At that moment, everyone undoubtedly regarded Kakuzu as someone on the same level as Lord Hashirama.
[Question: How did Kakuzu fight Hashirama Senju, Konoha's First Hokage?]
[A. Kakuzu threw a Shuriken at Hashirama from eight hundred meters away, then hurriedly ran off.
B. Kakuzu and the First Hokage Hashirama each won and lost against the other, ending in a draw.
C. Kakuzu was soundly beaten by Hashirama's Wood Clone and fled in utter disgrace.
D. Kakuzu was knocked to the ground by one use of Hashirama's Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands. In the end, Hashirama let him go because Kakuzu hadn't hurt him.
As soon as the question appeared, everyone fell silent. Good grief, how was this different from what he'd said? The fight he'd talked about couldn't have been throwing a Kunai from eight hundred meters away, could it? Or had he been soundly beaten by a single Wood Clone?
Kakuzu hurried to explain himself.
[Kakuzu: That's not how it happened. I definitely...]
Kakuzu was too embarrassed to finish. After all, being knocked down by Hashirama Senju in one move wasn't much better than the previous options. They all ended the same way.
[Hanzō: I knew it. How could he possibly be as powerful as you all said? I could take on ten people like that myself.]
Hanzō popped up again to say this, as though he had to prove himself after being underestimated just now.
Kakuzu watched that damned fly pop up again. No, he had to kill him someday.
[Kakuzu: Hanzo of the Salamander, was it? I'll remember you. You'd better hope your bounty isn't high, or I'll take your head.]
[Yahiko: Don't you talk about Lord Hanzō like that!]
[Nagato: Yahiko's right!]
[Konan: Yahiko and Nagato are right!]
Several nameless shinobi had popped up from who knew where, greatly displeasing Kakuzu. Someday, he had to teach these brats who didn't know their own limits a lesson.
In fact, Yahiko and the other two had been paying attention to the Inventory System for some time. They just hadn't answered much, so they wouldn't expose themselves too much.
[Jiraiya: Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan.]
Jiraiya had also noticed these students of his. He hadn't expected to see them again.
[Yahiko: Teacher Jiraiya,]
At this point, Yahiko had only just completed his training and still held Jiraiya in great respect. They hadn't yet reached the point of fighting each other with weapons.
This was also when Yahiko truly admired Hanzō for protecting Amegakure with his own strength, so naturally he wouldn't allow anyone else to belittle him like that.
[Ōnoki: Speaking of which, how exactly did Kakuzu lose to the First Hokage?]
[Hanzō: Do you even have to ask? He definitely threw a Kunai from over eight hundred meters away.]
[Shikaku Nara: Although I never witnessed Lord Hashirama's might, I don't think he would have let someone who tried to assassinate him off so easily.]
[Hiruzen Sarutobi: Why does hearing you say that make me want to choose D instead?]
[Obito: The First Hokage must have been generous enough to let you go of his own accord. I choose D.]
Before anyone else could answer, Obito spoke decisively. It could only be said that Obito and Naruto were actually a little similar to Hashirama in personality, so they subconsciously thought that way.
[Ōnoki: I'll choose C. After all, Lord Hashirama's strength is beyond anything we can match.]
[Hanzō: I choose A. No matter what, I won't believe this Kakuzu is that capable.]
At this point, Hanzō refused to acknowledge Kakuzu no matter what. However he looked at him, he found Kakuzu displeasing.
[Mei Terumi: Since he could live that long and has something as heaven-defying as Earth Grudge Fear, he should at least be able to match himself against the First Hokage. I choose B.]
[Danzo: What do you know? With Lord First's strength, defeating an unknown shinobi would be effortless. I choose C.]
Danzo didn't believe Lord Hashirama would be foolish enough—no, kind enough—to let the assassin who had come to kill him go, so he decisively chose C.
[Ding, the final answer is D. After knocking Kakuzu down with one use of Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands, Hashirama chose to let him go.]
[Congratulations to Obito Uchiha, Rin Nohara, Minato Namikaze, Kakuzu, Yahiko, Tsunade, and Orochimaru for answering correctly.]
A full seven people had answered correctly this time. Kakuzu himself, of course, remembered how Lord Hashirama had defeated him.
Tsunade also knew her grandfather's personality very well. He would absolutely do something like that. Perhaps Orochimaru had chosen D because he understood her grandfather's personality too.
As for the others, Yahiko and Minato clearly thought the First Hokage was that kind of person.
Those who had answered incorrectly were even more dumbfounded. The First Hokage had even let someone who tried to assassinate him go. Wasn't that a little too outrageous? Kakuzu had been sent by Takigakure, after all, and he'd just let him go?
[The punishment list is as follows:]
[Hiruzen Sarutobi, Hanzo of the Salamander, Ōnoki, Mei Terumi, Danzo, Fourth Raikage A, Shikaku Nara]
[Punishment: five Ninjutsu will be deducted at random.]
Hiruzen Sarutobi hurriedly thought it over and found that five Ninjutsu had indeed vanished from his mind. But they were all B-rank Ninjutsu, and to the Shinobi World Professor, those techniques were a mere trifle.
The others had also lost a few Ninjutsu to varying degrees, but none had been greatly affected.
Only Danzo's face was ashen. He discovered that Izanagi, Reverse Four Symbols Seal, and several other Ninjutsu had all vanished from his mind.
[Mei Terumi: You've got to be kidding me! I worked so hard to master the Water Dragon Bullet Technique, and it was taken away just like that.]
[Hiruzen Sarutobi: It doesn't matter. Who would use a technique that requires over twenty hand seals? Konoha does have an improved version of the Water Dragon Bullet, though. It can be released with just a few hand seals.]
[Mei Terumi: What? Which of us is Kirigakure, anyway? How come Konoha's Ninjutsu are so much simpler than those of the other shinobi villages?]
[Hiruzen Sarutobi: That brings us to the Second Mizu—no, the Second Hokage Lord Tobirama's Water Release.]
Quite a few people in the shinobi world knew about the Second Mizukage, Lord Tobirama. Tobirama Senju wielded powerful Water Release, and it was said he could use large-scale Water Release even where there was no water.
[Mei Terumi: Damn Konoha, don't even think about tempting me.]
Mei Terumi thought angrily that she was Kirigakure's beautiful genius kunoichi, the future Fifth Mizukage. How could she possibly defect to Konoha? It was ridiculous.
But a Water Dragon Bullet that needed only a few hand seals... she really wanted to learn it. And she'd heard Konoha had far more handsome men than other places.
"No, no, Mei Terumi, how can you be so corrupted? You're a woman who's going to become Mizukage!" Mei Terumi vowed silently.
She had to become Mizukage before looking for a partner. Then wouldn't she be able to pick whichever of the many handsome men she wanted?