Naruto: Cultivating to Immortality

Chapter 278 The Konoha Crush Plan Begins (Part 8)

As the battle dragged on, Hiruzen Sarutobi grew increasingly anxious. He had expected reinforcements to arrive, but no one appeared. When he saw Kakashi Hatake and the others standing silently outside the barrier, showing no intention of helping, he finally understood.

"So that's how it is. All these years, the capable ninjas of Konoha have been waiting for me to die. They thought I was outdated and no longer suitable to be Hokage. Was I really wrong? No, I have never been wrong! Under my leadership, Konoha has maintained peace and tranquility. I am the greatest Hokage!" Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly solidified his inner conviction. He firmly believed that it was because of his leadership that Konoha had been able to maintain peace for so many years. Everything he had done was right, and those who did not come to his aid were merely trying to usurp his Hokage position.

"Since Orochimaru is so eager to die, then I'll grant his wish. But before I die, I'll drag him down with me! And that despicable Hyuga Kanan, how dare he betray Konoha and stand by Orochimaru's side to watch the show! He deserves to die!" Hiruzen Sarutobi was filled with anger and resentment. He knew he could not escape his fate of death, but he was unwilling to die like this. He wanted to make those who had hurt him pay the price!

Thinking this, a resolute glint flashed in Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes. He decided to make one last contribution to the Sarutobi clan with his life. He believed that after so many years of cultivation and development, the Sarutobi clan was strong enough to inherit the Hokage position and take control of Konoha. And all of this required him to exchange his life for it.

"Let me pave the way for the future of the Sarutobi clan!" Hiruzen Sarutobi whispered, then used all his strength to activate a forbidden technique. This forbidden technique could use his soul as a bargaining chip, enough to take Orochimaru and Hyuga Kanan down with him. Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately created three shadow clones and began forming hand seals, while Tobirama Senju immediately unleashed the ultimate genjutsu, "Darkness Movement Technique," blocking all of Hiruzen Sarutobi's vision.

However, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not move an inch, remaining firmly in place, his hands rapidly forming hand seals. This was his first time using this technique, and his mastery of the seals was not yet sufficient, so he could only carefully ensure the correctness of each hand seal, slowly and cautiously completing the entire seal-forming process.

Meanwhile, in the darkness, Tobirama Senju and Hashirama Senju, the two powerful figures summoned by the Impure World Reincarnation technique, did not cease their attacks. They launched wave after wave of fierce assaults on Hiruzen Sarutobi without hesitation. Despite this, Hiruzen Sarutobi's main body remained unmoved, relying solely on his shadow clones for a tenacious defense.

"Ninja Art - Corpse Demon Sealing!"

As time ticked by, Hiruzen Sarutobi's face grew paler and paler, but his hands remained steadfastly forming hand seals. Finally, after a long wait, he completed the release of this ninjutsu.

A sinister aura emanated from him, as if from the depths of hell. Then, a huge black shadow slowly emerged behind him, eventually forming a grim reaper with two horns, wielding a short blade and a string of prayer beads.

The figure was extremely eerie, sending chills down one's spine. Its appearance caused no change in the surrounding environment; ordinary people couldn't detect its presence at all. Only Hiruzen Sarutobi himself could clearly sense its presence and knew that this was the legendary Grim Reaper.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stared silently at the Grim Reaper before him, his heart filled with awe. He knew the power and terror of this ninjutsu, and he understood the price he would have to pay to unleash it. But to drag Orochimaru and Hyuga Kanan down with him, he was willing to pay any price.

After activating the technique, Hiruzen Sarutobi closed his eyes and began to concentrate, attempting to sense the presence of everyone present. Through the special ability he gained from making a contract with a Shinigami, he could easily locate each person's soul and, consequently, their physical body. This gave him the opportunity to seize their bodies, thereby pulling their souls out and sealing them away.

The shadow clones moved swiftly, rushing towards the two resurrected former Hokage with incredible speed and accuracy. The Grim Reaper's enormous hand passed through Hiruzen Sarutobi's body, tightly grasping the souls within the two resurrected bodies. At the same time, the 'Darkness Travel Technique' released by Tobirama Senju instantly dissipated, and the surrounding environment returned to brightness.

The two bodies formed by the Impure World Reincarnation technique began to collapse and dissipate, clearly indicating that Hiruzen Sarutobi had sealed their souls with the Shinigami technique. Orochimaru also sensed a danger; he keenly perceived that Hiruzen Sarutobi was using an extremely powerful ninjutsu, which could potentially endanger him.

