The End of Hiruzen Sarutobi

"Truly, the heart of an Uchiha is an open book to all."

"You want to become Hokage? You can't even get past the Senju Clan!"

"No matter how sharp your blade, how many can you cut down against the united will of Konoha's ninja clans?"

"Stop dreaming."

"My offer still stands—Takeyasu-san can become my right hand."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's face was as dark as water, his full attention fixed on the Fierce Killing Intent radiating from Uchiha Takeyasu. He assumed a defensive counter-stance while continuing to stall with words.

(About ten kilometers—enough distance for the ninja army to notice.)

His left hand silently reached for his waist pouch. He pulled out a Signal Flare and successfully launched it. Even under the afternoon sun, the red flare bloomed with dazzling brilliance.

Uchiha Takeyasu watched Sarutobi's clumsy performance with an air of calm detachment, like a seemingly placid undercurrent. The pressure on the latter increased with every passing second, leaving him drenched in sweat.

"You're the first Kage I've killed."

"So, Sarutobi-san, use the last moments of your life to entertain me well."

Sunlight filtered through layer upon layer of leaves, illuminating the drawn Katana. It reflected a blinding white radiance, mirroring the crimson, magnificent Mangekyo Sharingan in Uchiha Takeyasu's eyes.

"Adamantine Staff: Raging Wind!"

Facing the approaching [Butcher of Humans], Sarutobi suppressed the myriad negative emotions churning within him. He calmly began his response, spinning the Adamantine Staff in his right hand while infusing it with Wind Style Chakra, forming a powerful composite jutsu fused with his Summoning Beast, Enma. The Adamantine Staff instantly generated a fierce, pulling gale, disrupting Uchiha Takeyasu's advance.

"Uchiha Style: Wind Lightning Slash!"

Finding the weak point within the wind technique, Uchiha Takeyasu swung his blade, severing the chaotic Wind Style currents around him and stabilizing his stance. At the same time, strands of Lightning Style Chakra flowed back along the wind toward Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"

Sarutobi finished forming hand seals with his left hand. Watching Uchiha Takeyasu charge through the gale, and the Lightning Style Chakra that reached him in an instant, he opened his mouth and spat out a massive fire dragon. It extinguished the Lightning Style Chakra and lunged at Uchiha Takeyasu.

"It's not over yet—Adamantine Prison Wall!"

Sarutobi hurled the Adamantine Staff toward Uchiha Takeyasu's position. In an instant, it split into dozens of Adamantine Staves, forming a cubic cage that trapped both the fire dragon and Uchiha Takeyasu within.

Amid the blazing flames, Sarutobi watched the struggling figure inside, an indescribable satisfaction in his eyes.

"Die here, Naturally Evil Uchiha Brat!"

"Can't you guys change the line? It's always 'evil brat' over and over—my ears are getting calloused."

A bored voice reached his ears from behind. Sarutobi jolted in shock. As he turned, his hands began forming seals. He created two Shadow Clones, forming a triangular formation, and stared warily at Uchiha Takeyasu, who had appeared behind him at some unknown time.

(Was the one who directly cut through his own jutsu attack a Shadow Clone?)

(That jutsu of sensei Tobirama's—stolen again by these jutsu thieves.)

Sarutobi couldn't immediately determine the truth.

The Shadow Clone Jutsu was invented by Senju Tobirama. Unlike the mere decoy of a normal Clone Technique, Shadow Clones use chakra to create solid, tangible copies that evenly distribute the user's chakra.

The problem lay in that chakra. Even the Byakugan, which could see chakra flow, or the keen insight of the Sharingan, couldn't tell which was the original and which was the clone.

What was certain, however, was that a clone was always weaker than the original.

If even a clone could cut through his jutsu, how strong was the original?

Feeling the massive drain on his chakra, Sarutobi had already abandoned any hope of victory. Even in terms of speed, he couldn't outrun Uchiha Takeyasu, and trying to flee would only create more openings.

For now, if he could just hold out until the ninja army arrived, that would be a great victory.

"Sarutobi-san, don't disappoint me. You won't be getting reinforcements."

"Let me see Sarutobi-san's true skill."

"Surely the future Third Hokage isn't going to end it in just two or three moves?"

"A three-second man?"

Without a single curse word, Uchiha Takeyasu, who had teleported using [Amenotokotachi], began a stream of sarcastic provocation.

It made the not-yet-thirty-year-old Hiruzen Sarutobi's brow twitch violently, his eyes bloodshot. He abandoned his defensive turtle strategy, the thought surfacing in his mind that offense was the best defense.

The Adamantine Prison Wall formed by Enma dissolved, reverting into three Adamantine Staves. The original and his two Shadow Clones—three Sarutobis—split into three directions and lunged at Uchiha Takeyasu.

Staff shadows overlapped in layers, each strike heavy and powerful. In terms of physical strength, Uchiha Takeyasu, still not fully developed, found himself inferior to Hiruzen Sarutobi. But in every other aspect, Sarutobi couldn't even catch up to him.

