Chapter 105: CHAPTER 105
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As Hiruzen's jutsu collided with Madara's Super Shinra Tensei, a tremendous explosion erupted.
The force of their clash created shockwaves that rippled across the landscape, flattening nearby terrain.
After a severe collision, Hiruzen's attack was overwhelmed, and he quickly flew back to evade the residual force.
The battle raged on, with clash after clash, but no victor was in sight.
Hiruzen's mind raced as he analyzed Madara's Rinnegan techniques.
He thought, Chakra-based and ninjutsu attacks aren't enough. Only taijutsu and senjutsu attacks can truly harm him.
If I overload him with pure natural energy, it might disrupt his system.
Natural energy requires balance, and if that balance breaks, he'll be assimilated into nature.
Unlike him, I can fully assimilate natural energy without issue. Taijutsu combined with natural energy might give me the edge.
Deciding on his next move, Hiruzen descended to the ground. Madara, already waiting below, prepared to counter.
His thoughts churned. My attraction, repulsion, and absorption techniques are ineffective against him.
There are only two viable options left: seal him with Chibaku Tensei or absorb his soul. Though... perhaps killing him would be more beneficial.
A plan began to take shape in Madara's mind, and his thoughts briefly turned to Black Zetsu.
Black Zetsu should be near Konoha by now. There are no sensors strong enough to detect his Mayfly technique. I just need to buy time.
The taijutsu battle commenced once again. Hiruzen wielded his staff forged from solidified natural energy with relentless precision, delivering powerful strikes that forced Madara to defend with his chakra receivers.
Hiruzen, maintaining an unyielding rhythm, began to corner Madara.
"Haha, Madara, it seems old age has dulled your senses," Hiruzen taunted, smirking as he pressed his advantage.
Madara, slightly out of breath but composed, retorted, "Perhaps it has. Otherwise, you wouldn't stand a chance, Hokage."
Hiruzen chuckled. "Oh, what boasting from someone being pushed back despite wielding the Rinnegan. You're just fifty-five, Madara. Are you truly past your prime, or were you never that impressive to begin with?"
Madara narrowed his eyes. "In my prime, people like you would have cowered at the mere edge of my battles with Hashirama."
"Is that so?" Hiruzen responded, his voice laced with amusement. "Perhaps only children were cowering then—or your might was just only to terrify children like us at that time?"
Madara's expression darkened. "You have quite the sharp tongue, Sarutobi. It seems you're more adept at insults than battle. Even in my declining years, you've yet to defeat me."
Hiruzen laughed. "Well, I wouldn't want to be accused of bullying the elderly. Unlike you, who terrorized children, perhaps I should go easier on you."
Madara, seething with rage, snapped, "it seems you are not beaten enough Hiruzen Sarutobi"
"Oh, who's getting defensive now?" Hiruzen teased.
"If it weren't for your summon King of Hell, you'd already be in the Pure Land playing hide-and-seek with your dear friend Hashirama.
Speaking of which, why didn't you marry? is it you are gay or hashirama rejected your love, or your and his father caught both of you and a clan war started between them regarding you and hashirama on who will take whose surname ehh! "
Madara sputtered, choking on his reply. "Pfft! Cough! Cough!" His face turned red with embarrassment before he retorted angrily,
"You're the one who's gay—your whole clan is! And who would love that fool Hashirama? He was too naive to be in love."
Hiruzen doubled over with laughter. "Hahaha... oh, Madara, you're too easy."
Infuriated, Madara shouted, "Bastard Sarutobi! I'll end you here and now."
With that, another intense round of combat erupted. Hours passed, and still, neither combatant had gained a decisive advantage.
Both fighters were battered and exhausted. Hiruzen, though drained, still had access to nearly limitless chakra through his Yin-Yang Seal.
Madara, on the other hand, appeared worse for wear. His once-pristine battle attire was reduced to rags, though his body remained fully healed.
His vast chakra reserves more than nine tails reaching almost hashirama, due to hashirama cells and rinnegan power up.
"We've been fighting for hours, Madara. Why don't we call it a truce?" Hiruzen suggested, his voice calm but firm.
Madara's eyes gleamed with determination. "No. Your time has come, Sarutobi. You will be buried here."
"It seems you're not willing to listen," Hiruzen remarked, preparing himself for the next exchange.
Madara bit his thumb and slammed it onto the ground. "Summoning Jutsu: Gedo Mazo!"
