[53] Interlude – Past Fragments

Chapter 53: Interlude – Past Fragments

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It was one of the hardest moments of Hashirama's life. More accurately, in his first life.

The reason for the word 'hard' here was quite silly, now that he thought about it.

Existential Crisis.

He was going through that certain phase, pondering over that certain question that most of the human population in the 21st century went through. 

The question: Is anything real? Are we living in a simulation?

It was when he was a few weeks into that crisis, in a trance state he was butchering meat. With his expression dazed and his mind somewhere else, the pre-Hashirama Hashirama was doing his job.

"Stop. That's dangerous."

A voice said as Hashirama paused. He slowly turned to find an old man with long white hair, a beard, and sharp blue eyes that glowed in this dimly lit environment.

His Master.

Holding a newspaper and sitting on a chair, he wore a punch-able smirk and spoke.

"What's up with you, brat? It's been a few weeks since you are acting like this. Was I right when I asked a girl to break your feeble heart? That must be why you're not telling me."

Hashirama stopped butchering and hesitated. Sighing soon afterward, he began to speak.

"I was just wondering if anything's real or not. Like, what if our world is a simulation? Have you ever had these types of thoughts, Master?"

This old man mustn't have. That's why Hashirama hadn't broken the matter down to him earlier. This man would just make fun of him.

Sadly, he was right.

"What? Crazy brat. Did you just recently watch the Matrix? It's an old movie, why are you watching it just now? Outdated brat."

"…."

"Anyhow. The Simulation Theory, huh? First proposed by the Philosopher Nick Bostrom."

Hashirama was stunned that this man appeared to know a little about this subject… Then again, what did he not know?

"Yup, you're in luck. Unironically, there was a point in your master's life where I, uh, was forced into that doubt myself. It was done by a powerful and evil redheaded woman with super pale skin. Ah, it was your mother who saved me, by the way. That hot yet cute blondie."

Surprisingly, the old man didn't make fun of him for that long. Instead, he was serious about it. He also mentioned Hashirama's mother, who Hashirama had never seen before. 

His parents abandoned him when he was just born, so it could be that his master was telling the truth. But Hashirama didn't trust this old man who often made mom jokes, so he had never trusted this old man on this particular topic.

To get back at him, Hashirama pondered if he should make a remark about how all his stories were about 'women' and he was lying, that he was just a bitchless old bastard. But he held back after recalling what had happened last time.

"Hm. All right then, listen to me, brat. I can say a lot about this matter, but that'd just be a waste of time. Just remember one thing, even if everything is a simulation, it's all real to your relative existence."

"As in, if a higher being descended here, everything here would be nothing less than a 'game' where they are a 'hacker'. If they can just pass through the walls with ease, decode reality, then isn't this reality 'fake' to them? But can you do that? No. Which means this reality, even if it's a false reality, a game, a simulation, or a fanfiction, is still real to you as a person. It doesn't change who you are. To some higher being, this all may be fake— but for your relative existence, this is real. You are real."

That was a satisfactory explanation. Hashirama was a little surprised, even.

However, the old man just had to add, "I think, therefore I am. You think, therefore you are. Your own existence is the only thing you can be completely sure about. Even if everything is fake, you can be sure that you are real."

"…."

Hashirama was left speechless. He hadn't expected his Master to give such a long speech about something seemingly meaningless.

Sadly, there was an issue. According to his last words, everything may indeed be fake. 'He' may be real, but the world may just be fake. That didn't help. It was fine until the first explanation, but the last just worsened the situation.

Upon revealing that to his Master, the old man tilted his head to the side and blinked.

"Uh-huh, I see. I should have kept my mouth shut. I apologize, it wasn't intentional. Hm. So the problem comes down to you believing that you're alone in this universe? Hmm… Ah, right. That thought must come from your status as an orphan, right? Parentless punk."

"Fuck you."

"What? No. Brat, I don't recall teaching you to be gay? How shameful."

"…."

Hashirama gave the old man a dry stare, and he returned it by breaking into a stomach-wrenching laugh. Wiping a droplet of tears from the corner of his beautiful blue eyes, the old man shook his head.

"Don't think too much about it. Even if you're all alone, and everything is just a part of your grand imagination—are the feelings fake too? When I just made that silly joke, the annoyance you felt was real, right? Some would say it's just hormones in our body, but fuck those 'some' people."

