Chapter Summaries

Gu Sheng killed two Sunagakure Jonin while attacking Rasa, but Rasa escaped and Erik joined the fight to protect him. Gu Sheng faced both Magnet Release users and countered their attacks with his varied ninjutsu.

• Gu Sheng ambushed and killed a Sunagakure Jonin in the steam, then used a clone and an underground attack to kill a second Jonin.
• Rasa escaped Gu Sheng’s trap, saw his two Jonin bodyguards dead, and attacked Gu Sheng with Gold Dust Shuriken.
• Erik intervened at Rasa’s request and sent a large metal shuriken toward Gu Sheng.
• Gu Sheng charged Erik using the shuriken as a foothold, then dodged Rasa’s Gold Dust Funeral and counterattacked with ninjutsu of multiple attributes.

Konoha held the advantage over Sunagakure as their top fighters remained locked in battle and Sunagakure’s front lines began to collapse. Chiyo prepared to enter the fight, while Tsunade continued coordinating Konoha’s forces and asked whether Chiyo had made a move.

• Orochimaru and Manda fought the Chiyo couple and Sunagakure forces, while White Fang remained occupied by Ebizo and Dan Katō struggled against the dispersed puppet masters.
• Gu Sheng suppressed Rasa and Erik while weakening Sunagakure’s forces, and reports revealed that several squads had been wiped out or were close to defeat and Hill 1 had fallen.
• Chiyo learned that Sunagakure’s Jonin were outnumbered and could not spare reinforcements, then rose to enter the battle herself.
• Tsunade continued directing Konoha’s forces and using Slug to treat the critically wounded as Mei Daizi urged her to take care of herself.
• Tsunade asked whether Chiyo had made any move, suspecting the Sunagakure commander would not remain on the sidelines.

Gu Sheng revealed his strength to stop Chiyo from turning the battle around, seriously injuring Rasa and drawing Chiyo’s attention. After Tsunade was told to stay in the command room, she rushed out to see Gu Sheng face Chiyo for herself.

• Gu Sheng recognized Chiyo leading a massive Puppet Army assault and decided to stop her before she could devastate Konoha’s forces.
• Gu Sheng told Erik he would injure Rasa and let Erik escape with him, then used his Sharingan and sword to slash Rasa across the abdomen.
• Erik carried the wounded Rasa to Chiyo, who resolved to keep Gu Sheng from growing into a future threat to Sunagakure.
• Chiyo’s Puppet Technique sent waves of Kunai at Gu Sheng as he reached the edge of the Puppet Army.
• Tsunade ordered the Nara Clan’s strategists to command the battle, but after hearing that Gu Sheng had stopped Chiyo, she rushed out despite his warning to stay behind.

Gu Sheng fought Granny Chiyo, whose puppets and combat skill pushed him to the brink. After he destroyed many of her puppets, she summoned the Chikamatsu Ten Puppets and trapped him in Three Treasures Suction Crush, leaving him to counter with a fire technique.

• Gu Sheng struggled against Chiyo’s puppet army and taijutsu while trying to hold her back as Tsunade engaged the Sunagakure forces.
• Gu Sheng used Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu and powerful punches to destroy Chiyo’s puppets and drive her back.
• Chiyo blocked Gu Sheng’s attack with Mech Light Shield Seal, then summoned the Chikamatsu Ten Puppets.
• Chiyo used Three Treasures Suction Crush to pull Gu Sheng toward the formation’s crushing center.
• As he slid toward the center, Gu Sheng launched Fire Style: Great Fire Dragon Technique at the puppet formation.

Gu Sheng used Qing Ling and a poisoned whirlwind to drive Chiyo from the battlefield, though he collapsed from his injuries afterward. The battle ended in victory for the allied forces, and Gu Sheng reassessed his strength against Kage-level opponents.

• After surviving Chiyo’s attack, Gu Sheng sent Qing Ling to strike her and spread its venom through a whirlwind.
• Chiyo was poisoned and forced to retreat, while Gu Sheng collapsed as Nawaki and Chu Xin rushed to him.
• A messenger told Tsunade that Chiyo had been driven back and the Sunagakure forces were fleeing.
• Tsunade ordered the entire army to pursue the retreating enemy.
• Gu Sheng told Nawaki and Chu Xin he was fine, then reflected on his injuries and his limits in battle against Kage-level opponents.

After defeating Chiyo, Gu Sheng asked Orochimaru to teach Azure Spirit Sage Mode from Ryūchi Cave, while Konoha and Sunagakure regrouped for the next stage of the war. Gu Sheng noticed his Sharingan beginning to evolve and was summoned by Lady Tsunade alongside Nawaki and Chu Xin.