The earth rumbled, and with a deafening roar, the colossal Gedo Statue emerged.
Its haunting cry echoed across the battlefield. Hiruzen's expression grew serious as beads of sweat formed on his brow.
The statue shot out two large tubes, which connected to Madara's body.
A vast amount of life force surged from the statue into Madara, transforming him.
His once white hair turned black, his frail frame filled out with muscle, and his face lost its wrinkles, regaining the sharp, youthful features of his prime.
Madara jumped atop the statue, his aura now more menacing than ever.
In a flash, the statue moved, closing the distance between them in a single bound. It raised a massive fist and brought it down towards Hiruzen.
"Steel Release: Steel Body Armament!"
Hiruzen started, channeling steel attribute chakra to harden his entire body. His form shimmered with a metallic sheen.
With his right hand, he gathered chakra and met the statue's punch head-on, with chakra enhanced strength.
Boom!
The impact generated a shockwave that leveled the surrounding area and triggered a massive tsunami along the ocean shore.
Hiruzen remained standing, while the Gedo Statue was pushed back, a visible crack forming on its hand.
Madara, astonished by Hiruzen's strength, quickly recalled the statue, unwilling to risk further damage.
Detaching the tubes from his body, he descended to face Hiruzen once more.
Without a word, the battle resumed. Madara launched a palm strike imbued with Shinra Tensei, while Hiruzen deflected the force using his steel armor.
Blow after blow, the intensity of the battle increased.
He pushed his Steel Release to the limit, hardening his fists and fingers to penetrate Madara's defenses.
Along with his Swift Release and Shave technique for instant movement, he relentlessly attacked.
Hiruzen spoke, "You cannot defeat me, Madara."
Madara replied, "We shall see soon."
Hearing this, Hiruzen concentrated senjutsu chakra in every blow, enhancing his punches with monstrous strength.
However, with his prime state restored, he was more agile and managed to evade Hiruzen's attacks, while the shockwaves generated by their clashes caused immense destruction.
Despite sustaining damage, Madara's Hashirama cells and enormous life force healed him rapidly.
As the fight raged on, a sudden cracking sound caught Hiruzen's attention.
He glanced down to see his wedding ring had cracked. His concentration wavered, and he instinctively backed off, bewildered by the sight.
Madara, noticing the distraction, smirked and said, "It seems your wife is in danger, Sarutobi."
Hiruzen, understanding the implication, responded coldly, "What a despicable man you are Madara, and here I thought highly of you."
Madara replied, "It doesn't matter, whether I am despicable or not to achieve my goal."
Soon, the Rinnegan's power erupted, casting a powerful illusion on Hiruzen, who was caught defenseless.
In his mind, Hiruzen thought, I have to leave... You nor anyone else can stop me, Madara Uchiha. I have the will of a conqueror. I will conquer it or destroy it.
Boom!
Madara swiftly closed the distance and drove a chakra receiver rod into Hiruzen's heart.
SphhhIt!
Hiruzen spiritual power erupted, breaking the illusion apart. However, his Steel Release armor had been torn, and a black rod was now lodged in his heart.
cough! cough! cough!
He tasted blood and coughed up a mouthful.
Madara spoke, "It seems your end has arrived Sarutobi."
Hiruzen muttered in low voice, "not enough"
Realizing he couldn't circulate chakra from his lower body heart meridian, he gathered chakra from his head meridian to his mouth and unleashed,
"Sage Art: Particle Style Disintegration Ray!"
A powerful beam of light struck the chakra rod, breaking it apart and puncturing Madara's hand and leg.
With his right hand, Hiruzen grabbed the half-broken black rod and drove it into Madara's heart.
Madara vanished briefly, reappearing a few meters away, coughing up a mouthful of blood.
His expression hardened as he summoned the King of Hell to heal himself.
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Meanwhile, Hiruzen burst into the Hokage's office, his heart sinking at the sight before him.
There, kneeling on the ground, was Raishu, her breathing ragged, her once vibrant eyes dulled by pain.
A black chakra receiver jutted out of her chest, blood spilling freely from the wound.
She coughed violently, droplets of crimson staining the floor as her consciousness flickered like a dying flame.
"Raishu!" Hiruzen cried, rushing to her side. His hands trembled as he caught her fragile body before she could fall completely.
"Raishu, wake up! Please!" His voice cracked with desperation, fear lacing every word.
He gently shook her, as though trying to rouse her from a mere sleep, but her head only lolled weakly against his shoulder.
