"Madara, don't you understand yet? You and I know nothing but fighting. Even if we ruled the world through violence, we wouldn't be capable of governing it properly."
In the First's eyes, Madara had strayed from the ideals that had first led them to build a village together.
Perhaps the alliance between Ninja Villages and nations that he had established had failed to bring true peace, but at least under that system, the people in the villages could enjoy moments of tranquility.
As for unifying the Shinobi World as Edo Madara proposed, even setting aside whether the two of them could accomplish it, the First had no confidence in his ability to govern the entire Shinobi World.
After all, managing Konoha alone had exhausted him, even with the Second Hokage's assistance.
"Hashirama, let me tell you a secret."
Edo Madara smiled at Hashirama's words.
"After our battle, I didn't actually die. I lived for several more decades."
The First froze at Edo Madara's revelation. He truly had never imagined that Edo Madara had survived their battle at the Valley of the End.
"During those decades, I injected your cells into my body. After cultivating them for decades, I used your cells to awaken the Rinnegan. Along the way, I also trained a disciple. Though he's dead now, strictly speaking, he deserves some credit for our resurrection."
A light breeze brushed past as the First quietly sat down beside Edo Madara.
Though the First disagreed with Edo Madara's plan, the two of them still looked like old friends reminiscing.
"People learn and evolve. As children, you and I were weak. As adults, no one could rival us except each other. After you defeated me, though my body was broken, my ocular power continued to grow. You, once treated as a tool