Every once in awhile, you’ll get a chapter that’s just pretty straight forward — one where there just ain’t much to talk about for the most part. And well, after a string of pretty notable chapters, we get one of those this week.

Continuing off from the previous chapter, the first Hokage continues his flashback to his fight with Madara (as well as his first meeting with him). And for the most part, it ends up as expected — filled with ridiculous techniques, devastating attacks, and overall insanity befitting a fight involving ninja of their caliber. To say the least, most of the chapter was just spent going “holy crap” — for lack of a better term — because that’s pretty much all one can say. The scope of their power, the scale of the fight, and the devastation they wrecked with every move… just some crazy stuff.

In the end though, sadly, that was pretty much it. We don’t get much else here this week — aside from a slightly interesting emphasis on how friendly Madara and the first Hokage were — and I guess that’s pretty much it for this chapter as a result.

70 Comments

      1. I think Madara went nuts when he lost Izuna in a battle(wich woke his mangyeko sharingan) then took his eyes since he was dead and felt bad that he couldnt protect his brother so he wished to become stronger. Then decided to make peace with hashirama in exchange that they would train together so he (madara) can get stronger. That’s why when Hashirama said I thought we were friends, he responded: “I’m already at the top!”. And madara was probably jealous because as a hokage, Hashirama never had time to battle him or train with him. So he wanted to battle him at all costs and prove or test his strength. That’s a possibility right?

        Darrell
    1. This week on “How I met your Hokage”

      Naruto (from the future)is recalling a flashback of the time Sasuke asked the 1st about a flashback of when “it all started,” and also witnessed a flashback of the time when the 1st met Madara.

      I seriously have no problems with flashbacks, just reminded me of that long-running How I met your Mother lol.

      Nanashi
  1. This is why I felt Madara was simply playing with Naruto, a monstrous combonation will be made if susanoo is used on the ten tails; I am wondering more on why Madara isn’t using any Genjutsu on Hashirama, did the guy had some immunity to it?

    Strange, I feel like Madara and Hashima must had a third friend. Much like Kakashi and Obito, then that third friend died. The author does like making history repeat itself.

    Loo2
    1. The author seems to like cycles. We have Naruto (hero), Sasuke (former friend and now villian), and Sakura (love interest). A generation or two back we have Jirayah (hero), Orochimaru (former friend and now villian), and Tsunade (love interest). Would NOT surprise me if they (Madera and Hokage) had a female in the picture that they fought over.

      Karmafan
      1. Actually neither Naruto and Sasuke nor Jirayah and Orochimaru fought because of a love interest, they had entirely different reasons for the fights.And Tusnade wasn’t romantically interested in Jirayah or Orochimaru, same goes for Sasuke,Jirayah and Orochimaru.Only Naruto was interested in Sakura and Sakura in Sasuke.But otherwise, true, it does seem to go in cycles of three.

        shadowalker
      2. Jiriyah was in love with Tsunade and she had no interest in him. Naruto was/is in love with Sakura and she had no interest in him. I did not mean it to look like there are multiple love triangles. Just that Jirayah and Naruto had feelings for girls that did not return those feelings.

        Karmafan
  2. Ah yes. Madara, Obito and Sasuke. Uchihas who started off as happy go lucky kids sharing a bond with someone then growing up to become hateful, world loathing, overpowered freaks who become rivals to the death with their old friend.

    Except Sasuke still sucks.

    MarkBadong
    1. Buddha with a few thousand palms. Hmmm wonder what jutsu starts in the palm…

      Madara may have sliced a few mountains, but the 1st will carve a whole valley with a few thousand Rasengan lol.

      Nanashi
      1. I dont think so about the Rasengan’s because if i’m well informed (if not, feel free to correct me) Rasengan was created in the Era of the Fourth Hokage by the Fourth Hokage by studying the Tailed Beast Bomb.
        Nevertheless I’m intrested in seeing what the Buddha is capable off

        DeleteJX
  3. At least with this chapter we could some what conclude that by saying that the Senju inherited the “body” of the sage it might mean the innate ability of affinity to be one with Nature and turn into a Sage as the first showed.

    rasone0104
  4. Not really much to say given, as mentioned, it was pretty straightforward.

    All I can say is what I said last time in that this is actually interesting and we’re finally getting some backstory and information that we lacked for so long.

    HalfDemonInuyasha
  5. im actually disappointed in todays comments on the chapter. to me the simplicity of putting these two behemoths together since childhood can really stir up some crazy stories. It also makes you think if all the senju and uchiha rivalries are like this. And for them to know each other at a young age wouldn’t that mean that the senju and uchiha clans live close to each other. seems really odd for two clans who would stop at nothing to destroy each other.

    B_Mack
    1. Don’t be unreasonable, how do you expect them to try to kill each other on a daily basis if they’re far away from each other – the two village leaders probably thought of the effort and expense put on traveling and decided to become neighbors till one side killed the other. 😛
      But I do agree with you to a point hopefully these things will be clarified in the next chapter.

      shadowalker
  6. So basically Harashima and Madara are like a perfect reflection of Naruto and Sasuke in the past, and history is replaying itself, sort to speak? Thats the impression I got. They used to be friends and now they are fighting to the death over ideals.

    YanDaMan
    1. Well Duh, I got that impression since Tobi/Obito told Naruto the story of the Elder and the Younger Sons of the Six Paths Sage when their Father’s decision caused them to fight since the Elder Son chose power as the road to peace and the Younger Son chose love over power, as the road to peace. So you see history has been repeating itself since the days of the SOTSP( Sage Of The Six Paths )and started with the two sons ideals and the cursed fate of the two sons have taken over Hashirama and Madara and it will take over Naruto and Sasuke.

