Hokage: I Confronted the Five Kage Before the System Arrived

Chapter 108: Reaper Death Seal: Release and Sever

Orochimaru, knowing his fate, was not particularly concerned about his death, as the form here was merely a fragment of his soul.

The only regret was that the research results from the past few days would die with this soul fragment and could not be conveyed to his main body.

"May I do it myself?" Orochimaru made one final request.

In response, Hagoromo Gengetsu gave the same answer that Orochimaru had once given him during the Chūnin Exams: 

"For someone like you, I cannot afford to be careless."

"Very well." Orochimaru smiled wistfully.

Without further ado, Hagoromo Gengetsu sent a fireball toward Orochimaru, evaporating the moisture from his body and then incinerating his remains.

With this hidden threat resolved, Hagoromo Gengetsu clapped his hands together. 

"Summoning Jutsu: Reanimation."

Another coffin rose from the ground.

Soon, another "Hagoromo Gengetsu" stepped out.

Staring at his double, Hagoromo Gengetsu focused, quickly forming hand signs: 

Snake - Boar - Ram - Hare - Dog - Rat - Bird - Horse - Snake.

Finally, with a clap, his hands came together: 

"Sealing Jutsu: Reaper Death Seal!"

In an instant, a large phantom of the Shinigami appeared behind Hagoromo Gengetsu.

Turning to look, Hagoromo Gengetsu asked, "So this is the Shinigami?"

Only those who perform the Reaper Death Seal can see the Shinigami in its entirety.

During the Chūnin Exams, Hagoromo Gengetsu, not meeting the criteria, couldn't see the Shinigami.

Noticing his gaze, the Shinigami, holding a sword in its mouth, with long white hair and two horns, glared greedily at Hagoromo Gengetsu.

Once the Reaper Death Seal is activated, the caster seals a contract with the Shinigami, offering their soul along with their enemy's soul.

Two souls at once—naturally, the Shinigami was pleased.

Noticing the Shinigami's expression, Hagoromo Gengetsu snorted, turning back to his plan.

With a swift motion, Hagoromo Gengetsu's clothing tore, a spectral arm of the Shinigami extending through his chest, grasping his soul while reaching towards the reanimated body.

Quickly, the spectral arm extracted fragments of the soul from the reanimated body.

The sound of paper rustling filled the air as the reanimated body disappeared.

Once again, the Shinigami seized a soul from the afterlife, with no resistance from the afterlife, unlike when Hagoromo Gengetsu had struggled to free himself from its grasp.

The Shinigami's spectral arm, holding a fragment of Hagoromo Gengetsu's soul, began to withdraw.

Seeing this, Hagoromo Gengetsu smirked, forming more hand signs.

This set was similar to the Reaper Death Seal, but reversed and with additional signs: 

"Reaper Death Seal: Release!"

With a final clap, Hagoromo Gengetsu shouted.

A cracking sound echoed as if chains were breaking in the void.

Hagoromo Gengetsu could feel the contract with the Shinigami being forcibly torn apart.

The Shinigami's phantom behind him silently screamed in fury, cursing Hagoromo Gengetsu for his betrayal.

Still, it reached for the sword in its mouth.

Hagoromo Gengetsu crossed his fingers, saying coldly: 

"It's not over yet." 

"Reanimation: Release and Sever!"

In that instant, a sharp blade seemed to slice down through Hagoromo Gengetsu's chest, cutting the Shinigami's arm.

The Shinigami let out a substantial roar, as its arm was indeed severed.

The timing was perfect.

As the Shinigami's arm fell, it still held fragments of Hagoromo Gengetsu's soul within his body, along with his main soul.

With the Shinigami's arm severed, the fragments and his main soul were released.

In that moment, Hagoromo Gengetsu's main soul and the fragments quickly merged into one.

A wave of joyous, unparalleled satisfaction washed over Hagoromo Gengetsu.

Finally!

After half a year, he had fully restored his peak condition, with no weaknesses.

And the surprises didn't end there.

Hagoromo Gengetsu noticed that the severed arm of the Shinigami transformed into particles of light, merging into his soul since it was within his body.

It was like receiving a significant boost.

The particles from the Shinigami's arm healed the minor soul cracks that persisted even after reintegration.

Once fully restored, even more light continued to merge into Hagoromo Gengetsu's soul.

Hagoromo Gengetsu felt his soul growing stronger.

The benefits of a powerful soul were immense.

Additionally, a new technique seemed to have appeared in his mind.

Surprised by this unexpected gain, Hagoromo Gengetsu felt even better.

Meanwhile, the Shinigami, having lost an arm, was not pleased.

Never before had someone been able to gain from the Shinigami.

Especially as Hagoromo Gengetsu turned, looking at it with a greedy expression as if he wanted more.

The Shinigami's face darkened.

"It seems you're not just a rigid, emotionless program," Hagoromo Gengetsu observed.

The Shinigami could feel greed and anger.

It wasn't just an embodiment of death or a fixed program, as some had speculated.

The development of the Reaper Death Seal likely came from a past Uzumaki ancestor discovering the Shinigami, a powerful entity with great control over souls, and forming a contract using the Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques. This contract became the Reaper Death Seal, passed down through generations.

As long as the contract is honored, the Shinigami would appear.

Even the method involving the Shinigami's mask, left by the Uzumaki clan, was part of the contract.

Thus, in the original story, when Orochimaru wore the Shinigami mask and tried to cut open the Shinigami's belly to retrieve sealed souls, the Shinigami still complied.

However, this time, Hagoromo Gengetsu not only broke the contract but also gained a part of the Shinigami.

Clearly, the Shinigami was truly angered.

This must be what Orochimaru referred to as the wrath of the Shinigami.

At this moment, dark clouds completely covered the faint sunlight.

In the increasingly gloomy environment, Hagoromo Gengetsu and the Shinigami silently faced off.