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Uchiha Madara's words tore open the bloody reality of Konoha's decay for Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama to see.
Senju Hashirama, with only his head remaining, felt immense hatred in his heart, and profound heartache for his wife, Uzumaki Mito.
Senju Tobirama, also just a head, with his mouth still plugged with dirt and rocks, felt even more grief-stricken and indignant.
The two former Hokage, they now felt as if a knife had been stabbed into their hearts.
But it wasn't over yet. Uchiha Madara intended to twist the knife in their hearts further, to vent the fury in his own.
He held up the heads of Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama, displaying the area beneath the Hokage Rock to them:
"Not only that! Senju Tobirama, you already know what kind of characters your four students, Shimura Danzo and Sarutobi Hiruzen, are. Did you really think the other two students, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, are any better!? Wrong!
The two of them are right inside Konoha's air-raid shelter now. It looks like they are sheltering Konoha's civilians, but that's not the case at all! Those two also have a small squad of Anbu under them. After all this time, have you ever seen either of them send out their Anbu to provide support?
Senju Tobirama! These are the four 'good students' you took in! I can praise you from the bottom of my heart: You're blind!"
Being humiliated like this by Uchiha Madara, Senju Tobirama, who was originally unreconciled and indignant, now fell completely silent. The last shred of face he had left was torn off by Madara. What else could he say!
That wasn't all. Madara continued, showing the clan compounds of several surrounding families to Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama:
"And you, Hashirama! Don't think all this is solely your brother's fault! Look at these ninja clans who occupy their posts without doing anything! Back then, it was you who invited these selfish clans into Konoha Village!
Decades have passed, and facts have proven, Hashirama, you were wrong! These clans you invited have now, one by one, become parasites on Konoha, only knowing how to leech Konoha's resources! Yet when it's their turn to contribute, they shirk responsibility one after another!
During this battle, I, Uchiha Madara, haven't seen hide nor hair of these clans from beginning to end! Clearly, when disaster strikes, they don't care about Konoha; each only cares about their own clan's interests!"
Senju Hashirama remained silent. Faced with the cruel reality Uchiha Madara presented him, he had no rebuttal.
Finally, Uchiha Madara showed the surroundings of Konoha to Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama:
"Hashirama, broaden your horizons! Don't limit your sights to just the tiny Konoha Village! Hashirama! Take a good look at the entire ninja world! Take a good look at the hidden village system you created back then!
The Five Great Nations, the Five Great Shinobi Villages, are constantly engaged in open and secret struggles! Every so often, due to unequal distribution of benefits and resources, a Ninja World War erupts!
A Ninja World War... Which Ninja World War wasn't accompanied by devastation and corpses littering the fields? Which Ninja World War didn't cause destruction throughout the entire ninja world?
If it were just that, then fine! Ninja World War, Ninja World War – ninja killing and being killed amongst themselves. When they gained power and became ninja, they should have prepared for the possibility of being killed! That's only natural!
But! Hashirama! But!
What does this have to do with the ordinary people of the entire world!? What does it have to do with them!?
Why does every Ninja World War affect innocent people! Hashirama! Do you know? Do you know what I saw among the civilians during the Ninja World Wars?
Hope!?
No! It was corpses... tragic deaths... despair!
They were displaced, they suffered devastation, they were shrouded in the shadow of despair! They couldn't even guarantee the most basic right to life, let alone talk about living and survival!
This is the current state of the world! This is the damn world born from your initially well-intentioned but practically flawed conception, Hashirama!
I! Uchiha Madara! The Asura of the Ninja World! The devil in the eyes of the world! Hate this kind of world! I want to change it! I want revolution! I want to overthrow it! I want this damn world to vanish like smoke!
Hashirama! Tell me! Were you wrong, or was I wrong!?"
Uchiha Madara issued a questioning from the soul to Senju Hashirama!
This questioning, like the morning bell and evening drum, shook Senju Hashirama's soul...
Senju Hashirama, whose expression hadn't changed even when defeated and captured, finally revealed a look of panic and confusion.
Senju Hashirama had to admit the facts Uchiha Madara spoke of.
Looking at the already decayed Konoha, looking at the dark and cruel ninja world, looking at this so-called damn state of the world...
Could it be... he was really wrong?
Senju Hashirama, who had always been extremely firm in his inner convictions, was, for the first time, shaken to the core by Uchiha Madara's 'mouth-jutsu'. Faced with Uchiha Madara's questioning from the soul, he was at a loss.
Beside him, Senju Tobirama, mouth gagged, had completely lowered his banner.
Actually, he saw things even more clearly than Senju Hashirama. He was one of the few people, like Uchiha Madara, who saw the world clearly. At this moment, he had nothing to say to his old brother.
While Senju Hashirama was lost in confusion, Uchiha Madara looked up at the sky and spoke words that gave pause for thought:
"You weren't wrong, and I wasn't wrong either. Those with different paths cannot conspire together...
Hashirama, you walk your broad, sunny road; I walk my single-plank bridge. When the sunny road and the single-plank bridge intersect, someone must give way. At that time, it depends on who is stronger, who wins and who loses.
Hashirama, you failed, I won. Therefore, I will follow my own path forward. The loser has no right to interfere!
Don't worry either. I won't do anything too excessive to Konoha, at least not at this stage.
Besides, you and your brother are already dead men. There's no need to interfere in these matters anymore.
I will take over your mess. Believe me, I will do better than you!"