Chapter 537: Because of Granny Chiyo
Zabuza's killing intent had been enough to leave Genin Naruto and Sasuke unable to move.
Orochimaru's killing intent had frozen Sasuke during the Chunin Exams.
As for Senju Hashirama...
Merely raising a finger, while directing his aura at the Second Hokage rather than Orochimaru himself, had been enough to make Orochimaru feel as though he were facing a terrifying enemy.
That was the difference.
The reason Hashirama could pat Kurama on the head and say, "Your power is too great. It must be sealed," wasn't because Kurama was truly that powerful.
It was because Kurama was a Tailed Beast.
Even if it were killed, it would eventually revive.
Otherwise, Kurama probably would have received the same treatment as Uchiha Madara.
Hashirama would have simply cut its head off with one slash, then looked at the corpse and said,"Sorry. For the sake of the village's peace, this is the only choice."
Then, for the peace of the ninja world, he would have captured the other eight Tailed Beasts as well.
He wouldn't even bother distributing them.
He would simply gather them all together and execute them.
On the surface, this didn't seem like something a gentle, kind-hearted man like Hashirama could do.
But judging by how decisively he killed Madara at the Valley of the End...
He really would have done it.
The same applies now.
Hashirama was willing to give the young man before him a chance to turn over a new leaf.
But if, in the end, Hōichi still refused to repent...
Then Hashirama would have no choice but to have the Wood Golem smash an elbow into him and send him to the Pure Land.
Of course, the only people who truly understood Hashirama that well were Uchiha Madara, who had experienced it firsthand...and Shiromo, who had the perspective of someone who already knew everything.
Everyone else, even Senju Tobirama, thought Hashirama was simply too kind.
In Tobirama's eyes, Hashirama killing Madara had been something he was forced to do.
Like Naruto killing Sasuke.
A pair of tragic soulmates.
---
"Why?! You are Uchiha Madara! The Uchiha Madara who fought the God of Shinobi, Senju Hashirama! You possess divine power that can crush Tailed Beasts! How can your dream possibly be peace in the ninja world?!"
Suppressed by the overwhelming killing intent of "Uchiha Madara", Hōichi felt like he was about to break down.
Most ninja in the world had some kind of spiritual idol.
For example, in Uchiha Hikari's story, the villain Merz believed he was inheriting Pain's will.
In Boruto, the villain Uchiha Shin believed he was inheriting Itachi's will.
In Sarutobi Mirai's storyline, the villain sought to inherit Hidan's will...
As for people without any clear goal, they usually admired one famous figure above all others.
Uchiha Madara.
Yet today they had learned… Uchiha Madara was actually someone who loved peace.
He had appeared here to protect it.
"Divine power?"
"It is precisely because I possess the power of a god that I realized it is only natural for ordinary people to be inferior to me in both strength and character."
"I shouldn't blame or despise them."
"I should protect them."
"That is the mindset of a god."
Hashirama delivered those lines in Madara's tone.
Inside, however, he was so excited he felt like he might fly into the sky.
He was acting perfectly.
This smooth, effortless display of dominance not only captured Madara's imposing aura...
It also repaired Madara's reputation.
It was absolutely intoxicating.
"W-What...?"
Hōichi was completely stunned by "Uchiha Madara's" immense magnanimity.
At that moment, he finally understood what it meant to have "a heart as vast as the earth itself."
He completely gave up resisting.
After carefully sensing that the Wood Release restraints were no longer being struggled against, Hashirama released the technique.
Hōichi collapsed limply onto the ground.
Shukaku's chakra wriggled out of his body like a lump of yellow-brown slime and slowly crawled back toward Gaara.
---
The people witnessing this scene weren't limited to the Konoha ninja and the Sunagakure shinobi who had learned Sage Mode.
This place wasn't far from Sunagakure.
Hōichi had caused a huge commotion.
And since the surrounding area was all open desert with nothing blocking the view, the giant Shukaku could be seen from miles away.
Many people inside Sunagakure had noticed what was happening.
Among them were quite a few who, like Hōichi, secretly opposed Gaara becoming Kazekage.
But none of them had expected Hōichi to succeed so quickly...
Or fail even faster.
Before they could even make it to the scene...
It was already over.
By the time they arrived, all they could do was watch from afar as a familiar figure stood before Hōichi.
"Is that... Uchiha Madara?"
"Uchiha Madara? Why would he be here?"
"Shh! Keep your voice down. Uchiha Madara has a crush on our village's Granny Chiyo. Looks like he stepped in because of her."
"Seriously?"
"Of course! You got here too late. You didn't hear what Uchiha Madara said when he showed up."
"What did he say?"
"While Granny Chiyo isn't here, Sunagakure shall be protected by me!"
The rumor got completely fabricated.
~
"You only borrowed the Tailed Beast's power. You're not a true Jinchūriki, so even after Shukaku was extracted, your life isn't in danger."
"Get up."
"Face the mistakes you've made."
"Don't let others look down on you."
Hashirama walked over to Hōichi and spoke in a deep voice.
Halfway through his speech, however, Hashirama quickly had his Wood Clone turn off the speaker.
A mistake.
He had only recorded one song.
He should have prepared several.
A scene like this—where Hōichi knelt on the ground in repentance, like a criminal finally brought to justice—really deserved a more fitting background track.
"If you truly seek peace…"
"Then you should eliminate Gaara."
After a long silence, Hōichi looked up and spoke.
"Why?"
Hashirama frowned.
The moment he uttered those words...
The temperature around them seemed to drop dramatically.
Hashirama thought Hōichi still refused to repent.
He had already begun preparing himself to kill him.
"He has murdered countless people! He's completely unfit to lead Sunagakure!"
A chill ran down Hōichi's spine.
Even so, he forced himself to continue speaking.
'As expected of the Asura of the Ninja World.'
'Even in the name of peace, his killing intent is this terrifying.'
'The moment I slightly opposed him, he was already thinking about killing me again.'
"He has already changed."
"That is precisely why he became Kazekage."
Hashirama looked back at Gaara, who had stopped pretending to be unconscious and was now walking toward them.
"No!"
"It's all an act!"
"He's still the same murderous monster!"
"I even suspect Daimyō's death had something to do with him!"
"He's the only one who benefited from it!"
Hōichi shouted emotionally.
Even the people hurrying over from the distance heard his accusation.
Among them, many of the conservative faction immediately nodded in agreement.
In the original story, Gaara becoming Kazekage had already been opposed by the conservatives.
Now, not only had he become Kazekage, but he had also launched sweeping reforms, taken over the authority once held by the Wind Daimyō, and was practically becoming the "Emperor of the Desert."
Naturally, the conservatives opposed him even more fiercely.
"Think carefully before you answer."
"After the Wind Daimyō died…"
"Was Gaara really the only one who benefited?'"
"Did you reach that conclusion after traveling throughout the entire Land of Wind…"
"Or did you simply stay in one place, believing whatever rumors you happened to hear?"
Hearing that, Hashirama quietly let out a sigh of relief.
The problem wasn't that Hōichi was evil.
He was simply foolish.
And if he was merely foolish...
Then there was still hope of saving him.
(End of this chapter)