• Chu Xin checked Gu Sheng's condition, and Gu Sheng explained that Chiyo had been badly poisoned by Azure Spirit's venom.
• Gu Sheng asked Orochimaru to teach him Sage Mode from the Ryūchi Cave scroll, and Orochimaru agreed.
• Konoha ended its pursuit after inflicting heavy losses on Sunagakure, while the Third Kazekage arrived and Chiyo surrendered most of her authority.
• Chiyo sent her son and daughter-in-law to the rear, unknowingly sparing them and changing her grandson's fate.
• Konoha considered destroying Sunagakure but grew tense when the Third Kazekage brought the Jinchuriki, prompting the Third Hokage to mobilize.
• Gu Sheng sensed his Sharingan beginning to evolve, then went to meet Lady Tsunade with Nawaki and Chu Xin.

Gu Sheng, Nawaki, and Chu Xin were summoned to Tsunade’s command room, where the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, appeared alongside Orochimaru. The chapter ended as Gu Sheng recognized Hiruzen in his prime, with the reason for the summons still unknown.

• Gu Sheng and Nawaki speculated about why Tsunade had called them, while Gu Sheng reflected on his wartime promotion to Jonin and its significance.
• The messenger escorted Gu Sheng, Nawaki, and Chu Xin from their camp to Tsunade’s command room.
• Nawaki greeted Tsunade, who praised his contribution and urged him to train as a Medical Ninja after the war, but he objected.
• Tsunade asked about Gu Sheng’s recovery, and he explained that his internal injuries from fighting Chiyo were healing slowly.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen emerged from a small room with Orochimaru, and Nawaki joyfully greeted his uncle.
• Gu Sheng recognized Hiruzen as the Third Hokage and considered his reputation and strength at his physical peak.

Gu Sheng challenged Sarutobi Hiruzen over the purpose of Konoha’s war with the Land of Wind, while the Third Hokage weighed his words against the village’s need for peace. The chapter ended with Sarutobi solemnly declaring that the war was meant to protect the Land of Fire and preserve peace for Konoha.

• Sarutobi Hiruzen welcomed Nawaki and observed Gu Sheng, whom he considered a possible future Hokage contender.
• Sarutobi greeted Orochimaru’s disciple, Uchiha Sheng, and praised his achievements on the battlefield.
• Gu Sheng said he missed peacetime and questioned the honor of becoming a Jonin at twelve.
• Gu Sheng asked Sarutobi what Konoha’s war with the Land of Wind was for, prompting the others to wait in silence for his answer.
• Sarutobi recalled intelligence about the Warhawk Faction and answered that the war was to protect the Land of Fire and preserve peace for Konoha.

Gu Sheng’s military advice impressed Sarutobi Hiruzen, but a sudden Sunagakure assault forced the Konoha forces into battle. As Gu Sheng, Chu Xin, and Nawaki reached the front, they found Orochimaru and Tsunade fighting Shukaku and the Third Kazekage, and Gu Sheng was asked how they should respond.

• Gu Sheng’s suggestions won Sarutobi Hiruzen’s approval, while Tsunade, Orochimaru, Nawaki, and Chu Xin were surprised by his military knowledge.
• A messenger reported that Sunagakure Shinobi had attacked, and Sarutobi ordered Orochimaru and Tsunade to organize the army before rushing to the battlefield with ANBU.
• Gu Sheng, Chu Xin, and Nawaki left the command headquarters and encountered Shukaku battling Manda and Tsunade’s Slug.
• Bunpuku told Shukaku to drive Konoha out of the Land of Wind, while Orochimaru offered Manda the attacking Sunagakure forces as food.
• The Slug warned Tsunade that Bunpuku was a Perfect Jinchuriki, and the group reached a battlefield where Sarutobi Hiruzen fought the Third Kazekage.
• Gu Sheng’s companions asked him what they should do as the battle remained at a stalemate.

Gu Sheng led Konoha fighters to support White Fang, using Strange Insects and Qing Ling to break through Sunagakure’s defenses. He sent White Fang to aid Orochimaru and continued fighting Ebizo, who faced a pincer attack from Gu Sheng’s creatures.

• Gu Sheng advanced with Nawaki, Chu Xin, Uchiha Fugaku, Mei Daizi, and the Hyuga brothers toward White Fang and Ebizo’s battle.
• Rasa and Erik intercepted the group, but Gu Sheng unleashed Strange Insects that devoured Sunagakure shinobi and forced Rasa to retreat.
• Gu Sheng reached White Fang, handed him a note, and told him to go help Orochimaru; White Fang left for the battlefield.
• Gu Sheng attacked Ebizo with his Tachi, Strange Insects, and Qing Ling, while Ebizo countered with a powerful wind technique.
• Gu Sheng scattered the insect cloud and sent the Mutant Insect King and Qing Ling to attack Ebizo from both sides.

