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Inside the Four Violet Flames Formation barrier, Hiruzen Sarutobi gasped for breath, glaring defiantly at Orochimaru.
“Sensei, you look tired. Don’t push yourself. It’s time for you to sleep… eternally.”
“Orochimaru, don’t continue down this dark path. Turn back,” Hiruzen urged, leaning heavily on his Adamantine Staff for support.
“Having come this far, you still want me to turn back? Sensei, are you really that naive?” Orochimaru sneered contemptuously.
Orochimaru wouldn’t stop, and Hiruzen’s words couldn’t sway his resolve.
“Actually, Sensei, I’m doing this for your own good. Instead of dying of old age, dying in battle is more honorable. Your opponents today are worthy of granting you that honor,” Orochimaru said solemnly to Hiruzen.
Orochimaru’s tone was serious. Dying at Orochimaru’s hands, facing the reanimated First and Second Hokage and the Fourth Kazekage, would be an honorable death for Hiruzen. His reputation wouldn’t be tarnished.
Hiruzen remained silent. ‘If one can live, who would choose death? You’re trying to kill me, and you have the nerve to say it’s for my own good?’
He never expected Orochimaru to be so heartless.
Hiruzen had truly treated Orochimaru like his own son. Aside from not supporting him for the Fourth Hokage position—Hiruzen had never wronged Orochimaru.
And the reason he hadn’t supported Orochimaru was because he knew Orochimaru wasn’t suitable for the role. Even back then, Hiruzen had sensed Orochimaru straying onto a dark path, though he hadn’t wanted to believe it at the time.
Later, even when Orochimaru’s transgressions were exposed, Hiruzen hadn’t used his full strength, deliberately letting Orochimaru escape easily. If Hiruzen hadn’t held back, Orochimaru could still have escaped, given his preparations, but it wouldn’t have been so easy; he would have paid a price.
Hiruzen felt he had treated Orochimaru well. Among all his students, Orochimaru had likely been his favorite.
Yet, the final result was Orochimaru invading Konoha and trying to kill him.
——
“Orochimaru, that bastard! He has no conscience!” Jiraiya roared angrily outside the barrier.
“Jiraiya, do you expect a cold-blooded animal to have a conscience? Instead of raging uselessly here, why don’t you rush in and fight Orochimaru to the death?” Shin glanced at Jiraiya and said flatly.
Jiraiya fell silent. He wanted to fight Orochimaru, but he couldn’t break through the Four Violet Flames Formation.
“One last gamble. I hope you can hold on, old man.” Jiraiya glanced at Shin, knew there was no hope of getting his help.
“<Summoning Jutsu!>”
Jiraiya bit his finger and summoned Fukasaku and Shima.
These two small toads were—the elders of Mount Myōboku, second only to the Great Toad Sage Gamamaru.
“Sages, I’m in trouble. Please help me absorb natural energy,” Jiraiya requested Fukasaku and Shima.
Jiraiya wanted to use Sage Mode.
Perhaps in Sage Mode, he could break the Four Violet Flames Formation barrier. He had panicked earlier and forgotten about this. Hopefully, it wasn’t too late.
Jiraiya couldn’t enter Sage Mode instantly like Shin; he needed time to absorb natural energy and fuse Senjutsu chakra. Fortunately, the two sages could assist him, but it still required time. He hoped Hiruzen could hold on.
——
“Naruto, don’t disturb him.” Kakashi quickly stopped Naruto, who was about to bother Jiraiya.
“What time is it?! Pervy Sage is closing his eyes to sleep now?!” Naruto complained angrily.
Shin, watching Naruto, didn’t understand his concern for Hiruzen. Was it simply because Hiruzen had occasionally visited him?
Minato Namikaze had asked Hiruzen to take care of Naruto, but Hiruzen hadn’t done a good job. Whatever the reason, it was Hiruzen’s failure. Besides, if Hiruzen truly wanted to protect Naruto, would it have been difficult? The Hokage couldn’t even protect one child? That was laughable.
Deep down, Hiruzen probably saw Naruto as a tool too. After all, Jinchūriki were tools for their villages.
BANG!
Hiruzen took a kick from Tobirama Senju. The Flying Thunder God Technique was unpredictable, leaving Hiruzen vulnerable.
“It’s over, Sensei.” Orochimaru sneered coldly, then controlled Rasa to use Magnet Release: Gold Dust to block all of Hiruzen’s escape routes.
The Kusanagi Blade extended, instantly piercing Hiruzen’s body.
This time, Hiruzen didn’t dodge.
“Orochimaru, the jutsu I taught you… today, I take them back.” Knowing survival was impossible, Hiruzen gave up struggling and prepared to take Orochimaru down with him.
“Those hand seals…?” Orochimaru’s expression changed drastically upon seeing Hiruzen’s hand seals.
Initially, Hiruzen formed seals for the Shadow Clone Technique, instantly creating three clones. But the subsequent seals made Orochimaru panic.
The hand seals for the Reaper Death Seal. Orochimaru knew them; he had seen the sealing jutsu description before, though he hadn’t learned it.
“Damn it! Stop him!” Orochimaru knew he absolutely couldn’t let Hiruzen complete this jutsu; otherwise, he’d be in serious trouble.
Hiruzen focused solely on the hand seals.
Just then, the Adamantine Staff suddenly transformed back into Enma, who desperately blocked Orochimaru’s attack, as well as those from Hashirama and Tobirama.
Even the indestructible Enma was severely injured.
“That damned monkey!” Because Enma blocked him, Orochimaru couldn’t interrupt Hiruzen. The Reaper Death Seal was activated.
“Die!” Orochimaru roared furiously.
The Shadow Clones performed the Reaper Death Seal, summoning the Shinigami, who swung its blade, reaping the souls of Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, and Rasa.
With their souls reaped, the Edo Tensei could no longer be maintained. Hiruzen’s main body used the Reaper Death Seal as well, stripping the souls from Orochimaru’s arms, rendering them useless.
At the last moment, Orochimaru’s Kusanagi Blade fatally pierced Hiruzen. Otherwise, Orochimaru’s entire soul would have been reaped by the Shinigami.
After Hiruzen died, the summoned Shinigami vanished. Orochimaru looked down at Hiruzen’s fallen body, his eyes filled with crazed hatred.
——
“He used the Reaper Death Seal… with Shadow Clones? Can Shadow Clones even do that?” Kushina found it incredible.
“Although I killed Hamura Ōtsutsuki, the Shinigami can still be used,” Shin explained. When he killed Hamura, Shin hadn’t destroyed the Shinigami itself.
However, Hiruzen’s Shadow Clones being able to use the Reaper Death Seal… that was indeed a bug, practically cheating.
Regardless, Hiruzen Sarutobi was finally dead.
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