Back home, Tōma had no idea he'd already been firmly etched into the memory of a future Kazekage.
He sat quietly, replaying everything he'd done from start to finish, then nodded to himself.
The impact had been strong enough.
The spectacle had been overwhelming enough.
The mission to display Konoha's strength was, by any standard, a complete success.
Honestly, if he'd been present from the beginning, simply revealing Flying Thunder God would've been enough. But his delay at Mount Myōboku forced him to go all out.
The Toad Oil Flame Bullet was manageable. The real drain had been summoning Gamabunta.
As for the Rasenshuriken… that thing was a chakra-devouring monster.
There wouldn't be much left for him to do on the battlefield now.
Which meant it was time to deal with the real headache.
His reputation.
Tōma rubbed his forehead.
If the results from the Sound Village spread any further, the voices pushing him toward the position of Fifth Hokage would only grow louder.
Tsunade was supposed to return and take the seat.
So what was it supposed to look like if the village below was shouting Tōma's name instead?
No matter how indifferent Tsunade was toward the title, that wouldn't feel good.
And the worst part?
This was Danzō's move, and it was disgusting precisely because it was clean.
If Danzō hadn't pushed things, support for Tōma would've stayed scattered. Quiet. Harmless.
But once a wave started, people who'd never spoken up before began echoing it. And how was Tōma supposed to blame them?
They were supporting him.
He exhaled slowly.
If his strength were already there, he wouldn't hesitate to accept the position, age be damned.
But the truth was simple.
Lower bound: elite jōnin.
Upper bound: undefined.
That still wasn't enough.
The Hokage position would bury him under paperwork and politics, stealing the very thing he needed most: time to grow stronger.
He didn't want the seat now.
Not yet.
And even when that day came, he had his own ideas about what kind of Hokage he'd be.
After some thought, Tōma headed off to see the Third Hokage. Any solution to Danzō's move would require his cooperation.
"Why do we have to come to Konoha again?" Kankurō muttered, staring at the streets. "I've practically lived here lately."
"Who knew they'd throw a joint victory celebration?" Temari sighed. "And we couldn't exactly refuse."
"It's a good thing," Gaara said calmly. "This will reduce the tension between our villages."
Kankurō and Temari froze.
Then they looked at each other and smiled.
For everything Sunagakure had suffered lately, at least one thing had gone right.
Gaara was truly changing.
Maybe he liked Konoha a bit too much—but that was still better than before.
The celebration itself wasn't originally planned.
It had been Tōma's proposal to the Third Hokage.
On the surface, it sounded absurd. Inviting Sunagakure to celebrate in Konoha?
But the Third agreed.
Tōma had calculated it perfectly. The Third wouldn't severely punish Danzō, which meant guilt. And guilt meant compromise.
The event was heavily promoted, even with help from ANBU channels.
The message was clear and carefully worded:
Konoha and Sunagakure, working together, had annihilated Orochimaru's Sound Village base with minimal casualties. Orochimaru himself had fled in panic.
Sunagakure loved it.
That reputation boost was exactly what they needed.
So Gaara, Kankurō, and Temari came as representatives.
The ceremony was lively. The Third Hokage even made a public appearance despite his injuries.
After honoring Gaara's group, he began recounting Tōma's achievements.
From his days as "Ink Shadow," to his promotion to Special Jōnin, to his role in the joint campaign.
Every detail laid bare.
The crowd erupted.
The rumors hadn't exaggerated anything.
And as the cheers grew louder, so did a single chant.
"Fifth Hokage!"
Danzō watched from the shadows, eyes cold.
He already knew the position wasn't his.
But if he couldn't have it, then no one would enjoy it.
Whether it was Tsunade or Tōma didn't matter.
If Tsunade took the seat, the crowd's reaction would poison her reign.
If Tōma took it, then what happened when Tsunade returned?
Either way, chaos.
"Is he really becoming the Fifth Hokage today?" Kankurō whispered.
"Maybe," Temari replied uncertainly.
Gaara watched the crowd, remembering what it felt like to be cheered—even if it hadn't been his village.
If Tōma could inspire this… maybe one day, he could too.
The Third Hokage looked out over the frenzied crowd.
If he announced Tōma as Hokage right now, no one would object.
Not a single voice.
And yet—
He sighed internally and followed the plan.
"Fujimoto Tōma," he announced, "is hereby promoted from Special Jōnin to Jōnin."
Silence.
Stunned, confused silence.
The crowd had been ready for a coronation.
And then Tōma stepped forward.
He thanked the Third for his trust, then addressed the crowd directly.
Not taking the Hokage position was his own decision.
He was thirteen.
Konoha didn't need a thirteen-year-old to shoulder everything.
He then named two people fit to become the Fifth Hokage.
Jiraiya.
And Tsunade.
Especially Tsunade—her strength, her medical expertise, her lineage, and what she could do for Konoha's future.
Finally, Tōma added that when the Sixth Hokage was chosen, if people still supported him then, he would accept.
The crowd slowly calmed.
They remembered his age.
Thirteen.
A jōnin at thirteen was already terrifying enough.
Konoha wasn't so desperate that it needed a child as Hokage.
And besides—
They could wait.
Not everyone agreed.
But when ROOT operatives tried to stir trouble, the Yamanaka were already watching. One by one, those voices vanished into the crowd.
Silently.
Cleanly.