Over the next few days, Fujimoto Tōma finally understood the real impact of Tsunade's declaration at the inauguration.
In practice, he now stood just beneath the Hokage herself. The village elders treated him with courtesy, the advisors acknowledged him openly, and even senior jōnin spoke to him with visible respect.
One step below the Hokage. Above everyone else.
And then he was summoned to the Hokage's office.
When Tōma entered, he nearly didn't see Tsunade at first. Her desk was buried under towering stacks of documents, papers piled so high they almost swallowed her whole. Shizune was still carrying in more, moving back and forth like a courier ant.
This, Tōma thought dryly, was exactly why he had no interest in becoming Hokage anytime soon.
"Tsunade-sama," he called out.
"Oh, you're here." Tsunade finally put down her pen and stretched, bones cracking.
Tōma glanced once, then looked away without guilt. Any man would have noticed. Pretending otherwise would just be dishonest.
"I've read the proposal you left in the Third's hospital room," Tsunade said. "It's solid. But I don't think squads need to be locked together so rigidly. Some combinations just don't work."
"I disagree," Tōma replied calmly. "Every shinobi has their own habits and temperament. Familiar teams reduce mistakes and friction. Constant reshuffling creates problems."
"That's… fair," Tsunade muttered, rubbing her temples.
"Of course," Tōma added, "that doesn't apply if they already know each other well. Like the Konoha Twelve."
"The what?" Tsunade blinked.
Tōma listed the names, explaining how the genin squads and instructors were already deeply familiar with one another.
"…Konoha Twelve," Tsunade repeated, flipping through their files. "Not a bad nickname."
Tōma stared at her. That was not the point.
She suddenly looked up. "You're from the same generation, right? So what does that make you? The 'Thirteen'?"
Silence.
Tōma's expression went blank.
A moment later, Tsunade burst out laughing and waved it off. "Alright, alright. We'll do it your way. I really did pick a good future Sixth Hokage."
"So… that's why you called me here?" Tōma asked, relaxing slightly.
"Of course not." Tsunade grinned and slid a scroll across the desk.
Tōma opened it, skimmed once, then again more carefully.
"…What exactly are you trying to say, Tsunade-sama?"
"That's an S-rank mission," she said seriously.
"I don't see an S-rank mission in my personal file," Tōma replied, eyeing the detailed dossier that clearly wasn't a mission at all.
"…Ah."
Tsunade froze, then noticed the actual mission scroll sitting beside her.
Several seconds later, Tōma finally held the correct document.
"Forget that," Tsunade said briskly. "Fujimoto Tōma, acting future Sixth Hokage, contribute to the village's reputation."
"I've already done plenty of S-rank-level work," Tōma said flatly. "Joint operations with Suna. Retrieving you. Fighting Orochimaru. Those weren't exactly low-risk errands."
She ignored him completely.
In the end, Tōma accepted.
Rank outranked reason.
As he left, he sighed inwardly. In his previous life, he'd been squeezed dry by his company. Now he was being squeezed by the Hokage. History really did repeat itself.
Behind him, Tsunade watched his retreating figure with narrowed eyes and a smile shaped suspiciously like a coin.
With his efficiency and Flying Thunder God, even a workhorse would complain.
Once he was gone, her smile faded. She glanced at the dossier she'd "accidentally" handed him earlier.
She hadn't made a mistake.
She wanted to see how he'd react to being thoroughly investigated.
His indifference told her everything she needed to know.
The Third's surveillance had gone far beyond normal. Tsunade found it excessive, even unsettling. But Tōma hadn't bristled. Hadn't flinched.
That, more than anything, reassured her.
Tōma didn't rush the S-rank mission.
He already knew that if he returned too quickly, Tsunade would simply hand him another scroll.
So he applied wisdom from a past life. The art of not getting fired while still doing your job.
He stopped using Flying Thunder God for ordinary travel.
Instead, he walked. Slowly. Absorbing natural energy. Letting his body continue its gradual adaptation. When he wanted to eat or visit home, he teleported, then returned to where he'd left off.
That included visiting Ino.
He was visiting his girlfriend. Not "returning to the village."
As long as no one noticed, it was perfectly reasonable.
Even so, his efficiency still ranked among the highest for S-rank missions. That gave him confidence.
Eventually, he returned to the Hokage's office.
"Oh?" Tsunade looked up, a vein popping on her forehead. "Back from slacking already, Future Sixth?"
"That's slander," Tōma replied calmly. "I completed the mission."
"You were much slower than before!"
"Did I finish it?"
"…Yes."
"How was the client's evaluation?"
"…Very good."
"And compared to other S-rank teams?"
Silence.
Tsunade sighed. "Fine. I won't chain missions back-to-back. Just don't waste time halfway."
"It's not a waste," Tōma said. "Walking through nature is surprisingly helpful."
She shot him a glare. "Do whatever you want."
Then she tossed him another scroll.
"…Didn't you just say—"
"This one's Naruto's," Tsunade said. "Jiraiya isn't with him. Watch over the kid. You won't need to fight."
Tōma nodded and opened it.
As he read, his brows slowly drew together.
Snow Country. Yukie Fujikaze. Princess Koyuki.
A long-buried memory surfaced.
A movie arc…?
"What, you like her?" Tsunade teased. "Careful. You've already got a girlfriend."
"Stop talking nonsense," Tōma said flatly.
"Then why the look?"
"I remembered something," he replied. "About the 'Princess.'"
She followed him to the archives without protest. Restricted ANBU files lined the walls. Normally forbidden, but no one dared stop the Fifth Hokage and her designated successor.
Tōma searched for a while, then pulled a file and tossed it to her.
Tsunade opened it.
"…ANBU mission. Snow Country. Hatake Kakashi."
Her eyes widened.
This wasn't recent.
This was from when Kakashi was still a child.
...
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