Kirigakure—a mysterious ninja village shrouded in dense fog—was located in the Land of Water. It was one of the mysterious ninja villages that ranked just below Konoha and the Sand Village in size, with the Mizukage at its head.
Among the Kage of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, aside from Senju Hashirama, the other four were roughly equal in strength.
The First Mizukage had the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist at his disposal. Each one possessed strength above the ordinary Kage Level, and together, the seven could even fight a Super Kage.
"Rumble!"
"Such powerful chakra! Is this the chakra of a Tailed Beast?"
The First Mizukage, Byakuren, leaped to his feet and sprang onto a mountain peak, watching the battle in the distance.
"Something's wrong, Lord Mizukage!
The Deputy Hokage of Konoha, Uchiha Madara, has come to our Land of Water. He captured our Three-Tails, and now he's about to capture the Six-Tails too."
A ninja carrying Kubikiribōchō appeared before the First Mizukage in a flash.
"What!"
"Damn Uchiha Madara! I could overlook you causing trouble in other small nations.
But you dare come to my Land of Water? My Land of Water isn't some small nation you can push around."
As he spoke, the First Mizukage transformed into a streak of blue light and sped toward Uchiha Madara.
By the time the First Mizukage reached the battlefield,
Uchiha Madara had already used his Eternal Eye to control the Six-Tails. He stood with both feet planted on top of its head.
"I thought the Tailed Beasts would be powerful. Looking at it now, it's nothing more than a slightly larger pet."
Uchiha Madara said coolly.
"Uchiha Madara, is Konoha trying to start a war with Kirigakure?"
As he spoke, the First Mizukage sent a ten-meter-long water dragon hurtling toward Uchiha Madara.
But Uchiha Madara casually extinguished it with a fire dragon.
"Start a war? You think you're worth it?"
Uchiha Madara sneered, his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan fixed on the First Mizukage.
"What did you say, Uchiha Madara? Don't get too cocky!"
"[Water Release: Great Water Dragon Technique]"
The First Mizukage formed Hand Seals, summoning a dragon made of flowing water. After absorbing the water in the Land of Water's surroundings, it instantly became a hundred meters long.
Uchiha Madara watched with a hint of interest in his eyes.
"Very good. I didn't expect your Water Release to become this powerful in the Land of Water.
First Mizukage, you're worthy of fighting me."
As he spoke, Uchiha Madara moved swiftly, dodging the water dragon's attack.
The patterns of his Eternal Eye began to turn.
[Fourth Form Susanoo]
In an instant, Susanoo's ribs appeared, enclosing his body.
Before long, a hundred-meter-tall Fourth Form Susanoo clad in Crow Tengu Armor appeared between heaven and earth.
"What? Is this still Susanoo?
Why doesn't it look like the one I've seen before?"
The First Mizukage stared in shock at the Fourth Form Susanoo before him.
His water dragon was a hundred meters long too, but next to the equally tall Fourth Form Susanoo, it looked pitifully small—only about as big as one of Susanoo's arms.
"Because this is the Fourth Form Susanoo."
As Uchiha Madara's voice fell,
the Fourth Form Susanoo swung its four great swords at the First Mizukage.
The First Mizukage dodged the first strike.
The second strike destroyed his water dragon.
The third sent the First Mizukage flying.
Boom.
After hitting the ground, the First Mizukage spat out blood, then stood up again and quickly formed Hand Seals.
"Uchiha Madara, I won't let you run wild in the Land of Water."
[Water Release: Hidden Mist Technique]
The First Mizukage first spewed dense fog from his mouth, obscuring a wide area and blocking his opponent's vision. The effect was even more pronounced when combined with Water Release chakra—it could even obscure the Rinnegan's vision.
[Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet]
[Water Release: Super-Large Water Dragon Technique]
In less than three seconds, the First Mizukage had unleashed three jutsu. The last one, the Super-Large Water Dragon Technique, was his trump card.
The first two jutsu had only been meant to hold Uchiha Madara back and stop him from closing in.
A sky-blue water dragon appeared once more, three times longer and thicker than the one before.
"Oh, that's a nice technique!"
"It'd be no fun if you lost to me in one hit."
Uchiha Madara sneered at the First Mizukage.
"Don't get too cocky, Uchiha Madara!"
As soon as the First Mizukage's voice fell, the three-hundred-meter-long water dragon charged forward, fast as lightning, and lunged at Uchiha Madara.
Using its agile body and powerful muscles, it coiled tightly around the Fourth Form Susanoo.
"Nice speed, but your strength's lacking."
Uchiha Madara said indifferently.
The next moment, the Fourth Form Susanoo instantly transformed into Complete Body Susanoo.
Its body swelled to five hundred meters tall. It crushed the water dragon in its grasp and slapped the First Mizukage flying.
"I had a great time today!"
"I'll take the Three-Tails and Six-Tails with me for now. Maybe I'll come play with you again sometime, Byakuren."
As he spoke, Uchiha Madara sealed the Six-Tails inside the Summoning Space and then controlled Susanoo as it flew into the sky.
The First Mizukage stood there, his expression shifting constantly, while a large group of ninjas stared in stunned silence as Susanoo's enormous figure rose into the sky and slowly vanished from sight.
Konoha.
"Madara, couldn't you be a little more civilized when capturing the Tailed Beasts? The daimyo and Kage of so many countries have filed complaints about you."
Senju Hashirama looked at the mountain of complaint files on the desk, then at Uchiha Madara, his expression troubled.
"Hmph, I didn't kill anyone! Isn't that civilized enough?
Besides, if I weren't around, those Tailed Beasts would be ticking time bombs in their own countries."
Uchiha Madara snorted.
"Big Brother, let me and Izuna handle the other Tailed Beasts. I know the Flying Thunder God Technique, so I can relocate them faster. That way, we won't disturb anyone else."
A young man with silver hair and red eyes, a metal forehead protector shaped like a face guard, and three red marks on each cheek stepped before Senju Hashirama. He wore a black, close-fitting combat suit with layered blue armor over it and a white fur collar that connected across his shoulders and back.
This man was Senju Tobirama. His forehead protector bore the Senju Clan symbol; after Konoha was founded, he wore one with Konoha's symbol instead.
"Mm, that's true!"
"Then take Izuna with you. His Sharingan can control the Tailed Beasts more effectively."
Senju Hashirama nodded.
If Uchiha Madara was Senju Hashirama's best buddy,
then Uchiha Izuna was Senju Tobirama's best buddy.
In the original story, the two of them had fought so fiercely.
Now, they were just as close.
Their bond was even stronger than that between Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama.
Perhaps because Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama often kept them at their sides, the two had known each other since childhood.
And their personalities were fairly similar.
That made it easier for Uchiha Izuna and Senju Tobirama to become best buddies.
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