All of the opponent's attacks were predicted by Uchiha Takeyasu in advance. His sharp blade constantly struck, thrust, or sliced at the weak points in Sarutobi's attacks, leaving the latter feeling unbearably stifled.

(An opening!)

One of Sarutobi's Shadow Clones deliberately left a gap. Uchiha Takeyasu's blade pierced it through the heart. The Shadow Clone, possessing some damage resistance, grabbed the Katana. The other Shadow Clone charged in recklessly, unleashing "Adamantine Staff: Raging Wind" at close range, enveloping everything except Sarutobi's original body.

Two bang sounds rang out as the Shadow Clones were destroyed. The pain of their deaths flooded into Sarutobi's mind, and a tearing sensation wracked his chest and entire body.

Sweat beaded densely on his forehead, sliding into his eyes. His nerves wound so tight that he could no longer perceive anything external except Uchiha Takeyasu.

The overwhelming, icy, and malevolent chakra surging from Uchiha Takeyasu had already seized all of Sarutobi's attention.

(This is the Susanoo sensei Tobirama spoke of!)

He stared fixedly at Uchiha Takeyasu, who was enveloped by a seven-to-eight-meter-tall red skeletal half-body. The latter was idly playing with a Ninja Cat cradled in one arm. The contemptuous look in his eyes and the excited Meow of the cat all served to needle Sarutobi's spirit.

"A warrior can be killed, but not humiliated!"

"Uchiha Takeyasu, you are far too arrogant!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi, laughing in fury, formed hand seals alongside the Enma hand extending from the Adamantine Staff to unleash a combined ninjutsu.

"Combined Ninjutsu: Lightning Water Dragon Bullet!"

The Water Style and Lightning Style techniques merged into a Lightning Water Dragon, its body crackling with electric light, crashing into the half-skeletal giant. Thick black smoke billowed up, and though his vision was obscured, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not foolishly wait.

[Susanoo] was a powerful bloodline limit praised highly by Senju Tobirama—an ultimate technique uniting offense and defense. Even if his [Lightning Water Dragon Bullet] could pierce through a small hill, Hiruzen Sarutobi had no confidence whatsoever in whether it could break through [Susanoo]'s defenses.

"Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"

"Wind Style: Tornado Hurricane!"

"Combined Ninjutsu: Fire Dragon Whirlwind!"

A scorching, spinning tornado over ten meters in diameter blazed with the intense heat of flames and the slicing rotation of gale-force winds. This single combined ninjutsu alone proved Hiruzen Sarutobi's Kage-level strength.

Unfortunately, the red Susanoo still reflected in Hiruzen Sarutobi's wide-staring eyes, just like the Hokage Rock carved with the faces of past Hokage within Konoha—majestic and imposing, yet stirring a sense of his own insignificance.

"How can this be!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi muttered, dazed and disheartened.

"Sarutobi-san, is this all you have?"

The drain on his Dojutsu Power sent sharp pains through Uchiha Takeyasu's Mangekyo, but fortunately, Ascension Points easily made up for the loss, giving him the capital to flaunt his strength.

His blood-colored eyes fixed on Hiruzen Sarutobi, whose spirit and will had been drained away. Uchiha Takeyasu shook his head, also sensing that Konoha ninja were already approaching from nearby. He had no intention of continuing to toy with Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, no slouch in perception either, also sensed the reinforcements' imminent arrival. A fierce will to survive surged within him. Gripping the Adamantine Staff, he shouted loudly.

"Lengthen!"

The suddenly extending Adamantine Staff propelled Hiruzen Sarutobi into the air.

Though moving in midair was difficult and made him an easy target, the Adamantine Staff could stretch over a hundred meters. As long as he was careful, it would be enough to buy time until the reinforcements arrived.

"Hiruzen Sarutobi, your life ends here!"

"Sarutobi, watch out!"

Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi flew out of the forest, Uchiha Takeyasu's figure appeared behind him. Despite Enma's furious shout, Hiruzen Sarutobi, unable to react in time, was beheaded with a single slash, his consciousness sinking into eternal darkness.

"Space-Time Ninjutsu!"

"I will relay every detail of this information to the Sarutobi Clan!"

"Damn you, Uchiha Takeyasu! You will pay with blood for killing Sarutobi!"

"A mere beast dares to boast so arrogantly!"

"You already have the path to death upon you!"

Watching Enma, who was smoking as he was reverse-summoned back, Uchiha Takeyasu let out a disdainful snort. He formed hand seals and directly teleported over via Reverse Summoning Jutsu.

The left eye ability of [Amenotokotachi] had faithfully transmitted the spatial fluctuations from moments ago into his mind.

With the spatial coordinates secured, the Summoning Beast space of the Enma Clan was, to Uchiha Takeyasu, no different from a woman he could mount for just a bit of Chakra.