Naruto: Cthulhu: Ch. 202

"You."

"When?"

Hiruzen stared in surprise at the Double Tetragram Seal slowly manifesting on Danzō's chest. Unlike the ordinary Double Tetragram Seal that could be conjured and used at will, this mark had to be pre-prepared on the body.

As the "Professor of Ninjutsu," he knew very well what this sealing technique entailed.

Just as Orochimaru had mentioned earlier, this technique could seal a spherical space of several hundred meters into the user's body. However, unlike the conventional Double Tetragram Seal that merely sealed objects within the body, the Reverse Tetragram Sealing was a self-detonating technique—a complete suicide jutsu.

Though immensely powerful, it could only be used once in a lifetime.

Since the seal was prearranged, it could be activated even in a state of utter exhaustion, taking down the enemy along with the user.

"This was prepared a long time ago."

Danzō's heart was conflicted. Initially overwhelmed by a deep desire to survive, his emotions steadied the moment Orochimaru mentioned that the Reverse Tetragram Sealing could counter the Hound of Tindalos.

For a brief moment, everyone within the Four Flames Formation fell silent.

Hashirama and Tobirama, being already dead, harbored no fear of death.

Orochimaru simply watched Danzō intently, his expression grim. Hiruzen, too, stood in heavy silence.

The decision now rested entirely with the contemplative Danzō.

In truth, there wasn't much room for deliberation. Regardless of the choice, there were only two outcomes:

One, everyone would exhaust their chakra under the relentless assault of the Hound of Tindalos and ultimately perish.

Two, the Reverse Tetragram Sealing would be activated. If Orochimaru was correct and this was indeed the only way to seal the Hound, everyone would still die.

In this confined space, the seal's range of several hundred meters was inescapable.

The only difference between the two outcomes was that, in the second scenario, their deaths would take one Hound of Tindalos out of this world—a meaningful sacrifice for the greater good.

After a long, pensive silence, Danzō finally spoke.

"Fine."

"I will activate the Reverse Tetragram Sealing."

Danzō's voice was heavy, carrying a resolute air of facing death.

Yet, he added, "But I have one condition, Orochimaru."

"What condition?"

"Order your subordinates to deactivate the Four Flames Formation and allow Hiruzen to leave."

Danzō's words stunned everyone present. Even Tobirama, though long deceased, raised an eyebrow.

Danzō was offering to sacrifice himself!

Tobirama recalled a scene from their past: being pursued by forces from Kumo alongside Hiruzen and Danzō. Back then, he had posed a test to the two. Hiruzen had unhesitatingly volunteered to stay behind and hold off the enemy, while Danzō had been paralyzed by fear.

Tobirama did not blame Danzō for fearing death—self-preservation was a natural instinct, difficult to overcome. Still, that moment led him to entrust the position of Hokage to Hiruzen.

"When I am gone, you will be me."

What Tobirama did not anticipate was that Danzō would one day choose to sacrifice himself to save Hiruzen.

Had time truly changed Danzō?

"Do you know what you're saying?"

Hiruzen gripped Danzō's shoulders in a surge of emotion, only for Danzō to shout back in anger.

"Then what would you have me do?!"

Danzō's question rendered Hiruzen speechless.

Seeing Hiruzen's silence, he continued in a solemn tone, "Once, you chose to sacrifice yourself. Now, it's my turn."

"And this time, it must be me. Escape is impossible."

"How ironic." A bitter smile appeared on Danzō's face. "My cowardice back then has led to this moment."

"But Konoha cannot go a day without a Hokage. The village has already suffered a devastating attack. If there is no Hokage, the other villages will surely strike."

"So…"

"Hiruzen, you must live on!"

Danzō grasped Hiruzen's shoulders firmly. His heartfelt words shook Hiruzen to the core.

Over the years, the two had been locked in a constant struggle for the Hokage's position, even clashing just days ago over whether to hold the Chūnin Exams.

Hiruzen's opposition to the exams wasn't entirely selfless; he harbored ulterior motives. If the exams were canceled, Danzō's influence among the daimyō of other nations would diminish, weakening his claim to the Hokage's seat.

If their roles were reversed, and Hiruzen were in Danzō's position, even discovering Orochimaru's presence wouldn't have compelled him to stop the exams.

