When Fujimoto Tōma returned home, his mother had already beaten him back.
Fujimoto Sana was just finishing up after work when he told her about the relocation he'd discussed with Tsunade.
Strictly speaking, with Tōma's current finances, Sana didn't need to work at all anymore. The only reason she still did was simple. She hated sitting still. Keeping her busy with light work was better than forcing her to stay home and stew.
As for whether working at a barbecue restaurant counted as "light," Tōma wasn't sure. But once he officially stepped into the Hokage line, no one would dare overwork her.
Sana studied him closely. "Did something happen?"
"Nothing serious," Tōma replied smoothly. "It's just that once I become Hokage, you going out to work will attract unnecessary attention."
He didn't mention Danzo. There was no reason to.
"I see…" Sana glanced around their familiar home. "But do we really need to move?"
Tōma thought for a moment, then delivered the finishing blow. "This place is too small. Once Ino moves in, and if we have a few kids later, it won't be enough."
Her eyes lit up instantly.
"Oh? Is that so?" She scanned the room again, her tone flipping completely. "You're right. This place is tiny. Absolutely tiny. We should move."
Tōma couldn't help laughing.
So much for nostalgia. Grandchildren clearly ranked higher.
He rubbed his temple, suddenly uneasy. His age. The future. Timing mattered.
Becoming Hokage. Flying Thunder God. Marriage. Kids.
The resemblance was uncomfortable.
No Nine-Tails crisis anymore, sure. But what if a Ten-Tails showed up instead?
…Actually, with his current body, he might survive that too.
He stopped himself before his thoughts ran further. One thing at a time.
And anyway, not having kids didn't mean doing nothing else.
"So when do we move?" Sana asked eagerly.
"In a few days. The new place is next to Tsunade-sama's residence."
"Really?!" Sana's eyes sparkled.
Tōma nodded. Despite her gambling habits, Tsunade was practically every woman's hero. Sana included.
Dinner passed in high spirits.
Later, Tōma returned to his room and sat at his desk for the first time in ages. He picked up a pen and paper, just like he used to as a kid.
He replayed the recent battle in his mind.
He'd underestimated himself.
That wasn't arrogance. He'd just gone through a massive leap in strength and hadn't even had time to adapt before Danzo's trap snapped shut.
Before that fight, he'd placed himself below Naruto's Sage Mode. He hadn't seen Naruto fight in that state, but he had seen Jiraiya.
Jiraiya's Sage Mode wasn't as refined as Naruto's, yet its raw power felt close to where Tōma stood now. That was why he'd assumed Naruto still surpassed him.
But reality disagreed.
If Sage Mode Naruto had faced the same four enemies, even with full intel, would he have survived?
Tōma wasn't convinced.
The reason was simple. Sage Mode was a burst state. Even with shadow clones storing natural energy, it lasted minutes.
Tōma didn't have bursts.
This was his baseline.
And on top of that, he wielded Flying Thunder God, the Spirit Transformation Technique, and more.
Even at the end of that battle, he hadn't been at full strength. Too many techniques couldn't be tested in live combat.
"If that's the case…" he muttered, staring at the page. "Am I already this strong?"
At some point, even Pain no longer felt like an absolute wall.
Only the Deva Path truly threatened him. Nagato himself was another matter entirely. Without Edo Tensei, Nagato's body was already exhausted. His crippled legs alone were a fatal weakness.
Tōma shook his head slowly.
Not long ago, he'd struggled over scraps of chakra.
Still, he couldn't stop now.
He listed his immediate goals.
First, fully adapt to his new strength.
Second, find suitable locations to train elemental chakra.
Wind was covered. The Sand Village was perfect for that.
Fire needed a volcano. The one recently involved in the Moryō sealing incident had erupted not long ago. That would work.
Water was easy. Any coastal region would do.
Earth and Lightning were harder.
Earth was everywhere, but true density pointed toward the Stone Village.
Lightning meant the Cloud Village. No way around it.
Then there was Yang Release. After witnessing the Reanimation Rebirth technique, he had ideas. That needed time too.
Finally, his pen paused on a familiar technique.
Wind Release: Rasenshuriken.
He rarely used it. The charge time didn't fit his combat style unless he faced extreme regeneration or Kakuzu's Earth Grudge Fear.
But now?
If he could shorten the formation time. Not instant like Rasengan, but fast enough.
Another massive project.
The paper was already full.
Tōma exhaled, rubbing his forehead. Busy, yes. But good.
As long as there was room to grow, he hadn't reached his limit.
Then his gaze sharpened.
Danzo.
Gathering solid evidence wouldn't be easy. Tsunade had tried and failed. That meant the breakthrough likely wasn't inside the village.
His pen circled a name.
Orochimaru.
The real opening was there.