As Orochimaru's voice faded into the air, Sarutobi Hiruzen's pupils shrank sharply.
The moment he recognized the technique, his eyes widened in disbelief.
"Edo Tensei…?" he muttered, his voice barely a whisper.
Silence hung in the air for a brief moment before Hiruzen gritted his teeth and shouted,
"Orochimaru…! So this is the result of your research?!"
His gaze turned sharp. "When did you steal that forbidden jutsu?!"
Orochimaru's thin lips curled into a twisted grin. "Oh… how rare this is, Sarutobi-sensei. To think I'd see that expression on your face."
His golden eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he added softly, "Have you finally begun to see me?"
Up in the sky, Zedris floated with a faint smile curling at the corner of his lips. So that's it… Orochimaru only summoned Edo Tensei to get a reaction from Hiruzen. To prove himself.
But Zedris wasn't surprised. He already had a good guess about the identities of the souls Orochimaru had summoned.
Before his thoughts could go further, a sudden rumble echoed from the ground in front of Orochimaru—two coffins slowly rose from the earth, accompanied by a heavy, ominous pressure.
Orochimaru's voice turned low and venomous. "You should know these two quite well, sensei."
As those words fell, Hiruzen's heart clenched.
When he saw the names etched into the wooden coffins, his breath caught in his throat. Cold sweat trailed down his weathered cheek as he stared in horror.
"No… it can't be…"
His voice trembled. "Orochimaru, you…!"
Rage and disbelief surged through him, draining the color from his face.
Zedris watched silently, raising an eyebrow. He already knew what was coming, but seeing the shock on Hiruzen's face confirmed his suspicions. Those two... it has to be them.
With a resounding bang, the coffin lids fell open.
Two figures stood motionless, eyes closed, their heads slightly bowed as if in sleep.
Hiruzen's body froze.
His mouth opened but no words came out. His eyes locked on the two men—men he had once looked up to, revered, and served under.
Orochimaru's voice dripped with mockery. "What's the matter, sensei? Cat got your tongue? Frightened already?"
He chuckled darkly. "You, who are called the strongest Hokage—I wonder, how do you compare to them?"
He cast a glance toward Zedris, expecting to see awe or at least some curiosity.
But Zedris merely floated there, calm as ever, his expression unreadable.
Orochimaru's eye twitched. Still no reaction…?
I went through all that effort, and he's just going to stand there like it's nothing?!
Back on the ground, Hiruzen stood still, unable to tear his eyes away from the two reanimated shinobi. A mixture of dread and grief weighed heavily on his shoulders.
Because the two figures were none other than—
The First and Second Hokage.
Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama.
His teachers. His predecessors. The very foundations of Konoha.
Orochimaru sneered again. "Do you like the gift I prepared for you, Sarutobi-sensei?"
The sarcasm in his voice was cutting.
Hiruzen clenched his fists, his breath still ragged. "You… Orochimaru…!"
But before he could finish, Orochimaru cut in, voice sharp. "Now, now. Don't waste your breath on lectures."
He pulled out two kunai—each bearing a talisman on its hilt.
Orochimaru's expression turned manic, excitement bubbling in his voice. "Don't blink, Sarutobi-sensei. The real show's about to begin!"
He slowly inserted the kunai into the heads of the corpses.
Hiruzen's face hardened. This is bad…
He knew all too well how Edo Tensei worked. A forbidden technique created by the Second Hokage himself—one that could bring back the dead in nearly indestructible bodies, only fully neutralized by sealing the soul itself.
Has Orochimaru really gone this far?
Above, Zedris remained still, his sharp eyes calmly analyzing everything.
He understood the truth: Orochimaru's Edo Tensei wasn't perfected. The summoned Hokage wouldn't be able to fully tap into their pre-death power. But even incomplete...
It was more than enough to be a nightmare for the weakened Hiruzen.
He's already used a lot of chakra battling me, Zedris thought. Now Orochimaru throws this at him? It's cruel… but effective.
Down below, Hiruzen's mind was racing.
No matter what damage you inflict, Edo Tensei regenerates. It's unkillable by normal means. There's only one option—
He clenched his jaw. I'll have to use that technique.
His eyes flicked to Zedris for a brief moment. If I could only get him on our side… maybe Konoha still has a chance.
Then, his voice turned cold, calm.
"So that's how it is…"
He looked straight at Orochimaru. "You and Sunagakure… did you form a pact to strike at Konoha from the inside?"
He took a step forward. "Your real goal… was me all along, wasn't it?"
Orochimaru didn't deny it.
But before either of them could respond, Hiruzen suddenly exhaled deeply and raised his head. His old eyes, filled with sorrow and resolve, burned with a familiar fire.
