Kekkai Genkai: Wood Release
Occupation: Co-founder of Konohagakure, leader of the Senju Clan, First Hokage
Affiliation: Konohagakure
Clan: Senju Clan
Hashirama was the leader of the Senju Clan and best known for his mastery of Wood Release, a rare kekkai genkai that blends earth and water chakra. His signature move involved converting chakra into life force itself, letting him spawn massive trees and reshape entire battlefields on a whim—a power that made him one of the most formidable shinobi of his era.
Early in his life, he fought Kakuzu, though the details of that confrontation are murky. More significantly, after years of brutal clan warfare, he made peace with Uchiha Madara and together they founded Konohagakure. The two leaders eventually clashed at the Valley of the End over disagreements about the village's direction. Madara defected, and the conflict escalated into a massive battle involving the Nine-Tailed Fox. The aftermath was so iconic that two colossal statues—one of Hashirama, one of Madara—were carved into the rock face overlooking the waterfall. Fans often note the irony that Naruto and Sasuke would later fight at that same spot, echoing their predecessors' conflict.
Even as conflicts continued to plague the village, Hashirama recognized the need for succession planning. He appointed his brother as Second Hokage and, together with him, chose their student Sarutobi as Third Hokage. It turned out to be a solid call—both brothers eventually fell during wartime, making that chain of command crucial to the village's survival.
Content compiled by AnimeList.moe from publicly available sources.
