Naruto: Sasuke Uchiha Returns from Soul Society

"To inherit Itachi's will? What nice words."

"When a person truly experiences love, they also bear the risk of hatred."

"If anyone opposes my path, I will kill all the people important to them, one by one, so that they can have a taste of the hatred I feel for this world."

After saying all these things from his heart, Sasuke seemed to finally catch his breath and asked Hashirama Senju another question.

"What are these so-called villages and ninjas?"

"You and Madara clearly have enough power to unify the ninja world, so why did you distribute the various tailed beasts as a means of checks and balances between countries, thus sowing the seeds of war?"

"You who pride yourself on loving peace, do you know how many people die at the hands of the Tailed Beasts during each Shinobi World War?"

Chapter 164 Hand over the Nine-Tails

Inside the Namen Hall, there was a deathly silence.

Sasuke's question caused Hashirama Senju's usually somewhat airheaded face to lose all its smile.

He looked at the twelve-year-old boy before him, who seemed to bear the hatred of the entire world, and helplessly closed his eyes and sat down cross-legged.

"You ask what a village is, what a ninja is...?"

His voice was no longer as energetic as before, but became low and deep. "For me, the village is a place where children no longer have to go to the battlefield from a young age, and where families can reunite."

"And ninjas..."

He opened his eyes, and a gentle light flashed in those eyes that should have been empty. "...He inherited that will, and is someone who is willing to sacrifice everything to protect this home and his companions."

"Oh......"

Before Sasuke could speak, a hoarse laugh filled with sarcasm rang out from the side.

"What a touching answer, First Hokage."

Orochimaru slowly walked out, his pale face appearing even more eerie in the dim light.

"Excuse my bluntness, but I'm just curious, when you were drawing up this beautiful blueprint, how long has it been since you personally saw the people living at the 'bottom' of the village you created?"

"The bottom layer?" Hashirama murmured to himself; the word seemed somewhat unfamiliar to him.

"Heh, it seems I knew it." Orochimaru's smile grew even more cruel, his voice filled with disgust.

“Under your divine radiance, one cannot see the struggles in the shadows.”

"Your so-called 'peace' is nothing but a fragile illusion built on the mutual checks and balances of the five major powers!"

"Even after your death, in order to seize the 'property' you distributed, villages still sent their young children to the battlefield!"

"The First, Second, and Third Shinobi World Wars broke out one after another. Countless young people like my disciples died like ants, utterly worthless, in order to protect those ridiculous border lines drawn on a map!"

"Isn't the root of all this your ridiculous kindness back then?!"

"I..." Hashirama opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to refute, but in the end it just turned into a sigh.

He looked at Sasuke, a hint of sadness in his eyes.

"Ban once said something similar to me."

He believed that to achieve true peace, an absolute unified order must be established.

“But I rejected him.” Hashirama’s face showed a pained expression. “Because I believe that the road to peace should not be paved with blood.”

"Therefore, I distributed the Tailed Beasts to various villages, hoping they could serve as a balance of power to maintain the hard-won peace, and in this way..."

"So that they will have the 'weapons' to launch a larger-scale war!" Orochimaru interrupted him mercilessly, his voice suddenly becoming sharp.

"If all the tailed beasts had stayed in Konoha, if Konoha had possessed the absolute power to suppress everything, those wars would never have happened!"

A flicker of genuine pain flashed in Orochimaru's snake-like eyes, and his voice inexplicably became agitated.

"My disciple, a boy who dreamed of becoming Hokage, was torn to pieces by the brutal war during the Second Shinobi World War. Not even his internal organs were left intact."

He turned his head to the side, his voice hoarse, "I forgot to mention, First Lord, my disciple..."

“His name is Senju Nawaki, your grandson.”

"...Sigh." Hashirama Senju's body trembled violently, and he closed his eyes in anguish. "War..."

"Brother! I told you this a long time ago!"

The silent Tobirama Senju could no longer bear it. He turned sharply to his brother and growled, "We must never distribute something as dangerous as a Tailed Beast to those untrustworthy people!"

"..." Hashirama did not refute further, but slowly lowered his head, his figure appearing extremely desolate at this moment.

"I was indeed wrong about this," he admitted in a low voice.

After acknowledging his mistake, he raised his head again and looked at Sasuke with utmost seriousness.

