Because Uzumaki Mito stepped in to play peacemaker.
Although Senju Hashirama often failed to come home because of Uchiha Madara, no matter what, Uzumaki Mito was his wife, bore his children, and kept the household running. In short, Uzumaki Mito still carried real weight in Hashirama's heart.
So
for Uzumaki Mito's sake
Hashirama did not continue grilling Senju Tobirama. He thought for a moment and offered a solution to the matter.
First
his younger brother Senju Tobirama had to deeply reflect and admit fault for his vile behavior that afternoon. If so, Hashirama felt he could let it go and forgive him. If he knew his fault and corrected it, Tobirama would still be his good little brother.
Of course, being forgiven by him alone was not enough.
Those poor, innocent villagers who were beaten and locked up by ANBU also needed to forgive Tobirama.
Therefore
Tobirama had to immediately release the villagers detained in ANBU and make a public apology to them.
With both measures together
Hashirama felt they could win back the hearts of Konoha's villagers.
Everything could return to how it was
The villagers would still trust and love Konoha, and when they met him they would greet him warmly and naturally as before.
Only
this was all Hashirama's personal fantasy. Off to the side, Tobirama felt his head swelling. How could his big brother still be so stubbornly dim.
It was simply baffling.
Admit fault, reflect
Why should I admit fault when I did nothing wrong, and why should I reflect when I did nothing wrong.
Big brother even wants me to apologize to those rabble who tried to storm the Hokage building.
I'll be damned if I apologize.
I am the shadow Hokage, Konoha's Nine-Thousand-Year.
Which clan head in Konoha doesn't bow and treat me with courtesy when they see me. Uchiha Madara excepted.
And now I, for doing the right thing, should bow and apologize to this mob that tried to storm the Hokage building.
What will the Uchiha think of me.
What will Konoha's clans think of me.
How will I face anyone in Konoha after this.
How will I do things in Konoha.
And also
that arrogant, innately wicked Uchiha Setsuna from this afternoon will probably laugh himself to death behind my back.
Impossible.
Absolutely impossible.
Just imagining the consequences of apologizing made Tobirama's scalp prickle.
This move by big brother was tantamount to turning him into a pitiful clown, suffering social death before the clans of Konoha.
What was more
big brother idled every day, basking in the villagers' and shinobi's adoration under the sun.
While he, under his brother's shadow, handled the toil and drudgery for him, and from time to time had to endure the trouble of that outward-leaning elbow. Even this time, sending ANBU to engage in Konoha's no-limits brawl with villagers, was for big brother and for Konoha.
His merit and hard work stood side by side. Shouldn't there be some reward.
That Hokage sacred robe of big brother's, as a reward, felt just right to Tobirama.
In the future
Tobirama still wanted to inherit the Hokage's seat.
Who else but him for the Second Hokage.
As for Uchiha Madara, if big brother played favorites, then who else but him for the Third Hokage.
Before that
he could not afford the slightest political stain.
This Tobirama understood exceptionally well.
"Big brother, I was not wrong in this."
"I will never admit fault, much less apologize, and every one of those villagers has already, without exception, confessed their mistakes. These on the desk are their repentance letters, written the moment they entered ANBU."
Pointing to the hundreds of letters on the desk, Tobirama spoke.
His stance was unyielding.
This touched his principles, his face, and his prospects as Second or Third Hokage.
Therefore
admitting fault was absolutely impossible.
Apologizing was absolutely impossible.
And the villagers had already written their repentance, suffered a light punishment, been locked in ANBU for a week of ideological instruction, and could then be released.
This matter could be concluded here and now.
He had made thorough preparations to handle it.
Big brother, stop being so stubborn.
"What"
"Tobirama, you didn't use genjutsu or some other method on them, did you"
Hearing that those villagers who had been beaten and locked up in ANBU had already written their repentance letters, Hashirama hurried to the desk.
He snatched up a few of the letters and read them from start to finish. Instantly he felt the matter even more vile in nature. Had his younger brother Tobirama, to placate him, taken it upon himself to use genjutsu or something similar on the villagers.
Otherwise how could all these villagers obediently admit fault and even write repentance letters.
It was unbelievable.
"Big brother, how can you think of me like that. Do you take me for those innately evil Uchiha. How could I ever use such means on villagers."
"I have poured my heart into Konoha as well."
"This is the result of ideological instruction."
"They have all repented."
"If you don't believe it, ask every ANBU member. The Yamanaka clan even has memory-searching techniques. Check however you like."
Tobirama's eyes widened as he defended himself. He had not ordered ANBU to use genjutsu or other methods on the villagers. He immediately claimed it was the fruit of ideological education, with a side swipe at the innately evil Uchiha.
Of course
Tobirama knew his words were a bit of nonsense.
He had indeed not ordered ANBU to use genjutsu or other means, but after a round of baton education, the villagers were brought straight to ANBU.
Ordinary villagers had never experienced such a scene.
At the mere mention of writing repentance letters
every one of them zealously confessed.
Otherwise, Tobirama would have forced them to continue their week of advanced studies in ANBU. Only with both baton education and ideological education could they thoroughly repent.
"Then they were surely frightened by your ANBU. The villagers are just ordinary people."
Hashirama still pressed on. Thinking carefully, he did judge that Tobirama would not resort to such means just to deal with him.
But he would not recognize these hundreds of repentance letters.
He also considered that the villagers, shocked into writing under duress, had been forced into those letters, so Tobirama had to apologize to them.
The nature of the incident remained vile.
The villagers had been frightened to such an extent, and his younger brother Tobirama had to take responsibility.
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