Chapter 251: Hashirama: Why are you attacking me personally? [Combined Chapter]

“Do you think these people who live in peace are happy?”

Hashirama was stunned for a moment and couldn't help but look around again.

He saw a beggar on the street corner reaching out his trembling hands to pick up the leftovers thrown on the ground, but was kicked from behind by a naughty child and fell to his knees.

I also saw the pale and extremely frail woman feeding straw to her equally skinny child, and gratefully selling it to those who stopped in front of her.

There was also a nobleman who passed by and had the store owner beaten half to death just because the food was too bad, and then he left after leaving some silver and money.

Is it peaceful here?

The answer is yes, because the people here don’t have to worry about being dragged to the battlefield to fight a life-and-death battle with others.

But are people happy?

The answer is uncertain, because the suffering happening now far outweighs the happiness. Even for those who are not trapped in suffering, their expressions are mostly numb and indifferent.

This also prevented Hashirama from answering Ling's question, and he remained silent for a long time.

Fortunately, Ling didn't seem to want to get an answer from Hashirama. After Hashirama was silent for a few minutes, he spoke, "I heard from Yi that your dream is to create a ninja world without disputes... Is this the peace you expect?"

"No, this is not the peace I want to pursue." Hashirama stared at Ling for a while. Although he was still on guard, his mind unconsciously turned to why Uzumaki Yi would discuss such a thing with Ling. "The peace I want to pursue should not have so many misfortunes."

"Oh? Would you like to tell me more about it?"

Talking about his dream, the hesitation and entanglement in Hashirama's eyes disappeared, replaced by a determination and yearning that would infect others just by seeing it, "The peace I want to pursue is a world where children can grow up in peace and don't have to pick up heavy weapons too early to survive.

By then, everyone will be able to live to a ripe old age, no one will be affected by war for no reason, everyone will be able to love each other, and everyone will be able to pursue what they like according to their own ideas...

To achieve this, someone needs to stand up, open their hearts and accept everyone equally. Then, the era when everyone can live and work in peace and contentment will surely come, and world peace will not be just empty talk! "

"Your idea... well, it's very interesting." Ling tapped the hilt of the knife with his fingers. "But it's only interesting - this kind of inconsistent peace can never be achieved."

Hashirama did not get angry because of the denial. Instead, he asked curiously, "What's the contradiction?"

"Why must children take up arms in the so-called peaceful world?"

Hashirama was stunned. "Of course it's because we are ninjas, and ninjas are supposed to fight..."

"Then why do you say that everyone should love each other?" Ling turned to the direction of Hashirama, "If everyone loves each other, why do they have to take up arms?"

"This one……"

"You know this clearly, right? Fights between people cannot be eliminated. If you want to achieve the peace you dream of... heh, I guess the only way is to let everyone be pulled into the illusion world and have a beautiful dream from which they will never wake up until they die, right?"

Hashirama fell silent, but he didn't remain silent for too long. He spoke again soon, "Even if that happens, I won't give up. As long as I can take the first step, there will definitely be like-minded people who will move forward with me... If you called me out to talk just to completely deny my dream, then your goal has been achieved. Can I go back now?"

"You're so impatient..." Ling smiled and shook his head, "I'm not talking to you about something so boring - everyone has one or two naive and ridiculous dreams when they were young."

Hashirama raised an eyebrow, looking extremely confused, and spoke carefully again, "What is that...?"

"I want to see what kind of person you are. Will the tribe you lead be a hindrance or a help to me in the future..." Ling turned to the street and spoke in the midst of the noisy voices after a brief silence, "After all, I also want to pursue peace, and I must confirm all possible situations."

Hearing this, Hashirama suddenly opened his eyes wide, opened and closed his mouth to utter intermittent words, but he was unable to utter a complete sentence for a long time.

Listening to the jumbled words that didn't form a sentence, Ling chuckled, "Your reaction is very similar to Yi's - but that guy is better than you, and he can clearly say that I am a lunatic."

