Naruto Fans Still Theorize About The Death Of The First Hokage
Although numerous different Kage preside over their respective hidden shinobi villages of "Naruto," by far the most important leader in the entire series is the Hokage, leader of the Hidden Leaf Village that Naruto Uzumaki calls home. While the most famous Hokage for fans of the series is Naruto himself (who earns the title after the events of the Fourth Shinobi War), his reign was preceded by six previous Hokage, including the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.
Hashirama is a legendary figure in the world of "Naruto," a shinobi of incredible strength and conviction revered even in the modern day as one of the most talented ninjas ever to walk the earth. Despite being such an influential figurehead in the world of "Naruto," very little has been revealed about the actual death of Hashirama, to the point where fans online still have to guess how this legendary warrior passed away. Part of this confusion stems from the fact that Hashirama appears to have died in his prime since his reincarnation through Edo Tensei (which occurred alongside several other Hokage) showed him to be in his young, immensely powerful form.
Who or what could have killed Hashirama at the peak of his immense power? How is it that nobody knows the specific nature of his death? "Naruto" fans on Reddit have plenty of theories about Hashirama's death — ranging from an ultimate showdown with his rival to a simple misuse of his regenerative abilities.
Hashirama's cause of death has never been revealed
There is no clear explanation for why Hashirama Senju appears to have passed away at the height of his strength and power, and fans online continue to speculate wildly about what could have killed this legendary shinobi.
"He could have just died due to spamming regeneration throughout his life," suggested u/hadmeintiers, referencing how Tsunade's overuse of regeneration has shortened her lifespan and Hashirama's own desire for Madara Uchiha to succeed him as Hokage despite their similar age. u/MayorOfSmurftown expressed their belief that Hashirama took his own life. "When Hashirama asked Madara for peace, Madara asked him to kill himself as payment for the Uchihas he killed in the past. My guess is, sometime after 'killing' Madara, he finally decided to honor that request."
Both of these theories are plausible, though still unconfirmed, as are several other ideas proposed by users on Reddit, including one that claims he was only re-animated in his prime and actually died old, or another that claims he was killed in battle due to the armor he wears in the resurrection.
In any case, it's clear that the death of the First Hokage remains one of the biggest unsolved mysteries in all of "Naruto" – and fans of the series will be guessing indefinitely until his actual demise is finally revealed.