Emiya Shirou didn't answer, because it was an answer anyone could have figured out.
However, if Tobirama had been just a little quicker on the uptake, the sharp-witted ninja would have surely noticed something else: Emiya Shirou, who had once been in the Pure Land, clearly understood the concept of time.
Therefore, Emiya Shirou also possessed god-like power. But Shirou delivered his explanation like a detached bystander describing the Sage, which cleverly prevented Tobirama from connecting the dots. Tobirama, after all, was too busy trying to decipher the secrets for himself.
"I still don't quite get it," Hashirama admitted, the profound concept of a timeless existence flying completely over his head. He probably figured only his genius brother could wrap his mind around such things.
"Then let me put it another way," Shirou said, shaking his head and abandoning the topic of time. "Besides time, space is also a luxury concept there. The souls of the dead are often lonely. They never know how much space they occupy, or even where they are. In the Pure Land, their earthly attachments are liberated."
"They can seek out souls that resonate with their own, but they'll never know where in the underworld they are, nor will they ever think to ask." He paused, deliberately omitting the secret of how two souls could actually make contact, and changed the subject. "Similarly, only god-like existences have a concept of space. Only a god knows his own location, knows the destination of every soul. He can summon a soul from the Pure Land to meet with him at any time, and can even use the power a soul had in life."
Tobirama began to grasp the true terror of the Pure Land. For ordinary souls, it was a muddled, meaningless existence, devoid of time and space.
No, I'm thinking about it wrong, he corrected himself. Death itself is the loss of meaning. Perhaps eternity is simply tranquility.
But that didn't feel right either. For ordinary people, death was meaningless, sure. But for the Sage of Six Paths, who retained his sense of self in the Pure Land, wasn't this tantamount to eternal life?
"Naturally," Shirou's voice, deep as an abyss, cut through his thoughts. "A god can also prevent a person's soul from entering the Pure Land."
"I'm still lost," Hashirama chimed in again.
How could a person not know where they were?
How could they not find another soul?
"Brother, shut up!" Tobirama snapped, then immediately remembered his brother was on his deathbed and took it upon himself to explain. "Let me explain," he said, his gaze fixed on Shirou. "If the Sage of Six Paths can prevent a soul from entering the Pure Land, then that means he can prevent a person from dying in the living world."
"That's right," Shirou nodded, a green chakra appearing in his palm. "For that god, as long as he prevents a soul from entering the Pure Land, preventing death becomes the simplest thing. For example, he can bestow a special power upon Hashirama's soul. This power can allow his soul to return to his body, which has not yet truly died."
"Yang Power," Tobirama narrowed his eyes, remembering the term Shirou had used before.
"Okay, I think I get it now," Hashirama finally nodded. "So, if I get on the Sage of Six Paths' good side, he can stop me from dying, and I can keep on living?"
Tobirama's tense mood relaxed, just for a second. The Sage was, after all, their ancestor. But then, his mood tensed up again. If this god truly existed and could interfere in the living world, why had he never appeared before?
The Senju, the Uchiha, the thousand years of war, the countless casualties... why didn't he stop it?
But Tobirama quickly found an answer for the Sage: if a god showed favor too easily, it would make human effort a joke. When a god's favor can grant you anything, why bother trying?
Everything would just depend on the god. The irony was, at this moment, they had no choice but to rely on that very favor.
"The Sage of Six Paths will intervene to save my brother, right?" Tobirama looked up at Shirou, desperate for an answer that wouldn't crush him.
"I don't know," Shirou said calmly, shaking his head. "That's why I said this is the last resort. No one knows the Sage's thoughts. Perhaps, to him, the brief peace you have established is meaningless."
Tobirama slammed his fist against the wall. The condescending contempt of a god was infuriating. Even though the Sage was their ancestor, even though he believed gods shouldn't meddle!
No... gods shouldn't exist in the first place!
If what Shirou said was true, then their lives, the lives of Konoha's villagers, the hard-won peace... it was all worthless in the eyes of the Sage. At that moment, Tobirama almost hoped Shirou was lying.
But he knew he wasn't.
Perhaps only a naive fool like Hashirama, who revered the Sage, could accept it. And indeed, the First Hokage actually laughed.
"Hahahaha... The Sage of Six Paths didn't notice us? I suppose that makes sense," Hashirama struggled to sit up, careful not to disturb Tsunade.
"Tobirama, don't blame the Sage. It's probably because we haven't done well enough."
"Brother..." Tobirama was speechless.
"So I can only say this is a plan with an extremely low probability of success," Shirou's expression was plain, unconcerned by their argument. "For you, Hashirama needs to live to solve the Madara crisis. But for a god like the Sage, the crisis Madara represents isn't enough to make him look twice."
In fact, Shirou thought, the current Madara is far less worthy of the Sage's attention than my own existence. This was precisely why he was using Hashirama to test the waters.
"Let's try," Hashirama said with surprising frankness, a smile on his face. "I'd quite like to meet the legendary Sage! Anyway, the worst that can happen is I die."
"No," Shirou shook his head, his tone serious. "The situation could be more terrifying than death. Your soul might not return to the Pure Land, but instead become lost in the crack between life and death, weighed down by your lingering attachments."
"Your death will be difficult to attract the Sage's attention. Only by letting your soul fall into that crack can you truly have a chance to gain his favor."