"But, but..." Hashirama raised his hand to the back of his neck, and after a long while he squeezed out a word from his throat, "But why?"

"Do we need a reason to do things?"

"Uh-Okay, you're right." Although Hashirama knew that the other party was just trying to fool him, he had to admit it. "Then what kind of peace are you pursuing?"

"I don't know. People like me can't imagine what peace would look like. I'm just considering humanity..." Ling turned to Hashirama again, "If you want peace, then everyone must be indispensable. So my current goal is to make the Land of Fire implement the same policy as the Land of Hot Water, and try to resolve the gap between ordinary people and ninjas."

"Make everyone indispensable... Indeed, only in this way can we prevent people from being killed for any reason. I have also been to the Land of Hot Springs. There, no matter who you are, as long as you are willing to work hard, you will never starve to death or freeze to death on the streets. Even if you are affected by the fight between ninjas or samurai, there will be compensation for your family, and those who are alone will be buried..."

Hashirama raised his hand to touch his chin, his eyes brighter as he spoke, "You are amazing! How did you come up with the idea of ​​learning about the Land of Hot Springs? Although there are still some unfair things, we have done our best to protect the rights of everyone!"

"Ah, this, it happened to be during the Hot Spring Country Festival. Yi and I said this while we were drinking after taking a hot spring bath." Ling chuckled, "Then I thought, people like me don't really enjoy the peaceful and harmonious atmosphere of Hot Spring Country. If I want peace to come, I just need to make the world change in the opposite direction of my expectations. So I temporarily set Hot Spring Country as my target."

"Soak, soak in hot springs and drink?! At the Hot Spring Country Festival?!" Hashirama's eyes were filled with fear again, and he couldn't help but take a small step back. "I, I actually wanted to ask you before, what is your relationship with Brother Yi?"

"Hmm - friends who can take the other's head without hesitation?"

"That's not a friend!"

Ling was startled by what Hashirama shouted, but soon he started laughing again, "You are very brave to yell at me, Hashirama."

"I'm sorry, I was wrong, please forgive me." Hashirama bowed his head decisively to apologize, but his curiosity grew stronger. "I understand your idea, and I am willing to help you, but I haven't grown to that level yet, so I probably won't be able to convince the tribe members to join forces with you."

But after he finished speaking, Ling's expression froze, and his voice was full of confusion, "When did I say that I wanted our two tribes to join forces?"

Hashirama was also stunned. "But if you want to change a country's policy, you need a certain amount of influence, right? Let alone other countries, if you want to change the Fire Country Daimyo's mind, then only our two clans can work together to achieve it."

Ling's expression turned into one of pity, "How can I put it... you have brains, but not much."

Hashirama:……

"Do you think your clan is not big enough to attract attention?" Ling sighed, "I dare say that although our clan's personality is not pleasing and our behavior is extremely eccentric, we definitely don't have as many enemies as your clan."

"why?"

Ling gave a dangerous smile, "Because compared to your clan's tolerance and generosity, our clan has always believed in revenge without delay."

Hashirama's expression suddenly twisted, [So the translation actually means there are no enemies living in this world! ]

But after a brief inner roar, he brought his thoughts back to the topic between the two of them, "Then what do you want me to do? If it will endanger my people, then I will never do it."

"Before that, to show my sincerity, let me tell you a piece of information." Ling leaned down, close to Hashirama's profile, and spoke softly, "Our clan received the mission to [annihilate the Senju clan] a few days ago. Guess how many other ninja clans have received this lucrative mission?"

When Ling was only halfway through his words, Hashirama's pupils shrank, and when Ling finished speaking, Hashirama felt as if he had fallen into an icy cave. After a long while, he spoke in a dry voice, "...Really?"

"I never lie," Ling stood up straight, "and I can make our clan less involved or even not involved in this matter... Do you understand what I mean, Kobashirama?"

Hashirama's voice dropped. He clenched his numb fingertips and let out a long breath, knowing that he no longer had the initiative to cooperate. "...What do you want me to do?"

