Dance to Your Heart's Content Here, Nine-Tails!

Lord Shirou.

The greatest Medical Ninja in the Shinobi World.

In truth, Madara Uchiha had never liked Medical Ninjas.

Yet when Madara Uchiha had met his friend Hashirama Senju as a child, he had heard that name countless times from Hashirama. Memories of the past resurfaced once more from the depths of his mind.

"Madara!"

"Have you heard Lord Shirou's story?"

"Stories about Lord Shirou have always been passed down in our clan!"

"Eh..."

"You heard his stories growing up too?"

"Endure the pain that others cannot endure, and save the people enduring that pain! That is the Ninja Way Lord Shirou left behind for this world!"

"Madara!"

"I secretly saw it today!"

"Don't tell anyone!"

"My family has a Crystal Coffin left behind by Lord Shirou!"

"Madara..."

"Father won't allow me to become a Medical Ninja..."

"And my younger brother Banjian died. Learning medical arts can't protect the people I want to protect. Medical Ninjas can't change this chaotic era."

Those memories scattered with the wind.

Madara Uchiha had nearly forgotten those memories. He had nearly forgotten that Hashirama Senju had long since given up something important.

Lord Shirou.

He was a sage from the Ancient Era.

The Medical Ninja said in legend to possess the greatest medical arts.

Madara Uchiha understood why Konoha had kept Lord Shirou's identity secret. That Tobirama Senju, who was always researching despicable ninja techniques, must have developed some forbidden technique too shameful to reveal and revived Lord Shirou, that sage of the Ancient Era.

Indeed...

Only Lord Shirou...

Could possibly heal Hashirama.

"I see."

A look of realization flashed across Madara Uchiha's face.

Since the other man was a ninja from the Ancient Era, it was hardly strange for him to possess some unique methods. Taking such a heavy loss at his hands was nothing shameful.

Besides, now that he knew the other man was that renowned sage from the Ancient Era, exposing his own identity did not seem like such a bad trade.

Still...

It was time for him to leave Konoha.

"Madara!"

A figure clad in Red Plated Armor descended!

"You're alive!"

Hashirama Senju appeared before them almost fully armed. His gaze remained fixed on Madara Uchiha within the Susanoo, his expression faintly complicated!

This best friend whom he had killed with his own hands...

Had actually returned from the dead and appeared before him again!

To stop Madara Uchiha's Susanoo from wreaking havoc, Hashirama Senju had rushed over ahead of everyone else despite his injuries not yet being fully healed!

"You came quickly... Hashirama."

When Hashirama Senju appeared, Madara Uchiha's attention was instinctively drawn to him as he looked down at the red-armored figure below.

"Hm? You are..."

Hashirama Senju subconsciously glanced at Lord Shirou beside him. The man's profile seemed vaguely familiar. Was he the doctor who had treated him today?

Or perhaps...

Some good person he had met somewhere before?

As the Hokage of the village...

He had already remembered every ninja and even every child in it.

Not someone from Konoha.

Nor an enemy of the village.

He seemed to be a guest of the village, so why did he carry a faint air of death? His condition looked rather strange.

Although Hashirama Senju had not clearly seen what Lord Shirou looked like at Konoha Hospital, he knew that the man was an outsider found by Tobirama Senju. Otherwise, he would not have been arranged to stay in a residence prepared for distinguished guests from elsewhere.

"I am..."

Lord Shirou stepped forward, intending to introduce himself.

"Go take shelter! Leave this to me!"

After casually issuing the order, Hashirama Senju turned his gaze back to Madara Uchiha. He saw that one of Madara Uchiha's eyes was an eerie grayish white.

That eye...

Had been fine during their battle.

Why had it already turned the grayish white of blindness?

"Madara, your eye..."

Hashirama Senju stared at Madara Uchiha's eye in surprise.

"There's no need to wonder."

"It was merely the price of escaping death at your hands..."

Madara Uchiha clenched his fist. His expression abruptly turned fierce and cold as his palm suddenly opened and then clenched again, desperately squeezing out his ocular power. "I had planned to say a few words and leave, but now it seems things have become a little troublesome..."

It really was troublesome.

