The Nine-Tails Falls
The forest was silent.
The air hung thick with chakra, so dense that the very trees seemed to shudder beneath its weight.
The Nine-Tails, the strongest of all Tailed Beasts, towered above the land. Each breath it exhaled sent shockwaves through the ground, its massive form radiating pure, undiluted hatred.
But the man standing before it was unmoved.
Madara Uchiha stood with his hands behind his back, staring up at the beast with his Mangekyō Sharingan, his expression unreadable.
Kurama snarled, baring fangs the size of buildings.
"YOU THINK YOU CAN CONTROL ME, UCHIHA?"
Madara tilted his head. "Control?"
A pause.
Then—his eyes spun.
Everything stopped.
Kurama's pupils dilated. His body stiffened. His mind—his will—was no longer his own.
Madara took a step forward, his voice smooth, calm, absolute.
"Kneel."
BOOM.
The Nine-Tails—the living embodiment of destruction—collapsed to the ground with a single word.
Bound.
Tamed.
His.
Madara let out a slow breath. "That was almost disappointing."
Kurama's body trembled, but his mind was gone, consumed by the absolute dominance of Madara's Sharingan.
Madara placed a hand on the beast's head, his smirk widening. "Now then… we have work to do."
Konoha Receives the News
Far from the battlefield, inside Konoha's newly constructed Hokage Office, the atmosphere was tense.
Hashirama sat at his desk, fingers pressed together, staring at the reports.
The attack on Iwagakure.
Madara's return.
His defeat of the Second Tsuchikage.
And now, fresh intelligence—
The Nine-Tails was missing.
Across from him, Tobirama scowled. "This is bad."
Hashirama sighed. "I know."
Gojo, sitting lazily on the office couch, stretched his arms behind his head. "Well, it was only a matter of time."
Tobirama shot him a sharp look. "You're taking this lightly?"
Gojo shrugged. "Not really. It's just… come on. This is Madara we're talking about. You didn't think he was just gonna retire and start farming potatoes, did you?"
Tobirama's scowl deepened. "I knew he would return, but not like this."
Hashirama rubbed his temples. "This isn't just an attack. He's moving with purpose."
Gojo exhaled, suddenly more serious. "He's preparing for something. And considering the rumors about him taking Hashirama cells from Iwagakure, I'd say he's getting ready for a war."
A silence filled the room.
Tobirama folded his arms. "If he truly has the Nine-Tails, we don't have time to sit around. We need to act—now."
Hashirama closed his eyes for a long moment.
Then, finally, he stood.
"Summon the Council." His voice was firm, decisive. "We must prepare Konoha."
Tobirama nodded and left the room immediately.
Gojo remained seated, watching Hashirama carefully.
"You still think he can be saved?"
Hashirama's gaze hardened.
"I don't know."
Gojo smirked. "Well, either way, this is gonna be fun."
He leaned back, stretching. "War's coming."
And this time, not even Hashirama could stop it.