Before long, Fujimoto Tōma found himself standing in a hospital room across from the Third Hokage.
"You're back from Mount Myōboku," the Third said with a gentle smile.
"Yes," Tōma replied. "Something unexpected came up there. It delayed me a bit."
"As long as you're safe," the Third said, not pressing further. A brief silence settled between them.
"Third Hokage," Tōma said calmly, breaking it first. "You've heard the rumors circulating in the village, haven't you?"
"…I have," the Third sighed. "And I imagine you know who's behind them."
"Danzō," Tōma said flatly.
The Third nodded. "Still, you don't need to worry too much. Based on what I know of Tsunade, she won't take those rumors seriously. They won't truly affect you."
"I trust your judgment on that," Tōma said. Then his tone sharpened slightly. "But Danzō doesn't have the authority to expose the identity of an ANBU squad leader. Even if I've already left ANBU."
The Third looked at Tōma for a long moment before nodding again.
"So… even if Danzō crossed a line, there should be consequences," Tōma continued.
Silence stretched on. At last, the Third spoke slowly. "Yes. I'll handle it."
Tōma didn't push further. He bowed slightly and left the room.
Walking through the hospital corridors, Tōma already understood plenty from the Third's reaction. The Third's attitude toward Danzō had always been… indulgent.
Perhaps because he never intended to hand over the Hokage position, the Third tolerated Danzō far more than he should have. Allowing someone to secretly build power within the village was absurd by any standard.
If Tōma hadn't confronted him directly, the matter likely would've ended with nothing more than a warning. Even now, any punishment would probably be symbolic at best.
That was the Third Hokage Tōma knew. Old. Softened by time.
Still, complaints aside, Tōma didn't regret saving him. He repaid kindness and returned grudges. Nothing more, nothing less.
Next on his list was Sasuke.
He intended to have Sasuke sign the Ryūchi Cave summoning contract. It would help him close the gap with Naruto. Summoning techniques shouldn't be difficult for Sasuke.
However, when Tōma asked a nurse, he learned Sasuke had already been discharged.
"…Right. Seven days passed," Tōma muttered, tapping his forehead. It still felt like he'd seen Sasuke yesterday.
Activating his Flying Thunder God mark, Tōma vanished from the hospital.
Moments later, he appeared in the Uchiha district, inside a familiar room. Sasuke's room.
Sasuke didn't carry the marked kunai everywhere. Most of the time, it stayed here.
Closing his eyes, Tōma expanded his perception. A familiar chakra signature soon stood out.
The Uchiha training grounds.
As expected. Sasuke hadn't wasted a moment.
Tōma moved again, arriving just in time to see Sasuke training, breath ragged but movements unbroken.
He clapped once.
"Who's there?!" Sasuke spun around, then froze. His eyes lit up. "Tōma? You're back from your mission?"
"More or less," Tōma said. "Though I probably won't be staying long."
"…Can I come with you next time?" Sasuke asked. He'd pieced together what kind of mission this likely was.
"No need," Tōma replied with a small smile. "It'll be over soon."
Sasuke didn't doubt him. Every prediction Tōma had made so far had come true.
"Do you remember Naruto's summoning technique?" Tōma asked.
"Of course," Sasuke said, recalling the massive toad. Its sheer presence had been overwhelming.
"That was Mount Myōboku," Tōma said. "One of the three great sage lands. I signed a contract with them."
"…Could I?" Sasuke asked instinctively.
"I don't have Mount Myōboku's contract," Tōma said, watching Sasuke's expression fall slightly. Then he smiled. "But I do have one from Ryūchi Cave."
Sasuke's eyes widened.
Tōma pulled out the massive scroll and handed it over. "Turn to the last page. Write your name in blood inside the frame, then add a handprint."
Sasuke did as instructed. When he saw Tōma's name already written there, he hesitated.
"…You have a family name," Sasuke said quietly.
"Add yours," Tōma replied.
Moments later, the contract was complete.
Tōma taught Sasuke the hand seals and gave him a brief warning about Ryūchi Cave's… temperament. Some snakes weren't worth summoning unless you were strong enough to deal with them.
Sasuke immediately began practicing, unable to resist.
With his back turned, his expression shifted.
Contracts from the three great sage lands weren't something you gave away lightly. Tōma already had Mount Myōboku. Which meant he'd gone out of his way to get this.
Whether it was specifically for him or not, the gesture carried weight.
Sasuke felt it settle deep in his chest. Warm. Steady.
He clenched his jaw.
He would not walk the path written in the Uchiha ruins. Not that road.
If Tōma had given him this chance, then he'd master it. Quickly.
Nearby, Tōma sat down and finally turned his attention inward.
The changes weren't dramatic yet. Just the initial stage.
But something was… off.
His chakra reserves had decreased.
At the same time, something else had taken their place. Natural energy, stored within his cells.
He frowned.
So how did he use it?
Mix it with chakra to form senjutsu chakra?
He tried.
It didn't work. The two energies refused to blend.
Then he tried something else. He drew on the natural energy and combined it only with mental energy.
The result surprised him.
Chakra.
But not quite the same.
Tōma understood instantly. His body was shaping the energy into what it knew best. Chakra was simply the familiar form.
And this chakra felt… different.
It reminded him of the Divine Tree. Absorbing natural energy, producing chakra.
Primitive chakra? he wondered.
To test it, Tōma formed two simple wind-cutting techniques. No nature transformation.
One used regular chakra.
The other used this new form.
The results were unmistakable. The second cut far deeper.
Not only that, but when he calculated the total output, his effective reserves were higher than before.
Power. Capacity. Both had improved.
At last, Tōma truly accepted this path.
Before, he'd agreed cautiously. Potential didn't guarantee results. A wrong step could've left him stranded between paths.
But now?
This wasn't abandoning chakra. It was expanding beyond it.
There was no downside.
Only gain.