Takeshi Nakazato leads the Myogi NightKids street racing team. A devastating loss to a silver Nissan Skyline GT-R (R32) on his home course of Mount Myogi shattered his confidence, compelling him to abandon his Nissan Silvia S13 and drifting techniques. He adopted a rigid grip-oriented philosophy, piloting a black Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec II (R32) tuned to roughly 380 horsepower. He now dismisses drifting as inferior showmanship, convinced a car's raw capabilities dictate victory over driver skill. Within the NightKids, Nakazato maintains a complex dynamic with teammate Shingo Shoji. While mutual respect for their driving abilities exists, their interactions display public distance and simmering factional tensions. Shingo periodically challenges Nakazato's leadership, especially following Nakazato's defeats. Witnessing Takumi Fujiwara defeat Keisuke Takahashi on Mount Akina, particularly noting the effective gutter hook technique, sparked Nakazato's interest. Confident in his GT-R's dominance, he traveled to Akina to challenge Takumi. First, he raced Ryosuke Takahashi downhill on Mount Akina to prove his prowess. Despite Ryosuke's assessment that the GT-R was fundamentally ill-suited to beat Takumi's AE86 downhill, Nakazato dismissed the warning, vowing to humiliate the "Akina downhill specialist" and make Ryosuke "eat his words." Nakazato formally issued his challenge at the Akina gas station. Itsuki Takeuchi inadvertently accepted on Takumi's behalf for a race on Mount Akina. During the race, Nakazato initially used his GT-R's all-wheel drive and acceleration to hold the lead. Unbeknownst to him, Bunta Fujiwara had modified the AE86's suspension, enhancing its performance. Navigating the five consecutive hairpins, Nakazato blocked the inside line, forcing Takumi outside. When Nakazato drifted wide, Takumi seized the inside line to overtake. Nakazato's aggressive attempt to reclaim position caused a spin and collision with the guardrail, his signature emotional volatility spiking and compromising throttle control, leading to defeat. Following this loss, Shingo Shoji initiated his own challenge against Takumi, partly driven by ambitions to usurp Nakazato's leadership. Nakazato observed the subsequent "Duct Tape Deathmatch" as a spectator without intervening.