Tears welled up in his eyes, blurring his vision. He pressed his forehead against hers, the warmth of her skin slipping away by the second.
"No... no, stay with me!" he whispered, his voice breaking. The sound of his anguish filled the room, raw and unrestrained.
Just then, his clones arrived, their faces grim as they assessed the dire situation.
One of them, with narrowed eyes glimmering with blue light, pointed toward the distance.
"There! A shadow fleeing at high speed, almost 50 kilometers away!" Without waiting for instructions, two clones disappeared instantly, vanishing in pursuit.
Hiruzen paid them no mind. His entire world had narrowed to the woman in his arms.
With a trembling hand, he gripped the chakra receiver embedded in her chest.
Gritting his teeth, he yanked it out in one swift motion, eliciting a weak gasp from Raishu.
"No, no, no, stay with me," he muttered frantically, his voice a desperate chant.
His clones surrounded them, pouring immense healing chakra into her wound, their hands glowing with a brilliant golden light.
Hiruzen clutched her hand tightly, his tears falling freely onto her bloodied face. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open, hazy and unfocused.
"I… I'm sorry… Hiru…zen," she whispered, her voice barely a breath, each word a struggle. "L-live… well…"
"No! Don't say that!" Hiruzen's voice rose in panic.
He could feel her slipping away, her life force fading despite the immense healing chakra flowing into her. "Stay with me, Raishu! You can't leave me like this!"
A tear trickled down her cheek, mingling with his own as her lips curved into the faintest smile.
"I… love… you," she whispered, her eyes closing as her last breath escaped her trembling lips. Her hand fell limp in his.
"NOOOOOOO!"
Hiruzen's anguished scream echoed throughout the office, reverberating through every corridor and corner of Konoha.
His chakra erupted uncontrollably, a colossal wave surging outward in every direction.
The very air grew heavy, and the Hokage Tower trembled under the force of his unrestrained fury until finally collapsing.
Boom!
The ground cracked beneath him, and within a hundred-meter radius, everything was obliterated.
Dust and debris filled the air as the shockwave sent nearby objects flying.
His roar of despair carried throughout the village, striking fear and sorrow into the hearts of all who heard it.
Mito Uzumaki arrived swiftly, sensing the unrestrained surge of chakra.
Her heart clenched as she beheld the scene:
Raishu lying lifeless in Hiruzen's arms, her blood staining his robes, while Hiruzen knelt, his body trembling with silent sobs, a black rod still embedded in his chest.
Around him, ten clones stood grimly, their faces mirrors of his anguish.
The gathered clans—Senju, Uchiha, Hyuga, Uzumaki, Nara, Yamanaka, Akimichi, Hatake, Kurama, Inuzuka, Aburame—watched in stunned silence.
Not a single soul dared approach within a hundred meters of the devastated area.
Even the civilians, who had rushed to see what had caused the tremor, now stood frozen, struck by the raw intensity of Hiruzen's sorrow.
An elder Uzumaki, stepping forward cautiously, asked in a hushed voice, "What happened to Lady Raishu…?"
But there was no response. Hiruzen remained kneeling, his eyes locked on Raishu's pale face, the weight of the world pressing down on him.
Blood trickled from his lips as he coughed violently, his chakra fluctuating erratically. He was on the verge of collapse.
One of his clones stepped forward, catching him before he could fall completely.
"It seems… the forbidden art is necessary, or he won't survive," the clone said grimly. The others nodded solemnly.
Without hesitation, they began weaving a complex series of hand seals, their movements swift and precise.
Slamming their hands onto the ground, they called out in unison:
"Forbidden Art: Seal of Eternity Coffin!"
From the ground, a coffin of crystal and ice materialized, intricately engraved with golden ancient seals in tadpole like structure.
Slowly, it opened, shimmering with an ethereal light. The clones gently placed Hiruzen inside.
As his body floated in mid-air, the lid closed with a soft click, the seals glowing brightly as the coffin detached from reality, entering a separate domain where time itself was sealed.
Meanwhile, another clone carefully lifted Raishu's lifeless body.
With equal reverence, they summoned a second coffin of crystal and ice, identical to the first.
Placing her inside, they sealed it with a time lock, preserving her body forever in that moment.
The crowd watched in silence, the weight of the tragedy sinking in.
The once-unbreakable Hiruzen Sarutobi, The Professor of Konoha, The Ninjutsu Grandmaster, now lay entombed in a crystal coffin, his heart pierced.
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