Fumori Masaki held a book, carefully flipping through it and nodding occasionally.
After finishing it, he placed it on the table, a smile on his face, and looked at the woman in front of him.
The book he had just read was recently circulating in the capital.
It was based on the teachings of the Shinobi Sect, combined with a thousand years of social change, to express the author's views.
The author was Kana, a pioneer of the Shinobi Sect's revival movement.
In Fumori Masaki's opinion, this book was of great significance.
It had already surpassed the scope of the Shinobi Sect's teachings and approached a kind of theory, which represented the Shinobi Sect's revival movement entering a new stage.
The previous Shinobi Sect's revival relied on a reinterpretation of its teachings, but this book, on that foundation, put forward new theoretical arguments, already laying the foundation for a new Shinobi Sect school of thought.
"That's truly impressive, Miss Kana.
You could already be considered the founding master of a school of thought," Fumori Masaki said to the expectant woman.
"You flatter me, Mr. Fumori Masaki," the woman, Kana, couldn't help but raise her sleeve to cover her mouth and chuckle.
Although she said that, there was still a hint of pride in her tone.
Despite being nearly thirty, Kana's mindset was still youthful, not much different from her maiden years.
Her attire was still the traditional wide-sleeved, narrow-skirted style, revealing an elegant demeanor and temperament.
"Those are my heartfelt words, Miss Kana, there's no need to be modest," Fumori Masaki said, looking at the book on the table.
He pondered for a moment and asked, "If Miss Kana has time, would you be able to teach this school of thought at the Ninja Academy?"
"Of course, I have time.
I've been a bit tired from being outside these past few years, and I also want to return to the village to rest properly," Kana agreed without hesitation.
With the revival of Shinobi Sect thought, Kana, as a pioneer, traveled extensively, spending less and less time in the village.
In recent years, she had even resided in the capital, researching with like-minded nobles.
It could be said that she had made significant contributions to the rapid spread of Shinobi Sect thought.
It was only today that Kana left the capital and returned to Konoha Ninja Village, and happily showed her carefully compiled book to Fumori Masaki, and as she expected, received his high praise.
"That's wonderful!
Lady Mito and everyone else have missed you greatly," Fumori Masaki said with a smile, learning of Kana's intention to stay in Konoha Ninja Village for an extended period.
"I haven't seen my mother and friends in a long time either," Kana said with a hint of nostalgia.
Upon returning to the village, her first priority was to see Fumori Masaki, and she hadn't even had time to go home yet.
"I'll walk with you.
You probably can't imagine how much livelier the Senju compound is now," Fumori Masaki said as he stood up.
"Oh?"
Kana, unaware of the Uzumaki clan sending people to the village to study, was a bit surprised.
It wasn't until she followed Fumori Masaki out that she understood the whole story.
"That child named Kushina, is she mother's next vessel?"
Kana was also aware of her mother's jinchuriki status.
Hearing that there was a three-year-old child among the Uzumaki clan members who came to study, and that her mother was taking care of her, she immediately guessed the child's identity.
"Yes, she is another child with powerful chakra after Lady Mito," Fumori Masaki nodded silently.
"Such a young child having to bear the responsibility of a jinchuriki, how pitiful," Kana felt sympathy for Kushina, whom she had never met.
She glanced at Fumori Masaki, "Mr. Fumori Masaki, I can't say much about the jinchuriki matter, but I hope you can create a good living environment for Kushina in the future."
"Don't worry, I won't let Kushina suffer," Fumori Masaki said frankly.
He already had emotional ties to the child Kushina, and moreover, a benevolent environment had an extraordinary effect on the stability of a jinchuriki.
In the original history, facing Kushina, who was new to Konoha Ninja Village and uncertain about her fate, Mito seriously told her that even if she couldn't decide her own destiny, as long as there was love to fill the void in her heart, she could still live a happy life.
Love—it was the bridge connecting jinchuriki and tailed beasts.
As long as there was love, even a jinchuriki could be no different from an ordinary person.
It was just a pity that very few people understood this principle.
Since the emergence of jinchuriki, ninja villages held a very complex attitude towards these unstable human weapons.
