Whoosh!
A massive shuriken spun through the air.
"Ninjutsu: Shuriken Shadow Clone!"
With Sarutobi Hiruzen's hand seals, one shuriken multiplied into a thousand, blotting out the sky and sealing off Kakashi's escape.
Kakashi twirled his demon blade, knocking each incoming shuriken aside with precise movements.
Graceful, almost theatrical—like an elf dancing across a storm of steel.
Of course, Hiruzen knew better than to rely on shuriken alone.
He swiftly wove seals again, splitting into four Shadow Clones that flanked him from all sides.
Kakashi's pupils tightened. He recognized that setup instantly.
"Oh? Five of you at once? Guess this is the buy-one-get-four-free sale."
Acting quickly, Kakashi flicked a Flying Thunder God kunai straight up into the sky.
Almost simultaneously, the five Hiruzens finished their seals and bellowed together:
"Five Styles: Great Chain Explosion Technique!"
Wind, fire, lightning, earth, and water surged from their mouths as chakra spheres.
The five elements merged mid-air and crashed down on Kakashi like a storm of raw creation.
The resulting explosion engulfed him in a violent energy maelstrom!
Outside the blast zone, sand and rocks flew as the forest was shredded apart in an instant.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A mushroom cloud erupted, shaking the battlefield with a deafening roar.
The sheer force forced the spectators back nearly a kilometer.
When the storm finally subsided, a gaping pit remained where Kakashi once stood.
His presence had vanished.
"…Was it successful?"
Hiruzen frowned, scanning warily. He knew Kakashi was not the kind to die easily.
Eight hundred meters above the battlefield, Kakashi stood atop his suspended demon sword, calmly watching the devastation below.
"Now that… was flashy," he muttered. "Five elements, all at once. Guess the Professor still loves his fireworks shows."
Inwardly, he exhaled. That almost killed me. Good thing I guessed the trick.
At the very instant the elemental barrage closed in, Kakashi used the Flying Thunder God kunai he had hurled skyward to teleport five hundred meters above the ground.
Then, just in case, he threw another kunai higher and blinked up an additional three hundred meters.
Hovering with his magnetized blade, he now gazed down, utterly unnoticed.
No matter how sharp Hiruzen's senses, he would never imagine his target calmly standing eight hundred meters above his head, enjoying the view.
"See? This is the strength of Hiruzen, the strongest Hokage!"
Down below, Utatane Koharu's voice trembled with excitement.
"Yes, Hiruzen has always been recognized as Konoha's mightiest."
"Hatake Kakashi was only a Jōnin, yet he dared defy his superior. His death is simply his due."
Homura Mitokado sneered in agreement.
"Hehe, exactly. Foolish is the man who raises his blade against the Third Hokage. Kakashi wasted his life."
Koharu's words dripped venom, aimed squarely at Minato.
Anbu standing near the Root's exit clenched their fists, faces dark. Were it not for Koharu's position, they might have struck her down on the spot.
Such a waste… such a brilliant youth, lost to the village's own hand.
Among the watching clan leaders, dissatisfaction grew.
Even the Anbu operatives Hiruzen had personally invited into his direct unit felt only regret at Kakashi's supposed death.
Unlike Root, Anbu demanded no brainwashing—loyalty was chosen, not forced. Their thoughts remained their own.
But bound by duty, they buried their frustration deep.
Uchiha Shisui, standing by Minato, was different. The normally composed youth shook with rage.
If not for the crowd, he might have unleashed his Kotoamatsukami on Hiruzen then and there—forcing the man to kneel before Kakashi's grave for the rest of his life.
Minato alone appeared calm.
He felt the pull of his Flying Thunder God mark high in the sky—proof Kakashi lived.
Suppressing the urge to look upward, he merely wondered how his student had pulled off such a feat.
"Snort!"
"Monkey, Kakashi is a loyal shinobi and a hero of three wars. And you… you strike him down, all for Danzo's pride? Truly disgraceful!"
Akamichi bellowed, unable to endure any longer.
Hiruzen sighed, feigning sorrow.
"Alas, Kakashi's death was not my wish. But in a clash of equals, fatal accidents are unavoidable. Everyone saw his strength—it was Kage-class. As such, I was compelled to fight with full force. I truly did not expect him to fall so swiftly. By all rights, he should have escaped."
He spoke without lying.
As the Third Hokage, he would never kill a comrade lightly.
But in that clash, he had also sought to reestablish his authority—to remind all present of his might.
He had not anticipated Kakashi failing to dodge.
His words rang with enough truth that even Akamichi faltered, unable to reply.
"Minato." Hiruzen's gaze shifted. "Since Kakashi has perished, return Danzo's body as agreed. As his old friend, I will also take over Root's legacy. Let the dead rest—their debts die with them. Danzo gave much to Konoha. Branding him a traitor is punishment enough."
He softened his tone slightly. "As for Kakashi, he remains a hero of the village. He shall receive the honors he deserves."
Thus, in a few sentences, Hiruzen attempted to bury both Danzo's crimes and Kakashi's death beneath his own authority.
Funerals, mourning—those could come later. For now, power had to be seized.
If the clans saw his strength, they would fall in line.
"Elder Hiruzen!"
Finally, Shisui could bear it no longer. His fury boiled over, his voice like a blade.
"I, Uchiha Shisui, member of Kakashi's squad, swear here and now—!"
His eyes spun crimson, his resolve unshakable.
Even if it meant revealing the trump card Kakashi-senpai had entrusted to him, he would strike down Hiruzen and avenge his fallen senior!