      K C M
  7. As many expected, lots of parallels with Naruto/Sasuke. I think this back-story sets up a Sasuke redemption, where rather than following an all-consuming path for power and revenge (much like Orochi/Jiriya), Sasuke will do some major sacrifice down the line. Maybe along the lines of “I need to seal the 10 tails in another dimension but I have to stay there myself” etc. Obviously Madara will get owned in the flashback, with 1000 hands slap to the face.

    Nanashi
  8. Something tells me that we will get to see how Hashirama really died and I bet it is linked to how Madara Uchiha awakened the Rinnegan. I’m suggesting that if your best friend dies or if you kill him you awaken the MS( Mangekyou Sharingan ) and if you take the eyes of your sibling you make the MS eternal ( ie EMS ) so what’s the condition for awakening the Rinnegan. My guess is that if you kill the one person that means more to you besides your brother or your family and that one person is willing to save an Uchiha from the dark path that the Sharingan leads them to ( because the Sharingan as described by Tobimaru is what makes the Uchiha a cursed clan when they lose their loved ones ). Hashirama tried his best to persuade Madara to change his ways just like Naruto is trying to persuade Sasuke. Hashirama may have been killed by Madara so that He( Madara ) would get the Rinnegan and if Sasuke learns that then He will obviously want to kill Naruto even more to get it.

    K C M
      1. Rechecked, your right, my mistake, but the conditions for achieving Rinnegan can still be different, for instance you need Senju DNA combined with Sharingan to do it, but I’m guessing that’s only part of the story.

        shadowalker
    1. Hmm, I recall when Madara entered the battle and went Rinnegan, there was mention about how he was not able to use it when he attained it. (I will have to go back and re-read). Anyway, is it not possible he attained it at some point slightly before, or during the Tobi flash back? He was on “life support” and therefore could not have used the Rinnegan abilities.

      Nanashi
      1. He only mentions that he awoke it “shortly before he died”, something along those lines and, of course, from the flasbacks, he clearly had it while he was still alive and hooked to the Gedo in order to keep his chakra going.

        HalfDemonInuyasha
  9. A flashback within a flashback? That’s just bad writing. It’s like saying “I remember the time when I remembered the time when this happened.” Fucking stupid. At least the artwork’s good.

    LaughingMan
    1. I don’t really think its a flashback in a flashback since one flashback is about Harashima and Madara’s past as friends while the first flashback is an anecdote where the two people are fighting but it doesn’t introduce the second flashback but kind of leaves the first one to pause.

      Also a flashback in a flashback is actually not a bad technique in writing as in Hamlet, it uses a story in a story or a play in a play. Even in the Simpson (Season 17 Episode 13) Lisa Simpson’s story is a story with a story.

      *My comment is kind of random, but I just wanted to put it out because I can see why you would disagree with the structure of the chapter, but the technique a good way to add depth and plot

      Dualash
  10. You know, it never sat well with me how the 2nd died (buying time so that the 3rd’s group can get clear). Previous chapters established he was hax-tier, a teleporter like the 4th etc. How can a group of no-name ninjas take him down.

    Now we see a battle with the 1st vs. Madara. We all know the 1st will win. So what has to happen to defeat the 1st?? During another flashback we saw the 1st and 2nd with Tsunade so we can assume he lives for quite some time after his Madara battle.

    Anyway my point is that I would be saddened to read if the 1st got killed in a lame manner. Kishi does an excellent job building the previous generation(s), he should be careful with how he gets rid of them.

    Nanashi
      1. Haha well put, but yes, somewhere in the character data books, whether canon or not, it stated he could do medical techniques without seals. Not a far stretch since Tsunade is of the same specialty.

        Nanashi
  11. I can’t wait how this chapter rolls
    Flashback, yes we know that Hashirama won but there was this statement of Madara where he says he let Hashirama win intentionally sa that he can get to Hashirama’s cells and also acquire the Rinnegan in the process

    Will Hashirama fans be disappointed in the next chapters to come learning that Madara is actually superior to Hashirama?
    Or will Kishi come up with a “Hashirama was also just holding back to preserver world peace and to preserve the landscape blah blah blah”

    birldog
  12. I’m surprised that people forgot about the Valley of the End fight between Naruto and Sasuke. Sasuke commented on how it was ironic that he and Naruto are now enemies and I think made a reference to Madara and Hashirama.

    That also reminds me to keep a look out of how this battle will end, since it supposedly is the site of that very battle between Naruto and Sasuke.

    Halcyon
  13. Great chapter show casing their powers. Looks like the first Hokage can enter sage mode without any problems and he doesn’t need to stay still to do it. I see now why they call the first Hokage God of the Shinobi. Thousands of Buddha hands. That was huge. I hope the 1st pull that move out on the battlefield. I look forward to the next chapter.

    Kuro
  14. I think the 1st survives
    Madara was using the kyubi, and we know that Hashirama wife was the first Host of kyubi
    And still was its host when Naruto’s mom was a teen

    I got a theory that maybe only members of Uzumaki clan can be hosts of the more powerfull tailed beasts, because the nature and strengh of their Chakras, maybe the Uzumaki are also descendants of the sage of six paths body of fire

    Spucka

Leave a Reply to leesigh3 Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *