The newly born Hidden Village possessed power greater than any clan or ninja force in the Warring States Period. This power needed to be restrained and controlled, a point on which both Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama agreed.
But the issue was that besides Konohagakure (Hidden Leaf Village), four other villages existed in the world with such immense power: Kumogakure (Hidden Cloud Village), Iwagakure (Hidden Stone Village), Kirigakure (Hidden Mist Village), and Sunagakure (Hidden Sand Village).
If these powers, far exceeding those of any clan or ninja force in the Warring States Period, weren't properly managed, a war even more brutal than the Warring States Period would inevitably erupt between the major villages.
Looking back on future events, these concerns were proven valid.
The future wars between villages were difficult to say, who was more brutal than the tumultuous Warring States Period, especially for those ninjas who died on the battlefield.
However, Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama held completely opposing views on how to handle these four villages.
“Madara-sama, just like establishing Konoha, he wanted to make the other four villages like Konoha, to make all ninjas in the Land of Fire join Konoha, integrate all ninjas, unify the entire ninja world, and concentrate all ninjas under one organization, thereby preventing future wars between ninjas.”
Uchiha Hoken continued to recount the story of how Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama went from allies to enemies.
“However, the other major villages were established to resist Konoha and prevent being annexed by Konoha. To fulfill Madara-sama's idea, a unifying war had to be waged, but the First Hokage did not agree with this approach.”
“The First Hokage believed that proactively launching an invasion was unjust, and the strength of the other four villages was not to be underestimated. If they united against Konoha, the war-waging Konoha would ultimately suffer heavy casualties.”
“Moreover, if war broke out again, the world, which had just barely achieved peace, would once more be engulfed in chaos and bloodshed.”
“For the First Hokage, who had always strived to end conflict, these were clearly things he didn't want to see. Moreover, at this time, envoys from the other four villages came to Konoha to propose an alliance. Seeing hope for peace in the ninja world, the First Hokage was even more opposed to Madara-sama's plan to unify the ninja world through war.”
“The disagreement, coupled with the fact that Madara-sama was originally supposed to be the First Hokage but failed due to opposition from other clans, completely enraged Madara-sama, leading him to eventually leave the village.”
“But from the current situation, isn't Madara-sama's idea correct? Great-grandfather, my father, and countless other ninjas didn't they die in the Ninja World War?” Chen Yue asked the old man.
From the situation where two Ninja World Wars erupted after the First Hokage's death, Senju Hashirama's approach was not correct. On the contrary, Uchiha Madara's choice was the right one.
“Perhaps!”
The old man didn't entirely agree with the young boy's words. He said, “Perhaps choosing to wage a unifying war might have led to a completely different future, but the question is, could we have been certain of victory?”
“And most importantly, at that time, the vast majority of people didn't want to fight anymore. They had had enough of bloodshed and death. When there was still hope for peace, most people didn't want to actively shatter it, including our Uchiha clan.”
As a man born 25 years before the establishment of Konoha, who truly experienced the darkness of the Warring States Period, he was well aware of the situation at the time.
“You know, child, our Uchiha clan chose to form an alliance with the Senju clan not only because of the friendship between Madara-sama and Hashirama-sama, and because Hashirama-sama led the Senju clan to defeat our clan, but also because our clans were utterly weary of the daily bloodshed. People craved the arrival of peace.”
“Otherwise, if we had simply been defeated by the Senju clan, it wouldn't have been possible to make us, who had been enemies for nearly a thousand years, lay down our hatred and unite. Over the millennium, situations where one side suppressed the other had occurred. After losing, they would lie in wait, and in the vast ninja world, there would always be a chance for resurgence.”
“So, it was because our clan members longed for peace and didn't want to continue fighting that we chose to ally with the Senju clan. It was why, when Madara-sama chose to leave Konoha, none of our clan members chose to leave with him. It was why, when Madara-sama returned to destroy Konoha, we chose to stand against him.”
“…” Chen Yue fell silent.
For him, who had always lived in peace, talking about waging war was not daunting at all. He was even somewhat eager.
But for those who had just experienced brutal war, it was completely natural to choose the side of Senju Hashirama.
Moreover, could Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara, working together, truly have defeated the other four villages?
He knew the strength of Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara, but he had no information about the strength of the other four villages' Kage.
Facing the Kage, who had also ended the chaos in their respective countries and established their villages, could Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara be certain of victory?
No one knew!
Furthermore, even if unification through force was successful, the casualties of war would inevitably increase animosity towards Konoha from all sides.
If Konoha remained strong, that would be fine, but if there were setbacks, for example, if Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara died, could the subsequent leaders continue to maintain military dominance over the other four villages?
If not, future outbreaks of war would be inevitable.
Perhaps it was fate's cruel twist.
If the other four countries hadn't reacted so quickly after the establishment of the Land of Fire and Konoha, establishing their own four Hidden Villages in close succession, then Konoha and the Land of Fire might have truly been able to unify the entire ninja world with their overwhelming size and strength.
Unfortunately, there are no ifs or buts in the world, only the unyielding truth!
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