Hashirama

Biodata

Background / History

Founding Konoha

Hashirama and Madara founded Konoha to reduce warfare and spare children from entering battle at four or five years old. Their alliance ended the prolonged fighting between the Senju and Uchiha, but Madara eventually left the village without any clansmen following him 1 2 39.

At the beginning of the story, Hashirama is occupied with stabilizing the still-developing village and establishing diplomatic relations with the other four great nations. His presence restrains inter-clan hostility: without Madara, the Uchiha cannot challenge the Senju, and the village’s clans show enough respect for Hashirama to permit greater freedom of movement within Konoha 1.

When Uchiha Mu and Hyuga Lingnai leave, Hashirama stops an impending confrontation between their clans. He approves Tobirama’s decision to assign both clans to the retrieval mission, but worries that its four members would be insufficient if the fugitives joined Madara 2.

Mu’s Nation and Madara’s Attack

Hashirama considers approaching Mu during the mobilization against the newly established Hundred-Clan Shinobi Nation. Tobirama persuades him not to intervene, arguing that stopping the conflict would deepen resentment and threaten peace within Konoha. Hashirama reluctantly accepts this reasoning, although the subsequent war saddens him 7 11.

Madara later attacks Konoha with the Nine-Tails, forcing Hashirama into a prolonged battle involving the Wooden Man, Susanoo-clad Nine-Tails, and Thousand-Armed Kannon. Hashirama wins by stabbing Madara, apparently killing him. He nevertheless preserves Madara’s body and fiercely rejects Tobirama’s proposal to study it 30.

Following the attack, Hashirama begins capturing the tailed beasts at Tobirama’s urging. He eventually captures every beast except the Two-Tails and Seven-Tails, which are sheltered in Mu’s nation. During this period, he often returns alone to the stream where he and Madara once skipped stones 30 31 39.

Medical Ninjutsu and the Peace Summit

During Mu’s visit to Konoha, Hashirama supervises a training demonstration to ensure the children’s safety. He praises Mu’s teaching and experiences his instructional genjutsu, which introduces chakra nature transformation and the Mystical Palm Technique 45.

Hashirama is sincerely grateful for the medical technique because it can help others survive injuries. Although he possesses exceptional regeneration himself, he had never considered developing medical ninjutsu from it. As thanks, he willingly gives Mu a sample of his flesh and blood, warning him not to use it recklessly 46.

At the following summit, Hashirama bows until his head touches the table while asking the assembled representatives to discuss peace. He proposes distributing the tailed beasts so that each village will possess enough strength to deter war even after his death. The other Kage are moved by his sincerity, although they remain wary of Konoha’s power 48 49.

Land of Demons Mission

Despite Tobirama noticing his declining condition, Hashirama immediately accepts the Land of Demons’ request for assistance. On arrival, he prevents the Moryo-possessed Kitamura from attacking villagers, restrains him with a Wood Dragon, and leaves Wood Clones to protect the settlement 74 76.

He then joins Hyuga Lingnai at the defensive front. His Wood Dragon destroys a large swath of Moryo’s puppets, while additional clones help hold back the army 76.

After Mu’s confrontation with Moryo, Hashirama wonders whether he and Madara could have avoided their estrangement if Madara had acted more like Mu. Over drinks that evening, he asks Mu what Madara had seen that changed him 78 79.

Visiting the Hundred-Clan Shinobi Nation

At a later gathering of the Kage, Mu notices Hashirama’s deteriorating health. Hashirama attributes it to years of fighting. He asks whether Mu intends to attack Konoha and accepts his assurance that he does not, but releases an immense surge of chakra when their discussion turns to preserving Konoha’s peace 95.

Hashirama subsequently visits Mu’s nation with Tobirama. Its hopeful atmosphere leads him to acknowledge that Mu appears better suited to being Hokage. He visits households and questions residents directly about their lives, then considers introducing mixed-clan residential arrangements in Konoha 97 98.

During the visit, Hashirama recognizes Madara beneath his identity as Nisen, partly because the disguise incorporates Hashirama’s own cells. He chooses not to expose him or disturb his new life. Hashirama also decides to retire, recognizing that Tobirama already handles the village’s administration 98.

After returning home, Hashirama steps down and Tobirama becomes the Second Hokage. Tobirama rejects his proposal to disperse the clans, reasoning that Konoha’s clan-based foundation makes such a reform dangerous 99.

Death and Final Reconsideration

Hashirama dies of natural causes. According to White Zetsu, his regeneration repaired the injuries accumulated through earlier battles but could not restore the lifespan they had cost him. His death removes the principal restraint on the other villages, and war follows after the news is leaked 115 116 117.

Mu summons him through Impure World Reincarnation using a White Zetsu sacrifice. Hashirama initially challenges the summoning, but Mu demonstrates that he cannot escape his control. Hashirama nevertheless asks to remain and witness the war, after which Mu stops restricting his movements 117.

