The Third Hokage's Death and the Kusanagi Sword

While Naruto and the Female Avatar were busy claiming kills, the Third Hokage and Orochimaru were locked in a fierce battle on the roof of the Exam Venue.

The Third Hokage struck first, using the roof tiles beneath his feet as weapons. Roof Tile Shuriken flew toward Orochimaru.

Orochimaru leaped aside and struck with Hidden Shadow Snake Hands, biting the Third Hokage's neck—only to get a mouthful of mud. It was an Earth Clone.

The Third Hokage appeared behind Orochimaru and used Earth Release: Earth Flow River to restrict his movements. He followed it with a combination of Earth Dragon Bullet and Fire Dragon Bullet.

It was one of the Third Hokage's signature combinations.

But Orochimaru was not so easily taken down. He emerged from underground without a scratch.

Their warm-up over, both men shed their robes and got serious.

The Third Hokage threw several Shuriken at Orochimaru, then used Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique. The handful instantly multiplied into hundreds, raining down on Orochimaru.

Orochimaru pressed his palms together and used Impure World Reincarnation, summoning the coffins of the First and Second Hokage to block the Shuriken.

He tried to summon a third coffin, but the Third Hokage sensed trouble and stopped him in time.

The lids of the two coffins struck by Shuriken could no longer hold. Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju emerged, swaying on their feet.

At this point, Orochimaru had not yet perfected Impure World Reincarnation. The souls of those he revived were heavily suppressed and could wield only a fraction of their former power.

Otherwise, the First and Second Hokage could have broken free of Impure World Reincarnation just as they would during the Fourth Shinobi World War. Orochimaru would have been finished in seconds!

Only later, after Orochimaru and Yakushi Kabuto continued refining the forbidden technique, could the resurrected souls wield more of their strength. But that also made it easier for them to break free on their own.

It had its advantages and drawbacks.

A forbidden technique that toyed with the souls of the dead could never be perfect.

For now, the First and Second Hokage still had their self-awareness, and they chatted briefly with the Third.

The Third Hokage asked, "Could you go easy on me?"

Hashirama Senju said, "Sure. I promise not to use Hand Seals!"

Tobirama Senju said, "Sure. I promise to use only Water Release!"

Orochimaru cut their reunion short, inserting a Talisman into the back of each man's head.

The two seemed to come alive, but they immediately lost their self-awareness. Like puppets, they attacked the Third Hokage.

Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju first engaged the Third Hokage in close combat. He drove them back, then unleashed Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet, sending raging flames at them.

Tobirama Senju easily blocked the flames with Water Release: Water Formation Wall, then used Water Release: Water Shockwave to send a towering wave crashing toward the Third Hokage.

The Third opened his mouth and used Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall to defend himself, escaping disaster.

But before he could catch his breath, Hashirama Senju came surfing toward him.

The Third hurriedly spat out a barrage of fireballs, but Hashirama Senju caught them with his bare hands without singeing a hair. He rapidly closed the distance.

Hashirama Senju leaped up and kicked the Third Hokage, then battered him to the ground.

Tobirama Senju showed no such sportsmanship. He grabbed the Third from behind and dragged him into the water. But the Third was agile as a monkey and climbed the Earth-Style Wall with his bare hands.

Then several blasts of water from Tobirama Senju struck the wall and smashed it to pieces!

The Third Hokage jumped down in disarray and lay on the ground, panting.

Suddenly, Hashirama Senju used Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence. Countless thick trees shot up from the ground and filled the entire Four Violet Flames Formation Barrier.

The Third Hokage was stunned. He hurriedly summoned his powerful beast, Enma.

The Sarutobi Clan's name probably had something to do with its summoned beasts.

Orochimaru was deeply wary of Enma. He ordered Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju to attack at once, then spat out his Kusanagi Sword and engaged the Third in another round of close combat.

After an exchange of blows, the Third pinned Orochimaru down with Enma's transformed staff, now forty meters long!

Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju seized the chance to ambush the Third, but he stuck an Explosive Tag on each of them.

Orochimaru hammered the Third to the ground, grabbed him by the collar, and began taunting him.

The Third's eyes grew wet as he looked at his beloved disciple, who had gone so far astray. Then he mastered his emotions, turned the tables on Orochimaru, and detonated the Explosive Tags.

Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju were blown apart, but their bodies quickly regenerated thanks to Impure World Reincarnation.

