Earlier, Satomi was discussing with Uchiha Maki when the Second Hokage would choose his successor and who the next Hokage would be.
She personally felt that Fumori Masaki was more suitable than others, and Uchiha Maki agreed, but both believed that the actual selection would only begin later.
Now, however, Fumori Masaki told her that the Second Hokage had already chosen him as the next Hokage.
This news was too unexpected; in the slang of Kazemori Masaki's other world, it meant that happiness came too suddenly.
"Is that true?" Satomi asked again, as if she couldn't believe it.
"It's true," Fumori Masaki said with certainty.
After confirming that she wasn't dreaming, Satomi let out a joyful cry and threw herself into Kazemori Masaki's arms, hugging him tightly.
"Congratulations, Masaki, your dream has finally come true."
Fumori Masaki gently patted Satomi's back.
Even now, recalling it felt like a dream, but Tobirama wouldn't casually announce such a major decision.
His position as the Leaf's Crown Prince was practically set in stone; he just had to wait for Tobirama to retire, and then he could become the legitimate Hokage of the Leaf.
Satomi snuggled in Fumori Masaki's embrace for a while, then looked up and asked, "Have you told anyone else about this?"
"Not yet.
Teacher Tobirama said he would announce his retirement after the joint Chunin Exams are held, which should be in two or three years," Fumori Masaki replied.
"Oh, he's paving the way for you, Masaki.
The joint Chunin Exams will be the Second Hokage's last great effort," Satomi nodded slightly.
Due to Kazemori Masaki's influence, she had read many history books and was well aware of what a predecessor would prepare for their successor.
"To be precise, it's his last political achievement as Hokage.
After Teacher Tobirama steps down as Hokage, he will return to his role as a researcher, developing new secret techniques for the village.
You know, Teacher Tobirama has always been very talented in that area," Fumori Masaki explained.
Satomi chuckled upon hearing this.
As a member of the Senju clan, she naturally knew that the Second Hokage had shown an interest in researching secret techniques since he was young.
The secret techniques he improved had added many bargaining chips to the Senju clan, playing a significant role in their struggle against the Uchiha clan.
To say nothing else, the Shadow Clone Jutsu alone became a powerful tool for ANBU ninja in intelligence gathering!
"I heard you brought back the body of the ninja who once assassinated the First Hokage, saying you wanted to improve a secret technique or something," Satomi said.
"Yes, the current idea is to make it a secret technique that can sustain a person's life without relying on living organs, but it's too early to say what the outcome will be," Fumori Masakireplied.
It's worth noting that even Orochimaru, who would later become obsessed with forbidden jutsu research, regarded Tobirama as a figure of respect.
This suggests that Tobirama's capabilities as a researcher were superior to Orochimaru's, or at least on a similar level.
And Orochimaru was able to research so many strange and forbidden jutsu; if his vast forbidden jutsu arsenal were brought out, it would be an immense treasure for a ninja village.
In the past, Tobirama couldn't fully utilize his research abilities because he had to focus on combat.
After stepping down from the Hokage position, Tobirama would be able to fully showcase his research prowess.
"If it succeeds, it will be a secret technique that can benefit all living beings," Satomi clearly understood the high value of a secret technique that could sustain a person's life without relying on others.
"I heard that person's secret technique allowed him to plunder others' hearts to maintain his own body's vitality.
I never thought that with just a little improvement, it would completely transform."
"Sometimes, two completely opposite things are actually only a fine line apart.
There's an old saying, 'When things are at their worst, they can only get better,' meaning that when a bad situation reaches its extreme, it will turn for the better.
There are also similar phrases like 'extremes meet' and 'what goes up must come down,' which illustrate this principle," Fumori Masakisaid.
"Did you read this in the Ninja Creed scriptures too?" Satomi recalled, but she hadn't seen similar phrases in the Ninja Creed scriptures she had read.
"Ah, more or less," Fumori Masakididn't elaborate, but the mention of the Ninja Creed scriptures reminded him of the discovery in the Land of Demons.
"Our Senju clan are descendants of the Sage of Six Paths' second son, and also the second leader of the Ninja Creed?
And the Uchiha clan are descendants of the Sage of Six Paths' eldest son, who turned against his brother because he couldn't inherit the Ninja Creed position, and after being defeated, was exiled from the continent?"
Satomi listened, stunned.
Although Fumori Masakihad said that the Ninja Creed scriptures unearthed in the Land of Demons might contain significant discoveries, the amount of information was simply too vast.
It had unearthed the ancestors of both clans, confirming that both the Senju and Uchiha clans were descendants of the Sage of Six Paths.
Although it was largely confirmed that the Senju clan were descendants of the Sage of Six Paths after Kinkaku and Ginkaku, she never expected that even the Uchiha clan were.
Like Kana, Satomi's feelings towards the Uchiha clan had changed.
Because of her good relationship with Uchiha Kagami's family, she no longer felt such animosity towards the Uchiha clan, and now even felt some sympathy.
She asked Fumori Masaki, "Why wasn't the Uchiha clan's ancestor chosen as the Ninja Creed successor?
Did he commit some great crime?"
"He didn't commit any crime, it was simply due to a difference in ideals," Fumori Masaki sighed; he was still worried about this family tragedy.
"Indra, the Sage of Six Paths' eldest son, inherited the Sage of Six Paths' immense power from a young age and could solve anything on his own, so he believed that only power was everything.
His second son, Asura, showed no talent at first, but with the help of his companions, he achieved chakra mastery in his body, gaining power comparable to Indra's.
Therefore, Asura believed that bonds were the most important thing.
So, the Sage of Six Paths believed Asura was the suitable Ninja Creed successor, and even though Indra was the eldest son, he stripped him of his succession and appointed Asura as the successor."
"So that's what happened," Satomi understood the reasons.
The Sage of Six Paths was not wrong in this; the philosophy of the Ninja Creed was to spread love, and Asura's philosophy coincided with it, making him naturally the most suitable successor.
And Indra was not wrong either; he simply had a different philosophy.
As the eldest son, he was directly stripped of his position as successor.
Satomi knew that primogeniture was the mainstream system now, and it was likely the system in the past as well, at least according to the history books she had read.
So, for Indra, as the eldest son, to lose his position as successor due to a difference in ideals, one can imagine what a huge blow it was.
Moreover, someone like Indra, who had immense power from a young age and believed in power, was very likely to be arrogant and unable to accept such a result.
Turning against his brother seemed understandable.
"So, the conflict between our Senju clan and the Uchiha clan is due to the karma planted by this event?" Satomi's expression was a little downcast.
"To think that for such a reason, they were all one family; even with disagreements, they shouldn't have gone to the point of life and death.
The hatred even lasted for a thousand years."
—Not to mention the grievances between the two clans, even Asura and Indra themselves had not forgiven each other, and their chakra still lingered in the human world.
"Have you told the Second Hokage about this?" Satomi asked.
"Not yet.
I plan to tell him when I have time.
The unearthed Ninja Creed scrolls haven't been fully deciphered yet; we need to wait for the miko from the Land of Demons to send them over, which will allow us to understand past events more thoroughly," Fumori Masakireplied.
"Is that so?
I hope that in the future, the Senju clan can reconcile with the Uchiha clan.
After all, they are relatives with the same ancestor, and now they are comrades in the same village.
The grievances of a thousand years ago should end here," Satomi said.
"Yes, I hope it can end in our generation," Fumori Masaki said, referring not only to the Senju and Uchiha clans but also to the grievances between Indra and Asura.
Their family had caused so much trouble for this ninja world; it was time for it to end and bring peace to the world.