On one hand, they wanted to utilize the jinchuriki's powerful strength, and on the other hand, they worried about the jinchuriki's instability causing destruction to the village.
Thus, the lives of jinchuriki were often not very happy.
For example, the monk Bunpuku, who sealed the One-Tails at a young age, was still imprisoned for life by Sunagakure despite demonstrating the ability to suppress the tailed beast, until he grew old.
Because Bunpuku had profound thoughts and could endure such an unfair fate, his successors were even more tragic.
The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, sealed the One-Tails into his son Gaara, and to determine if Gaara could control the One-Tails, he repeatedly pressured him, even sending his only caring uncle, Yashamaru, to assassinate him, and saying the heartbreaking words that his sister had never loved Gaara.
Such incidents were countless later on, such as Naruto Uzumaki's childhood and Killer B's assassination by his friend, all of which were tragic fates brought about by jinchuriki.
Fumori Masaki was not very worried about jinchuriki.
He understood the essence of a jinchuriki going berserk was actually the world's malice towards them.
As long as there was love, even if the seal was not very firm, they would not lose control and go berserk.
And the powerful bloodline of the Uzumaki clan and the power of sealing techniques were enough to suppress the power of the Nine-Tails.
The only thing to worry about was the malice from the external environment.
The seal on Naruto Uzumaki was firm, yet once something stimulated his mental state, the power of the Nine-Tails could leak out, which proved everything.
Therefore, Fumori Masaki had decided early on to create a good living environment for the jinchuriki of Konoha Ninja Village, and not to let the villagers have a bad impression of the jinchuriki.
He believed this was achievable, as in the original history, the villagers' malice towards Naruto Uzumaki mainly stemmed from the destruction caused by the Nine-Tails' rampage.
"That's good then," Kana trusted Fumori Masaki greatly.
After receiving his assurance, she didn't even inquire further.
The two walked together onto the street, and the villagers they passed all recognized Fumori Masaki, the Hokage of Konoha Ninja Village.
Although Fumori Masaki had not carved his portrait onto the Hokage Rock, he frequently traveled, allowing villagers to see him, and he would also help them solve some problems.
The villagers greeted Fumori Masaki one after another, and Fumori Masaki also smiled and responded.
Because they had business to attend to and couldn't converse with the Hokage like ordinary people, those villagers continued walking after greeting him, but they all secretly looked at Kana beside Fumori Masaki with curious eyes.
The villagers didn't know that Fumori Masaki had a wife, and it was their first time seeing such a beautiful and elegant woman.
They couldn't help but wonder about the relationship between the two in their hearts.
Neither Fumori Masaki nor Kana knew this, but they could vaguely guess it.
Kana didn't place much importance on love.
In her heart, the ideals she could fight for were of a higher caliber.
She was willing to dedicate her life to the revival of the Shinobi Sect.
The relationship between her and Fumori Masaki was a more complex one, not describable by love.
And Fumori Masaki also understood this.
He had a beloved wife and two daughters, so it was impossible for him to get involved in that kind of relationship with Kana.
He was very fortunate that the relationship they maintained was of another form, close to the human connection described by the Sage of Six Paths, which spared him from difficulty.
Kana walked beside Fumori Masaki, looking at the increasingly unfamiliar Konoha Ninja Village, and couldn't help but say, "I didn't expect the village to become somewhat unrecognizable after only a few years of not returning."
"This is still slow," Fumori Masaki said.
"When we truly step through that door, the village will undergo earth-shshattering changes every day, absolutely beyond your imagination."
"I can't imagine it," Kana shook her head.
"If we're fast, we might even see that day.
If we're slow, it might take our descendants to see it," Fumori Masaki said.
"Mr. Fumori Masaki, is the world you hope to see the one you wrote about in those storybooks?" Kana thought for a moment and asked.
The storybooks written by Fumori Masaki were mainly based on modern civilization, but with chakra added as an element that the ninja world would accept.
In the eyes of the people of the ninja world, the world depicted in the storybooks had already far exceeded imagination, and they only thought it was fantasy.
