Driven by an boundless longing for peace, Hashirama Senju had spent the past three years doing everything he could to unite the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
At first, everyone had questioned his motives. Now, no one doubted his sincerity. Wearing that goofy grin, Hashirama met every malicious suspicion and rejection with utter earnestness, sticking to people like a stubborn plaster and pestering them relentlessly until he got his way.
And so the world's understanding of the God of the Shinobi World changed once more. This time, people finally realized that beyond his unrivaled strength, his gentle, kindhearted nature was even more precious.
He possessed immense power but never abused it, and was even willing to concede some benefits to the other villages for the sake of peace (something Tobirama and Madara had naturally rejected and vehemently opposed). Even the most stubborn, suspicious shinobi were willing to believe that this man truly wanted to bring peace to the chaotic shinobi world.
Such a powerful man naturally inspired tremendous confidence and trust. With him taking the lead, the newly established shinobi villages, already inclined toward an alliance, gradually came together. Although the process was painfully slow, it still became an endless nightmare hanging over the heads of the daimyō and nobles.
The greatest obstacle along that road had stepped aside of his own accord. Madara Uchiha plainly loathed the nobles and daimyō more than he did other shinobi. And with Hashirama around, even the Asura of the Ninja World no longer seemed quite so terrifying or hopeless to face.
Peace was always something to look forward to, and the prospect of a shinobi world ruled by shinobi was even more enticing. Against that future, even a thousand years of blood feuds and tangled interests from the Warring States era seemed insignificant. In