Naruto: Falling from the sky into Hashirama's arms

At that moment, Lin Sang clearly saw the sudden change in the expression on Hashirama Senju's face.

His brows furrowed deeply, and the gentle smile that was usually present in his eyes vanished instantly, replaced by an overwhelming aura of authority that belonged to the pinnacle of the ninja world.

Hashirama always had a smiling face, and Lin Sang, who had been with him for a long time, had almost never seen him so cold and hard.

At this moment, that face, which had always been gentle in my memory, was now tinged with an unyielding and tough edge. The air seemed to be gripped by an invisible gravity, and a heavy sense of intimidation washed over me, making me subconsciously hold my breath and feel a shiver run down my spine.

Lin Sang suddenly felt as if she had rediscovered Hashirama Senju.

Yes, he was at the peak of combat power in the early stages of Naruto, so how could he be a gentle person without any edge?

Although unwilling to admit it, Lin Sang was indeed stunned by the aura that appeared in that instant. She was somewhat puzzled as to why Hashirama seemed like a completely different person once he became serious, which made people instinctively feel "fear".

Hashirama Senju noticed Lin Sang's stunned expression and pale face, only then realizing that he had frightened him.

His fierce aura dissipated instantly, and he quickly stepped forward, gently taking Lin Sang's hand.

His voice carried a natural sigh, a hint of helplessness at having seen through the ways of the world, and a compassion unique to the strong who looked down upon all living beings: "What I wanted was never for Konoha to conquer others."

Lin Sang seemed to see the lingering images of his clansmen swallowed up by war through his eyes, and heard him continue slowly: "I have seen too many people lose their families and lives because of fighting. What ninjas need is to 'coexist' with the vast majority of people, not to 'dominate'."

"Unification achieved through war will only sow deeper seeds of hatred. Today we conquer four countries by force, but tomorrow new wars will retaliate. This is completely contrary to the peace I want."

He turned to look at Izuna, his tone calm yet each word carrying immense weight: "Alliance may be fragile, but at least it gives countries the possibility of communication, while swords will only block all escape routes and cause more children like Yuki to lose their homes."

"In this world, it's never just ninjas who face difficulties... If I had a choice, I would never initiate any war."

This is Hashirama Senju.

As Lin Sang listened to his heartfelt confession, only this one thought remained in her mind.

Yes, if Hashirama Senju were to initiate a war, he would no longer be Hashirama Senju.

He was a rare staunch pacifist in the ninja world.

Even in the original story, having witnessed the war that claimed the lives of his loved ones since childhood, he had long harbored a wish with Madara Uchiha to build a peaceful home together.

Even though the Senju clan had an overwhelming advantage over the Uchiha clan, he never thought of massacring the entire clan.

When Madara proposed the harsh conditions that he would only surrender if he committed suicide or killed his brother Tobirama, he actually agreed to exchange his life for peace. This sincerity eventually moved Madara and led to the two clans joining forces to build a village.

Later, he promoted the Five Kage Summit, distributing the Tailed Beasts equally among the various countries to balance their military strength. All of these measures were aimed at eliminating the root causes of war.

Even when faced with Madara, who had betrayed the village and wanted to destroy it, he initially tried to persuade him with all his might. Only when all hope was lost did he take action to protect the village. From beginning to end, he never took the initiative to start a war.

The meeting room fell silent for a moment, and even Uchiha Izuna, who had been somewhat wavering earlier, calmed down.

Listening to Hashirama's words, he sighed helplessly in his heart. This was the Hashirama Senju he knew; his vision and magnanimity were ultimately beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Looking at the man in front of her, Lin Sang suddenly felt that he seemed to have changed.

No, perhaps Hashirama never changed; it was he himself who changed.

The fear that had just struck vanished instantly, replaced by a deep sense of guilt.

He rarely seemed to take the initiative to understand the man he was going to spend his life with, and what kind of commitment and responsibility lay deep within his heart.

He paused, then looked up at Hashirama, his eyes filled with tenderness and admiration: "Hashirama, you are truly remarkable."

Hashirama Senju slowly regained his composure, a gentle smile unconsciously curving his lips: "Lin-san..."

Lin Sang squeezed his hand back and said softly, "Replacing war with inclusiveness and development is indeed much more reliable than forcibly unifying the country."

He had oversimplified things.

Unifying a country may not be difficult, but governing a ninja world that encompasses the lives of countless people is by no means a trivial matter.

This involves the livelihoods and futures of countless people; how can we act rashly?

Sigh, I guess I read too many time-travel novels before, and I thought unifying the world was too easy.