"!!!"

Orochimaru, down in the arena, noticed something was wrong and quickly looked up at the rooftop. "The Reanimation Jutsu has been broken!"

Damn that old man!

Orochimaru cursed internally. He desperately wanted to go up there and kill Hiruzen with his own hands, but first, he had to deal with the trouble right in front of him. It would be impossible to escape unless he eliminated the Fourth Hokage.

"Rasengan!" Minato, still bound by the Wood Style vines, struggled left and right. In a desperate move, he formed a Rasengan and used it to shred the wood wrapped around his body.

"Did you do this?" Minato looked at Shiro, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes. After all, it was because of Shiro that his Reaper Death Seal had failed.

Seeing this, Shiro chuckled. "You should be thanking me. I saved your life, didn't I? You don't have to take everything upon yourself. Look, even without you, the first two Hokage have been sealed, haven't they?" As he spoke, Shiro raised a hand and pointed to the rooftop.

"…!" Minato was stunned, then instantly understood. It seemed the Third Hokage had completed the task he had failed to finish.

"Lord Third…" Minato's eyes welled with tears, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

"You don't understand!" he said, turning back to Shiro. "This is the Will of Fire!"

"Hehe…" Shiro waved his hands with a bored expression. "Now is not the time to argue with me. You should turn around and look behind you."

Hearing this, Minato quickly turned and saw Orochimaru, wielding the Kusanagi sword, charging at him with incredible speed. At the critical moment, Hiruzen suddenly appeared, using his Adamantine Staff to block Orochimaru's attack.

"Damn it, you old coot!" Orochimaru gritted his teeth and cursed.

Hiruzen's face was also filled with anger, tears seeping from the corners of his eyes. "Orochimaru! You toyed with the lives of your own subordinates! You didn't inherit any of the Will of Fire that I taught you! This time, I will never forgive you!"

"Hmph!" Orochimaru snorted coldly. "The lives of my subordinates? Don't speak such nonsense to me!"

"Let's go, Enma!" Hiruzen, no longer wanting to waste his breath on Orochimaru, swung the staff, aiming for his former student's head.

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!" Orochimaru quickly summoned several large snakes from his sleeve, which wrapped around the staff, stopping Hiruzen's attack.

"Lord Third, I'm here to help you!" Just as Minato was about to form a seal, Hiruzen stopped him. "No! The most important thing for you right now is to preserve your chakra. Besides Orochimaru, there are still many troubles ahead that will need you to solve!"

"You should understand that I don't have much time left. Leave Orochimaru to me!" After saying this, Hiruzen glared at Orochimaru and shouted, "Don't underestimate your teacher!"

"Enma, extend!" The Adamantine Staff shot forward, instantly extending and slamming directly into Orochimaru's stomach.

"Gah!" Orochimaru vomited blood, howling in pain. As the staff made contact, Enma's arm extended from its tip, his large hand grabbing Orochimaru's body.

"I've got him, Hiruzen!" Enma roared.

"Very good!" Hiruzen was delighted. He rushed toward Orochimaru, grabbing his arms with both hands. "It's all over, Orochimaru!"

The Reaper's ethereal, talisman-covered hand slowly pierced through both Hiruzen's and Orochimaru's bodies.

Orochimaru was shocked. "Damn it!"