The early summer breeze was still gentle as it swept through Konoha's streets and alleys. The whole village resembled a vibrant ink painting, filled with an air of peace.
And in that summer of Year 33 of Konoha, news of the death of Mito Uzumaki, Konoha's Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, finally spread throughout the shinobi world.
Undercurrents stirred across the shinobi world, and ninja from all the major hidden villages sighed with emotion.
The last great figure of the old era had finally passed away. As a perfect jinchuriki, Mito Uzumaki had always been a Sword of Damocles hanging over the nations of the shinobi world.
Every scheming opportunist who harbored ill intentions toward Konoha had to account for Mito when making plans, weighing the risks and benefits again and again.
Now, with the passing of this Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, a weight quietly lifted from the hearts of ambitious figures across the nations.
In their eyes, as long as the new Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was not a perfect jinchuriki like Mito, there was nothing to fear.
Even Kumogakure's Third Raikage A, who had previously dreaded retaliation from Konoha, let out a long sigh of relief upon receiving the news.
To him, Konoha without Mito Uzumaki posed a greatly diminished threat. He immediately led Kumogakure's ninja out of the Land of Waterfalls, bringing the six-month standoff between Iwagakure and Kumogakure there to an end. Ōnoki also led his troops home, directly causing a sharp increase in the number of Iwagakure ninja on the battlefield in the Land of Rain and making the fighting there even more brutal.
The Land of Iron, the Mountain Graveyard.
Deep underground lay a stone cavern cut off from the clamor of the outside world, perpetually cold, damp, and untouched by sunlight.
"Lord Madara, Mito Uzumaki, Konoha's Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, has