The battle between Gamabunta and Shukaku had gradually shifted from chaotic brawling to a serious confrontation. Gamabunta, though massive and skilled, was at a disadvantage—his flesh-and-blood form couldn't compare to Shukaku's body of sand. To compensate, Gamabunta finally drew the enormous tantō strapped to his back.
While it might seem strange for a giant toad to wield a blade, the dignified stance and precise movements of Gamabunta gave him the air of a master swordsman. With a thunderous roar, he swung his weapon. The clash rang through the forest like a peal of thunder—Shukaku's right arm of sand was severed cleanly. However, Gamabunta's webbed forelimbs made it hard to maintain grip, and the sword was knocked away by the recoil, spinning through the air before embedding itself into the earth with a loud thunk.
Mizuki, hidden nearby and observing the battle, narrowed his eyes as he followed the arc of Shukaku's severed limb.
"What? The arm just… turned back into sand? It didn't maintain form or chakra cohesion at all. Was I wrong about how the tailed beast manipulates sand?"
In the original account, he remembered Gaara using an autonomous sand arm to trap Haruno Sakura. He had assumed it was imbued with Gaara's will and Shukaku's chakra even after separation. But this severed limb had clearly been abandoned—no chakra, no cohesion, just sand.
"So it's not about form—it's about chakra. Without chakra, it's just dirt. Should I move in now? No, that would be suicide. But if I give up now, all of this will have been for nothing..."
He turned back toward the battlefield. Gaara was preparing to unleash the full power of Shukaku using his "Tanuki Neiri no Jutsu"—the feigned sleep technique that allowed the One-Tail to fully take over. Once Shukaku awakened completely and began firing wind-enhanced chakra bullets (Fūton: Renkuudan), all directionality would be lost. Mizuki's position would become incredibly dangerous.
Back at the Chūnin Exam stadium, chaos was erupting. The noise of the riot grew closer to the spectator stands. The two former Hokage—Hashirama and Tobirama Senju—reanimated as undead (Edo Tensei) warriors, advanced steadily. Their reanimated bodies were immune to pain, regenerating from damage unless sealed, and most conventional attacks did little to stop them.
"Sarutobi, think of something—there's no time!" called an ally who had long fought beside Hiruzen.
"I know." Hiruzen Sarutobi shut his eyes for a painful moment, then opened them with grim resolve. "Their souls won't return to the Pure Land. They'll remain trapped. But if I can take Orochimaru with them... it'll be worth it."
Elsewhere, Shimura Danzō—locked in battle with Orochimaru and the giant snake Manda—summoned his own beast, the Baku, a nightmare tapir with vacuum-based powers. Using Wind Release techniques to complement the Baku's suction, he launched a full offensive. However, without revealing his true hand, Danzō was limited in how much power he could expose. Still, even a limited showing would boost his standing—if Hiruzen died, this battle would serve as a critical bargaining chip in Danzō's campaign to become the next Hokage.
"Anyone with eyes can see how terrifying the Third's techniques are," Danzō thought. "Even if he lives, he'll be weakened. The village will need someone with the vitality to lead... someone like me."
Suddenly, he noticed something strange—Hiruzen had created multiple Shadow Clones, rapidly draining his already aging chakra.
"What is he thinking? He's overdrawing his life force. This isn't sustainable."
Unlike Orochimaru, who was unaware of the Reaper Death Seal (Shiki Fūjin), Danzō remembered the forbidden jutsu Minato had once used.
"So that's your answer, Hiruzen. You plan to seal them all… just like the Fourth did."
Over a decade ago, when the Nine-Tails attacked Konoha, Danzō had remained in the shadows, mourning his own failure to claim the Hokage title. Watching Minato sacrifice himself back then had left a deep mark on him. Now, once again, someone was prepared to die for the village. Danzō still wouldn't intervene—unless Konoha's survival was at stake.
As Sarutobi invoked the Reaper Death Seal, the situation shifted. First, the soul of the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, was dragged away. Then came Hashirama, the First Hokage. As their souls were sealed, the Wood Release (Mokuton) forests vanished along with them.
"What the hell is this?!" Orochimaru shouted, eyes wide. "Is this some secret technique of Konoha I've never heard of?"
"You're right," said Danzō, still grappling with Manda. "There are plenty of things you never learned. A traitor like you can never surpass Konoha. Give up. Today, you die."
"Don't be ridiculous!" Orochimaru hissed. "There's still so much left to discover. I can't die here!"
"You don't have a choice," said Hiruzen's Shadow Clones as they pinned down Orochimaru's arms. "This is what happens when you let arrogance blind you in battle."
The real Sarutobi stepped forward, placing both hands firmly on Orochimaru's shoulders.
"Orochimaru… this is the price of betraying the Will of Fire. Your soul will be sealed… forever, as an offering to the Shinigami."
A sudden chill pierced Orochimaru's being. He couldn't move. And then, he saw it—behind Sarutobi, the faint but terrifying presence of the Death God.
"What is that…?"
For once, Sarutobi smiled—not in mockery, but with the solemnity of an elder finishing his final duty.
"Feel it? That's the Shinigami. The Reaper Death Seal demands my life... and yours. Our souls will be trapped in its stomach for eternity. Are you ready?"
Orochimaru's confidence cracked as the Reaper reached out.
Just then, an Anbu appeared behind Orochimaru, striking forward with a long sword. It wasn't the first time someone had tried to land a fatal blow during the confusion, but Orochimaru's defenses usually made such efforts futile.
But this time felt wrong. Mizuki, still watching from afar, squinted.
"Wait. That Anbu… his movement's off. Too aggressive, too unrefined."
The blade pierced Orochimaru's chest—and continued straight through, stabbing into Sarutobi's heart.
"No—that's not an Anbu! It's… Kabuto Yakushi!"
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