"I killed Madara?"
"No, that's not possible! There's no way!" Hashirama exclaimed. "Madara and I were such close friends; we built Konoha together, and he was the one who came up with the village's name. Why would he ever leave? Why would he attack the village?"
He turned to Tobirama with a furious glare. "What did you do, Tobirama?"
The accusation made Tobirama tense up, but he couldn't back down when it came to the Uchiha. "Brother, it was Madara's own decision," Tobirama retorted. "Who knows what was going through his mind? He left after a dispute with you, and you know that better than anyone!"
Hashirama's anger softened as he realized Tobirama had a point—he couldn't really blame his brother for Madara's choices. But a quarrel with him? What could they have argued about? It hadn't happened yet. Was it about the time Madara invited him to Nanga Shrine?
No, he would need to find out when he returned. He had to have a proper talk with Madara and make sure he didn't leave.
"Tobirama, are you certain I killed Madara?" Hashirama asked, a hint of desperation in his voice.
"Yes, brother," Tobirama replied. "You fought him for three days and nights, reshaping the landscape, and in the end, you dealt the final blow from behind. I personally sealed his body afterward."
Hashirama fell silent. The details Tobirama provided were so specific, making it likely that this grim future was indeed the truth. Was he really capable of killing his closest friend with his own hands? He established the village to protect those dear to him, yet he would end up taking the life of someone he valued deeply?
The thought left him momentarily lost, and he recalled something Wakato had once asked him: "Do you want to protect the village, or your loved ones?"
"Brother?" Tobirama's voice snapped him back to the present.
"It's nothing," Hashirama murmured. "It's just difficult to accept..."
Tobirama didn't press further. He understood the profound bond between his brother and Madara. Killing a close friend was a terrible ordeal, and had Hashirama been born with Uchiha blood, he might have awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan from the emotional trauma. In fact, in the history of World No. 2, Hashirama did fall into a long period of depression after the battle in the [Valley of the End], neglecting his duties for a while. Only the birth of his granddaughter, Tsunade, managed to bring him some joy again.
"Well, I'll deal with Madara when I return," Hashirama said, determination returning to his voice. "Now, Tobirama, tell me about what happened afterward. Why did the other nations start the war?"
Tobirama's face hardened as he explained, "It ultimately came down to competition for resources. The Land of Fire occupies the most prosperous territory in the ninja world, so it was naturally a target of greed. Your death was only the spark; the true cause was the struggle for land and power. But if you had been alive, the war wouldn't have started, or at least those two wouldn't have caused such chaos!"
He glanced at the mangled remains of the Golden Horn and the barely surviving Silver Horn in the distance, his expression filled with bitter frustration. He had led Konoha to victory against the combined forces of Iwagakure, Kirigakure, and Kumogakure in the war, earning the title of "The Fastest Ninja" and forcing Kumogakure to sue for peace. Yet, in the end, it seemed he almost fell to the hands of two vile beasts.
Wakato imagined what it would have been like if Hashirama had attended the alliance meeting. The Golden Horn and Silver Horn would have been easily subdued by Hashirama, who would treat them like mere nuisances, perhaps even offering them as curiosities to Raikage. The mere thought was laughable, yet it highlighted the immense power Hashirama wielded.
But he knew, as Tobirama had said, that his strength was what kept the peace after the Warring States period, and without him, conflict was inevitable. His existence alone had deterred war.
"What about the tailed beasts?" Hashirama asked suddenly. "Did I use them to maintain order in the future?"
Tobirama grew agitated. "In the history of World No. 2, you actually tried to give away the tailed beasts for free at the first [Five Kage Summit]. In the end, under my firm opposition, you agreed to sell them to the other nations and kept the Nine-Tails for Konoha. But as soon as you died, the other nations didn't hesitate to start the war."
Hashirama listened in stunned silence. The [Tailed Beast Deterrence System] had failed to prevent the war? His efforts to distribute the tailed beasts as a gesture of peace were futile?
Turning to Wakato, he asked, "Sir, was it wrong to give away the tailed beasts? You seemed to have foreseen this outcome from the beginning."
Wakato chuckled lightly, prepared to discuss the issue in detail. "The idea of using the tailed beasts to maintain peace wasn't necessarily flawed," he said. "The problem lay in how it was executed."
"Why?" Hashirama inquired.
Wakato turned to Tobirama. "How do you determine if a policy is good?" he asked. "Hashirama might struggle with this question, but you should have an answer."
Tobirama thought for a moment and replied, "A policy is considered good if its benefits outweigh its drawbacks." His administrative experience led him to this conclusion, as many of his policies—such as the creation of [Anbu] and the establishment of the [Konoha Police Force]—had their flaws, but were still necessary because their advantages were significant. Over time, any negative aspects could be addressed and improved.
"And what benefits did Konoha get from distributing the tailed beasts? What were the drawbacks?" Wakato continued.
"Well, we received a large sum of money," Tobirama said hesitantly.
"And?"
"Big brother's message of peace was conveyed."
"That's one way to look at it," Wakato acknowledged. "But let's delve a bit deeper into what happened next."