Bab 98: Chapter 98: Looming Crisis
The power Hiruzen Sarutobi unleashed this time seemed even stronger than in the original storyline.
Most importantly, without the Kusanagi Sword, Orochimaru couldn't pierce Hiruzen's back as he had before. While the kunai had hit its mark, it missed his heart.
In his final burst of strength, Hiruzen ignored the pain, pouring his remaining chakra into summoning the spirit of the Reaper.
Orochimaru was stunned at the sight of the Reaper. The Reaper Death Seal completely immobilized him, and he realized it targeted the soul, beyond the ability of any substitution jutsu to save him.
"Orochimaru, it was my mistakes that brought us to this. Now, we'll have all eternity to fight within the Reaper's belly."
The Reaper raised the blade from its mouth, and with one swift slice, Orochimaru was no more.
But at that moment, a voice echoed from nearby.
"Dance of the Seedling Fern!"
Aoba turned to see Kimimaro, who had been on the verge of death, now using the final move of his Shikotsumyaku.
Countless bones erupted from the ground, turning the entire arena into a forest of bones. One of these bones pierced right through Hiruzen's body.
"Old man!" Jiraiya yelled, rushing forward.
This time, Aoba and Kakashi did not stand in his way.
The Reaper paused for a moment; the blade still descended, but it veered off its target, merely slashing through Orochimaru's arms instead.
Jiraiya reached Hiruzen and pushed aside Kimimaro's lifeless body, catching his teacher as he fell.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru stumbled back, staring at his hands in shock. No matter how he tried, he could feel nothing in them. Even after shedding his skin, the numbness persisted. Realizing the nature of the Reaper Death Seal, he finally understood: his hands weren't injured—they were missing a piece of his soul.
Shattered by this realization, Orochimaru fled without a second thought. He glanced back at Aoba, and seeing that Aoba had no intention of pursuing, he vanished with an Earth Style jutsu.
Kakashi glanced at Aoba, who responded, "No need to follow him. He still has value."
In fact, Aoba had planned for Orochimaru's fate today, whether it was injury or death.
After all, Aoba had obtained the Reaper Mask long ago. If Orochimaru had died from the Reaper Death Seal, his soul would be under Aoba's control.
And if Orochimaru only ended up wounded, then there would be future exchanges to exploit.
Orochimaru still had plenty of valuable jutsu, including the improved Edo Tensei, White Extreme Technique, Eight Branches Technique, and others. His Living Corpse Reincarnation and Skin Shedding jutsus were also rare assets in the ninja world.
Aoba intended to drain all his resources before finally dealing with him.
Hiruzen opened his eyes slightly, seeing Jiraiya by his side. He moved his lips, as if wanting to say something, but in the end, he didn't utter a word before taking his final breath.
Aoba casually burned the documents Jiraiya had dropped, then led the younger shinobi over to stand by Jiraiya.
"Is… is the Third Hokage really dead?" Naruto asked in a tone of disbelief.
"Yes, he's gone," Sasuke replied, his tone neither celebratory nor sorrowful.
The other Genin showed a variety of expressions, though most were marked by sadness.
Meanwhile, the Sand Village forces were beginning to lose momentum. With Jiraiya, Aoba, and Kakashi back, they had eliminated a significant number of Sand ninjas, allowing more Konoha shinobi to assist other areas, creating a positive cycle. Many battlefields were beginning to turn in Konoha's favor.
Without Orochimaru and the support of the tailed beast, the Sand and Sound forces started to crumble.
Many of their shinobi were either killed or captured.
At that moment, Shikamaru's Ino-Shika-Cho squad returned, bringing the captured Temari and Kankuro. They spotted their friends nearby.
Choji raised a hand to greet them, but Shikamaru stopped him. With his sharp intelligence, Shikamaru quickly pieced together the situation, noticing the somber expressions and the location.
As they drew closer, they saw the Hokage lying dead on the ground.
"Hokage-sama!" Ino gasped, covering her mouth in shock, while Choji even put down his snacks.
Looking at the fallen Hokage, Shikamaru remembered what his father had told him not long ago.
"You'll understand soon enough."
So this was it. Shikamaru recalled his father's recent stress and distracted demeanor. Apparently, he had sensed what was coming.
As the young clan heir, Shikamaru naturally thought about these things in greater depth, though now was clearly not the time to discuss them.
The Sand and Sound forces had begun their full retreat, but the situation hadn't yet fully stabilized.
War doesn't end when the enemy is defeated. The destruction it brings lingers for a long time.
The battle had only lasted a single day, yet half of Konoha lay in ruins.
Thousands of wounded needed treatment, and countless others were left homeless.
The number of fallen shinobi had yet to be tallied. In truth, Konoha's toughest times were only beginning.
Although the Sand had failed to achieve their goals, they had dealt a grievous blow to Konoha, even managing to kill the Hokage. This marked a dangerous shift, indicating that Konoha was now leaderless and weaker than ever.
The Five Great Shinobi Villages aren't peacekeepers. Konoha's rivals—particularly Iwagakure and Kumogakure—had long been eyeing Konoha with envy. Given the chance, they wouldn't hesitate to strike.
Aoba was almost certain that ninja from Iwa and Kumo were already on their way. And this time, it wouldn't be mere probing but a blatant attack. If the opportunity presented itself, they would tear a chunk out of Konoha without hesitation.
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