The Hokage's seat had always been the wedge between them. The one who didn't hold the position constantly sought to challenge the authority of the one who did.

Danzō resented Hiruzen's position of power, just as Hiruzen resented Danzō's persistent ambition.

Such is the corrupting nature of power. Even the second-highest position is not enough to satisfy; the one just beneath will always strive to conquer the one above.

This dynamic was exacerbated by the fact that they had been rivals since childhood.

But today, they had finally dismantled this barrier, returning to the camaraderie of their youth, untouched by the burden of the Hokage's title.

Watching them, Hashirama couldn't help but recall his own relationship with Madara.

Madara's vision for their village had diverged from his own. While Hashirama sought equality among the ninja villages and the minimization of war, Madara desired Konoha to dominate and unify all villages under its rule.

Their philosophical divide had remained irreconcilable to the end, turning childhood friends into bitter enemies locked in a deadly clash.

Yet, in Hiruzen and Danzō, Hashirama saw a glimmer of a different outcome: two partners, rivals yet capable of sacrificing themselves for one another.

However, just as these thoughts surfaced, Hiruzen shook his head with a faint smile, his eyes closing.

"Danzō, I appreciate your resolve," he said softly. "But I will not leave."

"What are you saying, Hiruzen?!"

Danzō's voice betrayed his frustration. He couldn't comprehend why this old man, after Danzō had mustered the courage to face death, would refuse to accept his sacrifice.

Hiruzen opened his eyes, smiled faintly, and turned to glance at Orochimaru behind him.

"If I leave, he will leave as well. My softness in the past has brought harm to today's Konoha. Let us both atone for those sins together, through your sacrifice and mine."

"This will be my way of repenting for my mistakes."

Hiruzen was willing to give his life but refused to allow Orochimaru to escape the Four Flames Formation.

What no one else realized, however, was that Orochimaru had not shared a crucial detail with them: while the Hounds of Tindalos harbored malevolence and would attack those around them, they wouldn't persistently pursue anyone who hadn't traversed through time.

In other words, if the formation could be broken, everyone except Orochimaru would have a chance to escape the hounds' wrath.

From beginning to end, only Orochimaru bore the brunt of their relentless pursuit. The others, including the undead Hashirama and Tobirama, were merely collateral.

Yet Orochimaru wasn't angered by Hiruzen's declaration—he had anticipated it all along.

Deep down, however, Orochimaru had his own plans. Until he discovered and crossed the ultimate gate, death was not an option for him.

There were less than two minutes left until the revival of the Hound of Tindalos. Danzō and Hiruzen immediately summoned the three Root ninjas waiting before the Four Flames Formation to the front of the barrier, assigning them the final instructions.

Danzō explained that he and Hiruzen intended to perish alongside Orochimaru and the hound-like creature, which drew objections from Aburame Torune.

"Danzō-sama! There must be another way!"

"My mind is made up; no more discussion," Danzō interrupted Torune firmly. "After I die, immediately find Jiraiya and have him take on the position of Hokage."

Danzō's words startled Hiruzen, who had not expected Danzō to nominate his student as the next Hokage.

It seems the old man has finally let go of his grudges against me.

"Also, the range of the technique is enormous. Quickly evacuate the daimyo and the officials downstairs to a safe location."

"We will hold the creature off as long as possible until everyone is safe."

"But, Danzō-sama—"

"Hurry! That's an order!"

"Yes!"

The three Root ninjas vanished from the rooftop as black shadows. Turning back, they saw that the Hound of Tindalos had fully emerged from the white mist.

"It's here!" Hashirama warned, already forming seals with his hands. Thousands of vines surged toward the Hound of Tindalos.

However, to everyone's shock, the beast's claws effortlessly shredded the vines. Those that managed to entangle its body were quickly torn apart.

What terrifying power!

The Hound of Tindalos's strength had doubled since its last resurrection. With its size and mass unchanged, its increased power enhanced its speed and agility to monstrous levels. The combined efforts of the six Kage earlier would no longer suffice to suppress it.

No longer aiming to suppress the Hound of Tindalos, the group shifted tactics to stalling for time and potentially killing it, as their ultimate goal remained sealing it.

