"Oi, Inoichi," Nara Shikaku said, slinging an arm around Yamanaka Inoichi's shoulders, "you owe us drinks. Having a son-in-law like that is just unfair."
"Another time," Inoichi replied with a grin. "I still need to finish assigning the teams."
He wasn't hiding his satisfaction. Anyone with eyes could tell that what Fujimoto Tōma had said earlier wasn't just the Third Hokage's words passed along. The clarity, the counterarguments, the way he pushed back against Danzō and debated the advisors head-on—none of that came from a mere messenger.
Knowing the Third Hokage as they did, this slightly aggressive approach probably hadn't even been his idea.
"Count me in next time too," Akimichi Chōza laughed.
"Of course," Inoichi said happily.
At that moment, Tōma caught up to them and stopped the group.
"Tōma, something else?" Inoichi asked.
"Inoichi-san, I wanted to ask Shikaku-san about something," Tōma said. "There's a part I can't quite wrap my head around."
"Let's talk while we walk," Shikaku replied, his expression turning serious. After what he'd just witnessed, there was no way he still saw Tōma as an ordinary thirteen-year-old.
As they walked, Tōma laid out his thoughts about Orochimaru's goals and the possible next steps.
"…If that's really his objective," Shikaku said after listening, brows furrowing, "then he's already halfway there."
The others froze.
"Tōma's mind jumped ahead. "The Sand?"
Shikaku nodded. "After this incident, Konoha's reputation took a hit, but the Sand suffered far more. Heavy casualties, and their Kazekage is almost certainly dead. Right now, Sunagakure is likely the weakest of the Five Great Villages, and its standing will be unstable for some time."
"The Sand is their own problem," Tōma said, rubbing his temple. "What I'm worried about is Konoha. I was thinking of asking Inoichi-san to keep Kakashi and Might Guy in the village, just in case Orochimaru tries something again."
"Without the Chūnin Exams as cover and without the Sand's help, another direct attack is unlikely," Shikaku replied. "But unlikely doesn't mean impossible. We should reinforce the village's defenses. Inoichi."
"I'll adjust the plan," Inoichi said with a nod.
Tōma frowned. Passive defense always felt bad. He hoped the Sand would move quickly, find Orochimaru's base, and smash it hard enough that he wouldn't be able to stir up trouble for a while.
"Then… do you have any idea what Orochimaru might do next?" Tōma asked, not expecting much.
Shikaku scratched his head and stared up at the sky. "Konoha's reputation. It's already shaky. The best move would be to damage it further. Sabotaging our missions would work, but he doesn't have the manpower or intel for that right now…"
He trailed off, clearly lacking information.
"That's enough," Tōma said sincerely. "Thank you, Shikaku-san."
Shikaku laughed. "Anytime. You're Shikamaru's friend and Inoichi's future son-in-law. You're always welcome."
After parting with the older generation of Ino–Shika–Chō, Tōma walked alone, turning Shikaku's words over in his head.
How do you break Konoha's reputation?
The Third Hokage's death would have done it—but that had failed. A normal death wouldn't carry the same weight. It had to be sudden. Public. Shocking.
A symbol, then.
The Sannin.
Jiraiya was in the village. Orochimaru knew that. Which meant the only one left outside was Tsunade.
Tōma pinched the bridge of his nose. If Orochimaru wanted to cripple Konoha's image, killing or corrupting Tsunade was absolutely on the table.
If another Sannin fell, morale would take another massive hit. Konoha would be forced to dispatch even more ninja to stabilize its standing, thinning internal defenses further.
And then Orochimaru might strike again.
His real target would probably be Sasuke.
A full-scale invasion was unlikely. Orochimaru still didn't know what trump card the Third Hokage had left behind. He wouldn't act recklessly.
Jiraiya should already be heading to Naruto. Tōma didn't teleport after him. Instead, he summoned a messenger toad and sent his suspicions along, clearly labeling them as speculation and urging caution.
Enemy in the shadows. Konoha in the open.
He didn't like it.
If he hadn't changed the course of events, Orochimaru's arms would already be sealed, and his next move would be predictable. Now, everything was guesswork.
For now, all they could do was endure. Once Tsunade returned and Konoha stabilized, things would get easier.
Lost in thought, Tōma walked through the streets. Damage inside the village was limited thanks to earlier preparations, but repairs were still underway.
Then he noticed the stares.
"…Is that Tōma-sama?"
"Yes," he answered instinctively.
The street exploded with noise.
Cheers. Shouts. People calling his name.
Only later did he realize why. He had saved a lot of civilians. Those people talked. Their families talked. The story spread fast.
His reputation had taken off.
Tōma froze for a moment. He really should've just teleported home.
Now it was too late.
He forced a polite smile and greeted everyone patiently. By the time he reached home, his arms were full of gifts.
When the door opened, Yamanaka Ino blinked—then laughed.
"Tōma, why did you bring so much stuff back?"
"…'Too'?" Tōma paused. "My mom as well?"
Ino nodded helplessly. "Yeah. I just finished helping her put everything away."
Inside, Fujimoto Sana covered her face when she saw him.
"It's just for now," Tōma said gently. "It'll calm down soon. People can't keep giving things away forever. Though… they'll probably sell to us cheaper."
"I hope so," Sana sighed.
"Put everything there," she said. "Dinner's almost ready."
"Oh—right," Ino said. "I should head back."
"Stay," Tōma said, catching her hand. "Your parents are used to it."
"…Okay," Ino agreed after a second's thought.
High atop a distant wall, two figures in black cloaks patterned with red clouds gazed down at Konoha.
"So this is your village," Kisame Hoshigaki said lazily. "Looks pretty good. Hard to believe it was just attacked."
"Orochimaru was never capable of much," Uchiha Itachi replied flatly, eyes devoid of emotion.
"Cold as ever," Kisame chuckled. "Not even tempted to say hello?"
"No," Itachi said. "Remember our mission."
"Right, right. So how do we get in? There should be a barrier."
"There is."
"Huh? I don't see anything."
"We're already inside."
"…When did that happen?" Kisame scratched his head.
Itachi didn't answer.
Was he supposed to explain that the barrier's access codes hadn't been changed since he left?
That the Third Hokage had actually kept his word?
As for how they entered Konoha—
Through the front gate.
Sharingan.