Ten years.
A long time, in which the world of ninjas changed in countless ways.
After the first Hokage, Hashirama Senju, led the Anbu back to Konoha, no one knew the details of his discussions with Tobirama Senju. Yet, Hashirama wasted no time in making his first major move: capturing the tailed beasts.
In total, there were nine tailed beasts across the ninja world. Excluding the one-tailed beast held by the Sand Village and the Nine-Tails sealed within Mito Uzumaki by Konoha, Hashirama Senju captured all the remaining tailed beasts.
Soon after, the first Five Kage Conference was convened.
Hashirama sold the captured tailed beasts to the major ninja villages, officially to maintain balance among them. When Emiya Shihara encountered Hashirama during his travels, he finally understood the reasoning behind the distribution of the tailed beasts.
"That was Tobirama's idea," Hashirama explained.
"Relying solely on Konoha's power wouldn't be enough to stop Madara. Now that Mito has the Nine-Tails sealed within her, Madara might seek the power of the other tailed beasts. Tobirama proposed distributing them to the other villages, allowing collective protection. Konoha alone couldn't guard them all."
The tailed beasts were incredibly powerful. Even one going berserk could devastate Konoha before the leaders could respond.
Yet Tobirama's true intention went deeper than mere protection. By distributing the beasts, he forced the other villages into the struggle. No village besides Konoha would dare provoke Madara directly, but with a tailed beast at stake, conflict became inevitable.
Madara, blind in one eye, might infiltrate another village to seize a beast, creating tension and forcing alliances. Tobirama's strategy was insidious but effective.
The Hidden Cloud Village was the first to feel the consequences. During the first Five Kage Tournament, the First Raikage lavishly acquired the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails. But when Madara, temporarily weakened by his lost eye, confronted them, he managed to manipulate the Eight-Tails and escape, strengthening the bond between Konoha and the Hidden Cloud Village.
Still, the cycle of pursuit continued. Madara remained in hiding, Hashirama relentlessly tracking him. Emiya Shihara, Sarutobi Hiruzen, and Shimura Danzo frequently encountered them in their travels.
"Long time no see, Emiya-sama," Madara would greet, ever calm, his face mocking even while evading capture. "But I must go—Hashirama is on my tail again…"
Hashirama never wasted time. "I will find Madara," he insisted, only offering brief words of encouragement to his juniors before moving on.
"Monkey, Danzo," he addressed Hiruzen and Danzo. "You've grown… now you bear the responsibility of protecting Konoha."
Patting their shoulders, Hashirama felt the weight of his limited lifespan pressing down. The road ahead would be difficult, but Konoha's future had to rest with the young.
Ten years. A long time indeed.
For Emiya Shihara, this journey had become routine.
For Hiruzen and Danzo, ten years had transformed them from naïve teenagers into young men who understood the world. They had seen many extraordinary events, such as encountering the infamous Kakuzu.
Kakuzu, after returning to Takigakure, had murdered the village's high-ranking ninjas and stolen its treasures. Declared an S-rank traitor, he became a rogue operative. Yet, when Hashirama encountered him, Kakuzu revealed his wealth was used to help orphans and the elderly. Hashirama, recognizing this, spared him and even contributed to his charitable work.
"This man… betrayed no one for power," Hashirama reflected, sighing at the complexity of people like Kakuzu.
Even Emiya Shihara marveled. "Those who care for the weak deserve respect, even in ancient times."
Hashirama nodded. "Tracking Madara is difficult, but the journey has introduced me to remarkable people, even in small countries."
For instance, in the Land of Rain, they met a young ninja named Hanzo. His swordsmanship rivaled Danzo's, yet his true strength lay in his venom. A salamander venom sac implanted in his body allowed him to emit deadly poison, but also threatened his life. Hanzo sought Shihara's help to remove the sac without losing his power.
"I can remove the sac," Shihara explained carefully. "But the power it grants… you will lose."
Hanzo hesitated, reluctant to give up a source of strength, yet Hiruzen praised his swordsmanship. "Even in the Land of Iron, known for its blade masters, none surpassed your skill."
Danzo grumbled but admitted the truth: Hanzo was formidable.
This was a lesson in growth. Hiruzen and Danzo had believed Shihara's power came solely from the cursed seal, yet their journeys proved that skill, wisdom, and experience shaped true strength.
Even in the Land of Iron, when Danzo challenged a samurai and failed, Shihara intervened effortlessly, disarming the general with a single move. The samurai, impressed, allowed them to leave unharmed.
Throughout these experiences, Shihara reminded Danzo of the true purpose of the cursed seal. "It is not for fighting others. It is to protect those important to you."
Danzo frowned but slowly began to understand.
"Tomorrow, we return to Konoha," Shihara finally confirmed, gazing at the overcast sky of the Rain Country. "Hashirama's activities have been constant, yet the sacred tree's remains remain missing. Perhaps new methods are needed…"
Ten years had passed. The ninja world had grown, changed, and yet remained perilous.
It was now the fifteenth year of Konoha. Orochimaru had been born, and the child, five years old, was preparing to enter the world, unaware of the tumultuous events shaping the future.
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