The Slug Sage immediately hid her main body within the white mist and created a Senjutsu clone.
This slug shimmered with a golden Senjutsu glow.
It was round and plump, with two smooth tentacles on its head, a Sage Mark in the center of its face, and a bead necklace engraved with the word "Sage" around its neck, looking gentle and naive.
The Slug Sage called out to Hashirama, "Lord Hashirama, come. The core of the Truth-Seeking Orb is Yin-Yang Release; I will teach you Yin-Yang Release first."
Hashirama nodded.
Tobirama, standing nearby, asked in confusion, "Great Sage, my elder brother is already dead. Can a dead person master the power of the Sage of Six Paths?"
The Slug Sage shook her head. "I don't know, because no dead person has ever studied Yin-Yang Release! I think Lord Tobirama should ask the Great Toad Sage about this!"
Orochimaru spoke up from the side, "Lord First Hokage, I have implanted the Cursed Seal of Ryūchi Cave into your body. You can now use the power of the Cursed Seal, which proves that an Edo Tensei body can grow."
"I expect Lord Hashirama can also use Senjutsu, right?"
Hashirama gave Orochimaru a thumbs up. "Orochimaru, your insight is quite keen! You're very much like Tobirama back in the day."
"Tobirama, you developed Edo Tensei; haven't you even figured this out?"
Tobirama snorted. "Brother, you were the one who sealed away my technique back then."
Hashirama stated his reasoning, "Your technique is too taboo. Such an unethical technique should not be used lightly."
Orochimaru spoke up for Tobirama, "Lord First Hokage, that's where you're wrong. Does a technique's value not lie in its utility? There is no such thing as good or bad, right or wrong!"
"Take Edo Tensei, for example. If the Second Hokage could have used it when he was besieged by Kinkaku and Ginkaku's forces, he could have escaped the pursuit of the Kumogakure rebels."
"To some extent, it was your narrow-mindedness, Lord First Hokage, that caused the death of the Second Hokage!"
Tobirama's death was entirely due to the limitations of early-version settings. Setting aside Edo Tensei, just based on the mobility of the Flying Thunder God Technique...
How could Kinkaku and Ginkaku's forces have possibly cornered and killed him?
One might say Tobirama stayed to cover his comrades' retreat!
But one must remember, Tobirama's Flying Thunder God could transport other people.
Tobirama's death was purely a victim of early series settings.
Once the Shinobi World War arc began, everyone questioned what right those two fellows, Kinkaku and Ginkaku, had to take Tobirama down with them.
They had high chakra levels from the Nine-Tails, but Tobirama's mechanics should have crushed them.
Hearing Orochimaru's words, Hashirama fell silent. Hashirama had died a programmed death due to excessive cell division.
That counts as a natural death.
But Tobirama was different; he died taking Kinkaku and Ginkaku with him to cover his subordinates.
Though it was noble, as an older brother, it only brought him grief.
If he hadn't restricted Tobirama, Tobirama could have used Edo Tensei to kill Kinkaku and Ginkaku instead.
Was he wrong?
Hashirama lowered his head, doubting himself. "Was I wrong?"
Orochimaru was no saint, and he had long been full of resentment toward the First Hokage's policies.
"Lord First Hokage, you were wrong—wrong by a landslide!"
"You distributed the seven Tailed Beasts to the other Shinobi Villages, intending to balance the military power of the Five Great Nations, hoping to achieve peace through such means."
"How laughable. The First Shinobi World War broke out right after you died, and my parents also fell in that war!"
Orochimaru harbored resentment toward Hashirama because Hashirama's absurd balance policy led to the immediate collapse of the Five Great Nations' equilibrium upon his death.
The other Villages heard of Hashirama's passing in the morning and led their troops to invade the Land of Fire by noon.
Orochimaru's parents died in the First Shinobi World War.
Orochimaru likely began his descent into darkness at that time!
Orochimaru's life was actually like Sasori's; both began pursuing the truths of this world out of childhood loneliness, attempting to attain eternity.
Why did Sasori kill the Third Kazekage?
He believed the Third Kazekage wrongly initiated the war between Sunagakure and Konoha, which led to his parents being killed by Sakumo.
In comparison, Orochimaru's reasoning was more grounded in logic.
If Hashirama hadn't distributed the seven Tailed Beasts to other Villages but kept them in Konoha, even without controlling their power...
Just having that many Tailed Beasts would have scared the neighboring countries to death.
But Hashirama chose to distribute such powerful weapons, fueling the arrogance of the other Villages.
He clearly had the chance to establish a balance of power where one superpower dominated many weak ones.
To some extent, Orochimaru's parents were killed by Hashirama.
Orochimaru acknowledged Hashirama's power, but as for his ideology—sorry, he couldn't agree.
Having the ability to end a war and not doing so is a sin, a great sin!
Hashirama's head hung lower and lower as Orochimaru spoke. He couldn't refute it; the bloody facts of three Shinobi World Wars were right before his eyes.
What could he use to argue with Orochimaru?
So many people had died, so many families were ruined; even without seeing the raw data, just thinking about it made Hashirama feel ashamed.
In Ninjutsu, he was hailed as the God of Shinobi.
But in terms of construction, he had ignored the most fundamental desires of humanity.
The human soul is bloodthirsty, and only conflict can soothe that bloodlust.
Hashirama was a giant in ability, but a dwarf in ideology.
"Madara's... Eye of the Moon Plan might have been right!"
Tobirama was horrified. He truly couldn't imagine what hope would be left for the Shinobi World if his elder brother and Madara joined forces.
Be good, and go hang yourself on a tree voluntarily!
The current Hashirama was shocked by the news of the three Shinobi World Wars; it was the moment when the love he had always held onto was being questioned.
Tobirama immediately used his chakra to form a massive wind pressure to strike Orochimaru. "Orochimaru, you're looking for death!"
Orochimaru was terrified. To form wind pressure just from chakra—how enormous must that chakra be?
Orochimaru's pupils then shrank as he saw Tobirama extend a finger from his crossed arms.
The starting stance for Flying Thunder God!
How bitter—
Tobirama wanted to kill Orochimaru right now. After less than half a day of contact, Tobirama had already perceived that Orochimaru was an anomaly.
His personality was sinister, he had no reverence for life or ethics, his actions were treacherous and ruthless, and he would use any means to achieve his goals.
He had sent his two disciples directly to participate in the White Snake Sage's trial.
One must know that the mortality rate of the White Snake Sage's trial was as high as one hundred percent.
Such a person would likely become a great enemy of the Village after Madara was dealt with.
He had to be killed!
Most importantly, how dare he speak to his elder brother like that?
Daring to question the policies of the server's founder—do you think your head is a renewable resource?
At the critical moment, Hashirama called out Tobirama's name.
"Tobirama, stop!"
Tobirama stopped instantly.
Orochimaru collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath, drenched in sweat.
Almost... he was almost killed by Tobirama.
It wasn't that Orochimaru was a coward, but rather that the Edo Tensei bodies of Hashirama and Tobirama had been modified by Orochimaru using White Zetsu clones implanted with the Ryūchi Cave Cursed Seal.
Hashirama and Tobirama's strength was now infinitely close to when they were alive.
Doing this meant Orochimaru could no longer control Hashirama and Tobirama; it was an act of self-harm that benefited no one.
Why did Orochimaru do it?
It wasn't because he was kind, but because if he didn't strengthen the First and Second, the Shinobi World would be completely finished!
The stronger Hashirama and Tobirama were, the better.