Chapter 60
At this moment, Sarutobi and his two clones still had their hands clasped together. Behind them, an eerie, ghostly figure in a white robe—visible to no one else—emerged. It had a ghastly green face, sharp fangs, wild flowing hair, and a short dagger clenched between its teeth. Phantom-blue spirits floated around, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
"This technique... it targets the spirit..." Uzumaki Zixu's instincts screamed that something was wrong. His body might have been strong, but when it came to his spirit, he couldn't afford to be careless. Slowly, he activated the chakra in his body, entering Sage Mode in secret.
Orochimaru, momentarily distracted, gave Sarutobi Hiruzen the perfect opening. One of his clones locked both of the resurrected Hokage in place with his hands, and an unknown force connected them. The two Hokage, bound by the Impure World Reincarnation (Edo Tensei), suddenly froze in place before their bodies crumbled like dust, leaving only their sealed corpses behind.
"A sealing technique..." Orochimaru muttered as he realized he had lost control over them. Sarutobi, however, showed no fear. He was already prepared to die—there was nothing holding him back now.
Despite his dwindling chakra reserves, Sarutobi Hiruzen, the so-called Professor of Ninjutsu, still had a few tricks up his sleeve. With Enma gone, he channeled the last of his chakra into a thick tree trunk, created earlier by the First Hokage's Wood Release (Mokuton), and swung it like a massive club.
"Old man... are you trying to kill yourself?" Orochimaru found himself unable to accept this sudden shift in Sarutobi's fighting style. The Hokage had always fought fiercely, but he had also kept a portion of his chakra in reserve. Now, he was pouring every last bit of it into his attack, as if he truly intended to fight to the death.
"Orochimaru... this is the last thing I can do..." Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice was weak. The ghostly Shinigami behind him stretched out a massive white hand covered in runes, piercing through both his clone and his real body before reaching for Orochimaru and Zixu.
Zixu sensed the incoming danger. He knew that panic would only lead to death. His thoughts raced as he tracked the movement of natural energy in the air. Based on the way the energy was subtly repelled, he deduced the attack's trajectory. Then, for the first time, he unleashed his unique technique.
"Senpō: Kongō Fūin!" (Sage Art: Diamond Seal)