The four great shinobi villages accepted financial support from the four great nations. In return, they had to serve as those nations' military forces.
The four great nations ordered their shinobi villages to wage war so they could compete with the Land of Fire for resources and influence.
At first, only Kumogakure declared war on Konoha.
Konoha and the Land of Fire appeared to be fighting a defensive war.
Konoha Shinobi Village won battle after battle, but still failed to make the four great shinobi villages abandon the war altogether.
The nightmare began when Kumogakure abducted Tsunade, the First Hokage's granddaughter.
Only then did the four nations' shinobi villages discover that Madara Uchiha, the Asura of the Ninja World who had rivaled Hashirama Senju during the Warring States period, was still alive.
And Madara Uchiha's power was terrifying.
It was not because they remembered only the First Hokage Hashirama Senju's "Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands," while no one remembered Madara Uchiha's "Susanoo."
Rather, Madara Uchiha, who could fight Hashirama Senju to a standstill, had vanished without a trace after the Warring States period ended.
As far as the four great shinobi villages knew, Madara Uchiha had died even earlier than Hashirama Senju.
After all, if Madara Uchiha were still alive, why had his younger brother Izuna become Konoha Shinobi Village's Second Hokage instead of him?
And yet...
This time, Madara Uchiha showed everyone godlike power through his own strength.
Madara Uchiha first summoned a gigantic meteor in the Land of Lightning, then used Susanoo to cross the sea and make landfall in the Land of Earth, the nation closest to the Land of Lightning.
Hashirama Senju's signature technique, "Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands," became "Attack on Buddha" in Madara Uchiha's hands.
The gigantic Thousand-Armed