Watching tailed beasts kill Konoha shinobi and ninja attack civilians forces Hashirama to recognize the failure of his approach to peace. He asks Mu why villages without inherited hatred still went to war. Their conversation confronts him with resource pressures and the political interests behind keeping shinobi confined to warfare 127.

Before leaving, Hashirama asks Mu to treat Konoha’s people as well as he treats the people of his own nation if he ever takes control of the village. Having received his answer and made peace with it, Hashirama voluntarily releases Impure World Reincarnation and returns to the Underworld 127.

Appearance

• Red armor: Worn when Mu summons him through Impure World Reincarnation 117.
• White hairs in later life: Madara notices signs of aging during Hashirama’s visit to the Hundred-Clan Shinobi Nation 98.

Personality

Hashirama is ordinarily gentle, easygoing, and prone to hearty laughter. He can miss pointed remarks or become distracted even during formal negotiations, but turns stern when conflict threatens the village or innocent people 2 46 48 76.

His commitment to Konoha overrides personal attachments. He is prepared to oppose friends, brothers, or family for the village’s sake, yet his attachment to Madara remains strong enough that he protects his apparent corpse and later preserves his secret identity 30 49 98.

Hashirama pursues peace through sincerity, personal humility, and overwhelming strength. Other leaders regard him as naive, and he openly admits that he does not understand politics. Nevertheless, he can reassess himself: seeing Mu’s nation prompts his retirement, while witnessing the posthumous war leads him to acknowledge that his earlier assumptions were wrong 32 48 98 127.

Abilities & Skills

Wood Release

Hashirama uses Wood Release for large-scale combat, restraint, protection, and construction 30 41 76.

• Wood Dragon: Binds the Moryo-possessed Kitamura and destroys extensive sections of the puppet army 76.
• Wood Clones: Protect villagers and reinforce the defensive line against Moryo’s forces 76.
• Wooden Man and Thousand-Armed Kannon: Deployed during his battle with Madara and the Nine-Tails 30.
• Construction: At Tobirama’s request, rebuilds most of Konoha’s houses without substantially changing the village’s overall appearance 41.

Regeneration and Hashirama Cells

Hashirama heals automatically; a wound he makes with a kunai closes almost immediately. His cells retain extraordinary vitality when removed from his body 17 46 58.

• Wood Release transfer: Successful implantation grants Wood Release to Mu and Madara 1 31.
• Ocular support: His cells support Mu’s Mangekyō Sharingan and increase Madara’s ocular power 4 31.
• Transplant danger: Senrin’s research finds that even partial integration can cause saplings to sprout. Transplantation into non-Uchiha recipients carries a particularly high risk 58.
• Lifespan limitation: Healing accumulated injuries does not restore lost lifespan; this limitation contributes to his natural death 115.

Chakra and Combat Power

Hashirama’s strength makes him a deterrent against both inter-clan conflict and international war 1 80 115.

• Defeats Madara despite the latter using the Nine-Tails clad in Susanoo 30.
• Knocks out tailed beasts with a single punch apiece during his capture campaign 31.
• Releases chakra that Hyuga Lingnai and Keiko Uzumaki find more oppressive than a tailed beast’s presence 95.

Sage Mode

Hashirama possesses Sage Mode. Madara uses it as a point of comparison when assessing Jiraiya’s toad-assisted Sage Mode 107.

Genjutsu Resistance

Hashirama can freely break out of Mu’s instructional Mangekyō Sharingan genjutsu, even though Tobirama cannot escape the same technique 45 46.

• This resistance does not make him immune to all control: after his resurrection, Mu’s Impure World Reincarnation initially prevents him from acting freely 117.

Relationships

• Madara Uchiha — Close friend, rival, and fellow founder of Konoha. Hashirama defeats him to protect their village but continues to mourn their broken bond; later, he recognizes Madara as Nisen and keeps his survival secret 2 30 39 98.
• Tobirama Senju — Younger brother and successor. Hashirama relies on his judgment and administrative work, while Tobirama worries about his health and guards against threats that Hashirama’s idealism may overlook 7 22 74 99.
• Uchiha Mu — Former Konoha shinobi whose methods repeatedly challenge Hashirama’s understanding of peace. Hashirama praises his teaching, provides him with cells, visits his nation, and ultimately entrusts him with a request concerning Konoha’s future 45 46 97 127.
• Tsunade — Granddaughter, identified as the Fifth Hokage during Mu and Madara’s journey into the future 106.
• Hyuga Lingnai — Former Konoha resident and battlefield ally during the Land of Demons mission. She greets him respectfully and brings him to help defend against Moryo’s puppets 76.

Notable Quotes

“I will distribute the tailed beasts. That will ensure every Shinobi Village has enough strength to deter the others from going to war, even after I die.” 49

“It looks like you’re better suited to being Hokage than I am, Mu.” 97

“I have only one request. If you ever set your sights on Konoha, I hope you’ll treat them the way you treat the people here.” 127