Just as spatial ripples began to form around Hiruzen, Arata's eyes locked firmly onto the space surrounding him.
In that instant, the summoning transfer Hiruzen had been waiting for never arrived. When he opened his eyes, he found himself completely engulfed by swirling, vortex-like distortions of space.
His Reverse Summoning Jutsu had been nullified by those spiral distortions.
He couldn't even move. The surrounding space itself seemed sealed.
What Arata used at this moment was not the Mangekyō's time-freezing ability, but Kamui.
Although Arata had mostly treated Kamui as a mobility jutsu, it had many other applications:
• Restraining enemies
• Twisting the space around a target
• Using spatial power to directly kill
• Even attacking internal organs through spatial distortion
If Kakashi could use this with just one Sharingan despite not being an Uchiha, then Arata—who fully mastered it—naturally could do far more.
He had always known these uses but rarely needed them. Weak enemies didn't require it, and truly strong opponents could sometimes brute-force their way out of spatial pulling with sheer physical ability.
For example, the Third Raikage absolutely possessed that level of physical strength. Even the Fourth Raikage in canon could resist long-range space-time transfer through Lightning Release Chakra Mode. The Third Raikage, famed as the strongest, would only be tougher.
But Hiruzen clearly did not have that kind of body.
The Sarutobi clan was known for ninjutsu. Their taijutsu was decent but only slightly above average.
Against spatial distortion like this, Hiruzen had almost no counter.
Arata said with clear disdain:
"Did you really think the same trick would work on me twice?"
The last time, after Arata dealt with the Kumo shinobi, Hiruzen had ambushed him alongside Sarutobi Sasuke. If not for Kamui, Arata might have died to the Four Symbols Seal.
Back then, Hiruzen escaped early using Reverse Summoning thanks to his father's sensing. From that moment on, Arata had been thinking about how to counter that escape method.
Now he had the answer:
Use space against space.
Against a mere Kage-level Hiruzen, Arata had no need to use time-freeze—it would be overkill and waste chakra. He was still following his principle of conserving energy and avoiding openings.
Now completely immobilized, Hiruzen was horrified. His ultimate survival method had failed. Without Reverse Summoning, he had no way to resist Arata.
Realizing his situation, he hurriedly pleaded:
"Arata! I am the Hokage. If you kill me, it will cause turmoil in the village! Spare me and I will step down immediately!"
Arata's actions so far had been nearly flawless, but ninja investigations were powerful. Leaving zero witnesses was difficult. Before Arata officially became Hokage, Hiruzen's two advisors would certainly make trouble for him.
He couldn't kill them yet—if Hiruzen died and there were no capable administrators, the Land of Fire could descend into chaos.
Those advisors could spread rumors that Arata assassinated the Hokage, making things troublesome.
Even so, Hiruzen still had to die.
Their conflict had already reached the point where only one could live. Even if spared, Hiruzen would strike again whenever he found a chance—perhaps even targeting those Arata cared about.
Like Shizune and Kushina, who currently had little ability to protect themselves.
So today, Hiruzen had to die.
Arata said calmly:
"You're an old politician. You should understand—at this point, one of us must die to settle this."
Hearing that, the last hope in Hiruzen's heart went cold.
Thinking back, he truly had pushed Arata too far:
• The early assassination attempt
• Sending only three civilian ninja to support him against the Kumo
• Later secret attacks with his father
• Even moving against Mito Uzumaki, Arata's greatest backer
That final act erased Arata's last bit of goodwill.
Now, even at death's door, Hiruzen wasn't thinking about the Land of Fire's future—only how to save himself.
Seeing him fall silent, Arata had no interest in reminiscing.
The next moment—
Susanoo's blade fell.
With a thunderous boom, the Third Hokage of Konoha, the "Professor" revered across the shinobi world, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was cleanly beheaded by that single strike.