Jūgo had stayed quiet the entire time, watching everything unfold. Seeing Sasuke wield that power made him realize something unsettling. The force that had tormented him for years, the one that sent him into uncontrollable rampages, was… this strong?
So that energy had a name.
Natural energy.
The word lingered in Jūgo's mind. He thought of his strange ability to communicate with birds, of how the world itself seemed to whisper to him when he wasn't losing control. Maybe that, too, was a kind of gift.
As for learning Sage Mode himself, Jūgo never entertained the idea. Power like that demanded extraordinary talent. He didn't need it. Following behind Sasuke was enough.
"I'll do my best," Jūgo said simply.
Sasuke paused, then smiled faintly. He never wanted to become Jūgo's new cage. After seeing Jūgo's memories, what he wanted was to break the one trapping him. But clearly, that wasn't something he could accomplish overnight.
Tōma observed quietly. If Sasuke ever tried to learn Sage Mode properly, it wouldn't be as straightforward as Naruto's path.
Naruto had an almost unfair advantage. Loud, reckless, but fundamentally pure. Simple-minded in the best way. That kind of temperament was almost tailor-made for Sage Mode. People liked to joke about fate favoring him, but the truth was simpler. His body, chakra, and mindset all aligned perfectly.
Naruto lacked finesse with techniques, but his physical foundation was absurdly strong.
Sasuke, on the other hand, would likely struggle at the very first step. His past made it hard for him to enter the calm, receptive state needed to sense natural energy. For now, Tōma could only hope that long-term exposure to senjutsu chakra would sharpen Sasuke's sensitivity.
With his talent, once he crossed the first hurdle, the rest would come easier.
"Sasuke," Jūgo spoke up suddenly, concern clear in his voice. "Now that you can't absorb all my natural energy… won't I start losing control again?"
"I'm fine," Jūgo added quickly.
Sasuke ignored him completely, eyes fixed on Tōma.
Tōma nodded. "I checked earlier. It's fine. Your Sage transformation is tied to Dragon Cave. Most of the energy you absorb comes from there. When the excess you can't control is transferred to Sasuke, it barely affects you. What remains isn't enough to trigger a rampage."
Sasuke finally relaxed. "Good."
Then he hesitated. "Is there a way for Jūgo to permanently escape this condition?"
Jūgo stiffened, turning to Tōma with quiet hope.
Tōma shook his head. "No. It's his natural constitution. Natural energy has become part of his life itself. Remove it, and he wouldn't survive."
That was the truth. Tōma could, if he wanted, convert all of Jūgo's power into refined natural energy for himself. But take too much, and Jūgo would regress. Take it all, and Jūgo would vanish.
Sasuke fell silent.
"I'm fine," Jūgo said with a rare smile. "If I can help you, that's enough for me."
"I'll find another way," Sasuke replied firmly.
Tōma watched them and shook his head with a quiet laugh. Their bond wasn't romantic or misguided. It was deeper than that. Jūgo had anchored his existence to Sasuke. Sasuke, sensing that weight, refused to abandon him.
"Jūgo," Sasuke said after a moment, "go back for now. I need to talk to Tōma."
Jūgo nodded and left without a word.
Once they were alone, Sasuke led Tōma into the living room and prepared tea with unexpected formality.
"This feels serious," Tōma said lightly, taking a sip. "What's on your mind?"
"You know about what happened to the Uchiha," Sasuke said quietly.
"I looked into it," Tōma replied.
"Then… did the clan ever have hope?"
The more Sasuke learned, the less he saw a way out. At best, a few more survivors. Nothing more.
"After the Nine-Tails incident," Tōma said slowly, "the Uchiha were already finished. If they had endured quietly, they might have survived. But they chose rebellion."
Silence followed.
"You know Kakashi's story," Tōma continued. "You know where his Sharingan came from. Think about what it means that a non-Uchiha was allowed to keep it."
Sasuke's voice was strained. "My father bet on the Fourth Hokage. And the Fourth died in the Nine-Tails disaster."
"Yes. If the Fourth had lived, the clan's fate might have changed. But he didn't."
Sasuke clenched his jaw.
"And there's more," Tōma said. "The Nine-Tails rampage was linked to the Sharingan. Only the Sharingan can control it. That alone doomed the clan in the eyes of the village."
Sasuke froze. He hadn't investigated that far.
"…Was it really an Uchiha?"
"The evidence points to the Sharingan," Tōma said calmly.
The teacup shattered in Sasuke's hand. He didn't react.
"You know Naruto is the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki," Tōma continued. "Back then, the jinchūriki was the Fourth's wife. The seal was weakest during childbirth. Even so, with the Fourth's sealing skill, the Nine-Tails should never have escaped."
He paused.
"And his wife was a sealing expert herself."
The implication hung heavy.
"So… only outside interference could've caused it," Sasuke whispered.
"Yes. Which means the Uchiha lost their Hokage and inherited suspicion for his death. From that point on, there was no path forward."
The best option would have been submission. Endure. Wait for a Hokage willing to bridge the gap.
But the Uchiha didn't wait.
They gambled everything, trying to reclaim what they lost in one desperate move.
A gambler's instinct.
Tōma sighed. "From the village's perspective, a rebellion can't be tolerated. The decision wasn't wrong. The tragedy was how it played out."
And in the end, one brother carried all the blame.