<p>So I've always wondered about the sage mode of hashirama senju. All the other sage modes have a direct correlation to an animal and an explanation except for hashirama. So I tried to use a bit of logic and of course some speculation to try and come up with what I think it may come from. Bare with me hear, this is explanation is only a theory and is somewhat long.
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I first came up with this re-watching old episodes, I watched episode 73 of shippuden and noticed Chiriku using the welcoming approach technique, and later Asuma as well. <figure class="article-thumb tright show-info-icon" style="width: 180px">
<figcaption>
</figcaption></figure> Then hearing in the following episodes how the fire temple was well known and famous around the shinobi world. I got me curious because one, welcoming hand resembled Hashirama's seven thousand hands technique, and why the fire temple was so famous. So further looking into the ninja monks it was said that Hogoromo Otsutsuki when he was founding nishu and his followers were considered ninja monks (first ones) when he had taken his travel around the world reaching nishu.([
[1]]). This can be further proven by ninja monks nature in often seeking a peaceful approach toward a solution and violence is never used unless there is good cause, as stated by Hidan in episode 73 when they attcked the ninja temple. This directly relates to how Hogoromo intended Ninshu to be used, and is the practice of the ninja monks. Going off that I went deeper into the fire temple, and noticed it has statues of Karasu and Yamabushi at the gates,<figure class="article-thumb tright show-info-icon" style="width: 180px">
<figcaption>
</figcaption></figure> which were legends who were said to have taught ninjutsu, ([
[2]]). Because we know Hogoromo was the founder of ninjutsu, I took this as they were Direct followers of Hogoromo and ended up teaching others ninjutsu. They were revered as legends, and even made into statues in front of the temple, I assumed that they were the one of the first (if not the first) official monks to pass on Hogoromos original teachings, and pass on the Gift of the Hermit Group also known as Senzoku no Sai which translates to the Gift of the Sages which is used by ninja monks.[
[3]] So what I was speculating, was that after the time of Hogoromo,where chakra was weaponized, that Karasu or Yamabushi (possibly both) continued teaching nishu but only taught it to those who would use it the way it in a way to connect people and not harm others as it was intended. My theory is that somewhere along the series, Hashirama studied under either them or their direct pupils, and learned to use the gift of the hermit group chakra (gift of the sages). Hashirama being the God of shinobi, and reincarnation of Ashura, was able to take the Gift of the Hermit group chakra even a step further, and from the teaching of the original Nishu was able to tap into either Ashura or the sage of six paths chakra resulting in the sage mode he had. With that he was not only able to use the Welcoming Approach: Thousand arm murder technique,(<figure class="article-thumb tright show-info-icon" style="width: 180px">
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</figcaption></figure>) but physically summon it because of his unique monk sage mode. <figure class="article-thumb tright show-info-icon" style="width: 180px">
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</figcaption></figure><figure class="article-thumb tright show-info-icon" style="width: 180px">
<figcaption>
</figcaption></figure>which is what I believe brought the fire temple so much fame. I really only pulled this theory of some clues in the anime and some speculation, it's far from perfect. Let me know what you guys think.
