Kana had been at home, diligently working on the painting, "Illustration of the Sage's Law." For her, this was a crucial step in determining whether she should pursue this path in the future. Although she had received high praise from her mother and uncle, the key was still to see the reaction of the princess and other nobles in the capital.
Fumori Masaki had painted a beautiful blueprint for her at the time, and even though there was no sign of it yet, she was willing to be the one to usher in the new wind. After all, she was the most suitable person in the village to do this. While her mother had a higher status, Mito, being advanced in age, lacked the energy.
The Uzumaki clan members were merely long-lived, not eternally youthful. On Mito, her vibrant red hair already showed streaks of silver. Although her body hadn't aged like ordinary people, Kana still felt she shouldn't trouble her mother.
Perhaps, there was also a touch of Kana's youthful exuberance. Since both her mother and uncle disagreed with her becoming a ninja, she felt she had to achieve something significant!
Therefore, Kana poured all her energy into painting. She had never felt herself in such good form. The knowledge related to the Shinobi Sect that she had once read flashed through her mind, combining with what she had seen and heard at the Fire Temple, and she incorporated it all into this painting.
Kana's painting skills could not yet be called masterful, and similarly, this "Illustration of the Sage's Law" could not be considered unprecedented or unsurpassed. However, if one considered the thought and emotion it embodied, it would be a highly significant painting in the new era that was about to dawn.
And the value of this painting would grow higher and higher as the new wind blew. Kana probably wouldn't have imagined at this time that, hundreds of years later in the ninja world, the original of this painting would be carefully preserved for people to admire.
Now, Kana was simply overjoyed at the completion of "Illustration of the Sage's Law." She looked at it repeatedly, several times over, not allowing anyone else to help, but carefully putting the painting away herself. Before showing it to the princess, no one could touch it. Oh, and before that, she had to let her mother and uncle admire it.
So, Kana sought out her mother Mito and uncle Tobirama. In front of them, she slowly unrolled the scroll and said, "Mother, Uncle, look!"
Seeing Kana's seemingly boastful display, Mito and Tobirama exchanged a smile and then began to examine the painting. They already had a good understanding of the image of the Six Paths Sage; its completion was already quite high back then. Now, Kana had merely embellished the Six Paths Sage's image. The truly novel aspect was the other figures.
The people listening to the Sage's teachings around the Six Paths Sage all had distinct forms and varied postures. From their attire, it was evident they were commoners. Their expressions conveyed gratitude and respect, and combined with the newly built villages in the background, this aligned with the rumored image of the Six Paths Sage traveling the continent, helping common people, and spreading the doctrines of the Shinobi Sect.
Because Fumori Masaki had said that everything should not be rushed,
Therefore, Kana did not incorporate any new ideas—of course, she was currently quite hazy about what constituted new ideas, and it would have been difficult to integrate them into the painting. This "Illustration of the Sage's Law" thus embodied classical Shinobi Sect thought, being conventional and impartial.
"A good painting." Tobirama wasn't sure if the princess truly liked the Shinobi Sect, but even if this painting wasn't considered master-level, it was still of high quality and would certainly make an excellent gift.
"Hmm, not bad." Mito also nodded, expressing her approval. "It must have been hard work to paint something like this."
"Hehe." Kana felt a little proud and carefully put the painting away.
"The princess's birthday is in a few days, so it's almost time to set off. Kana, this time I will take you, while your sister-in-law will have to stay here," Tobirama said.
Under normal circumstances, Mito should have accompanied Kana to build good relations with the nobles in the capital. This way, those nobles could provide some assistance in Tobirama's negotiations with the Daimyo. However, because the Nine-Tails was sealed within Mito, it was best for her not to leave the village.
Even during the First Shinobi World War, Mito was not sent to battle. Clearly, if Mito had been deployed, with her ability to control the Nine-Tails' chakra, she could have secured a great victory. But for safety reasons, Mito was consistently kept from fighting, unless it was a true crisis or a pivotal battle; otherwise, she would not be sent out.