Orochimaru grinned brazenly at the Third, then peeled the skin from his face to reveal a young woman's features. Uncle Snake had become Auntie Snake...

The Third was stunned. Only then did he realize Orochimaru had mastered the forbidden Living Corpse Reincarnation.

Living Corpse Reincarnation was an inhumane forbidden technique that transferred the user's soul into another person's body to achieve immortality.

But he had to wait at least three years between transfers, and Sasuke was Orochimaru's next target.

After showing off to his teacher, "Auntie Snake" put his old face back on and became Uncle Snake again.

Hashirama Senju clapped his hands. The trees inside the Barrier grew wildly and surged toward the Third Hokage.

Fortunately, Enma blocked the attack for the Third. Otherwise, he would have been done for.

But the aging Third was already gasping and running out of strength. He gritted his teeth, knowing he would not escape today, and decided to use Reaper Death Seal to take Orochimaru down with him!

Reaper Death Seal was a Ninjutsu that sacrificed the user's soul to the Shinigami in exchange for their life. The Fourth Hokage had once saved Konoha by using it to seal the Nine-Tails.

The Third created two Shadow Clones. All three formed Hand Seals at once, preparing to seal Orochimaru, Hashirama Senju, and Tobirama Senju separately.

The Shinigami appeared behind the Third, but only the caster could see it. Orochimaru had no idea death was upon him.

Tobirama Senju used his finest Genjutsu, the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique. Darkness swallowed the Third Hokage's vision, while Tobirama Senju and the other two remained unaffected.

It was said he had developed this Genjutsu specifically to counter the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan. It was later recorded in the Scroll of Seals, and Naruto had memorized its training method after arriving in this world.

In the darkness, the Third was at a severe disadvantage. But his two Shadow Clones still caught Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju. The Shinigami's hands passed through the clones' stomachs, seized the two men's souls, and sealed them at once.

Orochimaru was stunned. He had no idea what had happened.

The Third Hokage dispelled his Shadow Clones and fought Orochimaru desperately with his staff. Within a few blows, he knocked the Kusanagi Sword away, then seized Orochimaru's shoulders face-to-face.

The Shinigami's hand once again passed through the Third's stomach and grabbed Orochimaru's soul, leaving him unable to move.

Sensing the danger, Orochimaru remotely drove the Kusanagi Sword through the Third's body. The Third coughed up blood. Enma tried to stop it but was too late.

The Shinigami slowly pulled Orochimaru's soul out. Fear finally appeared on his face. For someone obsessed with eternal life, nothing was more terrifying than death.

He desperately kept driving the Kusanagi Sword into the Third's body, hoping the old man would die before he could finish.

Sure enough, the Third could not hold on. He no longer had the strength to pull Orochimaru's entire soul free. He could only seal Orochimaru's hands, preventing him from using Ninjutsu again.

For Orochimaru, who was obsessed with Ninjutsu, losing the ability to use it was perhaps the greatest punishment of all.

Orochimaru roared helplessly at his teacher, but the Third Hokage slowly closed his eyes.

Clap, clap, clap!

Just then, Naruto's Female Avatar flashed onto the roof through a Flying Thunder God Mark she had placed there earlier. Naruto himself remained hidden, watching the Third Hokage's body without expression.

Both of them had been sensing everything that happened here.

Several times, Naruto had been tempted to kill the Third Hokage himself. But he feared being sealed as well, so he held back.

More importantly, he needed the Third Hokage to seal Orochimaru's hands. Otherwise, how could he claim his prize?

Badly wounded, Enma lay on the ground and struggled toward the Kusanagi Sword lodged in the Third's body. The Female Avatar kicked him away before he could pull it out. He vanished with a bang.

"This Kusanagi Sword really is something!"

Naruto's Female Avatar pulled out the Kusanagi Sword and secretly took a piece of the Third Hokage's flesh with it.

Then she kicked the Third Hokage's body into the Four Violet Flames Formation. The flames immediately burned it to ash!

Outside the Barrier, the Hokage Guard Corps, the Anbu, Kakashi, and the others watched in fury.

Orochimaru stared at the masked, red-haired Female Avatar who had suddenly entered the Barrier, shocked and wary. With his hands sealed, he could no longer form Hand Seals to control the Kusanagi Sword remotely.

Naruto had long planned to obtain this remotely controlled Kusanagi Sword. It reminded him of the Flying Swords in the cultivation novels from his previous life.

"This sword and I are destined to meet! What do you think, Orochimaru?"