Land of Water — Hidden Mist Village.
The village, perpetually shrouded in fog, welcomed a true calamity today.
Two figures appeared out of thin air above the bustling central square, like gods descending upon the world.
Boom!!
Without warning, two vast chakra pressures—deep as the ocean and heavy as mountains—were unleashed in full.
The eternal fog that blanketed the Hidden Mist was torn apart like cloth in a hurricane, dispersing instantly. For the first time, unobstructed sunlight spilled across the soil of the village.
"Wh–who are they…?"
"My god… this chakra… I can barely breathe!"
Countless Kirigakure ninja stared up in terror at the two figures—one black, one red—hovering in the sky, their legs trembling uncontrollably.
Uchiha Tobirama stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing down at the village with cold indifference.
Beside him, Uchiha Madara, clad in crimson battle armor, folded his arms, his expression full of impatience and disdain.
"So this is the Bloody Mist Village?" Madara scoffed. "The air reeks of blood."
"Tobirama, is a place like this really worth occupying?"
"Even a mosquito is still meat," Tobirama replied calmly.
His voice, amplified by chakra, rolled across the Land of Water like divine thunder.
"Person in charge of the Hidden Mist—come out."
Within seconds, dozens of figures burst through the air and landed on rooftops surrounding the square.
At their head stood the Fourth Mizukage.
Behind him were seven ninja wielding massive, uniquely shaped swords—the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
Further back, hundreds of masked elite ANBU formed ranks.
Despite their numerical advantage, cold sweat soaked the Mizukage's brow.
He stared at the two figures above, his pupils shrinking violently.
Uchiha Tobirama.
And beside him… the legendary Shura of the ninja world, resurrected—Uchiha Madara.
How could these two monsters appear together?!
"Hokage-sama… Madara-sama."
The Fourth Mizukage forced himself to suppress his fear and cupped his hands, struggling to keep his tone steady.
"May I ask what brings you to the Hidden Mist Village?"
"Our Land of Water lies overseas and has never involved itself in mainland conflicts—"
"Never involved?"
Tobirama sneered, cutting him off.
In a flash, he appeared ten meters before the Mizukage. The crushing pressure made every Kirigakure present instinctively step back.
"Then did the Hidden Mist explosive tags and kunai found in the hands of the Earth–Lightning United Resistance fall from the sky?"
His gaze was sharp as a blade, piercing straight through the Mizukage.
"The entire ninja world has declared submission and pays tribute to Konoha."
"Only the Hidden Mist pretends to be deaf and blind. Do you think an ocean can stop me from coming here?"
The Mizukage's expression stiffened, dread flooding his heart.
Damn it—everything had been done in secret, yet it was still exposed!
"This… this must be a misunderstanding! Rogue ninja selling supplies on the black market—"
"Enough."
Tobirama waved a hand dismissively.
"I'm not here for excuses. I'm here to deliver a notice."
"Since you've crossed the line, you'll pay the price."
"What… price?" the Mizukage asked through clenched teeth.
Tobirama raised three fingers.
"First: hand over the Three-Tails and Six-Tails. All jinchūriki will be sent to Konoha for supervision."
"Second: two hundred trillion ryo in reparations. If you lack liquid funds, compensate with minerals and islands."
"Third—"
A playful smile tugged at the corner of Tobirama's mouth.
"Given the Hidden Mist's warped ideology and chaotic governance, the Mizukage's supreme authority is abolished."
"From today onward, Konoha will dispatch an Assistant Official to assume full military and political control of the Land of Water."
"And as for you—the Mizukage—you'll serve as a deputy, responsible for tea and paperwork."
The moment his words fell, the square erupted in fury.
Hand over tailed beasts? Reparations? Those were humiliations, but not unprecedented.
But installing an overseer—and reducing the Mizukage to a glorified attendant?
That was turning the Hidden Mist into Konoha's territory outright!
"You've gone too far!"
Suikazan Fuguki roared, Samehada trembling in his grip.
"Uchiha Tobirama! Don't push us!"
