Chapter Summaries

Shengu Xuan incinerated Manda and Orochimaru’s summoned snakes, leaving Orochimaru defeated and terrified. He then tore off Orochimaru’s arm and began demonstrating the Rat Talisman’s power, promising to show him true immortality.

• Shengu Xuan unleashed a dark-red fire dragon that caught Manda and burned through his body.
• Orochimaru tried to release the summoning, but Shengu Xuan’s flames destroyed Manda and forced the remaining snakes to vanish.
• Orochimaru collapsed in despair as Shengu Xuan taunted him and offered him a chance to explore the secret of immortality.
• Shengu Xuan tore off Orochimaru’s right arm and revealed the Rat Talisman’s power to animate the inanimate.

Shengu Xuan demonstrated his ability to revive dead matter and regrow his severed arm, leaving Orochimaru convinced he had found a true immortal. Orochimaru begged to study him, but Shengu Xuan demanded that he prove his worth and attacked as Orochimaru drew the Kusanagi Sword.

• Shengu Xuan animated Orochimaru's severed arm into a living monster, then crushed it as Orochimaru recoiled in terror.
• Shengu Xuan pinned Orochimaru down, cut off his own arm, and regrew it in seconds with the Horse Talisman's Healing Divine Authority.
• Orochimaru recognized Shengu Xuan as an immortal and begged to study his body, offering to serve him.
• Shengu Xuan told Orochimaru to prove his worth, then appeared behind him and kicked toward his back.
• Orochimaru spat out the Kusanagi Sword and thrust it at Shengu Xuan's kick as a golden dog-character totem flashed in Shengu Xuan's eyes.

Shengu Xuan used the Dog Talisman's power to withstand Orochimaru's Kusanagi Sword and drive him to apparent surrender. Orochimaru escaped after placing the Cursed Seal of Heaven on Sasuke, leaving Shengu Xuan intrigued by what Sasuke would become.

• Shengu Xuan's lower leg repelled the Kusanagi Sword, and his kick sent Orochimaru crashing into the rocks.
• Orochimaru realized Shengu Xuan's body was indestructible and pretended to submit so he could find a chance to escape.
• Orochimaru lunged at the unconscious Sasuke Uchiha and inflicted the Cursed Seal of Heaven on his neck.
• Orochimaru used Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole Technique to escape underground, vowing to return for Shengu Xuan's eternal life.
• Shengu Xuan watched Sasuke suffer from the spreading seal and looked forward to seeing what he would become.

After Shengu Xuan drove Orochimaru away, Sasuke endured the Cursed Seal of Heaven and embraced its power as a means of gaining revenge on Itachi, alarming Naruto. As the group prepared to leave the devastated forest, Shengu Xuan's Sheep Talisman unlocked, and a voice asked him about the new power.

• Sasuke screamed as Orochimaru's Cursed Seal of Heaven spread across his body, and Shengu Xuan watched its effects without helping him.
• Naruto woke, saw the crater and Sasuke's agony, and angrily accused Shengu Xuan of letting Sasuke get hurt.
• The cursed seal's markings contracted into three tomoe, and Sasuke rose with new power and a stronger resolve to kill Itachi.
• Sasuke rejected Naruto's concern and insisted he needed power, even if it came from a demon.
• Shengu Xuan urged Naruto and Sasuke to leave the blood-soaked forest, then sensed the Sheep Talisman unlock and heard a voice ask about the new power.

Shengu Xuan unlocked the Sheep Talisman’s Soul Projection and used it to scout the Forest of Death, discovering that Orochimaru’s Sound Ninja planned to test Sasuke and kill him. When he returned to his body, Naruto found that both exam scrolls had burned to ashes, and Shengu Xuan proposed sending his servants to get replacements.

• Shengu Xuan awakened the Sheep Talisman’s Soul Projection and learned to leave his body, see chakra, and pass through physical barriers.
• Shengu Xuan used his soul form to prank Naruto, then scouted the Forest of Death and observed Gaara, Shino Aburame’s team, and other genin.
• Shengu Xuan overheard Dosu, Zaku, and Kin discussing Orochimaru’s order to push Sasuke to his limits and kill Shengu Xuan if he interfered.
• Shengu Xuan returned to his body and asked Naruto for the team’s scrolls, only for Naruto to discover that the Heaven Scroll and Earth Scroll had burned to ashes.
• Shengu Xuan told Naruto and Sasuke that his servants would bring them replacement scrolls.

