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In just half an hour, the battlefield's topography had undergone massive changes.
Centered around the Uzumaki Clan Shrine, the surroundings were covered in massive trees and countless twisted vines, with the shriveled corpses of numerous Ninja scattered among them, a sight too gruesome to behold.
Where the core of the Four Village Allied Forces once stood, there was now a massive crater, and from afar, one could see large numbers of scorched Ninja bodies scattered around it.
Those were the traces left by Senju Tobirama's Mutual Exploding Tag Technique.
Aside from these two most obvious marks, there were also scorched earth and puddles left on the battlefield, created by bombardments of various Ninjutsu, testifying to the brutal slaughter that had recently occurred.
Caught in a pincer attack by Senju Mori and his group and the main force led by Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Four Village Allied Forces retreated like a tide.
The nearly four thousand aggressive Ninja troops who had arrived left behind corpses everywhere, and fewer than three thousand managed to retreat.
Senju Mori stood in place, sighing inwardly with emotion.
As long as the Edo Tensei Jutsu existed, even if the other Great Ninja Villages truly united, Konoha would remain invincible.
However, the Edo Tensei Jutsu was not without flaws.
Sure enough—
Just as the Konoha Ninja were immersed in the joy of victory and preparing to press their advantage, a discordant voice suddenly rang out: "Stop here!"
"Give them a path to live; do not pursue them further!"
Everyone simultaneously turned angry gazes, wanting to see which idiot dared to speak up and disrupt morale at this moment, only to discover that the speaker was none other than the First Hokage—Lord Senju Hashirama.
Instantly, the anger in the eyes of the Konoha Ninja vanished, replaced only by profound confusion and shock.
"It is enough!"
Senju Hashirama's gaze was firm, and his voice carried an undeniable authority: "Enough people have died here. Those attackers have realized their mistake. Continuing the pursuit will only result in meaningless slaughter and hatred, serving no purpose!"
"Slaughter does not bring joy, and hatred does not bring peace."
"Let everything end here!"
Hashirama's impassioned speech stunned many, but as his voice faded, the Ninja stopped in their tracks.
No Konoha Ninja dared to defy the will of the First Hokage.
Senju Mori said nothing, merely standing in the distance, silently observing the towering figure of Senju Hashirama.
This was the price of winning by borrowing the power of the First Hokage.
Yes, for him, the greatest flaw of Edo Tensei lay in the revived person himself—Senju Hashirama.
Fundamentally different from Senju Mori's utilitarian and interest-first ideology, Senju Hashirama was the kind of person who most believed in the concept of "Mutual Understanding."
Understanding the pain experienced by others through putting oneself in their shoes, and then achieving peace throughout the Ninja World through mutual restraint and endurance—
This reincarnation of Ashura naturally possessed an excessive naivety, or perhaps a stubborn, old-fashioned rigidity.
And when he returned to the world, this rigid ideology transformed into—"The Will of the First Hokage."
As long as Senju Hashirama remained in the world, his will superseded that of all Konoha Ninja.
It wasn't that Senju Mori hadn't mastered the method of using the talisman, but the problem was the same one Orochimaru faced when using Edo Tensei during the future Fourth Ninja World War.
Senju Hashirama, summoned through a sacrifice reinforced by "Hashirama cells," could easily break free from his control at any moment.
Furthermore, as Konoha's current Hokage and a junior member of the Senju Clan, it was impossible for Senju Mori to forcibly manipulate the former Hokage in plain sight.
That would create consequences far worse than losing the war.
While Uchiha Madara remained dormant, Senju Hashirama in his Edo Tensei state was clearly invincible in the world, yet he could only be used to protect Konoha against invasion, and would never launch an offensive.
Thinking this, Senju Mori couldn't help but shift his gaze from Senju Hashirama toward Senju Tobirama standing nearby.
At this moment, the Second Hokage was standing still, arms crossed, wearing a stern expression.
His gaze was still fixed far away in the direction of the enemy's retreat, deep and obscure, lost in thought.
Although he had been heavily influenced by Hashirama's idealism and held somewhat contradictory views regarding the Clan and the Village compared to himself.
Compared to Senju Hashirama, however, Senju Tobirama's ideology was ultimately more pragmatic, and he was less resistant to being revived by Edo Tensei. Perhaps he could become an asset in future wars—
With this thought, Senju Mori stopped hesitating, quickly walked forward, and said, "Lord Hashirama."
"Hahahaha~ It's Mori! What is it?"
Seeing Senju Mori approach, Senju Hashirama flashed a wide smile. The previous solemnity and imposing aura vanished without a trace, and he seemed to have reverted to his usual carefree self.
"Would you like to return to Konoha for a visit?"
Senju Mori said with a smile.
"Since you departed, Lady Mito often misses you, and Aunt Touka and many others have grown old. They would certainly be overjoyed to see you again."
"The Village has also become more prosperous than before. Due to the increase in villagers, a large area has been expanded into the forest. Looking down from the Hokage Rock, the sight is truly unprecedentedly magnificent—"
Listening to Senju Mori's description, a look of longing appeared on Senju Hashirama's face.
"Yes, I truly wish I could return to Konoha for a look—"
But soon, he shook his head with regret and firmly refused: "Tobirama and I are already dead. We should not have returned to this world, and certainly should not disrupt the lives of the living. If we return to Konoha, the impact would be far too severe."
"I am already very happy to see the growth of you and Tsunade."
Saying this, Senju Hashirama raised his head and looked at Tsunade and the others standing not far away.
The three of them, including Tsunade, looked quite excited and were talking among themselves. Under the special care of Senju Sōji, they had not sustained any injuries in the previous battle.
Or rather, the danger of this war had significantly decreased the moment the Third Mizukage, Ao, issued the retreat order, turning it into a one-sided slaughter—
"I understand."
Upon hearing this, Senju Mori nodded slightly, then turned to look at Senju Tobirama nearby and asked, "Lord Tobirama, do you share the same view?"
Unlike the simple-minded Senju Hashirama, Senju Tobirama gave Senju Mori a profound look after hearing the question.
After a long silence, he slowly replied, "That's right. My elder brother and I share the same view."
"Since the war has been won and the Uzu no Kuni has been preserved, our mission is complete. There is no need for us to return to Konoha."