Hidden Leaf Village

Majestic Attire: Senju Susanoo's thousand arms rained down wildly on Otsutsuki Yuhao's three Susanoo Shadow Clones.

Boom!

Each palm struck with the force of a raging flood, destroying everything in its path. The terrifying shock waves swallowed everything around them, creating a breathtaking scene.

Even the three Susanoo Shadow Clones struggled to withstand the assault.

"Is this some kind of cheat?"

Otsutsuki Yuhao complained inwardly. He hadn't expected Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama to become so difficult to handle once their power reached four Super Kage levels.

By then, Otsutsuki Yuhao was already using the power of five Super Kage, yet Majestic Attire: Senju Susanoo still had him pinned down.

[King Realm Fist]

Red light burst from the Susanoo and roared outward in all directions. Fiery red energy surged around it, whipping up violent winds and tearing through the air with a shrill whistle. Every hill and boulder within ten kilometers was instantly ground to dust.

Ten Super Kage levels of power.

In theory, ten Super Kage levels should have been enough to defeat Majestic Attire: Senju Susanoo instantly.

But that increase came from external power, not power that truly belonged to him. His actual destructive power was only around six or seven Super Kage levels.

[Summoning: Fivefold Rashomon]

Senju Hashirama clapped his hands and summoned five enormous demon-faced gates, each thousands of meters tall, sealing away one of Otsutsuki Yuhao's Susanoo.

[Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame]

Uchiha Madara spat a fireball toward the ground that looked like a falling meteor. When it struck another Susanoo clone, it instantly set an entire forest ablaze. Its power already surpassed that of most S-rank jutsu.

You could say it was already SS-rank.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"What in the world is going on? Is this really just his clone? He said it only had one-tenth of his true strength. Why does it feel like he's getting stronger and stronger?"

Uchiha Madara was beginning to sense that something wasn't right.

"Isn't it obvious? Senior Yuhao must have given his clone even more chakra," Senju Hashirama said through gritted teeth.

He watched as the Susanoo controlled by Otsutsuki Yuhao grew more and more powerful.

Even though Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama were practically the darlings of the Ninja World, capable of fighting opponents above their level, they still couldn't beat Otsutsuki Yuhao, whose power was ten times greater.

After all, there were limits to how much stronger you could be against a superior opponent.

"I'm done. We've already won anyway!" Uchiha Madara told Senju Hashirama.

"I was thinking the same thing. I love fighting, but I don't like getting beaten up!"

As he spoke, Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara exchanged a glance.

The next moment, they both sprang into action.

After using Majestic Attire: Senju Susanoo's full-force strike to knock Otsutsuki Yuhao back,

Uchiha Madara activated his Complete Body Susanoo and carried Senju Hashirama into the sky. By the time they appeared again, they were standing on another mountain peak.

Otsutsuki Yuhao stared in bewilderment. He didn't understand what Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama were doing—or why they had suddenly run away.

"We're done fighting. You said you'd only use one-tenth of your power, but it feels like you're using more than that now. Your chakra's twice what it was before—eight times as much as mine and Madara's. Senior Yuhao, Madara and I won this graduation battle."

Senju Hashirama's laughter carried to him from afar.

Hearing Senju Hashirama's voice, Otsutsuki Yuhao reluctantly dispelled his Susanoo. His other two clones also began to disappear.

"Fine, then. You two have graduated!"

"With your strength, there are hardly any opponents left for you among the Five Great Nations. You can go explore the Ninja Holy Land!"

Otsutsuki Yuhao said casually.

"The Ninja Holy Land can wait. Right now, I want to end the war in the Land of Fire," Senju Hashirama said seriously.

Ever since Uchiha Tajima and Senju Butsuma had died together five years ago, Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara had become even more determined to pursue their dream.

With the heads of the Senju and Uchiha clans dead, the other ninja clans had thought to swallow them up.

But after Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara appeared, they used their overwhelming strength to kill every opposing clan.

That was how the two earned the titles God of Shinobi and Shinobi Asura.

Still, their fame hadn't yet spread across the entire Ninja World. For now, it was limited to the Land of Fire.

Even so, it was more than enough to make every ninja clan in the Land of Fire fear, dread, or revere them.

"The Ninja Holy Land, huh?

They say it's a cradle for the strong. Ninjas at the clan-head level are everywhere, and there are plenty of those who surpass even that level."

Uchiha Madara spoke seriously, but his eyes shone with excitement.

In the Land of Fire, apart from Senju Hashirama,

Uchiha Madara had no rivals left. And the Land of Fire was the strongest among the Five Great Nations of the Ninja World.

Uchiha Madara had never visited any other country, but he didn't believe anyone in the other four nations could fight him. If anyone could, it would have to be one of those old fossils.

Three days later, Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama established a ninja village in the best location in the Land of Fire. They named it the Hidden Leaf Village.

The first ninja village in the history of the Ninja World had been established.

Its central district covered around forty million square meters, and the Land of Fire, located at its heart, was the most prosperous. The Land of Fire sat at a major crossroads and served as a route connecting north and south. Its unique location drew in large numbers of talented people and valuable resources.

After the two clans, recognized as the strongest in the Ninja World, joined forces to establish the Hidden Leaf Village,

the village's fame spread throughout the entire Ninja World the very next day.

The day after the Uchiha and Senju clans formed their alliance, the Hyuga Clan, the secret-technique clans—the Aburame Clan and Inuzuka Clan—as well as the Akimichi, Nara, Yamanaka, and Sarutobi clans all began joining the Hidden Leaf Village of their own accord.

Many other ninja clans, large and small, joined them, though ordinary people made up the majority.

Senju Hashirama became the First, and Uchiha Madara became the first Deputy Hokage.

Under the Hokage system, the Deputy Hokage was regarded as the "Hokage-in-waiting." Their main duty was to take over if the Hokage became unable to perform their duties.

The Deputy Hokage's authority was second only to the Hokage's, making them "second only to one, but above all others."

The Hokage handled domestic affairs, while the Deputy Hokage handled external affairs.

Originally, there was only meant to be one Hokage. But after Senju Hashirama insisted, Uchiha Madara became Deputy Hokage, with authority second only to the Hokage.

If they were the Kage of another ninja village, they would never tolerate having a deputy whose authority came so close to their own.

After all, authority often rested on the ministers' recognition of their leader's status and strength. Yet a deputy with equal or even greater power could challenge that balance.

If the deputy ever had a bad idea, it would be the Kage who suffered.

Unless the Kage had an absolute, overwhelming advantage in strength.

After all, if the deputy ever did something foolish, it would be the Kage who suffered.