Shengu Xuan sent his Shadow Ninjas to plunder scrolls from teams across the Forest of Death, allowing Team 7 to reach the tower and pass the second exam. In the arena, Gekko Hayate announced that preliminary matches would begin immediately.

• Shengu Xuan summoned ten Shadow Ninjas and ordered them to take scrolls from nearby teams without killing anyone who resisted.
• The Shadow Ninjas defeated teams throughout the forest and returned with more than twenty Heaven and Earth Scrolls.
• Shengu Xuan gave Naruto a matching pair of scrolls, and Team 7 reached the tower safely.
• Naruto and Sasuke opened the scrolls, and Iruka appeared to congratulate them on passing the second exam.
• Iruka led Team 7 to the arena, where they joined other successful teams and saw Hiruzen Sarutobi, Anko, and Gekko Hayate.
• Gekko Hayate announced that the preliminary exam would begin because more teams passed than expected.

Shengu Xuan’s preliminary match against Dosu Kinata began after Sasuke Uchiha won his own fight and was taken away to have his Cursed Seal suppressed. Dosu unleashed a high-frequency sound attack at Shengu Xuan, whose response remained unknown.

• Gekko Hayate announced the one-on-one preliminary matches, and Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi asked Mitaraishi Anko about Shengu Xuan’s abilities.
• Sasuke Uchiha defeated Akado Yoroi despite his Cursed Seal, but the seal erupted afterward, so Kakashi took him away to suppress it.
• After several other matches, the screen paired Shengu Xuan against Dosu Kinata, the leader of the Sound Ninja trio.
• Dosu mocked Shengu Xuan and threatened him with his sound weapon, while Shengu Xuan dismissed him and urged him to attack.
• Dosu charged and fired his Resounding Sound Drill at Shengu Xuan from close range.

Shengu Xuan survived Dosu’s sound attack without injury, then defeated him with a single punch powered by the Ox Talisman. Gekko Hayate declared Shengu Xuan the winner, leaving Hiruzen Sarutobi wondering where the boy came from.

• Dosu unleashed a high-frequency sound attack that shattered the arena floor, but Shengu Xuan emerged unharmed because of the Dog Talisman.
• Dosu panicked at Shengu Xuan’s defense and attacked again with Resounding Sound Drill: Maximum Output.
• Shengu Xuan used the Ox Talisman’s strength and punched through Dosu’s sound waves, launching Dosu through stone walls and into a pillar.
• Gekko Hayate declared Shengu Xuan the winner while Hiruzen Sarutobi marveled at his destructive power and questioned his origins.

Shengu Xuan defeated Dosu with a single punch, then swiftly crushed Zaku’s arm and knocked Kin unconscious after Zaku ambushed him. The next match began with Rock Lee facing Gaara, as Shengu Xuan watched with interest.

• Gekko Hayate declared Shengu Xuan the winner, leaving the spectators stunned by his strength and Neji unable to detect any chakra in his body.
• Zaku attacked Shengu Xuan from behind with Air Cutter Extreme Wave, but Shengu used the Rabbit Talisman’s speed to evade and appear beside him.
• Shengu crushed Zaku’s right arm and slapped Kin unconscious when she tried to intervene, completing the Sound Ninja team’s defeat.
• The match screen paired Rock Lee with Gaara, and both fighters entered the arena as Shengu predicted their clash would be more entertaining.
• Gekko Hayate started the match, and Rock Lee charged at Gaara with Konoha Whirlwind.

Rock Lee removed his training weights and opened the first five Eight Gates to fight Gaara, but Gaara survived the Reverse Lotus and won the match. After the Third Hokage announced the official exam would take place in a month, Shengu Xuan and Naruto left together and ran into a white-haired stranger.

• Lee’s attacks failed to penetrate Gaara’s automatic sand defense, so Might Guy gave Lee permission to remove his leg weights.
• Lee’s speed overwhelmed Gaara’s defenses, but Gaara’s Sand Armor kept him from taking fatal damage.
• Gaara unleashed a sandstorm, and Lee opened five gates before striking him with the Reverse Lotus.
• Gaara cushioned the impact with sand, then broke Lee’s arm and leg with Sand Burial before Guy stopped him; Gaara won the match.
• The Third Hokage announced the official exam would be held in a month, and Shengu Xuan invited Naruto to Yakiniku Q.
• A white-haired man carrying binoculars ran into Shengu Xuan near Yakiniku Q, and Shengu Xuan mocked him for smelling like a toad.