But Kana felt that this might be what Fumori Masaki hoped for.
"Yes," Fumori Masaki smiled.
"Do you think this is just pure fantasy?"
"How could that be?
What Mr. Fumori Masaki thinks must be reasonable, and the current village makes me feel that such a result is truly possible," Kana said.
"It's best if you have confidence.
Sometimes, what I worry about most is people who don't understand.
To change a society, one person alone is not enough," Fumori Masaki smiled.
The world was such a complex entity; how could a single individual change it?
Neither Uchiha Madara nor Senju Hashirama could truly realize their ideals in their lifetime.
Even Kaguya Otsutsuki, as powerful as a god, could not make the entire world as she imagined, and thus, in the later period of her rule, she resorted to cruel oppression of the world.
In a film Fumori Masaki had seen in his previous life, a genius once said, "No matter how great a genius, they cannot change the entire world by themselves."
"Mr. Fumori Masaki, what are your thoughts on the future of the ninja world?
If you wish to transform the village into that state, what kind of order do you hope to establish between nations?" Kana suddenly asked.
Fumori Masaki pondered for a moment.
At this point, they had already left the civilian living areas and gradually entered the ninja living areas.
So, he said to Kana, "Actually, my Claim was already made clear during the Shinobi World War, and that is to uphold the order of peace in the ninja world, ensure the justice of war, and reject unjust wars.
And this point, not only us, but other countries must also adhere to this."
"However, this is a very troublesome matter, because the interests of other countries are not consistent with ours," Fumori Masaki said.
"The Land of Fire possesses the largest and most fertile land.
Leaving aside the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning, the impoverished Land of Wind and Land of Water absolutely cannot tolerate this.
If they don't expand their living space, internal conflicts will inevitably erupt."
"According to Mr. Fumori Masaki, wouldn't war inevitably break out between us and other countries?" Kana frowned slightly.
"From the village's perspective, it's impossible to give them land, right?"
"That's right, it's impossible for us to make unilateral sacrifices.
Other countries must also give equal returns, and this kind of return must be maintained by strong and powerful connections, not just saying, 'I'll give you land, and you just verbally agree to maintain peace.'
That kind of return is merely illusory," Fumori Masaki nodded.
"What kind of connection is that then?" Kana asked.
"It's a close, cohesive, and centripetal relationship!
The best way, naturally, is to incorporate all countries into the same territory and centralize power, but as it stands now, this is a rather impossible task.
The cost involved is too great, so we can only choose another method," Fumori Masaki said.
"What method?" Kana asked curiously.
"Although our positions differ due to different countries, fundamentally, the origin of every ninja village is the Shinobi Sect.
The ideals we believe in should be consistent.
Even if we cannot achieve unification, we should establish a united ninja world alliance, closely linking each other's values, ideologies, cultures, politics, economies, and military, representing the interests of the majority of people in the entire ninja world."
Kana's eyes widened slightly, looking at Fumori Masaki in surprise.
Fumori Masaki continued, "Our current alliance with the smaller nations is a simplified version of the Shinobi World Alliance, and can also be seen as an experiment.
This is also why I want to provide aid to the smaller nations and lead them towards a path of prosperous living, because I need a systemic framework that can provide stable lives for alliance members and prevent them from leaving.
Sooner or later, I will attempt to form alliances with other major nations.
When all five great nations join this alliance and are willing to abide by the order, the Shinobi World Alliance will have succeeded.
Of course, the Shinobi World Alliance needs a strong leader.
This is a necessary condition for maintaining order and ensuring authority, and this leader, to be honest, in my heart, can only be Konoha Ninja Village, because Konoha Ninja Village was the first ninja village to be established, and it is the most progressive and strongest ninja village.
Only it can ensure the order and stability of the Shinobi World Alliance!"
Kana stared at Fumori Masaki in astonishment, not expecting the new order of the ninja world that Fumori Masaki intended to establish to be like this.
She couldn't help but wonder what it would be like if the Shinobi World Alliance truly came into being.
However, she didn't notice that the leader of the ninja world order mentioned by Fumori Masaki was Konoha Ninja Village, not the Land of Fire.