The dark green snakes memorized the scent from the cloth almost instantly, then scattered in all directions.
Maki watched them slither away, the corner of his eye twitching. Summoning snakes inevitably reminded him of Orochimaru.
"Now we wait for my summons to report back," Fujimoto Tōma said calmly. He then glanced at Maki. "That said, don't stop searching. Akatsuki didn't capture a jinchūriki just to play games and send him home safely."
Maki nodded bitterly. "We've had search teams moving nonstop. No results so far."
"I want a place with strong winds," Tōma added suddenly. "Take me there."
Maki paused, then gave a wry smile. "That's easy. Wind is the one thing Sunagakure never lacks."
Soon, Tōma stood atop a high cliff, endless currents howling around him. Sand and air roared together like a living thing.
He smiled faintly.
Satisfied, Maki bowed slightly. "I'll return to the village. Things are… unstable without the Kazekage."
"Go," Tōma replied.
Once alone, he sat down and closed his eyes, letting the wind wash over him.
Small.
Insignificant.
And yet unmoving.
The search ended faster than he expected.
One of the snakes found the trail.
Tōma rose from the cliff and headed back toward the village. The time was short, but the effect was real.
If chakra has attributes… natural energy does too.
He raised a hand. Invisible currents gathered around his fingers. In this environment, the natural energy leaned heavily toward wind. When converted, his Wind Release techniques would be slightly enhanced.
For him, the gain was minimal. His wind affinity was already strong.
But fire. Earth. Water.
Those had always lagged behind.
Training jutsu endlessly to catch up would take years. Too slow.
This, however, might be his shortcut.
Not a way to reach the same heights as wind or lightning, but enough to close the gap.
And right now, advancement in "height" was difficult anyway. Progress demanded careful exploration. It was better to widen the path first.
Tōma found Maki and explained the situation.
"You don't need escorts?" Maki asked despite himself. "Or to wait for your comrades?"
"No," Tōma replied flatly. "Your people would slow me down. And in a fight, they'd become liabilities."
Maki grimaced. True, but harsh.
"As for my teammates," Tōma hesitated briefly, then shook his head. "We don't know when they'll arrive. It might already be too late."
He summoned one snake and handed it to Maki. "If you send people after me, follow this."
Maki accepted it carefully. "Then… please succeed, Fujimoto-sama."
Tōma vanished moments later.
Maki stared at the empty air, a complicated expression on his face. During the Chūnin Exams, he'd once stood as Tōma's equal.
Now, he couldn't even see his back anymore.
Not long after, Uchiha Sasuke arrived at Sunagakure with Jūgo and Karin, led by Temari.
Maki recognized Sasuke immediately and explained everything.
"So Tōma already moved," Sasuke muttered, frowning.
"Do you want to rest first?" Maki offered. "You look exhausted."
"No time. Which way did he go?"
After receiving directions, Sasuke nodded. "We'll catch up to the main force. Not him."
No one was faster than Fujimoto Tōma. Sasuke knew that better than anyone.
"Do you need rest?" Sasuke asked Jūgo and Karin.
Karin straightened instantly. "Of course not! I'll stick right next to you, Sasuke-kun!"
Jūgo shook his head calmly.
"I'm coming too," Temari said, stepping forward.
"Fine. Move out," Sasuke said, holding Karin back with one hand out of habit.
Maki watched them leave, amazed. The once-vengeful Uchiha boy had grown into a leader without anyone noticing.
Not long after that, Team Kakashi and Team Guy arrived as well.
Maki nearly laughed in disbelief. You couldn't have coordinated this?
Still, emotion welled up in his chest. They'd come straight from dealing with Mōryō, without pause.
Sunagakure had broken the alliance once.
Yet Konoha still came.
Kakashi listened to the report and sighed. "That's Tōma for you. Always faster than everyone else."
He wasn't exaggerating. Tōma had treated Kankurō, found Akatsuki's trail, and departed—all before them.
Naruto clenched his fists.
Ino stared into the distance, unease settling in her chest.
Maki suggested rest again.
Kakashi opened his mouth to reply, only to see Naruto already sprinting away.
"…Guess that answers it," he said, waving lightly. "We'll be going."
Maki watched them disappear, stunned. "Is everyone in Konoha like this…?"
For a moment, he almost wanted to follow.
Far away, hidden among cliffs, Tōma stood on the trunk of a massive tree.
The cave ahead was the destination. The snakes hadn't entered. The summoning was already undone.
His shadow clones had scouted ahead.
Gaara is inside.
Three chakra signatures. Two hostile. One familiar.
Still, something felt wrong.
The path had been too clean. In his memory, there should've been resistance. Traps. Delays.
Had they simply failed to notice him?
After a brief pause, Tōma placed a Flying Thunder God kunai outside the cave and slipped inside.
The instant he entered, alarm screamed through his senses.
The ground beneath his feet split open, dropping into a bottomless pit.
A trap. Predictable.
Then—
"Who's there?!"
Every instinct flared. Tōma hurled a kunai upward and another toward the cavern wall, body twisting midair.
He turned—
And froze.
Orange hair.
Piercing gaze.
Rippling purple eyes.
The Rinnegan.
"…Pain?"