Hashirama Senju was truly an inescapable nuisance!

Rumble!

The damaged Susanoo rapidly repaired itself!

The third form of Susanoo stood in Konoha like an azure giant!

"Wood Release!"

Hashirama Senju suddenly brought his hands together!

Vines burst from the earth one after another, winding toward the Susanoo's arms!

"The same old trick!"

Madara Uchiha grimly clenched his hand in the air!

A curved greatsword glowing blue emerged from the Susanoo's hand. It swung the enormous blade, severing the vines one by one!

Just like that!

Their battle erupted here once again!

This was the aftermath of that life-or-death battle. The heavily wounded Hashirama Senju and the resurrected Madara Uchiha seemed ready to begin another battle here!

"Hashirama..."

Mito Uzumaki looked at her husband with concern in her eyes. "With your injuries, you must restrain your use of Chakra, otherwise..."

"No..."

Without any concern for his own body, Hashirama Senju replied in a low voice, "Leave this place first. Though I'm somewhat glad Madara is alive, this time, I must kill him here for good!"

"You think you can kill me a second time?"

Madara Uchiha's voice echoed through the air. The instant he noticed Mito Uzumaki, an eerie savagery flashed across his face!

"Madara!"

"I will never let you leave!"

Determination flashed across Hashirama Senju's face!

"Even if you escaped death..."

"You came back to destroy everyone's village again!"

Hashirama Senju suddenly brought his hands together. Huge vines, like gigantic trees, burst from the empty ground around them, every one of them continuously extending!

No matter what...

He could not let Madara Uchiha leave again!

Even if it cost him his life, he had to keep Madara Uchiha here. He feared that if Madara Uchiha returned in force, he would once again seek to destroy Konoha!

"Then I'll wait and see..."

Madara Uchiha extended a finger and drew blood. His hands slowly formed seals, and his voice seemed to grow somewhat leisurely.

This situation...

Carried a strange, faintly unsettling feeling.

"Hm?"

Hashirama Senju furrowed his brow, considering the possibilities.

He could sense that Madara Uchiha, like himself, was close to exhaustion. Even Madara's ocular power could no longer add armor to his Susanoo. His own recovery ability was stronger than Madara's, so could Madara still have some other method?

Besides...

Konoha Ninja were continuously rushing over...

Though Hashirama Senju hoped no one would approach, he knew that in the ninja battles of the Warring States Period, even a trivial bit of assistance could make a tremendous difference...

Like his younger brother, Tobirama Senju...

Hashirama Senju did not need their help. He simply could not imagine how Madara Uchiha could possibly turn things around, which was why he was even more suspicious of Madara Uchiha's methods...

"Hashirama."

"In our battles to the death..."

"Even the slightest mistake can be fatal..."

"Even the most insignificant assistance can take an enemy's life..."

The corners of Madara Uchiha's lips rose. His hands finally completed the seals, and he sneered at Mito Uzumaki, who stood not far behind Hashirama Senju.

"What if it's the most vicious assistance in this world?"

"..."

Hashirama Senju and Mito Uzumaki both tensed at once!

Not good!

The husband and wife had already guessed something!

"Still..."

"I have no interest in continuing a repetitive battle."

Standing within the Susanoo, Madara Uchiha gave Lord Shirou what he believed was a friendly yet vicious smile. "I gained much today, and perhaps many of my questions can be answered. I'll come visit again if I get the chance..."

"Madara!"

Hashirama Senju watched uneasily as Madara Uchiha's hands, having completed the seals, dropped. "You want to summon..."

"Ninja Art: Summoning Technique!"

Madara Uchiha's voice and gaze were equally cold!

His palm slammed heavily onto his Susanoo, and a surging wave of smoke swept forth!

The blast was incredibly powerful!

Many Konoha Ninja rushing over were thrown to the ground along the way!

Smoke carried by the shockwave engulfed all of Konoha's buildings!

"Dance to your heart's content here..."

"Nine-Tails!"

Madara Uchiha's savage voice echoed through the smoke!

Under the cover of the smoke, Madara Uchiha vanished before their eyes, leaving only an enormous beast with nine tails behind—the most vicious Tailed Beast in this world!