"…Yeah. I guess that's true," Naruto muttered, blinking as he thought it over.
Come to think of it, Wind Style: Rasenshuriken had been developed by Tōma, yet in the end it was Jiraiya who taught him how to use it.
"Heh," Fukasaku chuckled. "Even so, everything Little Tōma does is carefully thought out. I've never seen anyone work that hard."
"Planning, effort, efficiency, talent. He's got all of it," the old toad continued. "There's nothing surprising about him becoming this strong."
Naruto nodded along instinctively.
In Fukasaku's eyes, there were only two people he'd ever considered close to perfect. One was the Fourth Hokage. The other was Fujimoto Tōma.
Especially Tōma. Fukasaku had watched him grow up. His talent had been absurdly obvious from the start. But what truly set him apart was that he never relied on it. He trained with purpose, never wasting effort, never moving without a plan. That made his progress terrifyingly efficient.
In short, Tōma's path wasn't something anyone else could simply copy. Even without the mysterious power the Great Toad Sage had mentioned, that much was already clear.
Naruto nodded again. He'd always known Tōma was incredible. Honestly, if someone told him one day that Tōma had become the strongest shinobi in the world, Naruto wouldn't even be surprised.
"Alright," Fukasaku said, changing the subject. "Let's walk. I'll explain Sage Mode as we go."
"Um, Fukasaku-sama?" Naruto asked suddenly. "What was that prophecy Tōma mentioned earlier?"
Fukasaku paused. "Neither Jiraiya nor Little Tōma told you?"
Naruto shook his head. So even Jiraiya-sensei knew…?
"It's not something that needs to be hidden," Fukasaku said after a moment. He then explained the Great Toad Sage's prophecy in full.
By the time he finished, Naruto's fists were clenched tight.
A crisis threatening the entire shinobi world. Something on a scale that dwarfed anything he'd imagined.
"So that's it…" Naruto breathed.
Tōma's words echoed in his mind. Getting stronger is the best way to help me.
So the enemy Tōma had mentioned… was the one from this prophecy?
And Jiraiya's long search for the "Child of Prophecy" had been for this very reason.
"I'll work even harder," Naruto said firmly. "When that time comes, I'll definitely help Tōma."
Fukasaku smiled. "If what Tōma said is right, and you truly are suited for Sage Mode, then once you master it, you'll absolutely be able to help."
"I will!" Naruto nodded hard.
Not just Sage Mode. He'd perfect Rasenshuriken too.
Next time he saw Tōma, he'd shock him for real.
Right there on Mount Myōboku, Naruto made his decision.
Train. Train harder. And then train even more.
After leaving Mount Myōboku, Fujimoto Tōma began his own training in earnest.
This time, he could finally do something he'd been building toward for a long while.
Train with multiple shadow clones.
Only now did his body truly support it. From barely managing one clone to sustaining several, the road here hadn't been easy. Even now, he couldn't compare to Naruto. The Nine-Tails' recovery ability was simply unfair.
This round of training focused on something he'd discovered earlier in the Sand Village.
Natural energy, when concentrated in specific environments, could be used to strengthen corresponding chakra attributes. Reverse reinforcement.
Strengthen what he already had. Awaken what he didn't.
Wind and Lightning would continue to sharpen. Fire, Earth, and Water would gradually emerge.
And recently, he'd begun to grasp Yang Release as well.
If everything went smoothly, the only missing piece among the basic attributes would be Yin.
Even that wasn't a dead end. He already had ideas. They just weren't ready yet.
So for now, Yin could wait.
Wind Release.
Tōma teleported to the cliff he'd once trained on near the Sand Village. He didn't hide his presence. When the Sand shinobi learned he intended to remain in place and only train, they agreed.
Refusing hadn't really been an option.
From that day on, a shadow clone sat unmoving on the cliff, feeling the wind.
Gentle breezes. Howling gales. Blades of air sharp enough to cut flesh.
The figure never wavered.
Fire Release.
Another clone sat cross-legged deep within a volcano, molten rock churning beneath the stone he rested on.
Naruto would've recognized the place instantly. It was the former sealing site of Mōryō.
The volcano had erupted not long ago, making it even more suitable than Tōma had expected.
Water Release.
On the open sea, waves crashed endlessly.
On a smooth, sea-polished reef stood a shadow clone, unmoved no matter how violently the ocean raged.
Earth Release.
Originally, Tōma had planned to train near the Stone Village. Strong land usually belonged to shinobi villages.
He even accounted for the risk of being discovered, keeping his distance.
But once he reached the Land of Earth, he realized something ironic.
The area occupied by the Stone Village wasn't actually rich in earth-aspected natural energy.
The best location lay far away.
A fortunate mistake.
There, a shadow clone stood half-buried in rock and soil, completely still.
Lightning Release.
This was the most troublesome.
The best lightning-rich environment was deep within the Cloud Village, especially atop its highest peaks where thunder never ceased.
Borrowing that place was impossible.
Not only because it was Kumogakure, but because provoking conflict while trying to train was the last thing Tōma wanted. Especially not when those two brothers might show up.
He wasn't afraid of dying.
He just didn't want trouble.
In the end, he chose a high mountain within the Land of Lightning, outside the Cloud Village's control. The terrain itself carried the nation's signature storms.
Not the best. But good enough.
A shadow clone stood atop the peak, lightning dancing constantly around its body. When the sky raged, bolts connected heaven and flesh, forming something like a living suit of thunder.
Majestic. And dangerous.
These were the clones.
They rotated regularly. Even now, Tōma couldn't maintain them indefinitely.
Meanwhile, his true body focused entirely on Yang Release.
There were no shortcuts here. If anything, he was already on the fastest path possible.
It was just… hard.
So began a long period of accumulation.
If there were some kind of system window hovering in the air, it would probably show tiny numbers ticking upward every single day.
Slowly.
Relentlessly.