(Edited)
The battle was over.
A light drizzle fell from the sky, wetting Madara and Hashirama's faces. The rain seemed to steal Madara's body heat, but the true cause wasn't the sudden downpour. It was the blade piercing his chest.
"Fool... Hashirama," Madara muttered as he left his final words, "Sooner or later... this will plunge the village into darkness."
With that, Madara collapsed onto the water, his life slipping away. Hashirama stood silently beside him, staring at Madara's lifeless body.
Hashirama had no regrets. He would protect the village at all costs. If anyone threatened Konoha, even his brother or child, he would not hesitate to act. Still, Madara's last words left a sinking feeling in his chest. It was as if they foreshadowed something ominous.
At that moment, Hashirama sensed a presence and looked up towards the cliffs. But it was gone as quickly as it came. Perhaps it was just an illusion born of his exhaustion. The battle had been long, and Hashirama's chakra was nearly depleted. Fatigue spread through his body, heavier than he had ever felt before.
Unable to stand, Hashirama dropped to his knees, coughing weakly. He turned his gaze to Nine Tails, Kurama, who lay nearby, wrapped in roots and unconscious, as though in a deep sleep.
Madara's tactic of cloaking Nine-Tails in Susanoo was ingenious. Even with Hashirama's Sage Mode and the strength of his Wood Release, it had been a close battle. Though he managed to shatter the Susanoo armor, his own True Thousand-Hands had taken severe damage, with most of its arms destroyed and unusable.
Hashirama used his last bit of Sage chakra to suppress Nine-Tails and force it into slumber. Only then was the immediate crisis averted, and he could face Madara one final time. Though both were utterly spent, Hashirama had eked out a narrow victory.
As Hashirama gazed at the dormant Nine-Tails, he noticed something strange. Fiery red chakra began to seep from the beast's body, scorching the nearby trees. Hashirama's Sage Mode chakra was long gone, leaving him unable to reinforce his Wood Release technique. If Kurama had time to awaken, it would spell disaster.
Hashirama tried to gather more Sage chakra, but his injuries were too severe. He had nothing left. The strain of forcing chakra only made him cough up blood, and he collapsed onto the water.
"Nii-!"
"Hashirama!"
Hearing the voices, Hashirama struggled to rise and turned around. He saw Tobirama and Mito running toward him, but their expressions were grave.
"What happened?" Hashirama asked weakly.
"During your battle with Madara, many of the attacks strayed toward the village. Even though you weakened and redirected them, we had to exert ourselves to block them," Tobirama quickly explained, glancing toward Madara's still body. "Is Madara dead?"
"He is." Hashirama's voice was soft.
Tobirama looked at his brother but didn't question further. The only thing he knew was that Madara was gone, and Konoha was safe.
"What about the others?" Hashirama asked.
"I sent them back. The immediate crisis is over, and people will manage the village affairs. For now, I'll take care of the aftermath," Tobirama replied before turning his gaze to Nine-Tails, Kurama.
From his study of their clan's history, Tobirama knew the power of the Nine-Tails. Even in this weakened state, Hashirama's injuries would take time to heal, but what if the beast awakened before then?
Hashirama followed his brother's gaze and sighed. "I don't have the strength left to deal with Nine-Tails. Mito, I need your help sealing it."
Mito nodded, her expression calm. "Leave the rest to me, Hashirama. You should rest."
"The question is, where do we seal this thing?" Hashirama wondered aloud. According to records, when a tailed beast was sealed, the medium was crucial. The more powerful the beast, the higher quality the sealing vessel had to be. Ideally, an artifact like Madara's gunbai would suffice, but they had no such item on hand.
Mito spoke up. "I'll seal it within myself."
Both Hashirama and Tobirama were taken aback. Mito referred to a record in her clan's history. Long ago, an ancestor of the Uzumaki Clan had sealed a tailed beast within themselves to suppress its power. Though the ancestor had died, the beast had resurrected later, as tailed beasts cannot be killed permanently.
"According to that ancestor, the Uzumaki Clan's unique chakra is suited to suppressing tailed beasts. It may not be guaranteed, but it's our best option," Mito explained.
"That's too dangerous! We can't rely on an old, uncertain record," Hashirama protested.
Mito shook her head. "Hashirama, do we have another option? If Nine-Tails wakes up, you won't be able to stop it in your current state. I can hold it off for a time, but we don't have the luxury to find a suitable sealing artifact."
Hashirama fell silent. He had to admit she was right. There wasn't enough time to find a sealing vessel, let alone one powerful enough to contain Kurama. But the thought of his wife taking that risk weighed heavily on him.
"I'm confident the record is accurate," Mito continued. "Our clan's chakra can suppress others. Under the circumstances, I believe it's the best course of action."
"Then let me do it," Hashirama offered. "I'll take the risk."
"Does your chakra suppress others like mine does?" Mito asked sternly.
Hashirama had no answer. Though the Senju and Uzumaki were related clans, their abilities weren't identical. The Senju lacked the innate ability to suppress chakra like the Uzumaki.
"So, let me handle this," Mito insisted.
Hashirama looked into Mito's determined eyes and understood her resolve. She was ready. Despite his misgivings, he couldn't deny her.
"Alright," he conceded, teeth clenched. "But be careful."
Tobirama stepped forward. "Tell me how I can help."
The three of them immediately began preparations. Hashirama took some secret medicine to restore his chakra and used it to strengthen his Wood Release. At that moment, Nine-Tails stirred. When the beast realized its situation, it roared in anger, its chakra flaring wildly.
Hashirama did everything he could to prevent Kurama from rampaging. Mito activated her clan's secret technique—Adamantine Sealing Chains. Golden chains erupted from her body, binding Nine-Tails alongside the Wood Release.
"Damn you, humans!" Kurama growled. Once a free spirit of the forest, now he was captured and bound by humans, facing the same fate as the other tailed beasts. He roared again, breaking part of the Wood Release, and a shard flew straight at Hashirama, only for Tobirama to intercept it.
"Your power is too dangerous. I can't let you roam free," Hashirama said gravely. He understood Nine-Tails fury but couldn't allow such a powerful force to threaten the world.
Kurama's struggles grew weaker. The combined power of Mito's sealing and Hashirama's Wood Release eventually forced the Nine-Tails into submission. Slowly, the beast's chakra was drawn into Mito's body, where it was suppressed by her Uzumaki chakra.
As Mito completed the sealing, Hashirama let out a sigh of relief. Mito appeared unharmed, though clearly exhausted. Tobirama relaxed as well, but suddenly, he sensed someone approaching.
He spun around. "Who's there?"