Time rewinds to just one minute ago.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, already torn apart by the incomplete Black Coffin, his body covered in blood and wounds, forced himself upright. His voice thundered with determination:
"For the Ninja World! For Konoha! I will not allow you two to live! Take this—my forbidden technique! The Fourth's seal upon the Nine Tails!"
In the next instant, a colossal Shinigami's shadow erupted from Hiruzen's body. Its massive hands reached out, grasping toward Kenya and Orochimaru's souls.
Orochimaru's eyes widened in shock, his voice trembling:
"This jutsu! Damn it! It's the Reaper Death Seal! If Shinigami catches us, it's over!"
Yet Kenya remained motionless.
Drawing upon the faint power of the unsealed Hōgyoku, a translucent radiance enveloped his body.
"From the beginning… no one has ever stood at the summit of the sky. Not you. Not me. Not even gods."
Midway through his words, his spiritual pressure surged—amplified by the Hōgyoku—instantly breaking past its previous peak.
"This vacant throne above the heavens will no longer remain empty. From this moment on… I will stand in the sky."
With a single wave of his right hand, his voice roared across the battlefield:
"Hadō #90—Black Coffin!!"
The towering cube of darkness consumed everything. When it finally dissipated, Konoha itself trembled.
Orochimaru's pupils contracted in disbelief.
The same technique—yet its power had multiplied threefold under Kenya's hand.
His gaze fell upon the luminous sphere hovering before Kenya's chest, his snake-like eyes narrowing.
Could it be… that is the key to his overwhelming power?
On the ground, Hiruzen stirred weakly, his battered body refusing to yield.
"You're still alive?!" Orochimaru exclaimed in shock. Even he would not have survived that attack—yet the old Hokage still clung to life.
At that moment, the system's cold voice echoed in Kenya's mind:
[Current template: Lord of the Hōgyoku—Aizen Sōsuke. Unlock rate: 44.07%]
Kenya's brow arched faintly. So even the death of a Kage only raises it slightly… the stronger I become, the harder it is to climb.
Just like a Genin rising to Chūnin in mere years, but requiring decades to step from Jōnin to Kage. The higher the summit, the steeper the climb.
He glanced at the struggling Hiruzen and spoke coldly:
"What you're clinging to is nothing but willpower. Look—"
A faint, human-shaped mist drifted from Hiruzen's body.
Orochimaru's eyes widened.
"That's… his soul! But how? A soul cannot emerge naturally at death—only through forbidden arts like the Reaper Death Seal or Reanimation. Yet… his very soul is being drawn out."
The Hōgyoku pulsed with light, rising into the air. Hiruzen's soul, as though summoned, drifted helplessly toward it before being absorbed completely.
The orb sank back into Kenya's body.
Kenya smiled, his Sharingan spinning as he formed seals with effortless grace.
"Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bomb!"
The ground erupted, forming a roaring earthen dragon.
Orochimaru's heart sank. A mere Sharingan mimicry? No… this feels different.
Hiruzen, the "Professor of Ninjutsu," had mastered all five elemental releases and yin–yang chakra. And now—Kenya possessed them too.
The Hōgyoku had devoured the Hokage's soul. Kenya's attributes expanded. Fire, water, wind, earth, lightning, yin, and yang—all bent to him.
And yet… this was not even the Hōgyoku's final form.
Suddenly, Orochimaru's face tensed. "They're coming. Many ninjas are on their way."
Kenya turned slightly. The Four Purple Flame Formation had shattered beneath the enhanced Black Coffin. Every ninja in Konoha would have sensed the chaos.
His lips curled into a mocking smile.
"Well then, Mr. Orochimaru… according to the story, when they arrive, they'll see this: you killed the Hokage. I stood against you, but you escaped my blade."
Orochimaru's tongue flicked across his lips, amusement gleaming in his snake-like eyes.
"Heh… the Hokage dies, and you claim the glory of a survivor while I bear all the blame. Truly excessive… but I must admit, your methods are flawless."
Kenya smirked, Kyōka Suigetsu glinting in his hand.
"That's very simple…"
The blade's reflection shimmered, distorting reality.
As Orochimaru slipped away into the shadows, Kenya lowered his sword, whispering coldly:
"Shatter… Kyōka Suigetsu."