"Hahaha—ah, hahaha…
Sorry, sorry. I completely misunderstood the situation."
Senju Hashirama scratched the back of his head, apologizing to Uchiha Nan.
Then his expression suddenly turned serious.
"So, Third Hokage—has Konoha encountered some kind of crisis it can't resolve?"
For a living Hokage to summon the soul of someone long dead, Hashirama could only assume that the village must be facing an unprecedented calamity.
He instinctively assessed his own condition.
Terrible.
It felt as if a mountain were pressing down on his body. In this state, even using Wood Release would be difficult—forget about techniques like True Several Thousand Hands.
But if it were for Konoha…
Even if it meant fighting under such severe limitations, he would still give everything he had.
"No," Nan replied calmly. "Konoha is fairly stable right now."
He then gave Hashirama a concise account of the village's recent situation. Tobirama's death had indeed been the most dangerous moment in recent history—internal conflict within Konoha had nearly erupted.
But with Nan's ascension, that danger had passed.
"Tobirama… also gave his life for the village?"
At the mention of his younger brother, sorrow surfaced in Hashirama's eyes.
In the end, Tobirama had died for Konoha as well.
Hashirama knew better than anyone that Tobirama's contributions to the village were no less than his own. If anything, Hashirama had been a hands-off leader, while nearly all of Konoha's administrative and institutional foundations were built by Tobirama alone.
"Sigh… everything he did was for Konoha. Tobirama wouldn't regret his choice, even in the afterlife."
Hashirama let out a quiet sigh.
Having lived through the Warring States era, he was long accustomed to losing family to war. That very pain was what had driven him to create Konoha in the first place.
"…Huh?"
Then something clicked.
"Wait—then why did you summon me?"
That was the real question. If Konoha was fine, why disturb the soul of a dead man?
Nan took a breath and began explaining.
"Lord Tobirama was killed during peace negotiations after an ambush. The guards who were supposed to protect the Hokage fled back to Konoha. One of them claimed he had earned Tobirama's recognition and was to be named the Third Hokage."
"But the ninja clans refused to acknowledge him. In the end, because of my character and conduct, the clans recognized me instead and pushed me forward as Hokage."
"I was merely an ordinary Uchiha ninja. What did the title of Hokage have to do with me?"
"But since everyone entrusted that position to me, I vowed to devote my life to Konoha—no matter the cost."
Nan's voice rang with conviction. Clad in the Hokage's ceremonial robes, he spoke with righteous resolve, recounting his rise to power—with just a touch of artistic embellishment.
After all, martial virtue was still virtue.
Hashirama felt no doubt whatsoever.
Unlike Tobirama, Hashirama harbored no inherent prejudice against the Uchiha. In fact, his feelings toward them were rather positive—likely influenced by his memories of Madara.
If Madara came from the Uchiha… how bad could the clan truly be?
They were merely blinded by generations of hatred.
"First Hokage-sama," Nan continued,
"I know your original intention in founding Konoha was to eliminate the barriers between clans—especially between the Senju and the Uchiha."
"The Will of Fire means that wherever Konoha's leaves dance, the flame of life continues to burn. That is the ninja path I have come to understand."
"Today, this junior Hokage has dared to disturb your eternal rest for only one reason—
to tell you that Konoha's Will of Fire has not been extinguished."
"I hope you can acknowledge me."
Those words struck Hashirama to the core.
So his efforts hadn't been in vain after all.
At last, an Uchiha had risen beyond clan hatred—one who earned the trust of all Konoha and became Hokage through his virtue.
What joyous news.
Hashirama smiled, deeply gratified.
His dream had always been to erase the hatred between clans, to foster understanding and unity, and ultimately to bring peace to the ninja world.
The seed he planted back then… had finally borne fruit.
"Congratulations, Third Hokage," Hashirama said warmly.
"I acknowledge you."
At that exact moment, a system notification rang out in Nan's mind.
"Senju Hashirama's recognition acquired."
Long-Term Quest: The Recognition of the Predecessors
Obtain the sincere recognition of all previous Hokage.
Progress: (1/2)
The quest interface appeared before Nan's eyes. The progress bar had filled halfway.
Nice.
Nan felt a surge of satisfaction. Everything was proceeding perfectly.
"I only wish Madara could see this," Hashirama said wistfully.
"If he could see you now, perhaps he wouldn't have left Konoha in the first place."
"First Hokage-sama… you and Uchiha Madara were really close, weren't you?" Nan said, feeling a bit helpless.
Shouldn't you be praising me a bit more? Why does everything circle back to Madara?
"If there's a next life," Hashirama said softly,
"and Madara and I weren't born into opposing clans… I think we would've been the best of brothers."
His tone was filled with regret.
He had been born a Senju. Madara, an Uchiha. Two clans locked in a blood feud for generations—so old that no one even remembered how it began.
From the moment Hashirama was born, his father had warned him:
Those with the surname Uchiha are the enemy. Man, woman, child—kill them all.
It had practically become ancestral law.
And the Uchiha were no different.
When Hashirama and Madara first met, both had hidden their surnames—terrified that the other might suddenly strike once the truth came out.
That was how dire things had been back then.
"I really wish I could see Madara one more time," Hashirama murmured.
"I want to apologize properly. In the end… I did wrong by him."
"My brother Tobirama killed his brother Izuna. And in the end, I killed Madara with my own hands."
His voice was heavy with guilt.
Nan nodded unconsciously.
He's not wrong, Nan thought.
Those two brothers really were destroyed by the Senju brothers.
"Madara must still resent me," Hashirama said quietly.
"It's been so long, and he's never come to see me."
"He really does hold a grudge…"
Then, as if lost in memory—
"Back then… the two of us running together beneath the setting sun…"
"…"
"Even though Madara was the one who struck first…"
Once Hashirama started talking about Madara, it was like a switch flipped—he simply couldn't stop.
This guy really is hopeless, Nan thought.
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