At that moment, Senju Toka looked thoughtful and slowly said, "Now that you mention it, reading this story reminded me of two people."
"Who?" Satomi and Kana couldn't help asking.
"People you both know very well," Senju Toka said. "Lord Hashirama and Madara."
Both women paused in surprise. Judging by the outcome, Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha had indeed both lost their lives. Although only Madara Uchiha had died on the spot, the toll of that battle had contributed greatly to Hashirama's eventual death from illness. Beyond that, however, there didn't seem to be any similarities.
"You younger people probably don't know this, but those of our generation knew a little about it," Senju Toka said. "Many people wondered why Lord Hashirama was so indulgent toward Madara Uchiha. They knew it was because the two were close friends, but they didn't know that friendship had begun in childhood."
"What?" Not only Kana, but even Satomi was astonished. By the time Satomi was born, Hashirama was already an adult and the head of his clan. Naturally, she knew little about his past, let alone the even younger Kana.
Senju Toka was very close to Hashirama in age, and she had worked her way up through the Senju Clan's ranks through her own efforts. During the years she spent alongside Hashirama and Tobirama, she had gradually learned about their past and discovered when Hashirama's friendship with Madara had begun.
"You should know that during the Warring States Period, our ninja clans were constantly fighting one another, especially the Senju and the Uchiha. Whenever one accepted a mission, the other would inevitably take the opposing assignment. That was where the saying 'When the Senju move, so do the Uchiha' came from," Senju Toka said. "Everyone suffered terribly in those times. It was then