"This is the Hidden Mist—not Konoha's backyard!"
"Want us to be dogs? Dream on!!"
"Fight them!"
"We have numbers—and the Seven Swordsmen!"
"Kill them! Defend the honor of the Bloody Mist!"
Weapons were drawn. Killing intent surged.
Tobirama looked down at the clamoring mass and sighed faintly.
"This is the Bloody Mist?"
"Just a crowd of mindless brutes."
He turned to Madara, who had been watching with bored eyes.
"Madara. I'll leave it to you."
"Teach them that numbers mean nothing before absolute power."
"Hmph. So it's finally my turn."
A cruel smile split Madara's face as bloodlust flared in his Rinnegan.
He stepped forward, cracking his neck with a sharp sound.
"Perfect."
"My body's just recovered. I could use some warm-up."
"You trash… will do."
"Arrogant!"
Biwa Jūzō roared, charging first with Kubikiribōchō raised high.
"Everyone together! Kill him!"
In an instant, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen attacked in unison.
Kubikiribōchō, Samehada, Hiramekarei, Kiba—seven legendary blades surged forward, layered with elemental chakra. Behind them, hundreds of ANBU unleashed a storm of ninjutsu.
Madara was swallowed whole.
Then—
A cold voice drifted from the smoke.
"Too slow."
Bang!
A chakra-wrapped hand burst through the dust, gripping Kubikiribōchō barehanded.
"What—?!" Biwa Jūzō stared in disbelief.
"This junk can kill people?"
Madara flicked his wrist.
Clang!
Kubikiribōchō was flung away. Biwa Jūzō was hurled like a cannonball, crashing through a building, his grip torn open.
Madara vanished.
When he reappeared, he stood amidst the crowd.
A single punch—no technique, no flourish—pure force.
Boom!
Suikazan Fuguki was blasted through along with Samehada.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
Madara inhaled deeply and exhaled.
A sea of flames erupted, swallowing half the square.
The Hidden Mist's Water Release evaporated on contact, like droplets thrown into molten lava.
Screams rang out as ANBU were consumed, reduced to ash.
"These are the Seven Ninja Swordsmen?"
Madara strode out of the inferno, a captured blade in hand. He swung it twice, lazily.
Slash.
A terrifying arc of chakra sliced through the air.
Two swordsmen attempting a sneak attack were cleaved in half—blades and bodies alike.
"Wood Release: Nativity of a World of Trees!"
Madara formed a single seal and stomped.
Massive roots erupted from the ground, skewering the remaining ANBU and hoisting them into the air like skewers.
In less than a minute, the Seven Swordsmen lay dead or crippled.
Hundreds of elite ANBU were wiped out completely.
Blood pooled across the square.
Uchiha Madara stood amid the carnage, crimson armor spotless.
He tossed aside the chipped sword and looked at the survivors with disappointment.
"Pathetic."
"And you call yourselves ninja?"
The Fourth Mizukage swallowed hard, his entire body shaking, face drained of color.
It was over.
The Hidden Mist's elite hadn't even lasted a minute.
What kind of monster was this?
"Run… run…"
He looked at the younger ninja, paralyzed with fear, despair flooding his chest.
If he did nothing, the Hidden Mist would vanish today.
"ROOOAAARRR!!"
The Mizukage roared.
Boom!!
A violent, feral chakra surged skyward.
Water poured from nowhere, dousing the flames.
A colossal turtle clad in armored shell manifested in the square—
Three-Tails Isobu!
Tailed Beast Transformation!
"Madara! Tobirama!!"
The fully transformed Mizukage roared, massive claws slamming down, shaking the village.
"Even if I die—I'll take you with me!"
"Everyone! Run! Leave the Land of Water!!"
This was his final trump card.
The last dignity of a Kage defending his village.
From above, Tobirama looked down at the rampaging turtle, a flicker of emotion passing through his eyes.
Only a flicker.
"Tailed Beast Transformation?"
"Mildly interesting."
"But that's all."