"Don't be so nervous. If I want to harm you, there's no need to go through so much trouble." Ling reached out and patted Hashirama's tense shoulders. "Do you... know the Yuyi clan?"

Hashirama paused. Although he didn't understand why the topic turned to the Hagoromo clan again, he still responded, "I know that before your clan came to the Land of Fire, they were our clan's old enemy."

"That's easy," Ling chuckled. "I need you to let as many people as possible hear the news that [the Yuyi tribe has been a bit dishonest recently] after you return to the tribe, and let them have a deep enough impression of the Yuyi tribe."

Hashirama was still waiting for Ling to continue, but seeing Ling smiling and remaining silent, he tilted his head, "That's it?"

"Of course that's it—" Ling once again had a sympathetic expression, "After all, you are different from Yi. With your brain, I can no longer expect you to complete any complex operations."

Hashirama suddenly frowned - if you want to talk, just talk, why make personal attacks?

But Hashirama just thought about it and didn't do anything that would cause misunderstanding. "If that's all, I can do it, but how can you guarantee that your clan won't invest all its forces here?"

"Have you ever heard of the Pool of Blood?"

"Pond of Blood? Is that a place name or something? I didn't hear...did I say something wrong?"

"Hashirama, you..." Ling's mood was quite complicated at this moment, "If ignorance is also a kind of talent, then you are really gifted - would I discuss the place name with you at this time? That is the name of a ninja clan."

Hashirama scratched his head, looking a little guilty, "Uh... okay, then what's wrong with this pool of blood?"

"Their clan will be our clan's next opponent, just like your next opponent will become the Yuyi clan."

Hashirama was not stupid, and he immediately realized that Ling wanted to use this method to dilute the tit-for-tat hatred between their two clans, but with it came more doubts, "But the Yuyi clan has been in decline for many years, and our two clans have no intersection in the mission area for a long time.

Therefore, even if I spread the word among the tribe members, it is impossible to arouse their hatred towards them, and it is even more impossible for this to cause the Yuyi tribe to attack us."

"Do you think a ninja clan that once stood at the top and enjoyed the respect of the world would be content to be lonely like this?"

Ling stretched out his hand, using his index finger and thumb to indicate a tiny distance, and said with a smile, "As long as the current overlord shows signs of fatigue and they know about it, they will surround us like sharks smelling blood and try to pull the current overlord down from his perch.

"Kozushiro, this is just a sweet trap where you just need to throw out the bait and wait patiently - it's a conspiracy that couldn't be more aboveboard."

Looking at Ling's particularly kind smile, Hashirama felt a chill all over his body. He took a step back unconsciously before swallowing his saliva and speaking, "...I understand. I will seriously promote the Hagoromo Clan within the clan."

"Then please, as a token of our cooperation, um, let me think about it -" Ling flexed his fingers and tapped the handle of the cane knife lightly, "I promise you that during our cooperation, children of your clan who are younger than you can survive as long as they beg for mercy in time when facing our generation... How about it?"

Hashirama opened his eyes uncontrollably again, "...Really?!"

"Well - as a result, I don't want to say the same thing twice."

Hashirama clenched his fists and swung them vigorously in the air. "I will do what you said, and you must also - no, please promise that you will do what you promised."

"Then I wish us a happy cooperation..." Ling nodded slightly, "Speaking of which, do you know the way?"

"Eh? What road?"

Ling sighed, "Of course it's Baiweiju in the city center... After this conversation, do you still want to stay with me instead of going back to reunite with your brother?"

Hashirama immediately shook his head like a rattle, "I don't want to go with you at all - no no no, I mean I know the way! You can come with me!"

"Then please. After all, my current situation is not so convenient for finding the way."

After only two steps, Hashirama turned his head and looked at Ling, "By the way, can I ask a question?"

"what?"

"Do you really want to pursue peace and improve relations between the two races?"

"I'm talking to you, Xiao Zhujian..." Ling paused for a moment, raised his hand to support his forehead, and a helpless smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, "After you went back last time, didn't you ever think about why you were able to return alive from my hands when I knew your identity?"