Land of Water.
The once-dead-still surface of the lake was interrupted by a group of unexpected visitors.
Countless human shapes were reflected on the water.
The Third Mizukage stood in person, his expression grave, at the head of a formation of elite Kirigakure shinobi.
He had received the patrol squad's report: the missing Three-Tails was hidden beneath this lake.
So, in recent days, ninjas skilled in village sealing techniques had been gathered here — they had to re-seal the Three-Tails and bring it back to the village.
Kirigakure's loss of a jinchūriki was something the other ninja villages did not yet know.
Normally a jinchūriki is the most important strategic asset; it would be impossible for one to simply vanish.
Even if the news somehow leaked, other villages would likely refuse to believe it and would suspect Kirigakure of spreading rumors on purpose.
"Seal Division, set up the sealing barrier! Sensing Team, lock down the Three-Tails' exact position! Everyone else, prepare for combat!" the Third Mizukage's voice rang out, steady and powerful, echoing over the lake.
Although his abilities weren't shown much in the original, anyone who rose to be Mizukage could not be underestimated.
"Yes!"
The well-trained Kirigakure shinobi moved quickly. Sealing scrolls were cast into the water and huge barrier runes began to form beneath the surface.
The Three-Tails on the lakebed seemed to sense the changing energy and the intense threat from above.
Damn humans — they never stop!
It had been forcibly controlled and bound in a summoning contract a few days ago; it was already furious.
Now these tiny humans dared to disturb its rest — unforgivable!
The humiliation of being forced into a contract, the terror of being sealed, and the beast's innate lust to destroy — all of it erupted in that instant.
"Roar—!!!"
It wanted to tear every single human on the lake into pieces!
A roar far more savage and primal than before erupted from the lakebed.
The calm surface instantly boiled.
Boom!
A towering column of water shot up; the Three-Tails' massive body broke the surface.
Its single great eye was all blood-red, filled only with pure destructive will.
It recognized these Kirigakure shinobi as the same ones who had sealed it before!
The Three-Tails gaped open and high-density chakra began to condense—
"Tailed Beast Ball! Dodge!" the Third Mizukage's pupils snapped tight; he shouted a warning to the surrounding ninja.
A pitch-black sphere of energy blasted forth — not toward the crowd but toward the shore where the main members of the barrier team stood.
Instinctively it wanted to destroy the things that threatened it most!
And the sealing specialists were the biggest threat on the battlefield…
"Water Release: Water-Form Barrier!" several Kirigakure jonin combined to form a defensive water wall, but the Tailed Beast Ball's terrifying power instantly vaporized it.
Boom!
The Tailed Beast Ball struck the group around the Seal Division.
A massive explosion thundered along the shore; earth and trees shook, smoke filled the air.
The Seal Division suffered heavy casualties; the just-formed sealing barrier was shattered.
"Damn it!" the Third Mizukage's face tightened. Without the Seal Division restraining the Three-Tails, they couldn't proceed to the next sealing jutsu!
It looked like he would have to act personally.
"Continue holding the outer barrier to limit its movement range! All attacks — draw its attention!" the Third Mizukage ordered. "The remaining Seal Division ninja, prepare a vessel seal for the Three-Tails!"
Speaking, he dashed forward toward the Three-Tails to draw its focus.
The Three-Tails ignored the other attacks and, mouth still open, continued to condense a Tailed Beast Ball.
Then, without warning, the massive form before him vanished.
Yes — it vanished in an instant, without any sign!
The Third Mizukage: "???"
The other Kirigakure shinobi were equally dumbfounded; they instinctively looked around but could not find the huge tailed beast.
What on earth had happened?!
Where was the Three-Tails?
That huge Three-Tails?
How could the tailed beast they had bought at great cost simply be gone?
This has to be a joke!
Everyone there began to question reality.
The Three-Tails had vanished in front of their eyes with no sign — no one would believe this if they told it later.
Ridiculous.
On the other side, on a clearing.
"Summoning Jutsu: Three-Tails!"
Renya pressed his hand to the ground; complex runes spread across the earth.
With a "bang,"
a huge turtle with three tails appeared before him.
"Three-Tails?!" Senju Hashirama cried out.
Wasn't the Three-Tails sold to Kirigakure at a high price back then?
So why was it being summoned by Renya now?
Wait — what is that condensing in its mouth…
Hm, it looks a bit like a Tailed Beast Ball!
No good!
Renya and Uchiha Madara both saw the Tailed Beast Ball forming in the Three-Tails' mouth and their faces froze.
"You brat, what are you doing?" Uchiha Madara murmured under his breath.
"I don't know…" the most baffled person in the scene was Renya.
He had simply used the summoning jutsu to call the Three-Tails; he never expected it to be forming a Tailed Beast Ball in its mouth.
Who summons and immediately goes all-out like that?
No — this is pre-emptive big attack…
Although he didn't know what had happened to the Three-Tails over there, he felt like he was in for trouble.
The Three-Tails, seeing the three people before it, became instantly excited and, without hesitation, fired the Tailed Beast Ball from its mouth!
Renya and Senju Hashirama were both recognized by it — they were the two it most wanted to kill.
And Uchiha Madara?
Never met him before, but that didn't stop it from killing him as well.
Anyone who would be with these two could hardly be a good person.
"Boom!"
The Tailed Beast Ball, practically instant, struck in front of the three.
At that speed there was almost no time to react.
Renya and the others had barely moved to escape before the ball smashed close to their faces, sending them flying into a distant stand of trees.
The Three-Tails' face flushed with almost human-like excitement.
One was the Senju Hashirama who had once captured it for sale; the other was Renya, who had forced it into a summoning contract a few days earlier.
In short — both deserved to die!
"Cough, cough — Hashirama-san, Madara-sama, are you alright?" Renya lay on the ground, his hands over his chest, blood constantly leaking from the corner of his mouth.
If Madara hadn't just used Susanoo to block the Tailed Beast Ball, the three of them would be finished here today.
If they'd been singlehandedly killed by the Three-Tails, they'd never raise their heads again in this life…
"Cough… I'm fine," Senju Hashirama said, face pale, forcing a weak smile.
Although he had taken a heavy hit, with Madara's Susanoo as a shield, there was no grave danger.
Uchiha Madara stood with a dark expression and said nothing; his three magatama had become a Mangekyō.
If they were unharmed, then it was obvious who wouldn't be.
…
"Beast, I'll kill you!"
For a moment, all sounds in the world ceased, leaving only a towering, deep-blue giant.
Angry, Uchiha Madara activated Complete Susanoo.
Before the fully-formed Susanoo, the enormous Three-Tails seemed tiny, like a figurine.
The Three-Tails looked up at the great blue giant with fear, its body trembling from terror.
It seemed to have hit a steel wall.
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
+100 chapters and support me on Patreon(.)com/Jixo