Main World.
Spring, Konoha Year Twenty-Two.
Konoha, in front of the Hokage Building.
Corpses had already piled into mountains on the battlefield. The blood of Anbu elites and Root elites flowed together into streams, running down the steps and soaking every crack in the ground. The air reeked of blood, smoke from exploding explosive tags, and the scorched remains of burned Wood Release trees. No one retreated. Every fallen ninja shouted, "For Konoha!" in the final moment of their life.
But the scales were slowly, steadily tipping toward Konoha.
In front of the Hokage Building, Mito Uzumaki knelt on the ground, gasping for breath. Her chakra was nearly exhausted, her body on the verge of collapse, but she could not fall. Because she was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, because she was Hashirama Senju's wife, because she was Konoha's Mito Uzumaki.
"Lady Mito, you..."
A Senju clansman rushed to her side and tried to help her up.
"Don't worry about me."
Mito Uzumaki pushed his hand away and braced herself against the ground to stand.
"How many spirit bodies are left?"
The Senju clansman's expression shifted slightly.
"There are still... several dozen."
"Several dozen..."
A bitter smile curved Mito Uzumaki's lips.
"Then I'll keep sealing them."
She formed hand seals, and the Nine-Tails' dark red chakra surged from her body, transforming into countless golden chains. The chains danced through the air, binding the spirit bodies that were still wreaking havoc.
"Sealing Jutsu: Adamantine Sealing Chains!"
The spirit bodies struggled, howled, and twisted within the chains, but could not break free. The chains tightened, and the spirit bodies turned into countless tiny points of light, dissipating into the air.
One, two, three...
Ten, twenty, thirty...
Mito Uzumaki sealed one spirit body after another. Her chakra kept draining, her body grew ever more exhausted,