[Timeline: Second Hokage Era]
[Year: 17th Year of Konohagakure]
[Unification Progress: 21%]
"I killed Madara?"
"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"
"Madara and I were so close! We founded Konoha together—he's the one who came up with the village's name! How could he leave, and why would he attack the village?"
"Tobirama, what the hell did you do?"
His brother's roar made Tobirama shrink back again, but when it came to the Uchiha, he couldn't show even a hint of weakness.
He could only stubbornly retort:
"Big brother, those were all Madara's own choices. Who could possibly know what that guy was thinking? Besides, he left after having an argument with you—you should know better than anyone!"
Hashirama regained his composure. No matter what, he couldn't blame Tobirama for this.
And he said Madara left the village after arguing with him?
What did they argue about? That hadn't even happened yet on his end! Could it be that time he asked to meet at the Naka Shrine?
No way.
He had to figure this out when he got back. He needed to have a good talk with Madara and make absolutely sure he stayed!
"Tobirama, was Madara really killed by me?"
"Yes. You and him fought for three days and three nights, completely transforming the terrain across a massive area. In the end, you stabbed him through the back with a blade. I personally sealed his body myself..."
Hashirama fell silent. Tobirama described it in such detail—this was most likely what truly happened in the future.
He would actually kill Madara with his own hands?
How was that possible?
Could the future version of himself really change that much?
He'd clearly built the village to protect the people he cherished.
But in the end, he killed someone precious to him... for the sake of that village?
In that instant.
Hashirama rarely felt a wave of confusion wash over him, and Kai's earlier question echoed in his mind:
[What do you want to protect—the village? Or your loved ones?]
"Big brother?"
Tobirama's call snapped Hashirama out of his daze.
"It's nothing. Just... having a hard time accepting it..."
Hearing this, Tobirama didn't know what else to say. He understood the bond between his brother and Madara better than anyone.
The feeling of killing your best friend with your own hands must be truly awful. If Hashirama had Uchiha blood, this might've unlocked the Mangekyō Sharingan straight to his stomach! (TL/N: Wordplay on "一步到胃" - sounds like "one step in place" but uses the character for stomach, implying the emotional gut-punch was so intense it'd awaken special eyes in his digestive system)
In fact.
World #2's Hashirama really did fall into a deep depression after the Battle of the Valley of the End, barely handling any governmental affairs.
It was only after his beloved granddaughter Tsunade was born later that Hashirama's sorrow was finally diluted somewhat.
"Alright, I'll figure out the Madara situation when I get back. Tobirama, keep telling me about things on your end."
"Why did the other great nations start this war?"
Tobirama frowned, cutting straight to the heart of the matter: "Fundamentally, it's about fighting over resources."
"The Land of Fire occupies the most fertile and strategically superior land in the entire shinobi world. Naturally, it's coveted by everyone."
"Big brother's death was just the immediate trigger."
"Starting conflict, testing Konoha's strength, or even carving up the entire Land of Fire—that's the real reason for this war."
"However, if you were still around, big brother, this war never would've started in the first place."
"And even if it did start, it wouldn't be these two bastards' turn to run wild!"
Tobirama glanced at the distant pulverized Kinkaku and the near-death Ginkaku, unable to suppress the rage burning in his eyes.
He'd led Konoha to defeat the combined forces of Iwagakure, Kirigakure, and Kumogakure in this war, earning the title "Fastest Shinobi in the World," forcing the Cloud Village into peace negotiations.
But in the end, he'd nearly died at the hands of these two animals—how could he not be furious?
Kai mentally pictured what the scene would've looked like if Hashirama had been at that alliance meeting.
It probably would've gone like this:
Kinkaku and Ginkaku just pop up.
Hashirama bellows: "Where did these villains come from? Brother Raikage, please wait a moment—I'll be right back!"
Raikage: "Lord Hashirama, finish this drink before you go."
Hashirama: "I'll drink when I get back!"
In the blink of an eye...
Hashirama: "Hahaha! Brother Raikage, you wouldn't believe it—those two were quite amusing! They could even transform into a red fox with six tails! I've already captured them for you to play with and pass the time. Hahaha!"
The Raikage touches the cup on the table—the sake is still scalding hot!
His heart goes cold with fear: 'How terrifying! Truly the God of Shinobi! But wait... does he really not know Kinkaku and Ginkaku are from our village? There can't be anyone that oblivious, right? Hahaha...'
Jokes aside.
Hashirama himself understood clearly that what Tobirama said was true.
He'd ended the Warring States period through unparalleled strength. After Konoha was established, the shinobi world maintaining over a decade of peace was inseparable from his military might.
But he also knew he'd die eventually.
Peace was ultimately temporary. He had to find a strategy to maintain peace that could replace himself.
"What about the Tailed Beasts?"
"Tobirama, in the future, did I use the Tailed Beasts to create a system of checks and balances?"
Now this topic really pissed Tobirama off.
At the first Five Kage Summit in World #2, his brother Hashirama had actually wanted to give away the eight Tailed Beasts he'd captured for free.
Only after Tobirama's desperate opposition did it change to selling seven Tailed Beasts to the other four villages, keeping the strongest one—the Nine-Tails—for Konoha.
But subsequent events proved that the Tailed Beasts had absolutely zero deterrent effect.
The moment Hashirama died, the other three nations couldn't wait to start a war.
Only Sunagakure played dead and turtled up, focusing all their attention on researching how to utilize their Tailed Beast, gradually developing techniques like Magnet Release and Feigning Sleep Technique...
...
After hearing Tobirama's description, Hashirama was stunned again.
The Tailed Beast Deterrence System failed too?
"Sir, was distributing the Tailed Beasts wrong?" Hashirama turned to look at Kai, remembering that this sage had seen through his plan to distribute the Tailed Beasts from the very beginning.
Maybe this gentleman could give him an answer?
Kai smiled faintly, not minding having a proper discussion about this Tailed Beast issue.
"Distributing the Tailed Beasts isn't the optimal solution. But it is a good method—it's just that there were problems with the execution."
"Why?"
"Senju Tobirama, how do you judge whether a policy is good or bad?" Kai turned to ask Senju Tobirama. After all, asking Hashirama this kind of question would be pointless.
Tobirama paused for a moment before giving his answer.
"As long as the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, it's a good policy."
This was a conclusion he'd drawn from his actual governing experience. Creating the ANBU, establishing the Konoha Military Police Force, and so on—all had their downsides.
But as long as the benefits outweighed the drawbacks, the policy was worth implementing.
As for the drawbacks, they could be gradually addressed and improved over time.
If you only feared the downsides and stagnated in place, closing yourself off from the world, there'd be no progress—only obsolescence.
"Then what benefits did Konoha gain from distributing the Tailed Beasts? And what were the drawbacks?"
"We collected quite a bit of money."
"What else?"
"We conveyed big brother's ideals of peace?"
"Mm... let's table that one for now. Anything else?"
Tobirama glanced at his brother Hashirama standing nearby, not daring to say more.
Kai saw through Tobirama's hesitation and spoke frankly on his behalf:
"Let me say it then."
...