" Orochimaru, your ambition ends here!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi launched a suicidal attack on Orochimaru, seizing Orochimaru's hands. When Orochimaru tried to control the Impure World Reincarnation First and Second Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately detonated the Explosive Tag attached to their bodies.
boom!
The Explosive Tag weren't particularly powerful; they only blew off one leg each for the two previous Hokage, and the legs were still rapidly regenerating. However, this was enough time for Hiruzen Sarutobi to exploit.
The white, demonic hand of the Shinigami Cursed Seal, covered in cursed seals, reached out from Hiruzen Sarutobi's soul and grabbed at Orochimaru's soul, the sacrifice he was sent to bring about this descent.
But this time, they grabbed nothing.
The captured Orochimaru turned into white smoke and dissipated, proving that this Orochimaru was just a clone. Hiruzen Sarutobi sensed something was wrong and turned around to look up at the top of the wooden doll's head.
Naoki Senju also vanished into white smoke; both were Shadow Clone! Even though the long battle had exhausted Hiruzen Sarutobi, his extensive combat experience told him that he had been tricked this time, and tricked badly at that.
But how could the Reaper Death Seal have been exposed? This is the strongest forbidden technique of the Uzumaki Clan. In the entire Hidden Leaf Konoha, only the Fourth Hokage and he himself had ever mastered it. The Uzumaki Clan is now extinct, and even the Scroll of Seals doesn't record the Reaper Death Seal. How did Orochimaru know about it?
Whatever the reason, the opportunity for counterattack created by Hiruzen Sarutobi by abandoning everything has been seen through. Therefore, the situation that follows is no longer in Hiruzen Sarutobi's hands.
Orochimaru, can you see that thing?
"I can't see it, but I can vaguely sense some kind of evil aura. If this is the Shinigami you're talking about, isn't it a bit too weak?"
Naoki Senju chuckled twice. It was only because Orochimaru had dodged in advance that Orochimaru would have experienced the feeling of having his hands sealed and completely ruined by that thing. Orochimaru would never want to experience that again.
Naoki Senju didn't want to experience it even once, so he teamed up with Orochimaru to set up this scheme.
"Since you don't believe me, let's see for ourselves. Don't waste any more time; Hiruzen Sarutobi won't last much longer."
Orochimaru nodded. The Sound Four had just withdrawn from the battlefield due to being 'severely injured' and unconscious, were now back on the battlefield fully recovered.
Moreover, they quickly gathered around Hiruzen Sarutobi, and the Four Violet Flames Formation rose again, but it was slightly different from the previous barrier. This time, the Four Violet Flames Formation was to prevent the invisible Shinigami within the Reaper Death Seal from returning to the so-called World of the Dead.
While success cannot be guaranteed, the Four Violet Flames Formation can indeed block soul-based secret techniques such as Spirit Transformation Technique and Mind Body Switch Technique, and it is feasible to block the Shinigami of the Soul Body.
However, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was once again trapped in the barrier, became extremely upset. The Sound Four were supposed to be 'seriously injured,' no longer showed any signs of injury. It turned out that Naoki Senju and Orochimaru had secretly joined forces all along!
Feeling his life force slowly draining away, his soul being torn apart and chewed by the Shinigami behind him, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat on the ground, panting heavily. He had lost this battle completely.
On his deathbed, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at his disciple, whom he hadn't seen for decades, and weakly asked:
" Orochimaru, have you never regretted it? Among the ninjas you used as experimental subjects were not only comrades from Konoha, but also ordinary women and children!"
"Regret? Hah, Hiruzen Sarutobi, don't you think that's hypocritical and laughable? The Uchiha Clan has over three hundred members, Senju Clan has one hundred and forty-seven members. Aren't their lives lives too?"
Before Orochimaru could speak, Naoki Senju silenced Hiruzen Sarutobi with his words. In the eyes of these high-ranking Konoha High Command, it seemed that only those who completely obeyed them could be considered complete people.
"What, speechless now? Is the blood on your hands any less than Orochimaru's? Just because of your high-sounding righteousness, do you have the right to criticize Orochimaru?"
Although every word he said was in Orochimaru's defense, for some reason, Orochimaru vaguely sensed that something was amiss...
"We have indeed wronged the Senju Clan, but the Uchiha Clan has no reason to escape punishment!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi was a dove, but he was also a dove who inherited the will of the Second. On the issue of suppressing the Uchiha Clan, the Konoha leadership was surprisingly united, ultimately forcing the Uchiha Clan, who were willing to betray Madara Uchiha to stay in Konoha, into becoming a rebellious clan.
This is a classic example of starting with a great hand but ending up playing it terribly.
"Heh, if apologies were enough, why would I bother practicing Ninjutsu?"
Naoki Senju smiled contemptuously. Hiruzen Sarutobi had already become a 'prisoner,' yet he still maintained his ridiculous arrogance, as if a simple apology was their greatest act of pity.
"Ugh..." Hiruzen Sarutobi his eyes in pain. The way the Shinigami tore at his soul was more painful than he had imagined, especially since he hadn't offered any sacrifices to the Shinigami.
"What kind of compensation do you want? Just say it," Hiruzen Sarutobi, said with his last ounce of strength.
"Since you've put it that way, then I won't hold back. I want Danzo's head!"
These harsh conditions startled Orochimaru. Danzo was Teacher Sarutobi's junior brother, the most important leader of Root Konoha, practically the second-in-command of Konoha. Teacher Sarutobi couldn't possibly agree to that, could he?
" Danzo is the hidden Root of Konoha, drawing sustenance from the Konoha. Therefore, I cannot agree to your conditions."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's intention was clearly not a refusal. The words of such an old politician should be interpreted in detail: Danzo represents the dark side of Konoha's Root, therefore he cannot agree...
So, the meaning is quite clear:
Danzo is the root of Konoha's darkness, so he'll take the blame whenever possible. As long as someone else takes the blame, he'll agree to it...
"The Root lurking in the darkness... The Lord Third is truly cunning. Rest assured, these matters were all decided by Root on their own initiative, and have nothing to do with the Lord Third, who is devoted to Konoha."
Danzo, Danzo, your ambitions are as childish as a child's compared to Hiruzen Sarutobi's...
"Under the sixth tile of the third row in the Hokage's office, there is a resolution to disband Root. Konoha High Command, except Danzo, have... signed it."
After saying those words, the white phantom of the Shinigami behind Hiruzen Sarutobi completely reaped the last wisp of soul. Hiruzen Sarutobi's body lay helplessly on the ground, and the era of the Third Hokage came to a complete end!
But just as the phantom of Shinigami was about to leave, Naoki Senju shouted:
"Contract the barrier, don't let it escape!"
The real battle has only just begun!