Shengu Xuan recognized Jiraiya’s staged street accident as a probe from the Third Hokage and stood firm against the Sannin’s intimidation. After their clash revealed Shengu’s overwhelming strength, Jiraiya attacked with a fire technique, and Shengu answered with Dragon Talisman magic fire as the fight escalated.

• Jiraiya pretended Shengu Xuan had knocked him over and demanded compensation, while Naruto called out the shakedown.
• Shengu identified Jiraiya as the Toad Sage and suspected the Third Hokage had sent him to test his abilities.
• Jiraiya revealed his identity and unleashed his chakra pressure, but Shengu remained unaffected by the Dog Talisman’s defense.
• Jiraiya attacked Shengu, who used the Ox Talisman to overpower him in a punch and force him three steps back.
• Jiraiya fired a Great Flame Bullet, and Shengu countered with a torrent of Dragon Talisman magic fire.

Shengu Xuan overwhelmed Jiraiya in a fight outside Konoha, countering his flames and techniques with supernatural power and strength. Jiraiya summoned a toad, and Shengu Xuan prepared to call in his own underlings.

• Shengu Xuan's dark red magic fire swallowed Jiraiya's Great Flame Bullet, and he challenged Jiraiya to continue fighting at the Forest of Death.
• Jiraiya attacked Shengu Xuan with Needle Jizo, but the spikes broke against Shengu Xuan's body without hurting him.
• Shengu Xuan charged with the Ox Talisman and punched through Jiraiya's hair shield, sending him crashing through trees into a hill.
• Jiraiya, badly injured, used the Summoning Technique to call forth a toad from Mount Myōboku.
• Shengu Xuan snapped his fingers and announced that he would summon some of his underlings to face Jiraiya's toad.

Shengu Xuan unleashed over a hundred flying Shadowkhan against Jiraiya and Gamabunta, whose attacks could neither destroy the creatures nor keep them from returning. Shengu Xuan then struck Gamabunta down with one punch, leaving Jiraiya stunned and questioning who he was.

• Shengu Xuan summoned the Flying Shadow Squad, and the winged Shadowkhan swarmed Jiraiya and Gamabunta.
• Gamabunta slashed the Shadowkhan apart, but they re-formed, while Jiraiya and Gamabunta’s fire attack only sent them back to Shengu Xuan’s shadows to regenerate.
• The Flying Shadow Ninjas attacked Gamabunta with blue shadow beams as Shengu Xuan activated the Rabbit Talisman and Ox Talisman and shot into the sky.
• Shengu Xuan punched Gamabunta in the head, sending the toad crashing into a crater as Jiraiya narrowly dodged the blow.
• Jiraiya stared at Shengu Xuan and demanded to know who he was, realizing the Shadowkhan were not summoned through the Summoning Technique.

Shengu Xuan overwhelmed Jiraiya and Gamabunta, then warned Konoha not to investigate him. After Hiruzen Sarutobi ordered Danzo not to provoke him, Shengu Xuan gained the Snake Talisman and turned his attention toward Danzo.

• Shengu Xuan told Jiraiya to warn Hiruzen Sarutobi against prying into his secrets, then vanished with the Flying Shadow Ninja.
• Jiraiya reported Shengu Xuan's powers to Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō, who argued over whether to capture and exploit him.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi ordered Danzo and Root not to provoke Shengu Xuan until the Chunin Ninja Exams ended.
• Shengu Xuan received the Snake Talisman, granting divine-authority-level invisibility, and vowed to play a game with Danzo.

Shengu Xuan used the Snake Talisman's concealment to infiltrate Root undetected and reach Danzo’s classified archive. He entered the sealed room and stood before the classified documents.

• Shengu Xuan made himself completely invisible and headed for Root’s underground base.
• He passed through Root’s sensory barrier and patrols, overhearing two ninjas boast about capturing and researching him.
• Shengu Xuan avoided the base’s traps and reached a steel door guarded by four jonin.
• He used the Rabbit Talisman’s speed to slip beneath the sealed door without alerting the guards.
• Shengu Xuan became visible inside Root’s archive and examined the classified documents.