Although the current situation in the ninja world leaned towards peace, Tobirama was still unwilling to let his sister-in-law take any risks. Contacting the nobles was not strictly necessary; the Daimyo currently relied more on the ninja villages. There was no real need to risk going out, and since it wasn't essential, Kana could go by herself.
"Tobirama, I entrust Kana to you." Mito naturally wouldn't deny it. With her insight, she had long known that her actions couldn't be dictated by her own will. This was the price of sealing a Tailed Beast; she had been prepared for it from the moment she chose to seal it.
Then, she sternly instructed Kana, "Don't act on your own. Listen to your uncle, understand?"
"Understood, Mother," Kana replied.
For this trip, Tobirama did not bring all his disciples as he did last time. The village was in a state of revival, with severe losses in combat power. Now, they were the mainstays of the village and needed to protect its safety. However, he still brought along Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu.
Among all his disciples, these two, along with Fumori Masaki, had no significant background, making them suitable for interacting with the capital. However, Fumori Masaki had other missions, so in the future, they would be the ones dealing with the capital. He wanted them to get well acquainted with it first.
Because Kana's painting had caused a delay, by the time they arrived in the capital, time was already tight. There was no time to rest; they had to immediately start dealing with other matters. Tobirama, with his many years of experience, handled it well, while Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu appeared somewhat flustered. They had previously studied ninja combat methods, and their last visit to the capital was merely a tour. Now, being thrown directly into the work, they naturally felt unaccustomed.
Tobirama couldn't do much. He was too busy now to give them time to adapt. He had already informed them beforehand on the way. Their current flustered state meant either they hadn't listened, or their training was insufficient. Regardless, they would need rigorous training in the future!
Kana, however, was not so flustered. After all, she had received a noble education. Moreover, as the daughter of Hashirama and Mito, her status was equivalent to that of a princess of the Land of Whirlpools. Even though it was a smaller country, it was still respected by the nobles in the capital. And in such high society, noble status was more advantageous than being a ninja.
Kana followed her mother and Tobirama's advice, not interacting excessively with the nobles who came to speak with her. She was young, after all, and if she got too deeply entangled, she might suffer losses. The best approach was to maintain a suitable distance, expressing friendliness without getting drawn in.
Her true objective was still the princess's birthday: to deliver the "Illustration of the Sage's Law" to the princess and to use the topic of the Shinobi Sect to draw closer to the princess. The main points had been repeatedly discussed with Fumori Masaki, and she could recite them backward and forward, so there would be no problems.
Taking a deep breath, Kana composed herself and entered with the other nobles. This time, it was all up to her performance!
Fumori Masaki didn't know the specifics of the birthday banquet. He only knew that when Kana returned, she excitedly met with him, recounting how she had a wonderful conversation with the princess and arranged to exchange letters in the future. Simultaneously, under her persuasion, the princess was also somewhat moved and planned to emulate the style of the "Illustration of the Sage's Law" to express Shinobi Sect ideas.
Hundreds of years later in the ninja world, when scholars compiled historical records, they all agreed that the Shinobi Sect revival, which influenced the entire ninja world, began when Kana presented the "Illustration of the Sage's Law" to the princess. Kana and the princess were both representative figures of this revival movement—
Throughout their lives, they made immeasurable contributions to promoting the Shinobi Sect's revival, giving birth to a large number of literary and artistic works, directly or indirectly influencing the ninja world, and laying the ideological foundation for ending feudal rule.
At this time, Kana could not yet foresee this. Although Fumori Masaki had some conjectures, it was something he couldn't see, so he merely sighed. What he cared about most now was the child in his wife's womb.
Uchiha Kagami was very envious of Fumori Masaki having two children; his wife was only pregnant with one. But truthfully, Sarutobi Hiruzen was truly pitiful. Despite having a wife, time was delayed due to the war. While others' children were nearing birth, he had only just gotten his wife pregnant.
As the due date drew closer, Fumori Masaki also grew nervous. In those days, he no longer went out for long periods of work, directly delegating tasks to his shadow clones or others, and focused on his wife Rimi's health until the day of delivery.
When he heard the baby's cry and the medical ninja's announcement that both mother and child were safe, Fumori Masaki finally felt relieved, experiencing the joy of his wife's well-being and the birth of his offspring.