The person following behind Senju Touka was none other than Hashirama's second daughter, Kana. Fūmori Masaki couldn't immediately guess why she had come to visit him, but his first priority was to welcome her inside. Regardless, she was a guest and also the daughter of Lord Hashirama.
Satomi, who was inside the house, heard the commotion at the door and glanced out. The moment she saw Kana, she was also taken aback and said, "Sister Kana, is something the matter?"
"Yes, I have some things I would like to ask Mr. Amomori." Kana nodded slightly and said, somewhat embarrassedly, "Could we talk in private?"
Fūmori Masaki felt a bit puzzled about what she could possibly want to discuss with him. He glanced at Senju Touka, who gave him a pleading look.
Then, he exchanged a look with Satomi, who hesitated for a moment before nodding at him.
Fūmori Masaki pondered for a moment and said, "I understand."
"Thank you." Kana gave a slight bow.
Senju Touka and Satomi went to another room. Because Fūmori Masaki had been promoted to Jonin, the new house Tobirama had arranged for him was quite large; if it had been his old house, they would have had to go outside to give them space.
"Please, have a seat," Fūmori Masaki said.
Kana bowed once more and sat down gracefully in the kneeling position. She was not a Ninja and was dressed in the traditional attire of a noble young lady—wide sleeves and a narrow skirt. Her posture was upright, and her full, jet-black hair flowed down her back; every movement revealed an excellent temperament.
Although Kana was only thirteen or fourteen years old, one could already see how beautiful she would become in the future. It was hard to say who would be fortunate enough to marry such a girl. Come to think of it, Uchiha Kagami had almost married her, but he had declined due to the engagement previously arranged by Uchiha Madara, feeling guilty about Uchiha Madara's actions.
"Sister Kana, what is it you wish to discuss with me?" Fūmori Masaki wasn't very familiar with the social etiquette of nobles. Although Kana came from a Ninja family, her mother, Uzumaki Mito, was an important figure in the Land of Whirlpools, no different from a princess. Therefore, Kana also possessed a noble status recognized by the country and had received a noble education. After thinking it over, he decided to first serve her a cup of tea. To lighten the mood, he jokingly added, "It couldn't be about the Senju Clan fading into obscurity, could it?"
"Yes, that is exactly what I wanted to ask about," Kana said earnestly.
"Uh..." Fūmori Masaki hadn't expected that to actually be the topic. He was a bit puzzled; the matter had already been decided, so was there anything left to question?
He handed the tea to Kana. Kana thanked him, took a light sip, and set it down. Looking at Fūmori Masaki with her eyes, she asked, "Mr. Amomori, what is your opinion on this matter?"
"Sister Kana, why ask me about this? Since this decision was made, Lord Tobirama and Uzumaki Mito must have discussed it thoroughly, and you should naturally be aware of it," Fūmori Masaki asked.
"I know what Uncle Tobirama and my mother think; I just want to know how Mr. Amomori views it," Kana said. "You were a person trusted by my father while he was alive, which is why I came to visit you."
"I see." Fūmori Masaki thought for a moment and said, "In my personal opinion, I think it is the right decision for the Senju Clan to fade into obscurity. The Senju Clan is the pride of the Village, but precisely because of that, they carry the responsibility of the entire Village, and as a result, their actions have to align with that. During the Ninja World War, in the war records I saw, some actions of the Senju Clan Members seemed a bit impulsive, resulting in significant losses. I feel that responsibility might have been a factor."
"As I thought, Mr. Amomori thinks so too." Kana didn't seem surprised, but her expression was somewhat dejected.
"Does Sister Kana not think it's a good thing?" Fūmori Masaki noticed her expression and asked.
"No, I think the decision is indeed correct. Fading the name of the Senju Clan can at least preserve the seeds of the family so they don't vanish in war. It's just..." A hint of confusion appeared in Kana's eyes. "I just don't know what I should do in the future."
"Hmm?" Fūmori Masaki was a bit surprised.
