tell anyone about this, but Sawada will still spill the beans. As a result, he will jokingly "kick Sawada to death" with his raiju shot (World youth arc, chapter 53, pages 54 to 59). He'll notice that Tsubasa isn't looking well before the match against Uruguay youth (World youth arc, chapter 54, page 10). He'll notice Aoi being depressed and unfocused just before the match against Uruguay youth, still thinking about Italy youth's loss, he will thus slap Aoi on the face and remind Aoi's responsibilities. After Aoi got his fighting spirit back, he will ask Aoi to be slap him in return, as it will be his responsibility to pull up the team. Aoi will thus slap him (World youth arc, chapter 54, pages 14 to 22). He'll then most notably score the first goal of the match, teasing Hino about it (World youth arc, chapter 54, pages 38 to 43), and score a second one (World youth arc, chapter 54, pages 82-83). However, Hino will show him that the tornado shot is better than his raiju shot by scoring on a ball in midair, which he is unable to do with the raiju shot, requiring to use the ground (World youth arc, chapter 54, pages 109 to 115). Jito, wanting to redeem himself for an own goal, will want to let him use his back for the raiju shot just like he would use the ground to perform the raiju shot as a jumping volley, in other words, sacrificing Jito's back in order to score. However, he will instead use Jito's back to jump higher and go above his markers, using his raiju shot immediately after landing, and scoring the equalizer, he will tell Jito that they need Jito's strength for after this match as well (World youth arc, chapter 55, pages 44 to 59).