The White Snake Sage stared at Fujimoto Tōma for a long moment.
His perspective might be narrow, but that didn't change the fact that this human was unique. The only one of his kind in the entire world.
Choice, in this case, didn't really exist.
With a flick of its tongue, the White Snake Sage spat out a massive scroll. Its tail lashed once, sending the scroll flying toward Tōma.
Tōma caught it reflexively and froze.
If he wasn't mistaken, this was the summoning contract of Ryūchi Cave.
Wasn't this supposed to be with Orochimaru?
"What's wrong?" the White Snake Sage hissed, its voice turning sharp. "Don't tell me you're refusing to sign a contract with Ryūchi Cave."
The pressure in the air shifted instantly.
"That's not it," Tōma said calmly. "I just remembered this scroll was supposed to be with Orochimaru."
As he spoke, he unrolled it.
The signature section was completely blank.
Tōma paused, then understood. Without hesitation, he bit his finger and signed his name in blood.
"Hmph. Obviously I gave you a new one," the White Snake Sage said, its tone easing slightly.
Only then did Tōma fully process who he was dealing with.
This was the founder of Ryūchi Cave itself.
Producing a fresh summoning contract wasn't strange in the slightest. Honestly, if not for concerns about over-distribution, Tōma suspected the White Snake Sage could produce several more on the spot.
That realization sparked another thought.
Sasuke.
Tōma had assumed Sasuke might never get the chance to contract with Ryūchi Cave. Now, that path was wide open.
At that moment, the Slug Sage produced her own scroll.
Compared to the snake's, it was almost comically small.
Tōma took it, glanced inside, and immediately understood why. Shikkotsu Forest only had one true summon.
He signed without hesitation.
Just like that, he had contracts with all three great sage lands.
If this world had achievements, he would have unlocked one.
"Tōma," the Great Toad Sage said, "you've been at Mount Myōboku for seven days. It's time to return to Konoha."
"Seven days?" Tōma repeated, startled.
He'd known time had passed, but while his awareness was trapped inside his body, there had been no way to judge how much.
Seven days… just for the initial transformation.
"I'll take my leave then," Tōma said, bowing slightly. "Great Toad Sage. White Snake Sage. Slug Sage."
Without delay, he vanished in a flash of Flying Thunder God.
It wasn't impatience. The Great Toad Sage's words had been a polite dismissal. There was no reason to linger.
After Tōma left, the White Snake Sage fixed its gaze on the Great Toad Sage.
"Gamakichi. That boy is your responsibility now. Watch him carefully. Don't let him drift back onto the chakra-based path. That road is a dead end."
"I understand," the Great Toad Sage replied.
"If you can't manage it," the White Snake Sage added coldly, "hand him over to me."
This time, the Great Toad Sage didn't answer.
The Slug Sage spoke for the first time, her voice soft and indistinct.
"To think such an existence would truly appear… perhaps the shinobi world is finally due for change."
"It should've changed long ago," the White Snake Sage snorted. "What's the point of a world trapped on a sealed road?"
"So we're betting everything on him," the Great Toad Sage murmured, almost to himself.
"Do we have another choice?" the Slug Sage asked.
Silence fell.
They didn't.
They weren't even sure there would ever be a second Fujimoto Tōma.
"Are you certain that one won't act?" the White Snake Sage asked quietly.
"I'm not," the Great Toad Sage replied. "But even if he did, could we stop him? We can't follow Tōma forever."
The White Snake Sage snorted and vanished.
"Tend to him carefully," the Slug Sage said before disappearing as well. "He may be our last hope."
Left alone, the Great Toad Sage summoned Fukasaku.
"You called for me, Great Sage?" Fukasaku asked respectfully. He already suspected this concerned Tōma.
What he didn't expect was the instruction to support Tōma without reservation.
"…Has the prophecy regarding Jiraiya changed?" Fukasaku asked cautiously.
The Great Toad Sage shook his head.
"I haven't seen a new outcome. But that no longer matters. Remember this, Fukasaku. For us, Fujimoto Tōma may be more important than the entire shinobi world."
Fukasaku's eyes widened. It took him a long moment to recover.
"…Understood," he said finally.
After Fukasaku left, the Great Toad Sage fell into thought.
The "blood-soaked future" he had once seen wasn't just Tōma's personal killing. The shinobi world was never free of bloodshed.
What he had foreseen was something far greater.
Yet now, after Tōma stepped onto that path, his future had vanished from sight entirely. Even the fates of those connected to him had grown blurred.
Had he misread it back then?
Tōma returned home and immediately sought out Fujimoto Sana and Yamanaka Ino.
Fortunately, the messenger toad had already explained his stay at Mount Myōboku. They'd assumed it was another mission.
Tōma exhaled in relief. Vanishing for seven days without explanation would have caused real panic.
Next, he asked the white hawk for a full report on Konoha during his absence.
By the end of it, his expression had darkened.
A lot had happened.
The mission to showcase Konoha's strength hadn't progressed far. Seven days was too short, even for jōnin-level teams.
Sunagakure, however, had made swift progress.
With superior numbers and extensive tracking methods, they had already located the Sound Village's base. Still, they chose not to attack head-on, opting instead for a cautious, methodical approach.
They couldn't afford losses.
Sunagakure had requested Tōma's support, but with him absent, the request was delayed. As compensation, Konoha released Gaara and his siblings early. Reports said Gaara was performing exceptionally well and showed no signs of losing control.
Naruto had done good work.
All of that was fine.
The problem came last.
Rumors had begun spreading through Konoha. Not just about Tōma's recent feats, but his time in ANBU as well.
His reputation was exploding.
That alone was manageable.
What wasn't… was the growing public voice insisting that Fujimoto Tōma should become the Fifth Hokage.
Once that idea surfaced, it spread like wildfire.
People questioned his age, yes—but no one questioned his strength or qualifications.
The speed of it all was alarming.
This wasn't the Third Hokage's doing. Promoting Tōma on the eve of Tsunade's return would be political suicide.
No.
Tōma rubbed his temples.
Danzō.
After being cornered so thoroughly, Danzō had chosen the most brutal option. An open trap.
Once public opinion moved, stopping it became nearly impossible. Fame, it turned out, could be a burden.
Tōma wasn't Sakumo Hatake. He wouldn't break under pressure. If pushed far enough, he'd flip the table entirely.
And Tsunade wasn't the Third. She didn't crave the title of Hokage.
Which meant the outcome was… unpredictable.
Still, one thing was clear.
This was Danzō's move.
And Tōma was already on the board.
With that thought, he headed toward the medical center.
He needed to see the Third Hokage.
And Sasuke.