"Mr. Amomori knows that my father was a great Ninja. He helped the previous Daimyo end the Sengoku conflicts that had lasted for a century, unified various large and small countries, and formed the current landscape of the Ninja World," Kana said slowly. "Since I was little, I have admired my father's figure and felt that he should be the goal I strive to follow, so I hoped to become a great Female Ninja in the future."
"However, Lord Hashirama did not agree to this," Fūmori Masaki said, having understood what she meant.
"That's right," Kana nodded slightly. "I cannot understand my father's thinking. My sister accepted it gladly and even married into the Land of Whirlpools where my mother used to live, but I don't want that. I begged my father or mother to teach me Ninjutsu, but they never agreed."
"That is also because Lord Hashirama and Uzumaki Mito do not want you to face danger."
"Even so, as the daughter of my father, watching other clan members fight in blood while I stay in a safe place without having to face death—does Mr. Amomori think this is acceptable?" Kana asked.
According to Lord Hashirama's philosophy, a Ninja should fight for the Village, and even his own children should do so. But as a father, he still had his own selfishness. He wouldn't violate his own principles, so the only way was to ensure his children didn't become Ninja. Since they weren't Ninja, they had no responsibility to fight for the Village.
Fūmori Masaki realized that Kana's previous lack of understanding of Lord Hashirama's thoughts wasn't because she didn't know what Lord Hashirama meant, but because she couldn't accept the roundabout way of keeping her off the battlefield.
"It's not that I don't understand my parents' love; I just feel that if I can only be like this, I feel somewhat useless." Kana's expression was a bit disappointed. "The Senju Clan is forced to fade away to preserve itself, while I can only watch helplessly, unable to even intervene as a Ninja."
Fūmori Masaki understood that Kana, like other Senju Clan Members, was entangled by the sense of responsibility of the Senju Clan, something perhaps even she herself hadn't realized.
Fūmori Masaki felt he should help. If Kana continued to think like this, she probably wouldn't get a good outcome in the future. So, he thought quietly for a moment and said, "I think Sister Kana is being a bit too stubborn."
"Huh?" Kana raised her head, stunned.
"Indeed, Sister Kana is not a Ninja, and there are some things you cannot interfere with, but there are also things that Ninja cannot do, which you can," Fūmori Masaki said.
Kana was a bit puzzled and looked at Fūmori Masaki.
"We Ninja can only obey the orders of our clients. If the client doesn't ask, we cannot act on our own. But Sister Kana is not a Ninja and holds a noble status in the Land of Whirlpools. In terms of freedom alone, you have much more leeway than we do. Precisely because of this, you can do things that we cannot," Fūmori Masaki said. "A person's value is not achieved in just one way; there are multiple choices and different paths."
"Mr. Amomori, what do you mean?" Kana's eyes sparkled slightly.
"If we treat the Village as a country, we Ninja are the warriors who defend it. But to govern a country well, it is by no means possible with just warriors; the help of scholars is also needed. Warriors pacify the country, and scholars stabilize the nation; only then can the country be peaceful," Fūmori Masaki smiled and said.
"I see." Kana was also a smart person, and she could faintly guess what he meant. "Mr. Amomori, do you have any good suggestions?"
"Since Sister Kana cannot be a warrior, you can become a scholar. In that way, even Lord Tobirama and Uzumaki Mito shouldn't be able to say anything," Fūmori Masaki said, then added in a low voice, "Sister Kana should have also heard that the Senju Clan are the descendants of the Sage of the Six Paths, right?"
Senju Touka and Satomi, who were in another room, heard the sound of the door opening and quickly got up and walked out the door. They saw Fūmori Masaki seeing Kana to the door. Kana solemnly bowed to Fūmori Masaki and said, "Thank you, Mr. Amomori, for your guidance. As expected, my father's opinion of you was correct."
"I only shared my own opinion; what happens in the future depends on you, Sister Kana," Fūmori Masaki smiled.
Seeing Senju Touka and Satomi, Kana left on her own, bid farewell to the three of them, and turned to leave. The people behind came forward, and Senju Touka asked what had happened.
"I just answered some of Sister Kana's questions; it's nothing major," Fūmori Masaki said.