There's no avoiding this. I must seal them. Even if it costs me everything…
Sarutobi Hiruzen's gaze sharpened as a sense of calm determination settled over him.
"I don't know what your goal is in attacking Konoha," he said slowly, voice firm. "But as the Third Hokage, I will protect this village with everything I have."
He raised his head, eyes no longer shaken but burning with resolve.
"I won't allow you two to run wild any longer!"
Orochimaru's smile twisted into a scowl. His eyes darkened, and with a hiss, he snapped, "That's enough. I've had enough of your pointless speeches."
He thrust a hand to his chest and formed a seal with practiced ease.
"Edo Tensei!"
A rush of chakra filled the air. In an instant, the figures of the First and Second Hokage leapt into motion, charging toward Hiruzen. Their eyes were empty—no humanity remained. They were puppets now, bound to Orochimaru's will.
Floating above them, Zedris watched quietly, a faint smile tugging at his lips. His gaze lingered on Hiruzen.
"So… he's planning to use that technique," he muttered to himself. "In that case, Orochimaru's arms won't last much longer."
The thought stirred something in him—excitement. His role was clear: prevent anyone from interfering with this legendary clash. He had a front-row seat to history… and death.
The battle erupted below.
At first, Hiruzen held his ground, parrying the relentless assault of two former Hokage. But his body was old, weary. His breathing grew ragged. Blows landed harder and more frequently.
With a vicious strike, the First Hokage sent Hiruzen flying. He crashed into the tiles, coughing up blood.
Still, the old man forced himself up, wiping the crimson from his lips with the back of his hand.
His body trembled, but his eyes remained fierce.
Orochimaru stepped forward, a mocking grin spreading across his face.
"How much longer can that worn-out body of yours hold up, Sarutobi-sensei?"
He chuckled darkly, the madness behind his grin impossible to hide. "Even you must see it now. My research… it was right all along."
Then he paused.
Something was off.
Despite the blood, the trembling limbs, and the pain—Hiruzen was smiling.
"What…?" Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. "Has he gone senile?"
Hiruzen didn't answer. Without a word, he swiftly formed a series of hand seals.
Poof! Poof!
Two shadow clones appeared at his side.
"What?!" Orochimaru's grin faltered. "He's… wasting chakra on clones? Has he truly lost it?"
It didn't make sense. Why would someone on the brink of collapse split their already-dwindling chakra?
Orochimaru's brow furrowed, confusion etched deep across his face.
Then Hiruzen and his two clones began weaving seals in unison. The sequence was rapid, precise—deadly.
Snake → Boar → Ram → Rabbit → Dog → Rat → Bird → Horse → Snake!
The final seal slammed together with purpose.
And in that moment, the air grew heavy.
Behind Hiruzen, a towering figure took shape—a grotesque entity with a skeletal face, purple skin, a flowing white robe, and a dagger clutched between clenched teeth.
The Shinigami.
Clutched in its hand was a string of crimson beads, while its other hand reached forward to grasp something invisible.
But it wasn't invisible to everyone.
From above, Zedris's eyes widened. "The Reaper Death Seal…?"
Then a frown creased his face.
"…Wait. Why can I see it?"
Only the caster should be able to perceive the Shinigami. Yet he could see it clearly—every bone, every thread of the ghostly form.
He blinked and deactivated his Purple Demon Eyes.
Gone.
"…So that's it. The eyes—or maybe the system…"
Still, Zedris quickly composed himself. Seeing death didn't faze him. He was only here to make sure nothing interfered.
Below, Hiruzen's face contorted in pain as the Shinigami's spectral hand plunged into his chest, grasping at his very soul.
"Ugh…!"
His body shuddered, soaked in sweat, but he didn't stop. His resolve was unshaken.
Orochimaru's expression changed for the first time—confusion, then fear.
"What… what is this technique?! Why is he in so much pain? What did he just do?!"
He took a step back, instincts warning him of danger.
The Shinigami's hand reached outward—and from Hiruzen's chest, an enormous spectral arm surged forth, racing toward the First and Second Hokage.
At the same time, one of Hiruzen's clones sprang forward, dashing toward Orochimaru like a blur.
The other clone launched high into the air, straight toward Zedris!
Zedris's smirk returned.
"So he wants to drag me into this as well?"
The clone's hand stretched out, aiming to seize him mid-air.
PS: 🚀 𝘉𝘪𝘨 𝘕𝘦𝘸𝘴: 𝘔𝘺 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘕𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘐𝘴 𝘈𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘚𝘦𝘵 𝘚𝘢𝘪𝘭! 🚢✨ 𝘊𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬 𝘐𝘵 𝘖𝘶𝘵 𝘐𝘧 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘔𝘢𝘺.
(𝘛𝘢𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘸: 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘸 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘯 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦)
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