"This is the only way. The only way for the Sarutobi clan to survive."
A complex mix of emotions flickered in the old Ape King's eyes before settling into a deep sigh. "I understand, Sarutobi. Go on."
Hiruzen Sarutobi began to form hand seals.
Serpent - Boar - Ram - Hare - Dog - Rat - Bird - Horse - Serpent.
Finally, he brought his hands together in a clap.
The spectral form of the Shinigami materialized behind him. He fought through a wave of agony to continue the jutsu. The figure of the Reaper solidified, a ritual knife clenched in its teeth. A phantom of a soul appeared before it.
A string of prayer beads on the Shinigami's left hand flew out, wrapping around its arm in a dense weave of runes as it reached for the soul's phantom. Hiruzen felt a sharp pain in his chest and couldn't stop himself from spitting up another mouthful of blood.
Outside, Danzo had finished recovering his chakra and once again activated the Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence.
By then, Hiruzen had completed his preparations for the Reaper Death Seal. He knew he only had one chance.
Ignoring the excruciating pain, he rapidly closed the distance to Danzo. Danzo caught sight of him and immediately summoned countless trees to attack.
Hiruzen threw his Adamantine Staff.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The staff split into dozens of sections, instantly assembling into a square cage that trapped Danzo completely. A jolt of alarm went through Danzo; he had no idea what Hiruzen was planning.
Danzo commanded the sprouting trees to strike. Hiruzen barely managed to avoid the fatal blows, but his leg and right shoulder were impaled. He collapsed to the ground, a faint, relieved smile on his face. The distance was perfect.
A hand covered in curse marks, a hand of pure soul, shot out from Hiruzen's chest and seized Danzo as he was performing his jutsu.
Danzo's face was a mask of shock. "This is...! Hiruzen, are you insane?!"
"Seal!" Hiruzen roared, knowing this was his only opportunity.
Like a final burst of life, a fire ignited in his eyes. For my Sarutobi clan!
The Shinigami's hand ripped Danzo's soul from his body.
"No!" Danzo screamed as he was violently dragged into Hiruzen's stomach. Instantly, a seal formula appeared on Hiruzen's abdomen.
The Shinigami behind him took the knife from its mouth. It greedily sliced off a piece of Danzo's soul and swallowed it whole.
With the caster dead, the Deep Forest Emergence was terminated. The three Sannin rushed to Hiruzen's side.
Hiruzen's face was as pale as paper, his life force completely spent. He looked at Jiraiya, his lips moving, but no sound came out. He fell to the ground with a thud.
Jiraiya read his final words from the movement of his lips.
"For Konoha..."
Tsunade ran over, only to find two corpses.
"Ah!" she cried out, seething with rage. She slammed her fist into the ground. Just as she had learned the truth of what happened all those years ago, both culprits had died right here.
Tsunade grabbed Orochimaru. "Orochimaru, don't you know how to resurrect the dead? Bring these old bastards back! I need to know what happened back then!"
Orochimaru walked over to Hiruzen, his expression complicated. His old, decrepit friend had chosen such an end.
He let out a short huff, his voice laced with an unreadable emotion. "The old man used a Dead Soul Forbidden Jutsu. It's a sealing technique of mutual destruction. His soul and Danzo's have both been taken by the King of Hell. There's no way to bring them back through any other means."
Tsunade felt a suffocating pressure in her chest and couldn't stop herself from lashing out with a kick. Danzo's body flew through the air like a rag doll. She stared at Hiruzen's corpse, her eyes filled with fury.
Jiraiya immediately stepped in front of Tsunade. "Tsunade, don't be rash. The old man is gone!"
"Get out of my way!"
Tsunade threw a punch at Jiraiya. Fortunately, he hadn't yet released his Sage Mode, or the blow would have severely injured him. Even so, Jiraiya's arm throbbed with pain.
Tsunade screamed in fury, "He's dead! But my little brother is gone too! Dan is gone! My entire Senju Clan! Letting him live all these years was getting off easy!"
While everyone's attention was on them, Tobi quietly took Danzo's place. He then used his Drifting Jutsu to phase into the ground and escape.
By the time the others noticed something was wrong, Tsunade had already leaped into the air and stomped down hard, creating a massive fissure in the earth.
"Orochimaru?! Didn't you say Danzo was dead?" Tsunade was both shocked and furious.
Orochimaru's face was grim as he shook his head. His experiment was gone, and he was now thoroughly displeased. "That wasn't Danzo just now. It was a creature called a White Zetsu. It's a parasitic lifeform that was merely controlling Danzo's body. The real Danzo's soul was destroyed by the one the old man took with him."
After the whole ordeal, Tsunade finally relaxed, releasing the Strength of a Hundred Technique. The battle hadn't caused her much physical harm, but her spirit had suffered a deep wound. She looked utterly exhausted, her heart like dead ashes.
On the other side, Jiraiya breathed a sigh of relief seeing Tsunade safely deactivate her jutsu. He sent the two Toad Sages away and released his own Sage Mode. The chaotic scene, combined with the loss of his experiment, had already put Orochimaru in a foul mood. Now he had to deal with this mess, and he was speechless with frustration.
When Hiashi stepped into Training Ground Six, he was met with the sight of countless Hyuga clan members. All of them sat numbly on the ground, their eyes empty. A few Konoha Anbu and medical-nin were tending to the injured. Even those receiving treatment were ashen-faced, as if their souls had departed.
Hearing footsteps, a few members of the branch family slowly turned to see their clan head arrive. But no one called out to him. No one bowed. They just stared at Hiashi with cold indifference before looking away.
Hiashi had no time to spare for their emotional reactions, as he saw that some of the branch family members were collecting bodies. Besides those sitting, others lay on the ground. These were the ones who had died because of the Caged Bird Curse Mark.
The clan members collecting the bodies were expressionless, mechanically arranging the remains to be transported back to the village for subsequent arrangements.
Hiashi's gaze swept across the dead. All of them were pillars of the branch family, strong and diligent shinobi.
Among them were Hyuga Asahi, Hyuga Kai, Hyuga Seito, Hyuga Ryu... and Hyuga Hizashi.
Although he had been prepared, seeing his younger brother's cold face filled Hiashi's heart with an immense weight. He slowly approached Hizashi and touched his forehead. It was unnaturally cold, and an indescribable sorrow washed over him. The eyes of the clan head, who was always a figure of stern authority, began to redden.
Before he could speak, he heard Hanabi's sobs. Neji sat silently beside her, his eyes now blind, a lifeless air about him.
Just then, a cold voice spoke up. "Clan Head, don't you intend to give us an explanation?"
Hiashi turned and saw that the speaker was a young man who had been keeping watch over Hyuga Asahi's body—Hyuga Akira. His parents had died in the Third Great Ninja War, leaving him with only his older brother.