Chapter 414: The Death of Hiruzen Sarutobi
"Cough, cough… Pfft."
Jiraiya spat out a mouthful of blood.
He clutched his chest, but even then, a suffocating discomfort pressed down on him, making him want to cough up another mouthful. Worse, that discomfort was still growing stronger.
"Injuries…"
Jiraiya turned his head and looked back.
The violent explosion had finally quieted down. Behind him, the mushroom cloud still towered into the sky, its shape strangely calm, giving no hint that it had taken the lives of countless ninja only moments earlier.
But what entered Jiraiya's eyes was a hellish scene that even a seasoned ninja like him could hardly bear to look at.
Most of the original forest was gone.
In its place were burning trees, blackened trunks, and human figures charred into silhouettes. They remained standing in their final postures, as if still trying to avoid something, but that world-destroying explosion had already taken their lives and shattered their defensive ninjutsu.
Wailing ninja struggled painfully on the ground.
The explosion had ended, but the deadly nuclear radiation was still eroding the cells in their bodies.
Ninja were superhuman beings with tenacious vitality, but at this moment, that very toughness only brought them greater suffering.
Ordinary people exposed to this degree of nuclear radiation would have long since lost all hope of survival, but ninja possessed excellent physical qualities. This meant that radiation on this scale did not kill them instantly. Instead, it began continuously destroying the life force within their bodies.
"J-Jiraiya!"
An old and exhausted voice sounded.
Jiraiya turned his head and saw a small, broken hill behind him. His sensei's voice had come from behind that hill.
Jiraiya naturally recognized it as Earth Release ninjutsu, and a high-level one at that.
Even defensive ninjutsu of this scale had failed to protect many people?
At that moment, anger surged up in Jiraiya's heart.
If Heavenly Demon truly was Amamiya Kenichi, then what exactly had that guy done?
Although Jiraiya had not had time to count the casualties, a single glance was enough for him to know that the losses were enormous.
"Sensei!"
Jiraiya hurried over.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was lying weakly on the hill. He quietly looked at Jiraiya, at his disciple, with a gentle light in his eyes.
His sacrifice had not been entirely meaningless.
As Jiraiya moved closer to the center of the explosion, the discomfort grew stronger and stronger, making his entire body feel uneasy.
Jiraiya walked over, and the closer he got to Hiruzen, the more he realized something was wrong.
His sensei's back was pitch-black, just like those charred human silhouettes.
Jiraiya fell silent for a moment.
He gently helped his sensei up with a tenderness he had never shown before. But when his hand touched Hiruzen's back, it sank in as if pressing into a brittle biscuit.
There was no flesh beneath.
Only a charcoal-like substance.
"…"
Jiraiya gritted his teeth.
He slowly carried his sensei onto his back. Only then did he realize that his sensei had become so light.
Terrifyingly light.
The powerful man who had once dragged him underground with the Mind Body Disturbance Jutsu just to tease him was now so light it frightened him.
Jiraiya slowly carried Hiruzen away. Along the way, whenever he saw a Konoha ninja who still had a breath left, he dragged them out as well.
The farther they moved from the mushroom-like cloud, the more that discomfort gradually weakened.
"Jiraiya."
Hiruzen's weak voice sounded.
Jiraiya's nose stung. He widened his eyes, then softly replied.
"Try to bring out… cough, cough… bring out as many ninja from the village as you can…"
Hiruzen was very tired.
He lay on Jiraiya's back as if all his strength had been drained away. A deep weariness washed over him.
He could feel Jiraiya's hand on his back, but it did not hurt.
Not at all.
"Mhm."
Jiraiya responded. Then he took a deep breath and continued walking through the hell of charcoal and destruction with his sensei on his back.
Only when the discomfort had completely vanished did Jiraiya finally put his sensei and the Konoha ninja down.
Then he took a deep breath and rushed back in.
There were still many Konoha ninja he needed to save.
Or perhaps, he simply wanted to avoid something.
To avoid a future he knew was coming but did not want to arrive.
"Cough, cough… Shikaku. Shikaku, are you there?"
Hiruzen coughed twice, then asked.
Soon, Shikaku slowly walked over.
