In Hashirama Senju's world.
After Hashirama had brought the great nations under his rule, the smaller nations either surrendered voluntarily or were dealt with, losing their combat capabilities. The Ninja World was unified.
Hashirama was very pleased with this, believing that no further dangers existed. He handed over all administrative and regulatory matters to his younger brother.
He did not expect that undercurrents were once again surging within the Ninja World.
In the Hokage's office.
"Brother, something has happened recently in the Land of Water," Tobirama reported solemnly.
Hashirama was startled upon hearing this. "What? Isn't that place long since peaceful? The troublemakers from before were all dealt with. Are there still ninjas causing unrest?"
Hashirama was utterly perplexed. He felt this was highly abnormal. Logically, after witnessing his terrifying strength, those restless ninjas should have remained obedient.
For instance, there had been a fellow who, egged on by others, attempted to assassinate him. However, upon seeing Hashirama's power, the man fled instantly and never dared to strike again.
That was the deterrence brought by absolute strength. Hashirama believed that under such deterrence, nothing else should have occurred.
Tobirama spoke up, "No, it's not ninjas causing unrest. You misunderstand."
This made Hashirama even more confused. If it wasn't ninjas causing trouble, then what was it?
Tobirama unfurled a scroll and began to explain, "Recently, there seem to have been some anomalies. While there are no ninjas rioting in the Land of Water, a major event has occurred. Previously, the Three-Tails was located in the forests of the Land of Water. However, according to reports from some informants, a violent explosion was suddenly heard one day. By the time they arrived, the Three-Tails was no longer in its usual habitat!"
The Three-Tails has disappeared?
Upon hearing this news, Hashirama's brow furrowed. This was not good news. Tailed Beasts generally wouldn't cause trouble if left alone; for them, having a stable place to rest and cultivate was an exceptionally good thing.
In the Land of Water, Hashirama had specifically designated an entire forest for the Tailed Beasts to rest. The Tailed Beasts had been very satisfied with this.
Now, the Three-Tails had vanished. Moreover, there had been the sound of explosions before the disappearance. That meant a fierce battle must have taken place!
Who... could have done this?
After thinking for a moment, Hashirama said, "Immediately dispatch elite ninjas to form a squad to investigate that area. Also, invite the local ninjas of the Land of Water to cooperate with the investigation. This must be resolved quickly; send the news back as fast as possible. If too much time passes, I fear something serious may happen."
Meanwhile, underground.
Madara Uchiha sat in his seat, saying with great excitement, "It seems the strength of the Tailed Beasts is even weaker than I imagined. The Three-Tails was captured by me without putting up any decent resistance! Of course, the Mangekyo Sharingan is indeed incredibly useful."
As it turned out, the disappearance of the Three-Tails was the work of Madara Uchiha!
At this moment, Black Zetsu's figure slowly emerged from the ground. "Lord Madara Uchiha is indeed extraordinary. Now that the Three-Tails is captured, our goal is one step closer. Next are the other Tailed Beasts!"
Hearing this, Madara Uchiha laughed triumphantly. "Hahaha!"
After laughing for a while, he stopped. "Unfortunately, some of the other Tailed Beasts are in the hands of Hashirama and the others. They won't be as easy to capture! Furthermore, capturing the Three-Tails this time caused some commotion. I wonder if it will attract their attention. I must be more careful during the next operation."
Meanwhile, in Tobirama's world.
Tobirama and his people encountered a similar situation!
Originally, after Tobirama was "forced" to conquer those nations, he had devoted himself wholeheartedly to his scientific research, focusing on the specialties of the Soul Reaper World.
But now, his research was interrupted by major news.
"A Tailed Beast? Someone is targeting the Tailed Beasts?"
After listening to the ninjas' reports, a figure immediately surfaced in Tobirama's mind: Madara Uchiha!
Unlike other Hokage—like Hashirama, who might overlook certain things—Tobirama's analytical and thinking capabilities were formidable. He rarely forgot anything he had heard.
This incident reminded him of something similar that had happened in Aoki's world! Moreover, Aoki had mentioned it to them at the time.
Thinking of this, Tobirama linked it to Madara Uchiha. After all, the Ninja World was now unified. There weren't many powerful ninjas left who weren't under his control. If there were any, the strongest would undoubtedly be Madara Uchiha!
He immediately issued an order: "Dispatch a large number of ninjas to protect the Tailed Beasts! Additionally, all of you must carry my Flying Thunder God Kunai. The moment something happens, send an alarm immediately. I will arrive instantly!"
Tobirama knew well that Madara Uchiha's strength was immense. Ordinary ninjas, even the elites, were not necessarily his match. To deal with Madara, he would have to personally intervene.
"Madara Uchiha, huh? You've escaped by a stroke of luck this time. Next time you move, you absolutely won't be so lucky!" Tobirama declared.
In the world of the Third Hokage, Kakashi.
Kakashi had previously conquered two nations: the Land of Wind and the Land of Water. After taking them over, he had entered a temporary period of recuperation.
Kakashi knew that if he continued to strike, it would provoke a strong backlash from the other two nations. If they allied together, it would actually be quite troublesome. After all, while his strength made dealing with a single nation very easy, the combined forces of a vast number of ninjas from two nations would make him feel somewhat strained.
Kakashi thought, "The rewards I've exchanged for are still too few. Compared to Aoki and the others, my strength is still lacking! I need to find a way to increase my power."
With this in mind, Kakashi prepared to check the Chat Group mall to see what he could exchange his points for to boost his strength.
Just then, the door to the Hokage's office was pushed open by an Anbu member.
"Lord Third, something terrible has happened!" the Anbu member said urgently. "Naruto Uzumaki... something has happened to him!"
What!
Kakashi stood up instantly. "Naruto is missing? Or was he kidnapped?"