Tailed Beasts—monstrous demons characterized by the number of their tails—total nine in all. From the One-Tailed Shukaku to the Nine-Tailed Kurama, these entities were originally the "pets" left behind by the legendary Sage of the Six Paths. After his passing, they became terrifying forces of nature in a chaotic world. Eventually, they were subdued by the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju. To end the era of war, Hashirama distributed the Tailed Beasts among the Great Nations to maintain a balance of power, hoping to prevent frequent conflicts.
Thus, the Land of Wind received the One-Tail; the Land of Earth, the Four and Five-Tails; the Land of Lightening, the Two and Eight-Tails; the Land of Water, the Three and Six-Tails; the Land of Waterfall, the Seven-Tails; and the Land of Fire retained the Nine-Tails. However, not everyone possessed the god-like strength of Hashirama or Madara to control them. Often, the beasts would harm their own users before the enemy. While nations held this power, few could wield it. This was why Tobirama Senju was so shocked to see the One-Tailed Shukaku actually manifested on the battlefield.
A young Sand ninja stood atop the beast's head, looking down at the Hokage. "Lady Chiyo! Take the Kazekage and get out of here!" he shouted. "I will hold back the Second Hokage!"
Tobirama turned to Aki. "Aki, lead the team to retrieve the Second Kazekage. Do not let him die! He is our key to a peace treaty; we need him as a hostage. Have two Anbu spread the news across the front lines that the Kazekage has been defeated!"
Aki nodded, leading seven Anbu into the forest in pursuit of Chiyo.
Tobirama looked back at the Shukaku and sneered. "Boy, you are using your life as fodder. I wonder how long your human soul can endure Shukaku's presence."
"I will end your life today!" the boy roared. "Feigning Sleep Technique!"
The boy sank into the beast's head, and Shukaku's eyes snapped open, his pupils spinning wildly. The monster let out a bone-chilling laugh. "HA! HA! HA! I'm finally out! I want to kill! I want to kill everyone!" He opened his massive maw and fired a double Wind Style: Air Bullet at Tobirama.
Tobirama vanished using the Flying Raijin, appearing high in the air. He wove hand signs, and the light rain turned into a torrential downpour. He manifested a gargantuan water titan to clash with the beast, but Shukaku's massive tail swept through the air, shattering the water construct into a thousand splashes.
Aki and the Anbu caught up with Chiyo quickly. Because of the Shukaku's appearance, most Sand ninja were paralyzed with awe or terror, allowing Aki's team to cut through any remaining resistance.
Seeing the pursuit close in, Chiyo placed the wounded Kazekage under a tree, summoning a puppet to shield him from the rain. She turned to face the eight Leaf ninjas alone, unfurling her scrolls.
"Secret White Technique: Chikamatsu's Ten Puppets!"
The ten puppets charged. Some unleashed Fire, Wind, and Lightning Style jutsu from their mechanical maws, while others wielded scythes and twin blades. The battle turned into a chaotic dance of steel and chakra.
On the main battlefield, Hiruzen Sarutobi gasped for air. "There are too many of them. If this continues, we'll be overrun!"
Suddenly, a voice echoed from within the Sand's own ranks: "THE KAZEKAGE HAS BEEN KILLED BY THE HOKAGE! ESCAPE! THE HOKAGE IS COMING FROM THE REAR!"
The rumor spread like wildfire. The Sand ninja, already unnerved by the distant roar of the Shukaku, began to waver. Ebizō watched the morale of his troops collapse with a heavy heart. "Order a retreat," he commanded. "Our spirit is broken. Have the Jonin stay back to cover the withdrawal. The battle is lost."
Tobirama continued his assault on the Shukaku. The beast's arms had been severed by Tobirama's high-pressure water blades, and because of the heavy rain, the beast could not gather sand to regenerate its limbs.
Tobirama appeared at the base of the beast's tail. "Water Style: Water Surface Slice!" A massive blade of water severed the beast's tail. As Shukaku roared in agony, Tobirama wove a final sequence of signs, creating a massive water vortex spear. He hurled it into the beast's gut, the impact knocking the monster back dozens of meters.
Before Shukaku could recover, Tobirama flickered to its head and unleashed a barrage of "Water Colliding Wave," hammering the beast into the earth. He then performed a complex sealing ritual, forcibly pulling the Sand boy out of the beast's psyche. He seized a mass of yellow chakra—the essence of the One-Tail.
"No! You Senju filth!" Shukaku's voice faded. "I just got out... I wanted to kill..." The beast collapsed into a heap of inanimate sand. Tobirama summoned a medium-sized jar, sealing the beast's chakra inside and slamming the lid shut with a complex seal.
"Finally quiet, you tanuki," Tobirama panted, sitting on the jar. "Tail beasts are a nuisance. If it weren't for the rain, this would have been much harder."
Back in the forest, Chiyo was holding off Aki's team with incredible skill. Her puppets seemed to absorb chakra and countered every move.
Aki signaled the Anbu with hand signs. They executed a coordinated maneuver: two Anbu used "Earth Style: Falling Earth Clay" while two others used "Earth Style: Open Earth Rising Excavation" to physically separate Chiyo from the Kazekage.
Aki flickered to Chiyo's side, his Sharingan locking onto her eyes. "Bringer-of-Darkness Jutsu!"
Chiyo roared, "Do you think a genjutsu can trap a puppet master?" She triggered her puppets' ultimate defense: "Three-Jeweled Suction Crush." Three puppets formed a triangle, creating a localized tornado that sucked in the incoming clay and disrupted Aki's illusion.
But it was a distraction. As Chiyo dispelled the darkness, she found two Leaf Anbu standing over the Kazekage, blades crossed at his throat.
"Move," the Anbu threatened, "and your leader dies."
The Kazekage looked at Chiyo and shouted, "Kill me! Lead the Sand to a counter-attack! DO IT!"
Suddenly, Tobirama appeared. He struck Chiyo with a lightning-fast blow, then seized her by the throat mid-air. He looked at the dying Kazekage. "Kazekage, the choice is yours. Your life, and her life, are in your hands. You have one minute."
The Kazekage looked at Chiyo, then at his defeated army. He lowered his head. "We surrender. The Sand has lost this war."
Tobirama tossed Chiyo aside. "History will prove you made the right choice."
The Anbu escorted the captured Kazekage and the unconscious Chiyo back to the Konoha camp. The war in the Land of Rain was over.