Gu Sheng used his insects to expose Bunpuku and create an opening for White Fang to strike the Third Kazekage. He then attacked the wounded Kazekage, but was trapped inside a crushing sphere of Iron Sand.

• Gu Sheng redirected the Black Snake from Ebizo to Shukaku, where the insects gnawed into Shukaku and drained his chakra.
• Shukaku erupted with sand to drive off the insects, exposing Bunpuku and drawing the fighters’ attention.
• White Fang struck the Third Kazekage from behind while Ebizo rushed to protect Bunpuku.
• Gu Sheng smashed through the Third Kazekage’s Iron Sand Wall and poisoned him with a punch.
• The Third Kazekage retaliated with Iron Sand attacks, trapping Gu Sheng inside a massive sphere.

Gu Sheng was rescued from the Iron Sand Sphere but suffered devastating injuries to his right hand. The Third Kazekage withdrew his forces, while Tsunade and Mei Daizi began arranging Gu Sheng’s treatment at the Medical Camp.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi broke through the Iron Sand Sphere and pulled Gu Sheng free, causing the injured Third Kazekage to cough up poisoned blood.
• Gu Sheng taunted the Third Kazekage with the threat of being captured, and the Kazekage ordered a retreat under cover of Bunpuku’s chaos.
• Orochimaru pursued the fleeing Sunagakure forces while Tsunade summoned Slug and examined Gu Sheng’s injuries.
• Tsunade found Gu Sheng’s right hand severely crushed and admitted she was unsure she could repair it, but Gu Sheng told her he trusted her.
• Mei Daizi took Gu Sheng to the Medical Camp operating room with Nawaki and Chu Xin, while Tsunade gave battlefield instructions and then hurried after them.

After Tsunade operated on Gu Sheng’s injured hand, he recovered in a private room while Konoha and Sunagakure remained locked in a standoff. Gu Sheng reassured Chu Xin and Mei Daizi that they would stay together, just as Tsunade and Nawaki arrived to speak with him.

• Tsunade told Fugaku and the waiting visitors that Gu Sheng’s hand would recover, and Fugaku thanked her on behalf of the Uchiha Clan.
• Chu Xin and Mei Daizi helped Gu Sheng settle into a room in Konoha’s combat command center, where he asked about the negotiations with Sunagakure.
• Chu Xin reported that the Third Kazekage had refused to yield and that Sunagakure’s Jinchuriki, Bunpuku, made the enemy camp difficult to attack.
• Gu Sheng concluded that the war would likely continue, but reassured Chu Xin that everyone would be fine and that they would stay together.
• Tsunade opened the door, saw Gu Sheng embracing Chu Xin and Mei Daizi, and shut it again; Gu Sheng asked Mei Daizi to let Tsunade and Nawaki in.

While recovering from his injuries, Gu Sheng met with Sarutobi Hiruzen, who sought his advice about Konoha’s strained position on the front lines and unrest in the village. Gu Sheng suggested sending Tsunade back, and Sarutobi invited him to a strategy meeting.

• Tsunade brought the recovering Gu Sheng to Sarutobi Hiruzen’s office, where the Hokage asked about his injuries.
• Sarutobi explained that Konoha’s war with Sunagakure remained unresolved and that trouble had arisen with Mountain Country, then asked who should return to manage the village.
• Gu Sheng inferred that Danzo was causing trouble and suggested bringing him to the front lines to face the injured Third Kazekage, but Sarutobi refused to let Danzo leave Konoha.
• Gu Sheng proposed sending Tsunade back, arguing that Orochimaru could handle the front while Danzo might be difficult for him to restrain.
• Sarutobi recognized Gu Sheng’s inference about Danzo, shared a laugh with him, and invited him to an upcoming strategy meeting.

Sarutobi Hiruzen convened a strategy meeting to discuss withdrawing personnel from the Sunagakure front and announced that he would appoint an Acting Hokage to oversee Konoha. His cryptic final glance at Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Gu Sheng left the intended choice unclear.

• Sarutobi Hiruzen began the meeting by announcing plans to send wounded shinobi and some clans back from the front line.
• Uchiha Fugaku thanked Hiruzen for allowing the Uchiha, Senju, and Hyuga to return to Konoha to recuperate.
• Senju Momoka worried that Hiruzen and Danzo were eroding the Senju clan's influence and reflected on the different clans' bloodlines.
• Hiruzen asked whether anyone objected to the withdrawal and announced that he would appoint an Acting Hokage to manage Konoha while he remained at the front.
• Hiruzen looked toward Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Gu Sheng as he mentioned the Acting Hokage, leaving Gu Sheng astonished.