Hyuga Kanan, however, remained unconcerned. He could clearly sense the Shinigami behind Hiruzen Sarutobi using his divine sense. Upon seeing its appearance, Hyuga Kanan felt a sense of familiarity. The Shinigami's appearance was remarkably similar to that of the Otsutsuki clan, as depicted in the long history shown to him by the World's Will, which surprised Hyuga Kanan. However, this level of power clearly posed no threat to Hyuga Kanan, who possessed immense divine sense. Even if Hyuga Kanan allowed the Shinigami to touch his body, it wouldn't be able to pull his soul out of his body.

But Hiruzen Sarutobi clearly didn't think that way. He formed hand seals and swiftly created a shadow clone, which then appeared in front of Kanan Hyuga at lightning speed. The shadow clone gripped Kanan's arms tightly, attempting to stop him and create an opportunity for the Shinigami. At the same time, Hiruzen's main body tightly gripped Orochimaru's body, trying to pull their souls out of their bodies and seal them away.

After Orochimaru was captured by Hiruzen Sarutobi, he initially appeared calm, seemingly unconcerned about the situation. However, as he realized his body was gradually slipping out of his control, panic began to grip him. At that moment, the giant hand of the Grim Reaper behind Hiruzen Sarutobi had pierced through his body, tightly seizing his soul. This made him realize that his life was facing an unprecedented crisis.

"What?!" Orochimaru cried out in horror, unable to believe he was in such a predicament. His eyes widened, his face filled with astonishment and fear, completely at a loss. He had never imagined that Hiruzen Sarutobi could pose a threat to him, even endangering his life. At this moment, his heart was filled with regret and despair.

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled with relief. He knew his days were numbered, but he felt no sorrow. In his view, as long as he could eliminate Orochimaru and Hyuga Kanan here, Konoha would remain under the Sarutobi clan's control. For years, he had secretly diverted Konoha's resources to cultivate the Sarutobi clan, whose strength was now vastly different. They not only possessed a numerical advantage in ninjas but also had outstanding talents in various fields. Currently, the Sarutobi clan numbered three thousand ninjas, accounting for one-fifth of Konoha's total ninjas, making them the most powerful clan in the village. With the full support of the remaining Konoha leadership, the Sarutobi clan's position in Konoha would become increasingly secure. Hiruzen believed that given enough time, the Sarutobi clan would surpass the Senju clan's influence over Konoha. And all of this needed to begin today, from the moment he personally dealt with Orochimaru and Hyuga Kanan.

With this in mind, Hiruzen Sarutobi used all his remaining power and mobilized the Shinigami behind him, preparing to seal Orochimaru and Hyuga Kanan's souls as quickly as possible.

Unlike Orochimaru's panic, Hyuga Kanan remained calm, carefully sensing the illusory figure of the Grim Reaper behind Hiruzen Sarutobi, hoping to gain some inspiration. Unfortunately, this Grim Reaper, devoid of any consciousness and operating solely according to predetermined rules, offered absolutely no guidance to the current Hyuga Kanan, leaving him somewhat disappointed. He had expected that the rules governing this Grim Reaper would be more advanced, providing some inspiration for his future growth, but it turned out the so-called Grim Reaper was merely operating on the simplest of rules.

Sensing all this, Hyuga Kanan decided to waste no more time. He gathered all his power and launched a fierce attack. This powerful energy wave instantly destroyed the shadow clone in front of him and repelled the Shinigami who reached out his hand to him. Then, Hyuga Kanan steadily moved forward, walking towards Hiruzen Sarutobi's main body, each step filled with confidence and majesty.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stared wide-eyed in shock at Hyuga Kanan's sudden outburst. He never imagined that even a Shinigami summoned through forbidden techniques couldn't pose a threat to him. Kanan's effortless repulsion of the summoned Shinigami made Hiruzen realize how absurd his previous assumptions had been. He had always thought he could use the power of the Shinigami to fight Kanan, but now it seemed that was nothing but a self-deceiving fantasy.

At this moment, an unprecedented fear surged within Hiruzen Sarutobi. He began to understand that Hyuga Kanan's strength had surpassed his imagination, and all his efforts were in vain. Faced with such a powerful enemy, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally realized his own powerlessness. He had once tried to stop Hyuga Kanan by sacrificing himself, but now he realized how naive that idea had been. Perhaps the other party had never taken him, the Hokage, seriously, but rather saw him as a laughable clown, watching him perform his self-righteous act in front of him.

"Do you have anything else to say, Hokage?" Hyuga Kanan's tone was indifferent, even carrying a deep contempt for Sarutobi Hiruzen.