Uchiha Jin continued calmly:
"The first hidden danger Madara identified in Konoha—and the core disagreement between him and Hashirama—was their stance toward the other shinobi villages."
"After Konoha was founded, the other nations quickly realized that the era of lone clans fighting independently was over. No single clan could stand against the monstrous power that was Konoha."
"So they followed suit. They united. They built villages of their own."
"Madara immediately saw the threat."
"These villages were not signs of peace. They were seeds of future war."
"In his view, as long as he and Hashirama still possessed absolute dominance over the shinobi world, they should eliminate all potential rivals."
A faint smile touched Jin's lips.
"Susanoo clad in Wood Release. Two men erasing four nations."
"At that time, the power of Madara and Hashirama was so overwhelming that destroying a country would have been no harder than eating a meal."
"But Hashirama disagreed."
"He believed the fragile peace they had achieved was precious."
"He believed the formation of other villages represented progress."
"He believed conflicts could be resolved through dialogue."
"And so… the First Five Kage Summit took place."
"And the tailed beasts were distributed."
A murmur rippled through the hall.
Jin's voice grew sharper.
"History has proven that Hashirama's optimism was naïve."
"If he had listened to Madara…"
"Perhaps the First, Second, and Third Shinobi World Wars would never have occurred."
That statement sent many into uneasy reflection.
It was radical.
But from the perspective of later generations—those who had grown up in endless war—one could not help but wonder:
If overwhelming force had ended all opposition at the beginning…
Would they have been spared so much bloodshed?
Jin did not stop.
"If that ideological difference alone wasn't enough to completely disillusion Madara…"
"Then what followed sealed his decision to leave."
The room quieted further.
Everyone leaned in.
Jin continued:
"As Konoha prospered, more clans joined. The village grew."
"And it must be acknowledged—Hashirama was a competent Hokage."
"For the village's growth, he was willing to sacrifice himself."
"And even the interests of his own clan."
"He paved the road forward with Senju blood."
That drew visible confusion across the room.
In their minds, such selflessness was admirable.
Why call it dangerous?
Jin met their puzzled gazes.
"Hashirama's sacrifice appeared noble."
"But what of the Senju themselves?"
"Did he ask them?"
"When Madara questioned him, Hashirama replied—"
'Protecting the village means protecting everyone—friends, brothers, children. Anyone who stands against the village… I will not forgive.'
"Madara saw that answer for what it was."
"A reversal of cause and effect."
His voice hardened.
"They built the village to protect their brothers."
"But Hashirama was now willing to sacrifice his brothers for the village."
"The means had become the end."
"He had abandoned the original intent."
"And in that moment…"
"Madara lost hope."
The chamber fell silent.
Jin's account blended truth with selective framing.
The philosophical clash between Madara and Hashirama was real.
The emphasis and emotional framing—very deliberate.
He was not merely recounting history.
He was rehabilitating it.
Uchiha Madara's defection had long been a permanent stain upon the Uchiha name.
If Madara's departure could be reframed as principled dissent—
Then the clan itself would stand taller.
And judging by the expressions in the hall, it was working.
Some were thoughtful.
Some conflicted.
Few openly disagreed.
After all—
They were beneficiaries of Hashirama's ideal.
But if their own clan leader had treated them as expendable in the name of the greater good…
Would they still call it noble?
Jin pressed on.
"Madara's disappointment was not merely with Hashirama the man."
"It was with the future that philosophy would create."
"Yes—protecting the village protects its people."
"Yes—we may choose to sacrifice ourselves for the greater good."
"But that does not grant the village the right to sacrifice others."
"The interests of the village represent the majority."
"The interests of an individual represent the minority."
"If a collective grows accustomed to sacrificing the minority for the majority…"
"Then that collective is already rotting."
Because none of us," he said slowly, sweeping his gaze across the room,
"can guarantee we will always be part of the majority."
The weight of that statement settled heavily.
Then Jin delivered the final strike.
"Human experimentation under Tobirama was born from that very logic."
"He sought power to protect the village."
"That was for the majority."
"And those who died on the operating tables?"
"They were the minority sacrificed."
"The Senju brothers set a dangerous precedent."
"And in their shadow, how many have been quietly sacrificed since?"
"If today the Senju are expendable for the village…"
"Tomorrow the Uchiha."
"The next day the Hyūga."
"How many clans must be consumed before nothing remains?"
He let the silence stretch.
Then he asked evenly:
"So tell me."
"Was I wrong to call Senju Tobirama a thief of virtue?"
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