"Earth Style: Dark Swamp!"

Hiruzen transformed the entire rooftop into a swamp of quicksand to restrict the Hound of Tindalos's movement. Half of the forest sunk into the muddy swamp as Orochimaru, Hiruzen, Danzō, and two Edo Tensei bodies leapt onto the treetops.

The Hound of Tindalos, lacking intelligence, plunged into the swamp and struggled violently, splattering mud everywhere. The beast's location became clear to Danzō and Hiruzen through the disturbance.

The more the hound struggled, the deeper it sank. Here, its immense strength was counterproductive.

But no one believed this would be enough to stop the creature. They had already confirmed that the hound could escape any physical restraints through its space-time traversal abilities.

The best plan was to kill it before it sank completely into the swamp, buying them an additional five minutes.

"Wind Style: Vacuum Great Sphere!"

"Fire Style: Blaze Ball!"

Danzō and Hiruzen launched a combined Wind-Fire combination jutsu, with the wind fanning the flames into an inferno that engulfed the half-submerged Hound of Tindalos. Firelight erupted, and the swamp exploded in a fiery blaze.

This combined attack was exponentially stronger than Danzō's solo Vacuum Sphere earlier, seemingly enough to kill the hound. Yet, as the smoke cleared, an alarming sight appeared.

The scorched, cracked swamp revealed a gray-black dome at its center. The ash-covered surface began to unfold, shedding debris to reveal the unharmed Hound of Tindalos.

At the moment the flames and wind sphere neared, the hound had wrapped its body with its tattered wings, which were far tougher than its body. Not even the combined attack of two Kage-level ninja could penetrate.

As everyone reeled in shock, the Hound of Tindalos began flapping its wings again, seemingly attempting to use lift to free itself from the hardened swamp.

At a certain moment, the dried swamp suddenly cracked open, and the Hound of Tindalos ascended into the air. Simultaneously, the two ashes disappeared from everyone's sight.

As the majority of the Forest of Trees descended into the Swamp of the Underworld, the space within the Four Flames Formation expanded, providing the Hound of Tindalos ample room to maneuver mid-flight.

The hound's flying speed reached an incredible 444.44 meters per second—supersonic. Even Danzō's Sharingan couldn't trace its trajectory in that instant.

But in the next moment, Danzō saw someone stepping in front of him.

The figure was somewhat short and slender, yet at this moment, they seemed imposing.

"Hiruzen!"

The Hound of Tindalos's claws instantly tore through Hiruzen's body. When the claws withdrew, Hiruzen's form was nearly split in two.

As Hiruzen fell, Danzō quickly caught him, holding his old comrade in his arms.

Looking at Hiruzen's face, blood trickling from the corners of his mouth, Danzō saw the light of life rapidly fading from Hiruzen's eyes. Yet, there was a faint smile on his lips.

"In the end, it's me who goes ahead," Hiruzen said weakly.

"Where the leaves dance, the fire…"

He didn't finish his words, as his eyes closed forever.

At that moment, a shout came from outside the Four Flames Formation.

"Danzō-sama! Everyone downstairs has been evacuated!"

Danzō suppressed the grief welling up within him, gently laying down Hiruzen's lifeless body. He then pulled open his robes, revealing his chest.

"Reverse Tetragram Sealing!"

As the Double Tetragram Seal activated on Danzō's chest, ink-like black chakra erupted from his body, engulfing everything around him in darkness.

Within the inky void, Orochimaru didn't flinch. He allowed the ink to stain his body and pull him into the abyss. Similarly, Hashirama and Tobirama stood silently, letting the darkness consume them.

Tobirama recalled the words he had spoken to Danzō and Hiruzen on the day he decided to test them both.

"You are still too young. There's no need to rush. The time will come when self-sacrifice is required of you."

It seemed that time had finally arrived today.

A black sphere rapidly expanded, sealing everything within the space into a singular point.

The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa.

Fallen.

The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Fallen.

The Fifth Hokage, Shimura Danzō.

Fallen.

One of the Sannin, Orochimaru.

Fallen.

The First Hokage, Senju Hashirama.

Fallen.

The Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama.

Fallen.

Today, the era of Kage met its end.