Contracting the Summoning Beast

The shackled warrior acted, swiftly saving the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, from the grasp of Mokuton: Jukai Kōtan (Wood Release: Birth of the Trees).

"This battle is not something you can intervene in! Get out of here!" Hiruzen shouted towards the warrior.

The Furen bowed his head. "I vow to live and die with the village, and with you, Lord Hokage!"

Hiruzen's sharp gaze softened in response to this heartfelt declaration. He looked at the warrior with a gentler expression. "With people like you in the village... the Will of Fire will surely continue to be passed down."

After this brief moment of reflection, Hiruzen extended his hand. "Enma, transform into the Adamantine Staff!"

Enma glanced at the warrior before replying, "Understood, Saru!"

Transformed into a staff, Enma was grasped tightly in Hiruzen's hand, significantly boosting the Third Hokage's combat prowess.

"Heh, things are finally getting interesting..."

Knowing that the two reanimated Hokages might not hold off Hiruzen for long, Orochimaru opened his mouth and a white snake emerged. The snake, in turn, opened its jaws slowly, revealing the Kusanagi Sword within.

Hiruzen leaped forward with a powerful step, wielding the Adamantine Staff Enma, aiming directly at Orochimaru, bypassing the two reanimated Hokages.

As the staff swung, it roared with ferocious force, like a raging Enma howling in anger. Orochimaru quickly lifted the Kusanagi Sword to defend himself.

After several fierce exchanges, Hiruzen was forced back, gasping for breath.

The warrior observed Hiruzen's struggle and thought, "Saru is really getting old... His chakra can't keep up with the demands of the battle."

Orochimaru noticed Hiruzen's weakening stamina and laughed maniacally. He then reached up and peeled off his own face, revealing the face of an unfamiliar woman underneath.

"How pathetic... Once hailed as the 'Professor of Ninjutsu,' you're now no match for me simply because of your age... Do you see now? Only immortality offers true eternity!"

"Living Corpse Reincarnation..."

Furen, who had been watching their fight, muttered in astonishment. The moment was unsettling, causing the long snake Orochimaru had summoned to twist unnervingly.

"This... This is the reason I didn't choose you to be Hokage..." Hiruzen said with a tone of regret, before lowering his head and speaking quietly to the staff in his hand, "Forgive me..."

"What are you talking about?" Enma asked in confusion, but before an answer came, Hiruzen threw him towards the warrior.

Reverting to his monkey form, Enma was about to approach Hiruzen to ask what was happening when Hiruzen suddenly created three shadow clones.

Tiger - Monkey - Dog - Boar.

Hiruzen's hands moved slowly through the seals, until finally, his palms came together in a final hand sign.

"Saru, you're not going to..."

Furen, recognizing the hand seals, also realized what was about to happen. Hiruzen was about to use the Shiki Fūjin (Reaper Death Seal) to seal away the souls of the First, Second, and Orochimaru!

"I didn't come all this way just to let you seal the First Hokage," Furen thought. His goal in being there was to extract information from the reanimated First Hokage about how to unlock the Sage Mode of the Shikkotsu Forest!

He turned to Enma. "Enma, help me!"

Seeing Hiruzen preparing to use the Shiki Fūjin, Enma, already frantic with worry, didn't hesitate. Without questioning the warrior's strength, he transformed once again into the Adamantine Staff, this time in the warrior's hands.

Orochimaru looked puzzled. "What is this jutsu...?"

Although he didn't know exactly what it was, Orochimaru sensed something was off. He hastily commanded the reanimated Tobirama.

"Bringer of Darkness Technique!"

The reanimated Tobirama quickly weaved hand signs. Instantly, Hiruzen's vision plunged into darkness, as if all light had been stripped away.

"Orochimaru... Let me show you a jutsu you've never seen before," Hiruzen announced loudly, ignoring the blackness surrounding him. "Shiki Fūjin!"

Behind Hiruzen, the grim figure of the Shinigami appeared, holding prayer beads in one hand and a blade in its mouth. Its cold gaze swept over everyone present before settling on Hiruzen.

The Shinigami raised its hand, intricate seals snaking down its arm. Without hesitation, the Shinigami's hand plunged through Hiruzen's stomach.

Just as Hiruzen aimed the hand of the Shinigami at the reanimated First Hokage to steal his soul, the warrior's voice rang out: "Lord Hokage, I can hold him off!"

Furen , wielding the Adamantine Staff, fought fiercely against the reanimated First Hokage.

Although blinded by the Bringer of Darkness Technique, Hiruzen maneuvered around the warrior's resistance, managing to have the Shinigami's hand pierce through the reanimated Tobirama's body, seizing his soul. The hand then moved towards Orochimaru.

"Die!"

The Shinigami's grasp ensnared Orochimaru's soul, and the madman struggled desperately to escape, but it was futile. He could only watch as his soul was slowly torn from his body.

Hiruzen had reached his limit. Half of Orochimaru's soul had been pulled out, but the Hokage's strength was waning.

"So... this is as far as I can go..."

Blood poured from Hiruzen's mouth as he whispered in despair.

The Shinigami behind him grasped the blade, its mouth salivating, before ruthlessly slicing through the tethered souls, sealing them within the afterlife.

With the completion of the Shiki Fūjin, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

With Hiruzen's death, Enma, who had been summoned by him, also began to fade.

However, seeing that the First Hokage was still standing, Enma hurriedly returned to his monkey form and yelled at the Furen , "Hurry up! Get out your blank summoning scroll and sign a contract with me!"

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T/N:

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