"Huh?"
Hashirama was startled once again, his face filled with astonishment, and he couldn't help but feel doubtful.
"Sir, are you suggesting that we let Konoha annex the Land of Fire?"
"Why? Is it impossible?"
"But Konoha is just a ninja village. We are all ninjas. There has never been a precedent where ninjas ruled an entire Land, right? Once other nations find out about this, they will surely unite to attack the Land of Fire!"
Hashirama knew all too well that in the eyes of the powerful, ninjas were merely tools.
If a tool dared to kill the leaders of a nation, the other countries would undoubtedly become extremely anxious and would do everything in their power to destroy the Land of Fire and Konoha!
"Are you afraid?"
"Huh?"
"Hashirama, do you think you can't defeat the combined forces of the other nations?"
"…"
Hashirama wasn't entirely confident, but his intuition told him that perhaps, just perhaps, he could win?
"What if you join in?"
Lux glanced at Madara on the right, who sneered and snorted:
"Hmph! They're just a bunch of trash. If Hashirama doesn't stop me, I'll destroy all the nations myself!"
Madara was brimming with confidence. In his eyes, everyone in the world except Hashirama was trash, unworthy of even being mentioned.
The same applied even if all the nations were combined.
"That's the truth. The strength of you two has surpassed the level of nations. As long as you two work together, the impossible will become possible, let alone just protecting the Land of Fire. Hashirama, you know this well, don't you?"
Lux's words left Hashirama silent.
How could Hashirama, who had nearly dominated the Warring States Period, not be aware of his own strength?
Moreover, he had traveled through parallel ninja worlds several times, encountered several generations of Hokage and powerful individuals, and even defeated Otsutsuki Urashiki.
Could Hashirama not know whether his strength was enough to destroy the entire ninja world? Doubting the level of control an unmatched powerhouse had over his own strength was the biggest joke!
What held Hashirama back wasn't his IQ, but his morals and beliefs.
"Sir, do you want me to destroy all the nations and unify the ninja world?"
Hashirama wasn't stupid and gradually guessed Lux's intentions.
Lux smiled faintly. He wasn't afraid of Hashirama figuring out his goals. He was only worried that Hashirama would oppose him after finding out.
Now that Hashirama's beliefs were shaken, dealing with him would be easier.
"I know you haven't made up your mind yet. So why not start with the Land of Fire?"
"Try letting Konoha, and the ninjas, rule this nation and see if it will make the entire Land of Fire and Konoha Village better."
"If you succeed, you'll know what to do next. If you fail, you can always find another way."
"Imagination and conclusions are just castles in the air and illusions in the water. Practice is the only criterion for testing truth!"
Lux's temptation was very enticing. Force wasn't necessarily the best strategy, especially when dealing with someone like Hashirama.
But what he said was also true.
Practice makes perfect. As long as he tried, Hashirama would make his own judgments and choices.
And at that time, Hashirama would be very determined on the new path he had chosen.
"…"
Hashirama hesitated, which proved that he was truly moved.
Compared to unnecessary speculations, direct and rough efforts were surely more tangible and reliable.
After all, since he had already killed the Daimyo and many high-ranking officials, it seemed he didn't have many choices or escape routes left.
"But what about the other nations? Once they find out about this, they will surely launch an attack immediately!"
"Once war breaks out, there will be no way to verify whether we can rule the Land of Fire better in a short time, right?"
Hashirama raised a key question, which was also the one he was most concerned about.
He didn't want to destroy other nations before he was sure that this path was correct.
"That's not hard to fix. Madara is here. His Sharingan and illusions can hide everything happening in the Daimyo's palace for a while. Then we'll send a group of Uchiha ninjas to cooperate. In a short time, we can completely block the news and mislead the other nations."
"Of course, with so many officials dead, it can't be hidden for too long. If the other nations find out the truth and are really ready to act, then we'll just let the Beast Organization step in."
"Sending one or two Bijuu to visit their capitals will surely grab their attention and tie up their forces, leaving them no time to deal with Konoha and the Land of Fire. This two-pronged approach will give you enough time to practice ruling the Land of Fire and confirm the results within a year or two."
Lux spoke fluently, and it was clear that he had considered countermeasures before tempting Hashirama.
He couldn't rule out the possibility that Hashirama wouldn't make a decision easily.
After hearing this arrangement, Hashirama was clearly a bit more motivated.
This seemed to be the best option, as it didn't provoke war and allowed for the verification of new ideas.
"Brother, I think it's fine!"
Tobirama encouraged with shining eyes.
He had long been fed up with the nobles controlling the Land of Fire. If he ruled the Land of Fire, he would make sure it was a great success!
He would never let his brother down!
He could also atone for the sins he had committed in the past due to his overly radical and reckless behavior, and compensate for the innocent lives lost.
There was no reason for Tobirama to refuse, emotionally or logically.
"Quiet for now!"
Hashirama glared at Tobirama and signaled him not to speak for the moment.
Then he turned to look at Madara on his left and asked proactively.
"What do you think, Madara?"
Madara didn't influence Hashirama's decision and simply said: "I can indeed do what he said. Our clan is capable of blocking all news!"
This was confidence, and also confidence in the Uchiha clan's Sharingan illusions. With their help, there would be almost no witnesses to spread the news.
As for whether Hashirama was willing to try, Madara never interfered with Hashirama's decisions. In other words, he wouldn't influence his friend's beliefs.
After receiving a positive response from Madara, Hashirama made a decisive decision: "Then let's do it!"
"It can't get worse than now if we try. From now on, Konoha will fully take over the Land of Fire!"
"Let's see if we can create our own future!"