The conversation was restrained at first.
The Wood Clone went straight to his central demand.
End the influence of Indra's and Asura's chakra on their reincarnations, and break the shackles of destiny.
Asura patiently explained the mechanisms of "guidance" and "resonance" in chakra inheritance, emphasizing that their purpose was protection and continuity, not coercion and control.
Hashirama listened from the side, sometimes nodding, sometimes lost in thought, occasionally interjecting to ask about the details. The atmosphere was almost as peaceful as an academic discussion.
Yet as the conversation deepened, touching on the true nature of "villages," "comrades," "bonds," and "choices," Hashirama's expression began to change.
When Asura explained his ideals from a perspective shaped by a thousand years, almost like the governing laws of the Shinobi World itself, and revealed that those ideals subtly influenced the value judgments of successive reincarnations through his chakra...
Hashirama froze at first.
The smile slowly vanished from his face, his brows knitted tightly, and his eyes filled with confusion, memories, and a steadily rising...
Shock and fury at the realization that an invisible hand had manipulated the pivotal choices of his life.
He whipped his head toward Asura. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but the words caught in his throat.
Then, without warning, he began to laugh foolishly. The laughter held none of his usual exuberance; it was utterly hollow, as though he had heard the most absurd joke in the world.
After a few laughs, he abruptly stopped. His expression turned serious again in an instant, even darker than before.
Beside him, Madara narrowed his eyes. Minato and the others also noticed the violent fluctuations in Hashirama's emotions.
Then, just as Asura tried to explain the difference between "guidance" and "coercion" in a gentler tone-
"Enough!"
A low