When the explosion happened, he had been performing a defensive ninjutsu, Water Release: Water Wall.
At that time, he had also noticed Hiruzen using Earth Release ninjutsu, so he had naturally positioned himself behind that defense. Although he was severely injured now, he had at least survived, even if he occasionally coughed up blood.
Smart people generally lived well in any world.
"Shikaku, later, tally the… casualties, then quickly send someone for Tsunade. Ugh."
Hiruzen could not help but spit out a mouthful of blood.
He clutched his chest. An intense burning sensation irritated his chest and abdomen until he spat out blood, and only then did he feel slightly better.
Black blood flowed onto the ground, some of it dripping onto Hiruzen's torn clothes. The blood spread across the fabric like a small flower blooming.
Hiruzen knew that under these circumstances, seeking help from a medical ninja was the most appropriate course of action.
And if there was any medical ninja who could treat so many injured people at once, then aside from Tsunade, Hiruzen truly could not think of anyone else.
"I'm already doing it, Elder Sarutobi."
Shikaku looked at Hiruzen, who was coughing up black blood, and a strange sadness welled up in his heart.
Hiruzen was old. After suffering injuries this severe, he probably would not be able to hold on for much longer.
Although Hiruzen's actions as Hokage had received mixed evaluations, and their prominent clans had held some criticism toward his policies, Hiruzen's actions just now were deeply etched into Shikaku's heart.
No matter what, Hiruzen had truly been willing to sacrifice everything for Konoha.
He had even created a massive Earth Release defensive ninjutsu to protect the ninja behind him, while using only a small defensive ninjutsu to protect himself.
"Then…"
Hiruzen spat out another mouthful of blood.
His vision blurred for a moment.
He knew his body was giving out.
When he had used Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall to protect the Konoha ninja behind him, he had not thought too much. He had directly poured a huge amount of chakra into it.
By the time he wanted to use Earth Release: Earth Wall to protect himself, he no longer had much chakra left.
At that moment, facing the dazzling white light of destruction, Hiruzen had been briefly stunned.
Then he had smiled in relief.
"Elder Sarutobi!"
Shikaku grabbed Hiruzen's hand.
He could tell that the old man before him had reached his final breath.
"Where the leaves dance… cough, cough… the fire will burn… on and on…"
Hiruzen reached out with great effort.
He did not know whether what he, a Kage, had done for the village was enough.
In an instant, countless scenes flashed before his eyes.
Learning ninjutsu from a young age.
Studying under his sensei, Senju Tobirama.
Competing with Danzo.
Marrying Biwako.
Having Asuma.
Then his face appeared on the Hokage Rock.
He became the Third Hokage, leading Konoha down another path.
Restricting the Uchiha.
The Ninja World War.
Abdicating to the Fourth Hokage.
Biwako's death.
Tsunade, Jiraiya, Orochimaru.
Their faces appeared before his eyes, from childhood to adulthood.
Finally, the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, sacrificed himself, and Hiruzen silently attended Minato's funeral while holding the young Naruto in his arms.
And now, it was his funeral.
"Shikaku."
Hiruzen suddenly seemed to regain a little strength.
He showed a relieved smile, one that seemed to carry both ease and reluctance.
"Elder Sarutobi."
Shikaku looked at Hiruzen before him.
He knew that Hiruzen was experiencing a final brief surge of vitality.
This Professor who had once dominated the Ninja World was finally about to return to the Pure Land.
"Tell that scoundrel Jiraiya that when his new book comes out next time, he should remember to burn a copy for me."
Hiruzen laughed heartily.
But that loud laughter quickly turned into violent coughing. Then Hiruzen coughed up several mouthfuls of fresh blood, and his entire body slumped onto the soft cushion.
His hands fell limply.
Shikaku's eyes widened.
He clenched his fists tightly, but even so, tears could not help streaming down his face.
He had never expected that a mission aimed at the Land of Water and Kirigakure would end with Hiruzen Sarutobi dying here.
"I'll burn every hardcover collector's edition for you, Sensei."
Jiraiya walked out, his head tilted toward the sky, refusing to look at his sensei.
But Shikaku still saw the tear stains on Jiraiya's cheeks.