"Child, since you believe my path is wrong, what are your specific plans for the future?"

“Reclaim all the tailed beasts, abolish all the daimyo and nobles, and this long-corrupted ninja system.”

Sasuke calmly recounted his grand plan, "Then, I will unify all countries, erase the narrow barriers of 'village,' and establish a unique and absolute order."

"Thus, the war was completely ended."

These words shocked everyone present.

"...Hmph, from this perspective, you are indeed quite different from those ordinary Uchiha who are only driven by their emotions." After a brief moment of shock, Tobirama Senju surprisingly uttered a comment without any contempt.

But he quickly frowned and raised the most practical question.

"But even if you could obtain enough power to unify the world..."

What happens after you die?

Tobirama's eyes sharpened. "Once you die, who will maintain the 'unique' order you established? Without the suppression of absolute power, the world will only descend into even more frenzied slaughter, repeating the same mistakes."

"I will not die."

Young Sasuke slowly turned his head, his eyes calmly fixed on the Second Hokage, who was known for his "realism." "Did you think I would start a plan that would end with my own death?"

"Then how are you any different from those you despise?!"

Hashirama finally couldn't take it anymore. He stood up abruptly and almost pointed at Sasuke's nose as he retorted, "You've just become another, more powerful dictator! What kind of peace is this?!"

Just as Hashirama was about to continue his roar, a hand gently pressed on his shoulder.

It is Tobirama Senju.

He gently shook his head at his elder brother.

The words that Hashirama was about to utter were abruptly cut off.

Tobirama's gaze returned to Sasuke.

This time, there was a hint of inquiry in his eyes that even he himself was unaware of.

After a long while, he finally spoke softly.

“I have witnessed the path my elder brother walked, a path filled with ideals and benevolence, but which ultimately sowed the seeds of conflict for future generations.”

Tobirama's voice was soft, as if he were talking to himself, "I have tried to use an iron fist and rules to prevent the evil I foresaw, but in the end it only exacerbated the conflict."

"So I've thought about it too..." Tobirama raised his head, his tone becoming somewhat unfocused, "If I had really followed Madara's path back then, would the world be truly peaceful now?"

"I don't know." He chuckled self-deprecatingly. "After all, the roads we haven't traveled always seem to be full of flowers."

“We are the deceased, and we have no reason to interfere with the choices of the living.” Tobirama looked at Sasuke, his voice becoming extremely solemn. “But as someone who also fought for the peace of this world, I still want to ask you a question.”

"If in the future, someone like you now disagrees with the order you have established and raises the banner of rebellion, what will you do?"

Upon hearing this, Sasuke actually showed a faint smile on his face.

"That's exactly what I've been hoping to see."

Sasuke's answer stunned everyone present.

He looked at the confused eyes of the crowd and calmly explained.

"It is because of resistance that the world is still alive, that it is still searching for a better way out than the order I have given it."

"Sigh..." Hashirama let out a long sigh.

He looked at Tobirama, then at Sasuke, and shook his head self-deprecatingly, "I still don't think this path is the right one..."

"But the path I took, built on love and understanding, seems to have led to an ending that does not seem to satisfy you who came after me."

Because he himself ultimately failed, he completely gave up on lecturing Sasuke.

He could not, and had no reason to, persuade Sasuke.

Hashirama slowly stepped forward and stood in front of Sasuke, his eyes serious: "The future of the ninja world can only be decided by people like you."

"Just as Tobirama said, we who have passed away have no right to interfere with the choices of the living, but there is one thing I hope you can promise me."

"Hmm?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

Hashirama looked at him, his empty eyes filled with pleading.

Whatever you do in the future...

"Do not indiscriminately kill innocent civilians."

Sasuke remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded slightly.

"it is good."

Upon receiving this promise, Hashirama breathed a sigh of relief and a smile returned to his face.

"All right."

Sasuke clapped his hands, seemingly having obtained all the answers he wanted. "Orochimaru, release this jutsu."

“Of course.” Orochimaru licked his lips, his hands already preparing to form hand seals.

However, just as he was about to begin forming hand seals, a thought suddenly flashed through Sasuke's mind.

wrong......

And one more thing.

"Wait!" Sasuke's voice suddenly rang out.

Orochimaru stopped moving as a result, and looked at Sasuke with some confusion.