The next day, Fujimoto Tōma was inevitably called in again. Most of the proposals came from him, after all, so follow-up was unavoidable.
Yamanaka Inoichi had already completed the team assignments and rotation schedules exactly as discussed. He'd worked fast and thoroughly, clearly taking the job seriously. Still, the finalized lists went straight to the Third Hokage first. Some rules weren't negotiable.
Meanwhile, Hyūga Hiashi and Nara Shikaku departed for negotiations with Sunagakure. The location had been chosen by Konoha as the victor. It wasn't inside the village, but it was close enough for immediate support if something went wrong.
From Tōma's perspective, Shikaku alone could've handled the talks. Unfortunately, his status wasn't enough on its own. Sending all of Ino–Shika–Chō would've been overkill, so Hiashi was the perfect compromise. High status, steady temperament, and not someone normally dispatched on missions.
Before they left, Tōma made sure the escort team carried a messenger toad. If anything went wrong, it would contact him or Jiraiya immediately.
Standing at the village gate, Tōma glanced at the two guards. They looked… exhausted. Too exhausted. And it wasn't even close to shift change.
He frowned, but didn't linger.
He'd barely walked into the village when a faint tremor traveled through the ground.
Tōma froze.
Closing his eyes, he extended his senses.
Several shinobi were fighting ahead, all with unusually high chakra levels. One of them spiked so violently that for a split second, Tōma almost mistook it for Naruto.
But Naruto was gone with Jiraiya. And there was no Flying Thunder God mark there.
So who?
Trouble again. And this time, it felt dangerous.
Tōma vanished in a blur.
"Itachi… that's your brother, right?" Kisame Hoshigaki asked casually, glancing at the boy struggling in Itachi's grip. "Are you sure about this? And your body—"
"No need to say more," Uchiha Itachi replied flatly. "The Nine-Tails isn't in the village. We're late."
As his Mangekyō faded back into a standard three-tomoe Sharingan, the water rippled beneath their feet.
"Can we open our eyes yet?" Asuma Sarutobi asked tensely.
"No. Absolutely not," Hatake Kakashi replied, kneeling on the water's surface, sweat pouring down his face. His vision swam.
He hadn't expected it. Even with his own Sharingan, he'd been caught in Itachi's genjutsu.
That wasn't normal illusion.
"Sasuke…" Kakashi muttered, trying to rise. His body refused.
Itachi paused.
A flicker of lightning crossed his peripheral vision.
Then—
A bolt of blue-white light tore straight through him.
Only crows burst apart where he'd been.
Itachi reformed several meters away as Sasuke's body fell. Before it hit the water, a hand caught him.
"Tōma—don't look at his eyes!" Kakashi shouted in relief.
"I know," Tōma replied calmly.
His eyes remained closed.
But in his perception, Itachi and Kisame were perfectly clear.
Kisame squinted. "Huh. When did this guy show up?"
"That technique…" Itachi murmured. "Flying Thunder God. You must be Fujimoto Tōma."
"The famous one?" Kisame chuckled. "So the rumors weren't exaggerated."
"So you're Sasuke's brother," Tōma said coolly. "The man who betrayed his clan and village. Itachi."
"White-eye?" Kisame blinked. "Isn't that the Hyūga thing?"
Itachi's gaze sharpened. He understood perfectly what Tōma meant.
"And you used the Mangekyō on your own brother," Tōma continued. "That's one way to show affection. Or is it all you have left now? When Sasuke awakens his Mangekyō… what then?"
Itachi stiffened.
"You know a lot," he said quietly.
"I know your body's failing," Tōma replied. "Even Uchiha don't handle Mangekyō side effects well. You reacted just now, but your body couldn't keep up. You had to dodge instead."
"…That's none of your concern."
"It is," Tōma said flatly. "If Sasuke doesn't kill you first, your illness might."
That did it.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
The flames erupted instantly.
But Tōma had already moved.
Carrying Sasuke, he vanished and reappeared far from the blast.
He passed Sasuke to Kurenai Yūhi and spoke quickly. "Asuma, get Kakashi out. The rest is on me and Guy."
"HAHAHA!" Might Guy burst forward. "So I've been spotted! The Blue Beast of Konoha enters the fray!"
Asuma and Kurenai retreated immediately.
"Guy," Tōma said, "take the shark. Itachi's mine."
"An Uchiha?" Guy tilted his head. "I'm used to fighting Sharingan. I watch footwork, not eyes."
"I don't need eyes at all," Tōma replied.
Guy paused. Then nodded and turned toward Kisame.
"Just you?" Kisame grinned. "Feeling confident?"
"Who are you again?" Guy asked honestly.
Kisame's smile twitched.
He charged.
At the same time, lightning crackled around Tōma. His blade, Inkshadow, appeared in his grip as he closed on Itachi and struck.
Steel shattered.
Itachi barely managed to block, his kunai snapping in half. He retreated instantly.
Tōma followed without pause.
Behind Itachi, a Flying Thunder God kunai rose silently from the water, drawn by magnetic pull.
Front and back.
Itachi saw everything. The blade fragments. The floating metal shards. The kunai behind him.
But knowing didn't mean escaping.
His body was too slow.
He'd overused the Mangekyō. Again.
There was only one option left.
His Sharingan spun violently, blood trailing from the corners of his eyes as crimson chakra surged outward.
A towering skeletal form began to take shape.
Tōma's blade slammed into it—and rebounded like it had struck solid iron.
No hesitation.
Tōma retreated instantly.
A massive skeletal fist crashed down where he'd stood moments earlier.
"That is—" Guy froze.
"What… is that?" Kakashi whispered.
Even Sasuke, half-conscious, stared in awe and horror.
That power…
Could he ever surpass it?
For the first time since the massacre, doubt crept into Sasuke's heart.