"When that happens… if Big Sister Biwako beats you, don't blame me, alright?"
Jiraiya smiled and sat down cross-legged, with the black-red mushroom cloud behind him.
Looking at the old man who had raised him since childhood, Jiraiya could not help but laugh.
And as he laughed, tears flowed uncontrollably from his eyes, dripping onto the ground.
The surviving Konoha ninja who could still move slowly gathered around.
They all knew who had protected them.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's Earth-Style Wall had been cast behind him.
No matter what, the Third Hokage had fulfilled the words he had often spoken.
Where the leaves dance, the fire will burn on and on.
Mei Terumī stood off to the side.
She had also survived.
Looking at the tragic state of the Konoha ninja before her, Mei felt a trace of pity.
She knew her village had most likely been destroyed by the same kind of attack.
But they had at least received a warning.
If there had been no warning, if Heavenly Demon's attack had erupted directly, how many people would have died?
Mei did not know.
She also wondered whether there had been anyone in Kirigakure at that time who, like Hiruzen, had sacrificed himself to protect the flame.
Perhaps it was because of this spirit that Konoha had become the strongest ninja village in the Ninja World.
"You Konoha, what exactly…"
A furious voice sounded.
Jiraiya turned his head with a cold expression, his entire body trembling with rage that he barely suppressed.
"…"
Kitsuchi stood not far away with Darui.
Their originally furious expressions instantly quieted when they noticed the lifeless old man lying in the center.
Iwagakure had suffered heavy losses.
Although they were extremely skilled in Earth Release ninjutsu, they had still lost many people in the face of the atomic bomb explosion.
Kitsuchi was also in pain.
His friend had died protecting him.
That friend's body could not be found. Only a black silhouette remained on a damaged stone wall.
Kitsuchi had been silent for a long time back then before cutting down the entire section of wall.
He knew that was the only evidence his friend had left in this world.
After rescuing the wounded, Kitsuchi had angrily led his team to find Konoha.
Along the way, they had encountered Kumogakure, who had also suffered heavy losses.
Sunagakure had wanted to send people as well, but Chiyo was dead, and they were still too busy dealing with their own casualties.
So, in the end, only Darui and Kitsuchi came.
They came to demand an explanation.
After all, this location had been provided by Konoha.
Konoha would definitely have to take responsibility.
But looking at the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, lying on the soft cushion, and then seeing the enraged Konoha ninja, Darui and Kitsuchi immediately fell silent.
Something big had happened.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was dead.
One had to remember that this was the Kage of a village, an absolute top-tier powerhouse among all the ninja of a village.
And now, the Third Hokage was dead.
Just by looking at the Konoha ninja, it was clear that their rage was no less than anyone else's.
If they demanded accountability from Konoha at this moment, then the Fourth Great Ninja War might truly begin.
For a time, the entire forest fell silent.
"I always feel like if I go down now, I'll become a supervillain."
Amamiya Kenichi looked at the mushroom cloud in the distance.
If the atomic bomb had detonated directly in the center without warning, then almost all those ninja would have died.
But now, because Obito had interfered, the atomic bomb's explosion was destined not to wipe everyone out.
That meant there would inevitably be survivors here.
"Not 'feel like.' Definitely," Minato glanced at Amamiya Kenichi.
Although this was not the first time he had seen Amamiya Kenichi's terrifying weapon, seeing it a second time still made him feel as though he had grown old.
"…"
Danzo looked at Amamiya Kenichi, then at the mushroom cloud ahead.
He now deeply doubted whether Amamiya Kenichi had even needed to use Edo Tensei to bring him out to help.
It seemed like the other party could handle things perfectly well on his own.
Amamiya Kenichi stroked his chin.
He really wanted to go down and see the results of the battle, but after such a massive commotion, who knew when Konoha would send people over?
What would happen if he used that ninjutsu at this moment?
For a moment, the scales of morality swayed back and forth in Amamiya Kenichi's heart, making him greatly troubled.
"War has no morality to speak of."
Amamiya Kenichi narrowed his eyes.
He had made his decision.
Thinking this, Amamiya Kenichi opened the airship hatch and jumped down, disappearing into the night.
Minato and Danzo followed after him.
.....
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