Earlier, Satomi had been talking with Maki Uchiha about when the Second would choose his successor and who the next Hokage would be. She thought Kazemori Masaki could beat the other candidates, and Maki Uchiha agreed, but both had assumed the selection would not truly begin until later.
Now, however, Kazemori Masaki told her that the Second had already chosen him as the next Hokage. The news was utterly unexpected. To borrow an expression from Kazemori Masaki's other world, happiness had arrived too suddenly.
"Really?" Satomi asked again, as though she could not believe it.
"Really," Kazemori Masaki said firmly.
Once she confirmed that she was not dreaming, Satomi let out a delighted cry and threw herself into Kazemori Masaki's arms, hugging him tightly. "Congratulations, Masaki. Your Dream has finally come true."
Kazemori Masaki gently patted Satomi's back. Even now, looking back on it, he still felt as though he were dreaming. But Tobirama would never announce an important decision lightly. His Konoha Crown Prince Position was practically set in stone. Once Tobirama stepped down, he could become Konoha's legitimate Hokage.
Satomi nestled against Kazemori Masaki for a while before raising her head. "Have you told anyone else about this?"
"Not yet. Teacher Tobirama said he would wait until after the Joint Chunin Exams to announce his retirement. That should be two or three years from now," Kazemori Masaki said.
"Oh, he's paving the way for you, Masaki. The Joint Chunin Exams will be the Second's final endeavor." Satomi nodded slightly. Under Kazemori Masaki's influence, she had read quite a few history books and understood perfectly well how a predecessor would prepare things for his successor.
"More precisely, they'll be his final political achievement as Hokage. After Teacher Tobirama steps down, he'll return to being a researcher and develop new