Shengu Xuan broke into Root’s classified archive, discovered Danzo’s plan to capture and dissect him, and stole the file. After leaving a threatening message, he returned to his apartment as the Chunin Ninja Exams finals approached.

• Shengu Xuan entered Root’s archive and found documents showing Danzo knew about Orochimaru’s plan and intended to take the Hokage’s seat.
• Shengu Xuan discovered Danzo’s proposal to capture him and experiment on him using Hashirama cells.
• Shengu Xuan stole the classified scroll and burned a threat into Danzo’s desk with his magic fire before vanishing.
• Danzo found the missing scroll and warning, then panicked at the thought that Shengu Xuan could have attacked him unnoticed.
• Shengu Xuan returned to his apartment and anticipated the start of the Chunin Ninja Exams finals.

The Chunin Ninja Exams finals began as Shengu Xuan faced Neji Hyuga in the first match. Though the spectators expected Neji to win, Shengu Xuan unleashed a terrifying pressure and declared that Neji was destined for a crushing defeat.

• Konoha’s arena filled with spectators as Hiruzen Sarutobi and Orochimaru, disguised as the Fourth Kazekage, watched from the VIP seats.
• Naruto Uzumaki challenged Shengu Xuan to spar, while Sasuke Uchiha resolved to prove his strength against him.
• Genma Shiranui announced that Neji Hyuga would fight Shengu Xuan in the first match.
• Neji claimed that his Byakugan and Gentle Fist made Shengu Xuan’s lack of chakra a fatal weakness.
• Shengu Xuan activated the Ox Talisman and Dog Talisman, released a powerful pressure, and promised Neji a crushing defeat.

Shengu Xuan endured Neji Hyuga’s Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms without injury, then countered with overwhelming strength and the Dragon Talisman’s Explosive Magic Fire. Neji’s Rotation was shattered by the blast, leaving him exposed to Shengu Xuan’s attack.

• Neji activated his Byakugan and struck Shengu Xuan’s pressure points with Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, but Shengu Xuan remained unharmed.
• Shengu Xuan used the Ox Talisman’s strength to launch an air cannon at Neji, who blocked it with Eight Trigrams Palms: Heavenly Spin.
• Shengu Xuan summoned the Dragon Talisman’s dark red Explosive Magic Fire and fired it at Neji’s Rotation.
• The magic fire destroyed Neji’s Rotation in less than a second, leaving Neji stunned that his defense had been pierced.

Shengu Xuan defeated Neji Hyuga with a single dark-red demon-fire attack that shattered Rotation, leaving Neji badly injured and despairing. As the arena celebrated Xuan’s victory, a genjutsu put spectators to sleep and the disguised Fourth Kazekage held a kunai to Hiruzen Sarutobi’s throat.

• Shengu Xuan pierced Neji Hyuga’s Rotation and blasted him into the arena wall with demon fire, stunning the spectators and the Hyuga clan.
• Neji crawled from the crater, questioned why his techniques failed, and had his belief in fate crushed by Shengu Xuan’s taunts.
• Genma Shiranui declared Shengu Xuan the winner, and the crowd erupted in celebration.
• Sound Ninja in the stands anticipated an attack on Konoha as white feathers drifted down and a genjutsu put hundreds of spectators to sleep.
• Kakashi and Might Guy dispelled the genjutsu, while the disguised Fourth Kazekage pressed a kunai to Hiruzen Sarutobi’s throat.

Orochimaru revealed himself as the fake Fourth Kazekage and began the Konoha Crush, trapping Hiruzen Sarutobi inside a barrier while Sound and Sand Ninja attacked the arena. Shengu Xuan killed five Sand Ninja who tried to stop him, then was surrounded by masked agents acting on Danzo’s orders.

• Orochimaru tore off his Kazekage disguise, seized Hiruzen Sarutobi, and took him to the roof of the Hokage Building.
• Jirobo, Tayuya, Kidomaru, and Sakon and Ukon formed the Four Violet Flames Formation around Orochimaru and Hiruzen Sarutobi, killing Konoha Anbu who tried to break through.
• Sound Ninja and Sand Ninja attacked the Konoha Arena as Kakashi and Might Guy fought back and protected civilians.
• Shengu Xuan ignored the battle until five Sand Ninja blocked his way, then used his speed and strength to kill them with a spinning kick.
• Masked agents surrounded Shengu Xuan and said Danzo wanted him alive, ordering them to break his arms and legs.