When Tōma arrived at the half-finished bridge, the scene was calmer than he'd expected.
There was blood, but not much. Kakashi had clearly taken Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura's limits into account and kept things controlled.
Sasuke and Sakura were breathing hard but steady. Naruto, on the other hand, looked distant, like his thoughts hadn't fully caught up with his body yet.
"You did well," Tōma said, deliberately softening his tone.
Sasuke tried to smile, but it came out crooked. "Of course. I'm going to kill that man someday."
Then he glanced at Naruto and frowned. "Hey, idiot. Don't tell me this much already broke you."
Naruto blinked, finally registering his surroundings. His gaze lingered on the fallen bodies, especially those he knew were his doing. He didn't bother snapping back.
Sasuke's expression tightened.
…That wasn't normal.
"Take a breather," Tōma said, ruffling Naruto's blond hair and gently lifting his chin. He pointed toward the bridge stretching into the distance.
"Look, Naruto."
"Huh?"
"You protected this bridge. And this bridge is going to become the lifeline of the Land of Waves. You didn't just stop bad people. You protected hope."
Tōma smiled, then turned to the other two.
"The same goes for you. All of you did great."
"Hmph." Sasuke turned his head away, glancing once at Tōma's hand still resting on Naruto's head.
…Fine. The idiot probably needed that.
Naruto stared at the bridge, the rising sun spilling light across the steel and cables.
For the first time since it happened, something inside his chest loosened.
Kakashi watched quietly, a small smile tugging at his face. He'd worried Tōma was pushing them too fast, but now he could see it. This wasn't just about strength. It was about keeping them from breaking later.
Then Tōma paused and looked toward the far end of the bridge.
"Alright," he said lightly. "Go accept it. The cheers you earned."
All three froze.
Following his gaze, they saw the people of the Land of Waves approaching, weapons still in hand, disbelief written all over their faces.
"These three are the ones who did it," Tōma said. His voice wasn't loud, but the wind carried it clearly. "They're the ones who protected you."
Every eye turned to Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura.
The gratitude. The awe. The relief.
Something shifted inside them.
"Go on," Tōma said, giving them a gentle push.
They were quickly surrounded by villagers, voices overlapping with thanks and disbelief. Tōma watched from a distance, smiling.
"…That was well done," Kakashi said quietly.
"Sorry for giving them the credit," Tōma replied. "But they needed it more than I did."
Kakashi shook his head. "I was thinking the same thing. You handled it perfectly."
Tōma didn't answer. He just wondered what it would've been like if someone had done the same for him back then.
…Probably wouldn't have worked anyway. He'd always been on his own.
"You really don't feel your age," Kakashi said suddenly. "Not in how you think. Not in how you act."
"Who knows," Tōma said casually. "Maybe I'm older than you."
Kakashi laughed it off.
Then his expression sharpened. "That technique earlier. That was the Flying Thunder God, wasn't it?"
"Yeah," Tōma admitted. "You already guessed."
Kakashi sucked in a breath. Hearing it confirmed was different. That jutsu was the Fourth Hokage's signature. He knew it better than anyone.
"I even tried learning it," Kakashi said quietly. "Didn't have the talent."
"Tobirama created it," Tōma replied. "Minato perfected it."
"…Still," Kakashi said, shaking his head. "If people find out you can use it, the ripple will be huge."
"It won't change much," Tōma said calmly. "Jutsu are just tools. They don't make someone invincible."
Flying Thunder God wasn't Sage Mode. It didn't make you overwhelming just by learning it. Without the skill to use it properly, it was meaningless.
Kakashi was silent for a long time before finally nodding.
"…I understand."
Then Tōma froze.
Sage Mode.
The thought detonated in his mind.
His perception had always been focused on chakra, but that wasn't the root of it. The foundation was sensing natural energy. Something that existed before chakra ever did.
Kurama said malice sensing wasn't chakra-based.
So what if his perception wasn't either?
The idea spiraled, then slowly settled. It wasn't something he could confirm now. But at least… he had a direction.
When Tōma returned to himself, he saw Naruto approaching, his usual grin back in place, directing villagers as they gathered the bodies.
"What's going on?" Tōma asked Sasuke.
Naruto wants everyone buried properly," Sasuke replied. "Said even bad people shouldn't be left to rot."
Tōma stared.
Then he smiled.
Yeah. That was Naruto.
Bright, stubborn, and kind in the exact ways that mattered.
Kakashi watched the scene with quiet satisfaction. This mission had gone far beyond expectations. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura had all grown in ways he hadn't thought possible.
Without Tōma, this would've gone very differently.
As the last rites were finished, the team said their goodbyes. The bridge was officially named the Naruto Bridge, just as it had been before. Between Tōma pushing the credit and Naruto's own actions, no one objected.
The return trip to Konoha was uneventful.
"Mission complete," Kakashi said lazily once they arrived. "Go home, rest, and think about what you learned. Dismissed."
"Sensei! Will we get missions like this again?" Naruto asked excitedly.
"Hmm… who knows?" Kakashi replied, vanishing a second later. He had a report to file and a nap to earn.
Naruto jumped in frustration.
"They'll come," Tōma said. "No rush."
With that, they split up.
Tōma headed home, walking the same direction as Naruto for a while before peeling off. He'd learned recently that Naruto technically owned more than one place, including one in a prime district.
…Ridiculous.
Still, Tōma smiled.
Thanks to Gatō, money wasn't something he needed to worry about anymore.
Mission accomplished.