Chapter 5 : The Third Hokage!!

"Teacher, is what the person inside the light curtain said true?" 

Tobirama shook his head, then nodded.

"I'm not sure. I can only tell you that what I experienced personally was exactly as this person said."

Tobirama had indeed confirmed the truth behind the person hidden by the light curtain.

However, he didn't want Sarutobi Hiruzen to hear his judgment and be influenced by it.

He wasn't young anymore. He would continue serving as Hokage for a few more years before stepping down once the new generation matured.

Anyone who could hold the position of Hokage had to think independently and not simply follow others' words.

Even Tobirama, the Second Hokage, was no exception.

Among his students, like Sarutobi Hiruzen, were the best of their generation.

From Tobirama's assessment, the Third Hokage would likely emerge from these students.

Firstly, he excluded Mitokado Homura, Koharu, Uchiha Kagami, and Akimichi Torifu.

The first two possessed both skill and character, but lacked clan support, making it challenging for them to become Hokage.

The latter two had the backing of their families and strong personal abilities.

However, Tobirama could never allow someone from the Uchiha clan to become Hokage, even if he was a favored disciple.

The Uchiha were known for their intense emotions. To put it bluntly, they all had a predisposition to mental illness, which could manifest unpredictably.

Dealing with mental illness was troublesome enough for ordinary individuals, let alone the formidable members of the Uchiha clan.

Akimichi Torifu was commendable, but the inherent traits of his clan were unsuitable for the role of Hokage.

After much deliberation, the only ones left were Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo.

Firstly, both of them are very strong and are considered the best of their generation.

Secondly, their respective clans in Konoha are esteemed and can provide them with significant support.

With their teachers' backing, as long as they aspire to become Hokage, they should be able to maintain their positions.

Between the two, Sarutobi Hiruzen is more optimistic.

Therefore, he would not miss any opportunity to train the other party.

Of course, nothing is set in stone yet. After all, there are still several years ahead, and Sarutobi Hiruzen is only temporarily ahead of Shimura Danzo.

[There weren't many events during the Five Kage Summit. To put it simply, Hashirama wanted to give away the tailed beasts of the other four countries for free, but Tobirama insisted that they couldn't be given away for free and must be compensated for.]

[Upon hearing this, the Kazekage expressed disinterest in the tailed beasts and instead proposed that other countries cede land, which displeased the other three Kages.]

[Just as a confrontation seemed imminent, Hashirama, relying on his strong charisma, banged his head on the table several times, implying that among those present, he was the most stubborn, and if they didn't sign a peace agreement, he would figuratively "smash their heads."]

[Thus, for the first time, complete peace was achieved across the land.]

"Teacher, was it First Hokage's charisma or his strength that convinced the other four countries to sign the peace agreement? I'm not entirely clear."

At Sarutobi Hiruzen's question, Tobirama's mouth twitched slightly.

He didn't directly explain to the monkey, but gave a subtle hint: "If the First Hokage didn't have great power, do you think they would have listened to us?"

"I see. It seems in this ninja world, strength truly speaks volumes."

Quickly, to avoid speaking ill of his elder brother, Tobirama added, "But it's not all about that. Without the First Hokage's charisma, it would have been like dealing with Uchiha Madara."

Sarutobi Hiruzen pondered this carefully and agreed.

Understanding the distinction between the First Hokage and Uchiha Madara, the villagers of Konoha chose to follow the First Hokage rather than Madara.

"Let me remind you that you can't learn the way the First Hokage did things because you don't have his invincible strength. Everything has two sides. Whether you should be tough or compromise, you need to make your own decision."

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

[Several years later, Madara suddenly returned and attacked Konoha. In order to protect the village and its residents, Hashirama stepped forward and engaged in a fierce battle with Madara.]

[Madara used the formidable power of the Mangekyo Sharingan to control the Nine-Tails and duel with Hashirama.]

[And Hashirama fought back with the Wood Release Ninjutsu in Sage Mode.]

[We witnessed Hashirama using Wood Release: True Thousand Hands. With a single strike, he shattered half of the Nine-Tails' Susanoo, then lifted the Nine-Tails like a chicken, patting its head until it fell asleep.]

[This battle lasted for three days and three nights. In the end, Hashirama used a Wood Style clone to deceive Uchiha Madara and delivered a fatal blow from behind, thus securing Konoha's peace.]

When Uchiha Madara returned to Konoha and fought against Hashirama Senju, both Tobirama Senju and Hiruzen Sarutobi were aware of it.

However, they did not witness the battle firsthand and could only gauge its intensity from the aftermath on the battlefield.

Now, all the spectacular scenes from this battle are displayed on the screen.

The two of them watched Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama battling on the illuminated screen, their expressions captivated.

Tobirama Senju was particularly impressed. He always had confidence in his elder brother's strength and had witnessed his heroic performance on the battlefield.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, on the other hand, was different. He had never seen the First Hokage fight with such intensity.

He never imagined that ninja battles could be so fierce.

Could the Nine-Tails, the strongest tailed beast, really be controlled with just words?

Could such enormous wooden constructs and a colossal Buddha statue with a thousand hands truly be summoned by humans?

Can Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama truly be considered ninjas?

Shouldn't they be regarded as gods?

Thinking about Hashirama Senju having a younger brother, he quickly turned his gaze towards his teacher.

"Sensei, you."

"No, I'm not as strong as my elder brother."

Tobirama clearly understood what Sarutobi Hiruzen was pondering and shook his head vigorously in denial.

"Tsk, you two are clearly brothers. Why is there such a vast difference in their strength?"

"How dare you mock me, you little brat?"

Tobirama shot Sarutobi Hiruzen a glare, reminding him that your teacher will always be your teacher.

"Ouch!"

Rubbing his head, Sarutobi Hiruzen glanced at Tobirama with mild dissatisfaction.

He was merely speaking the truth.

Is it wrong to speak the truth now?

At this moment, the atmosphere in the room was relatively relaxed.

They didn't act as if they were facing a formidable enemy just because the light screen appeared.

Until Hayashi Sora's voice emanated from the light screen once more.

[When Hashirama was alive, he was worthy of being called the God of Shinobi.]

[In fact, the upper limits of Hashirama's strength have always been described in a very ambiguous manner.]

[Including during the Fourth Great Ninja War, Uchiha Madara also expressed gratitude that the brothers Hashirama and Tobirama were in the Impure World Reincarnation state.]

Senju Tobirama, Sarutobi Hiruzen: ???

"Fourth Great War? Sensei, is that the Fourth Ninja War I'm thinking of?"

"If the person who said this isn't deliberately misleading us, then yes, it should be the Fourth Ninja War you're thinking of."

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