The Death of the Shadow

Chapter 100 The Death of the Shadow

When not directly confronting the opponent from a first-person perspective, Hyuga Yuto felt that the "Diamond Wall" technique was quite beautiful when used.

Twenty equally sized Vajra Ruyi Wands were combined to form a sturdy cage, trapping Yagura inside.

"Five Elements: Great Combo Bullet Technique!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi and his four shadow clones simultaneously formed hand seals and unleashed their killing moves without hesitation. With their surging chakra and strong, agile bodies, they showed no signs of injury whatsoever.

The five elemental ninjutsu erupted one after another, each amplifying the other's power. After five stacks, they all blasted into the prison walls.

A shockwave even more exaggerated than Hyuga Yuto's multiplicative explosive tags erupted on the battlefield, causing many ninjas to lose their hearing and become unsteady on their feet, staring blankly at Sarutobi Hiruzen in his prime.

What happened...? Wasn't the Third Hokage seriously injured due to the internal strife? How come...?

Before anyone could figure it out, Orochimaru appeared next to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Countless snakes surged out from his sleeves. The moment after the Five-Escape Great Combo completed its mission, these snakes also burrowed into the walls of the Vajra Prison. With venom, sharp teeth, and coiling constrictions, they attacked frantically, densely packed, filling the prison.

Bang! After the smoke cleared, the Vajra Staff transformed back into the Monkey King and stood behind Hiruzen Sarutobi. Although the powerful summoning beast's arm was hanging down and twisted at an odd angle, it still looked majestic.

"Cough, cough..." After being bombarded by ninjutsu, the Fourth Mizukage, who looked like a child, held a broken wooden staff and stared blankly at the sky.

His right arm was severed at the shoulder, and his body was covered in wounds, including burns, electric shocks, and snake bites with venom; not an inch of his skin was intact.

"...Lord Mizukage!"

"Quickly, go save them!"

"I've stopped those bastards from Konoha, you guys hurry up and go..."

On the battlefield, countless Hidden Mist ninjas, seeing the dying Mizukage, did not choose to flee, but instead charged towards him desperately.

During this period, Yagura Karatachi had not yet been controlled by Obito Uchiha, and Kirigakure was not yet the dark and oppressive "Village of Blood Mist." Although it was closed off and had many contradictions, it was not so indifferent as to watch the village's Kage die on the battlefield.

"Don't come any closer!"

Suddenly, Yagura roared. No one could have imagined that such a thin and dying body could unleash such powerful strength at this moment.

The wooden staff broke in two, so the Fourth Mizukage simply used it as a crutch to support his body.

"As the Shadow... I command you all to leave immediately! Immediately!"

Yagura, staring intently at Orochimaru and Hiruzen Sarutobi, stood rooted to the spot, his chakra surging like a boiling tsunami.

"Pufferfish Demon! Kaguya Hideyuki! Hozuki Mangetsu! If you're still alive... take everyone and let's go!"

After saying this, he released the broken wooden staff. Shuiying, who had lost his right arm, was now forming a hand seal with one hand.

Tens of thousands of tons of massive waves appeared on the battlefield. Yagura Karatachi squeezed every last drop of chakra from his very being and frantically refined it, unleashing Kirigakure's signature ninjutsu:

—Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!

A deadly water-style attack, powerful enough to be called a tsunami, rushed towards the two Konoha members. Orochimaru lowered his head and pressed his bitten fingertip to the ground.

"A triple Rashomon!"

The giant gate of evil spirits collided with the tsunami, and neither side would give way, resulting in a stalemate.

After the third Rashomon gate, the powerful master and disciple fell silent for a moment.

"Orochimaru..." Finally, Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke softly:

"Yagura won't last long. I'll kill him. You go after the fleeing Kirigakure and Kumogakure."

"Yes..." Orochimaru paused, but still managed to utter the word:

"……teacher."

"I just heard the name Hozuki Mangetsu. Is he... a descendant of the Second Mizukage? How old is he?"

"He's still just a kid, but in the past few months, he's caused a lot of casualties to the Konoha forces. Some people say he's a prodigy favored by the Ninja Swords."

"If you see him, kill him."

"Yes, teacher."

The two fell silent again.

They all knew that Orochimaru would not return once he left.

Stealing the First Hokage's corpse and conducting strictly prohibited human experiments are undeniable facts, making it impossible for Orochimaru to remain in the Land of Fire.

[This spares Orochimaru from pursuit]

[Help Hiruzen Sarutobi set a trap to cripple the enemy's equal-level combat power].

The tacit exchange between master and apprentice has been successfully completed.

After returning to the village, Hiruzen Sarutobi will announce Orochimaru's permanent expulsion from Konoha. After that, the master and disciple will be separated and it will be difficult for them to meet again.

"Teacher, my partner is Shimura Danzo."

"Yes, I know, it can only be him." Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed. This was expected. There were only a few high-ranking people who knew about the First Hokage's grave, and after thinking it over, Danzo Shimura was the most suspicious.

"And... be careful of Shinichi Kudo." Orochimaru's tone was very calm:

"I am very confident in my methods. Shimura Danzo also has the art of eliminating the root of tongue disaster, so it is almost impossible for him to leak information. Therefore, I am very puzzled as to why that mysterious man knows the location of the base."

"Shinichi Kudo...is he very close to us?"

"At least it's not as far as I imagined. That guy wearing the mask that can't see through things, maybe we even know him..."

"Orochimaru," Hiruzen Sarutobi said, his tone complex.

"If you were the Shadow, you would do a better job than me."

Orochimaru shrugged casually, said nothing more, and walked straight in one direction.

From then on, he was no longer Orochimaru of Konoha.

Watching his beloved disciple depart, Hiruzen Sarutobi rubbed his temples, his head aching. The Rashomon gate disappeared, revealing the panting Fourth Mizukage.

"Yagura Kaguchi." Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke softly, looking at the completely reversed battlefield, enunciating each word clearly:

"Choose your fate: die here, or live in Konoha's prison?"

The boyish-looking Mizukage smiled, forming a hand seal to buy the Hidden Mist ninja as much time as possible to escape.

"Sarutobi, like you, I am also a 'Shadow' carrying the burden of the village."

"……good."

A ninja can survive by clinging to life, but a Kage can only die in battle.

……

……

Konoha Year 49, the nineteenth month after the outbreak of the Third Shinobi World War.

The attack on Konoha by the Moon Goddess sparked a major war.

Hiruzen Sarutobi used a clever tactic, employing himself as bait to lure in the Hidden Mist Village and the Hidden Cloud Village to attack. Konoha fought against two enemies and achieved a pyrrhic victory.

In this battle, the total number of ninja deaths from the three sides was 1,172.

Orochimaru was expelled from Konoha and was never allowed to return to the Land of Fire.

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, including "Dull Sword - Kabuto user Kusanagi no Yaito" and "Long Sword - Sewing Needle user Kushimaru Kurihara," were killed by Yuto Hyuga, who used explosive tags on each other.

In the Hidden Clouds, Raikage's son "A" loses his right eye. Orochimaru ambushes Killer Bee, severely injuring him and causing the tailed beast to go berserk. Under the guise of training, Killer Bee is imprisoned in Thundercloud Gorge.

The Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, died in battle.

(End of this chapter)