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"..."
The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, was speechless. His eyes were fixed anxiously on Hashirama, his lips moved but no words came out.
Whoosh!
Onoki took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, trying to calm his emotions.
It was impossible not to be nervous.
Over the years, there had been so many conflicts between Iwagakure and Konohagakure. A clash of this magnitude could elevate anyone to the clouds.
The three Ninja World Wars.
Iwagakure had never been absent.
Even Onoki couldn't predict how many points Hashirama would bring up, or whether he would end up feeling as defeated as the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
What would the outcome be?
In that moment, Onoki's mind raced with thoughts, like a student who had been called on but whose question had not yet been addressed, leaving him extremely anxious and constantly reflecting.
"Let's talk about the First Ninja World War!"
Hashirama began slowly, his tone less sharp than it had been with the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
This wasn't because the Third Hokage's situation was particularly dire.
In reality,
No matter what happened with the Third Hokage,
It was ultimately just an internal struggle within Konohagakure!
Despite everything, Konohagakure had maintained hope over the years, keeping the village standing strong in the ninja world.
However, for Iwagakure, Sunagakure, Kumogakure, and Kirigakure, this was a matter involving external villages.
Due to the perspective of the anime,
Hashirama wasn't fully informed about the specifics of the other villages' issues, though he wouldn't show it.
As soon as Hashirama spoke,
Onoki became immediately tense.
Having lived from the time of the First Hokage to now, Onoki was among the oldest figures in the ninja world and knew a great deal.
"You dared to start a war right after I died!"
Hashirama said coldly. He was gradually adapting to this role, beginning to immerse himself in past events.
"Well…"
Onoki's mouth twitched, revealing a bitter smile.
To be honest,
If you hadn't died…
We wouldn't have dared to start a war!
But Onoki didn't dare to say this directly.
"The First Ninja World War directly led to the death of my brother, Senju Tobirama, who was the Second Hokage at the time."
"Although Tobirama died due to an ambush by the Kinkaku and Ginkaku of Kumogakure, your village, being part of the coalition that waged the war, is at least an accomplice, right?"
"Moreover…"
"His death set off a chain reaction that led to Sarutobi Hiruzen becoming the Third Hokage of Konohagakure and created the current situation of the village. This is a responsibility that you must bear!"
"Do you have any different opinions?"
Hashirama stared at Onoki, feeling that his words might be somewhat unjustified.
But it didn't matter.
The bigger the fist, the more right you are.
In this Five Kage Summit,
Whether what he said was right or wrong,
It was what it was!
"..."
Onoki remained speechless, feeling that Hashirama's points missed the mark and that these issues were not the main concerns.
He could accept it.
He didn't dare to voice any objections.
"Let's move on to the Third Ninja World War. It was caused by your village, Iwagakure, which eventually led to the Nine-Tails' attack, resulting in massive losses for Konohagakure and the entire ninja world!"
"Do you have any objections to this?"
Hashirama's eyes narrowed, his gaze sharp. The Battle of the Kami-no-Michi Bridge was, in many ways, the spark for subsequent events.
Without that battle,
The course of the entire ninja world might have been different.
"???"
Onoki was bewildered.
His mind was filled with question marks.
What was going on?
Why was he not understanding?
And how did it escalate to the level of the entire ninja world?
Onoki felt as though an enormous, inexplicable burden had been placed on him, one he couldn't shake off, only able to bear it.
"Alright then, given these two points, what do you think you should do?"
Hashirama casually waved his hand, seemingly letting Onoki off the hook. In reality, he had left Onoki with no more excuses to offer.
Onoki's expression grew serious.
Addressing this issue was no simple matter.
If he said too little, he'd be in trouble; if he said too much, he might be at a disadvantage.
No, wait!
Disadvantage might be a blessing!
If he could endure a disadvantage now, it would be a means of survival!
The worst situation would be thinking he had said enough, only to find out he still hadn't met Hashirama's expectations.
Onoki pondered for a moment, reflecting on Hashirama's previous remarks about Konohagakure and Sunagakure.
"Lord First Hokage, I have no objections to the issues you mentioned. We acknowledge Iwagakure's mistakes and take responsibility for them!"
Onoki took the lead in admitting fault. At his age, he had long since moved past the point of quibbling over minor gains and losses. Admitting fault was not a problem.
"As for the resolution…"
Onoki's gaze remained fixed on Hashirama, trying to discern any hint of emotion on his face.
"Firstly, we will return the Four-Tails and Five-Tails that were entrusted to us. I will make every effort to ensure these two tailed beasts are released into the wild. If we cannot do that, we will send the hosts of the Four-Tails and Five-Tails to Konohagakure for your handling!"
Onoki had sensed a subtle connection between the incidents involving Konohagakure and Sunagakure.
Tailed Beasts!
When Hashirama mentioned these two villages, he had referred to the tailed beasts.
Considering that the nine tailed beasts were originally distributed by Hashirama to other villages, this might be about retrieving them.
"If you fail to do so?"
Hashirama asked calmly, without showing any emotional reaction.
"That won't happen! We will definitely comply!"
Onoki vowed, thumping his chest. He planned to persuade the hosts of the tailed beasts to sacrifice for the sake of the village once he returned from the meeting.
"Is that so?"
Hashirama propped his chin with his hands, a knowing smile curving at the corners of his mouth.
"Third Tsuchikage, you should be cautious. There's an organization called Akatsuki that aims to capture tailed beasts. Be careful that those two hosts aren't stolen!"
Hashirama's eyes were fixed on Onoki. At this time in the original anime storyline, the three young ninjas from Konohagakure were each training separately.
By now, Akatsuki had begun moving between villages, though their true objectives remained shrouded in mystery.
"Akatsuki?"
Onoki furrowed his brow. He had heard of Akatsuki and even used their services, but he was puzzled why Hashirama had brought them up now.
"Lord First Hokage, if we don't hand over the hosts, does that mean Iwagakure would become a vassal of Konohagakure? Would that be acceptable?"
Onoki rapidly considered many factors. Following Hashirama's warning, he had to contemplate the risk of failure.
If they failed to comply, they would face not only external threats but also incur the wrath of Hashirama Senju.
In such a case, surrendering to Konohagakure might be the best choice, seeking the protection of the First Hokage to turn the situation around.
(End of Chapter)