"I am saying it doesn't matter if I or anyone in your life is just a fragment of your imagination. What matters is that you feel emotions coming from me and them. If you love someone and you feel the love, then that person is real. And I mean that in a literal sense."

"You hear those silly stories where people fall in love with 2D girls? People say that's delusional, but can't the same be said to people who apparently fall in love with celebrities they never met? In a way, aren't celebrities who aren't a part of your life as fake as those so-called 2D girls?"

"Though I'd call it pathetic if a person got married to a body pillow of that certain girl, 2D or celebrity, I think it's fine if they just 'love' that character or person. If that being had influenced them enough to 'love' them, that being is real. Maybe not in this universe, but in another. Yes, I believe in the multiverse theory."

"To boil it down, I mean that if you love someone truly, you aren't the only one who's real, that person is too. At least, to you."

The old man went silent after that. He allowed Hashirama to digest the words and only then did he continue. He had a weird expression as he appeared to wander in his memories.

"On that topic, if… I had to give you some advice. Though I am not sure if a fool like me can advise on a topic like love, haha. I would say one thing. It's just my personal philosophy, but if you love someone, then make sure to never lose them. Don't be a, uh, what's that term, 'Simp', right? Yes, don't be a simp, but don't lose the person you love either. Because that person is the closest to being 'real' in your reality, other than yourself. So when you lose a person like that, you truly become the only person in your reality. You become lonely… You become hollow." 

Hashirama and his Master stared at one another for a while. His master soon went back to reading his newspaper, and Hashirama returned to butchering the dead body of the woman he had killed an hour ago.

His mind was left in a greater shamble. Because he knew he didn't have anyone he loved. His master may have counted, but he was sure this love and that love are different.

Fast forward to a few years later, Hashirama was on his deathbed. In that life, he never fell in love. Sadly. On his deathbed, he had felt more hollow than ever. He questioned himself if his life was indeed worthless and fake since he never got to feel 'real' with someone else. Because he had nobody he loved, in the end.

Then, he reincarnated.

From the day he was born, Hashirama Senju fell in love with the woman who took care of him even when she was sick. That woman who had sacrificed her everything for a worthless little bastard like him who once questioned if he was even real.

That was why, for eight years, he was fine with just living with her. For that long, he didn't train. He didn't even try to leave the area–scared that it was just a dream that'd end if he stepped out of the forest. 

Hashirama didn't do anything at all for that long. He just basked in the feeling of loving and being loved by that woman, and since then he had never been the same.

Now, he wanted to be like his Master, like that man's true self that he always hid. That bastard whom Hashirama thought was miserable, only for him to turn out to be the happiest man he ever had known.

That's why the current Hashirama Senju had a goal.

He wanted to meet that old man once again. After having reincarnated, now sure that the supernatural was real, he was also sure that the old man was far from normal. That meant, that blue-eyed incest-loving bastard couldn't be dead yet.

So Hashirama wanted to one-day meet that man, and have a long talk over tea and biscuits. He had many questions he wanted answers to. So he must go and meet that old guy one last time.

However, that was a goal to be fulfilled in the very far future. He was sure he would need to be at a certain level of power, to own powers that defy reality, to even meet him.

For now, though, he was just going to enjoy life with his loved ones and get stronger in the meantime. He planned to grab the [One Piece], and thereby reach a power level where he would be strong and free enough. Enough to guarantee his and his dearest ones' safety. Where he and they could spend eternity with each other without concern. For now.

This was why he even set sail. This was why this journey even began. That was why it would be more than just mere 'pity' if the person he loved the most didn't sail with him. If she insisted on being slaves to the Noble pigs who tried to create a simulation out of this world, this clearly artificial planet, and nearly succeeded.

Hashirama just wanted to be happy, but he wanted that to happen along with his dearest ones. After all, who said extraordinary people couldn't have ordinary dreams?

Hashirama hated complexity, anyway.

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Reminder - You guys did well on the last two challenges. This time, let's go for 300 stones since it's the first day of the week. You give me that many stones, and I post another chapter right away!!!

Master4thWall Note: Thinking about it, the One Piece world truly is a matrix controlled by Imu and the Government. It may be the perfect world for Hashirama to have reincarnated again. I wouldn't know.

Ah, and Hashirama's master too seems to have quite the background. I bet a story about him would be fun.

Anyway that's it about this philosophical chapter. My head is starting to hurt.

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