Chapter 051
Meanwhile, the other Hidden Villages remained stable, meaning… Konoha still had hope.
So the situation… wasn't the worst yet.
However—
At this moment:
[Fifth Mizukage - Mei Terumi]: If that's the case, then I suppose I can say a few words.
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: Oh? Mizukage, go ahead.
Hashirama also thought of the same thing Tobirama had. He realized that even if this peace was only temporary, it was still part of the peace he had once pursued.
As for Mei Terumi—although she had shamelessly used the fact that she was still alive to travel all the way from Kirigakure to the Land of Waves in an attempt to abduct Kitahara Kaede…
That too was something a Kage did for her village.
So, in a certain way, Hashirama actually admired Mei Terumi quite a bit.
For the sake of her village, she would stop at nothing.
Whereas he—if anything threatened the village, he would oppose it, even if it meant going against his brothers, friends, loved ones, or even his own children.
[Fifth Mizukage - Mei Terumi]: I don't think Sunagakure came to Konoha with good intentions this time.
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: Oh? Did you receive some intel?
[Fifth Mizukage - Mei Terumi]: When I was going through Kirigakure's S-rank classified scrolls, I discovered that the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, did something at the end of the Third Great Ninja War.
[Fifth Mizukage - Mei Terumi]: He didn't want to continue the conflict with us, so in order to make peace, he offered one of his elite jonin, Pakura.
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: Offered his own elite jonin?
Hashirama still hadn't fully understood.
[Minato Namikaze]: Don't tell me…
Minato reacted.
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: Hm?
[Fifth Mizukage - Mei Terumi]: Pakura killed many of our Kirigakure shinobi during the war—she was quite the threat.
[Fifth Mizukage - Mei Terumi]: So when Sunagakure sought peace, the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, made a demand.
[Fifth Mizukage - Mei Terumi]: He wanted Rasa to send Pakura out, so that Kirigakure could kill her.
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: What!
Hashirama was shocked.
[Tobirama]: Did the Fourth Kazekage agree?
Tobirama got serious too.
[Fifth Mizukage - Mei Terumi]: Yes.
[Fifth Mizukage - Mei Terumi]: Pakura was killed.
[Fifth Mizukage - Mei Terumi]: Rasa had her sent to a designated location where she was killed by Kirigakure with explosive tags.
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: This…
[Fifth Mizukage - Mei Terumi]: So if he could sacrifice his own people back then, it means…
[Fifth Mizukage - Mei Terumi]: He definitely wouldn't send all his own children to Konoha.
[Fifth Mizukage - Mei Terumi]: Which means—
[Nine Tails - Kurama]: It's a scheme, isn't it?
[Nine Tails - Kurama]: Hah, told you, Shukaku. You're gonna get beat.
[One Tail - Shukaku]: …
[One Tail - Shukaku]: …
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: @One Tail - Shukaku!
[Tobirama]: @Shukaku!
[One Tail - Shukaku]: …
[Tobirama]: @Shukaku, speak up.
[One Tail - Shukaku]: …
[Tobirama]: @Hashirama, Anija, we're already dead, we can't do much for Konoha—but… we can still try what we can do.
Prompted by Tobirama, Hashirama remembered how his pressure alone once intimidated Ōnoki.
He never liked bullying the weak or overpowering the small with the strong.
But this was for the village.
"Then I guess I'll get a bit serious," Hashirama said, as the symbol on his forehead glowed.
"Wood Style: Sage Art—True Several Thousand Hands!"
The group chat space trembled instantly.
And Shukaku suddenly saw a massive Buddha statue appear before him.
A Buddha with a thousand arms!
[Scaredy-Cat - Ōnoki]: Ho-ly crap.
[Tobirama]: Ōnoki, what do you think?
[Scaredy-Cat - Ōnoki]: N-nothing at all!
Ōnoki responded quickly.
In the past, he had only witnessed Madara's terror, while Hashirama always appeared gentle. But now… seeing him actually fight—it was no less terrifying than Uchiha Madara.
Or maybe even scarier.
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: Since this is for Konoha… I have no choice.
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: Shukaku, I'll only use one hand on you.
[One Tail - Shukaku]: …
[One Tail - Shukaku]: I may not beat you, but I…
[One Tail - Shukaku]: WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!
Giant fists were coming at Shukaku—and it found itself unable to dodge.
[Nine Tails - Kurama]: That's the True Several Thousand Hands, my dear.
Kurama seemed rather happy.
[Nine Tails - Kurama]: Lucky you—you're just getting punched. I had to eat my own Tailed Beast Bomb…
[One Tail - Shukaku]: Screw that! What do you mean "lucky"?!
[One Tail - Shukaku]: I surrender! I surrender!!
Shukaku shouted loudly.
Tailed Beasts are huge, so when they yell, it gets really loud.
[Tobirama]: Alright, we get it—you surrender. Why're you yelling so loud?
[One Tail - Shukaku]: …
Shukaku pouted.
And then… Shukaku told them the truth.
But the truth was even more horrifying than they expected.
Because—
[One Tail - Shukaku]: Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro are indeed the children of the Fourth Kazekage.
[One Tail - Shukaku]: But that Kazekage didn't really know how to raise his kids. He turned Gaara into a One-Tail Jinchūriki.
[One Tail - Shukaku]: Which means—I was sealed inside Gaara.
[One Tail - Shukaku]: But to test the strength of the seal, Rasa often arranged for people to assassinate Gaara.
[One Tail - Shukaku]: So Gaara lived a life constantly being hunted. Plus, the sealing technique was weak, so he couldn't fall asleep—because if he did, I'd take control of his body.
[Minato Namikaze]: Are you sure he sent people to kill his own child?
Minato asked.
[One Tail - Shukaku]: Yes.
Shukaku looked at Minato in confusion.
Not understanding what this guy was resonating with emotionally.
Then added:
[One Tail - Shukaku]: Not just ordinary village shinobi—he even had Gaara's caretaker and uncle, Yashamaru, try to assassinate him.
[Minato Namikaze]: …
[Minato Namikaze]: …
Minato felt he could never do something like that.
But…
Thinking about it that way felt like a contest of whose parenting sucked more, so he quickly suppressed the thought.
All he wanted now was to give everything he had to take care of little Naruto.
He regretted ever giving up in the past.
[One Tail - Shukaku]: And now… Gaara's team came to the Chūnin Exams as part of a plan to destroy Konoha.
[One Tail - Shukaku]: The Hidden Sound Village has allied with them to launch an attack.
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: …
[Minato Namikaze]: …
[Tobirama]: …
[Tobirama]: Damn!
[Tobirama]: We really almost got fooled.
[Tobirama]: What's this Sound Village all about?
[One Tail - Shukaku]: Sound Village was created by Orochimaru, a former Konoha rogue ninja.
[One Tail - Shukaku]: He hates Konoha deeply, so Sunagakure accepted his proposal.
[Tobirama]: …
[Tobirama]: …
[Tobirama]: Damn it, Sarutobi.
Tobirama nearly coughed up blood.
He hadn't wanted to believe it. But… damn it… if he could let go of his bias toward Sarutobi and really think it through…
The moment Sarutobi became Hokage… Konoha began to decline.
From strong to weak.
[Scaredy-Cat - Ōnoki]: Whew…
[Fifth Mizukage - Mei Terumi]: Mhm.
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: ?
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: Mizukage, Tsuchikage—what are you two doing?
[Fifth Mizukage - Mei Terumi]: Well… how should I put this… Sunagakure's situation is actually pretty tragic.
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Chapter 055+ in patreon.com/dzeref887