Naruto: Unlocking Kaido Template

At this moment, Sarutobi and his two clones still had their hands clasped together. Behind them, an eerie, ghostly figure in a white robe—visible to no one else—emerged. It had a ghastly green face, sharp fangs, wild flowing hair, and a short dagger clenched between its teeth. Phantom-blue spirits floated around, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

"This technique... it targets the spirit..." Uzumaki Zixu's instincts screamed that something was wrong. His body might have been strong, but when it came to his spirit, he couldn't afford to be careless. Slowly, he activated the chakra in his body, entering Sage Mode in secret.

Orochimaru, momentarily distracted, gave Sarutobi Hiruzen the perfect opening. One of his clones locked both of the resurrected Hokage in place with his hands, and an unknown force connected them. The two Hokage, bound by the Impure World Reincarnation (Edo Tensei), suddenly froze in place before their bodies crumbled like dust, leaving only their sealed corpses behind.

"A sealing technique..." Orochimaru muttered as he realized he had lost control over them. Sarutobi, however, showed no fear. He was already prepared to die—there was nothing holding him back now.

Despite his dwindling chakra reserves, Sarutobi Hiruzen, the so-called Professor of Ninjutsu, still had a few tricks up his sleeve. With Enma gone, he channeled the last of his chakra into a thick tree trunk, created earlier by the First Hokage's Wood Release (Mokuton), and swung it like a massive club.

"Old man... are you trying to kill yourself?" Orochimaru found himself unable to accept this sudden shift in Sarutobi's fighting style. The Hokage had always fought fiercely, but he had also kept a portion of his chakra in reserve. Now, he was pouring every last bit of it into his attack, as if he truly intended to fight to the death.

"Orochimaru... this is the last thing I can do..." Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice was weak. The ghostly Shinigami behind him stretched out a massive white hand covered in runes, piercing through both his clone and his real body before reaching for Orochimaru and Zixu.

Zixu sensed the incoming danger. He knew that panic would only lead to death. His thoughts raced as he tracked the movement of natural energy in the air. Based on the way the energy was subtly repelled, he deduced the attack's trajectory. Then, for the first time, he unleashed his unique technique.

"Senpō: Kongō Fūin!" (Sage Art: Diamond Seal)

Three powerful forces—pure natural energy, the immense chakra reserves of the Uzumaki clan, and the overwhelming life force inherited from Kaido's physique—merged seamlessly inside Zixu's body. A brand-new energy formed, and he poured it into his technique.

In an instant, golden chains burst forth like writhing tentacles from a Lovecraftian nightmare, reaching out instinctively. They latched onto the Shinigami's pale, rune-covered hand and surged upward, piercing through Sarutobi's body and stabbing into the spectral figure behind him.

Zixu's golden eyes narrowed as he locked onto the ghostly form of the Shinigami.

A flicker of alarm crossed the monstrous being's once-dominant expression. It had sensed something—Zixu was a descendant of the Uzumaki clan. And not just any descendant. He had invoked a technique that countered the Shinigami's power directly. After all, the Shinigami Seal (Shiki Fūjin) had been created by the Uzumaki clan.

The balance shifted. Orochimaru, freed from the incoming attack, immediately distanced himself. Even with his usual arrogance, he had felt the chilling presence of the Shinigami. The attack wasn't aimed at his physical body, but the sheer suppression on his soul was overwhelming. A close call. Had Zixu not intervened, he might have been doomed.

"Old man... you were hiding this technique all along, huh?" Orochimaru clicked his tongue. Sarutobi Hiruzen had never shared much about the Shinigami Seal with him. As expected, the old man always kept an ace up his sleeve.

But there was no time for reflection. Right now, Zixu and the Shinigami were locked in a battle of wills. The golden chains tried to drag the Shinigami's spirit energy into Zixu's body, while the spectral deity struggled to break free.

As the chains and the Shinigami's hand passed through his body in their tug-of-war, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt his consciousness slipping.

"So many chains... Definitely from the Uzumaki clan... Uzumaki Zixu... Tenzo... so in the end, you all wanted me gone..."

A wave of sorrow washed over him. He realized now—Tenzo's reports had been manipulated. Orochimaru's invasion hadn't just been an external attack; the villagers had played their part. The realization stung.

Meanwhile, Zixu clenched his teeth in pain. The struggle wasn't just draining the Shinigami—it was tearing into his own soul as well.

"Shit... since when was I the one getting devoured?" Zixu growled. His chakra flared wildly, and another surge of golden chains erupted from his body, piercing deeper into the Shinigami's rune-covered hand. If his soul was being pulled away, then he'd just take an equal amount back.

The Shinigami froze, its rage bubbling over. Everything had been going well—it had been summoned, had devoured two souls, and was about to claim two more. But now? Now, this Uzumaki brat was trying to rob it!

Furious, the Shinigami did the unthinkable. It bit down on its own arm—severing the runed hand to escape Zixu's relentless chains.

If I can't deal with you, then I'll just leave!

With that, the ghostly figure retreated into the void, vanishing from sight.

Zixu smirked beneath his mask as he absorbed the severed rune-covered hand into his body. His eyes glinted with a silent warning:

"Next time, don't even think about running."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's spirit, which had nearly been consumed, was now sealed within the rune hand and stored inside Zixu's body. But as the old Hokage collapsed, he had one final moment of clarity.

Through the fading seal, he saw the sky above Konoha, the leaves swirling in the wind. His mind drifted to the past—to the Fourth Hokage, to Orochimaru and Jiraiya as children, to the mistakes he had made.

With his last breath, he sighed.

"Wherever Konoha dances, the fire will continue to burn... I hope the new generation won't repeat my mistakes..."

The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, died.

Orochimaru, seeing that his goal was accomplished, stepped toward the lifeless body, his expression unreadable.

"Your plan succeeded, but the so-called 'Konoha Crush'... doesn't quite seem like a true victory for you," Zixu remarked. Their mission was complete. Sarutobi Hiruzen was dead. The ones who had struck the deal with them would overlook it. But now that Sarutobi was gone, lingering any longer would be dangerous. If they hesitated, Konoha's high-ranking forces would descend on them instantly.

Orochimaru ordered the Oto-nin to remove the barrier, then departed with Zixu and the others.

"In this battle... Konoha lost the cancer of the Third Hokage. The Sound ninja you sent out were likely wiped out. The Sand Village lost their Kazekage and suffered a major economic decline. They'll have to answer diplomatically. And as for the next Hokage... Jiraiya or Danzo can step in at any moment. In the end, Konoha is the real winner."

Orochimaru smirked but didn't respond.

"Move fast. We still have a village to build. Don't let Gaara slip away. I'll handle the Hyuga. We'll regroup at the designated point once everything is done."

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