Sarutobi Hiruzen named Gu Sheng the Acting Hokage, believing he could restrain Danzo and help integrate the Uchiha into Konoha. As the meeting erupted in surprise, Sarutobi began defending his choice by pointing to Gu Sheng’s role in stabilizing the battle.

• Sarutobi Hiruzen appointed Gu Sheng as Acting Hokage, startling Gu Sheng, Orochimaru, and Tsunade.
• Sarutobi weighed the other candidates and concluded that Gu Sheng had the ability, background, and prestige to keep Danzo in check.
• Sarutobi saw Gu Sheng as a future successor to Orochimaru and a chance to bring the Uchiha closer to Konoha’s leadership.
• Gu Sheng privately attributed his suspicion of Danzo to Danzo’s notorious history rather than to political insight.
• Sarutobi called for calm and began justifying Gu Sheng’s appointment by citing his defeat of Chiyo and the Kazekage of Sunagakure.

Gu Sheng received Orochimaru’s ninjutsu scroll and guidance for the Ryūchi Cave Sage Mode trial before Orochimaru returned to the front. In Konoha, Danzo raged over Gu Sheng’s appointment as Acting Hokage, but the other advisors told him to accept Sarutobi’s decision and wait for Gu Sheng and Tsunade to return.

• Gu Sheng sent Mei Daizi ahead and spoke with Orochimaru, who said the Sunagakure front had stalled and he could no longer train him for now.
• Orochimaru gave Gu Sheng his ninjutsu scroll and explained the dangers and precautions of the Ryūchi Cave Sage Mode trial.
• Danzo objected to Gu Sheng’s appointment as Acting Hokage and insisted that he should have been chosen instead.
• Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu explained that the advisor council would still discuss Konoha’s affairs and that Sarutobi’s appointment had approval from the Daimyo and war council.
• Homura and Koharu warned Danzo not to act recklessly, and Danzo stormed out of the Hokage’s office.

Gu Sheng arrived in Konoha with Tsunade and discussed Madara Uchiha’s vision of unifying the Shinobi World, then rejected Uchiha Fugaku’s invitation to return to the clan. He left Fugaku with a warning to keep the Uchiha Clan from antagonizing the powerful Third Hokage.

• Gu Sheng admired Hokage Rock and told Tsunade that Madara Uchiha’s plan to unify the Shinobi World might have prevented wars between nations.
• Tsunade warned Gu Sheng not to voice such ideas, and he teased her before reminding her to honor their bet and buy him a feast.
• Gu Sheng entered Konoha with the returning caravan as the village’s buildings came into view.
• Uchiha Fugaku invited Gu Sheng to return to the clan, but Gu Sheng said he had to complete the Third Hokage’s instructions first.
• Gu Sheng quietly advised Fugaku not to make the clan’s ambitions obvious and to avoid displeasing the Third Hokage, and Fugaku agreed to keep the clan members in check.

Gu Sheng brought Lady Tsunade to the Hokage Building and confronted Danzo over secretly monitoring them. Lady Tsunade nearly attacked the advisors, but Gu Sheng stopped her, leaving them stunned by her obedience to him.

• Gu Sheng instructed Uchiha Fugaku and the others before heading to the Hokage Building with Lady Tsunade.
• Danzo used the Telescope Technique to spy on Gu Sheng and Lady Tsunade, but Gu Sheng detected it and disrupted the surveillance with his Three Tomoe.
• Lady Tsunade confronted Danzo in the Hokage's office, and Mitokado Homura defended the surveillance as a security measure.
• Lady Tsunade angrily rejected the advisors' explanation and built up Chakra to attack them.
• Gu Sheng put a hand on Lady Tsunade's shoulder and stopped her, shocking Danzo, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura.

Gu Sheng met with Konoha’s three advisors after Sarutobi Hiruzen appointed him Acting Hokage, while Danzo viewed him as a dangerous rival. Gu Sheng also announced Tsunade’s appointment as Temporary Advisor, then prepared to raise the first matter of village business.

• Danzo suspected Sarutobi had appointed Gu Sheng as Acting Hokage to undermine him, while Gu Sheng inferred that Danzo’s covered eye concealed a Sharingan.
• Gu Sheng formally introduced himself to Danzo, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu, who urged him to respect the advisors and follow the Will of Fire.
• Gu Sheng took the Hokage’s seat and announced that Sarutobi had appointed Tsunade Temporary Advisor, presenting the order to Mitokado Homura.
• Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu accepted Tsunade’s appointment, and Danzo reluctantly agreed despite his anger.
• Gu Sheng announced that they could begin discussing a minor village matter, having secured Tsunade’s place beside him.