"Heh, it's nothing," Naruto said, scratching his head with a wide grin. "Tōma's helped me way more times than I can count. I never really got the chance to help him before. So being useful this time makes me really happy."
There wasn't even a hint of frustration on Naruto's face about Tōma learning Sage Mode so quickly. No jealousy. No bitterness. Just genuine happiness for Tōma and pride that he'd finally been able to give something back.
Tōma didn't say much in response, but he made a quiet decision of his own.
"When we get back, I'm treating you to Ichiraku. Eat as much as you want."
"Yes!" Naruto's eyes lit up instantly. Ichiraku Ramen was already the best thing in the world. Ichiraku paid for by Tōma or Iruka? That was on an entirely different level.
"Tōma…" Fukasaku suddenly asked, his voice cautious. "Your Sage Mode right now… is it—"
Tōma smiled and nodded. "Yes. As long as I don't deliberately burn through the senjutsu chakra, I can maintain this state indefinitely."
Fukasaku inhaled sharply.
Permanent Sage Mode.
He studied Tōma more closely. The transformation was flawless. Even imperfect Sage Mode users were terrifyingly strong. A perfect Sage Mode that could be sustained at will… just how powerful was Tōma now?
After a moment, Fukasaku steadied himself. Thinking back, Tōma had never been weak to begin with. Accepting this result felt… inevitable.
Tōma himself, however, was far more clear-headed. Senjutsu chakra helped him enormously, but it wasn't some bottomless miracle. In raw output, it wasn't infinitely stronger than chakra formed directly from natural energy. Its real value lay elsewhere.
Chakra itself was already one possible expression of natural energy. Senjutsu chakra was simply the optimal fusion of the two.
That balance was what made it terrifying.
And more importantly… if there was one, there could be two.
Now that Tōma had mastered Mount Myōboku's Sage Mode, the other two great Sage regions were no longer out of reach. The methods differed, but the foundation was the same.
He didn't need to walk the traditional path.
Even if there was no "perfect" Sage like Naruto at the other sites, Tōma was confident he could reverse-engineer their systems. He'd already helped stabilize Sasuke's senjutsu chakra once, even if curse-mark methods were clearly inferior.
As for Shikkotsu Forest… Danzō's remaining Hashirama cells still existed somewhere. Tōma didn't need to absorb them, but the properties of that so-called "sage body" were extremely useful.
Inject Shikkotsu's natural energy manually, refine the output, and build from there.
Was it a shortcut? Yes.
Was it perfect? No.
But time didn't allow perfection.
And besides, shortcuts didn't mean skipping understanding. Now that he knew both the beginning and the end, filling in the middle was only a matter of work.
"Good… good," Fukasaku muttered, stroking his beard with a satisfied smile. He'd watched Tōma grow up, but even now, the result exceeded every expectation he'd ever had.
Back then, he'd thought Tōma might surpass Jiraiya. At most, he'd imagined a more refined Sage Mode.
Reality had proven him wrong.
"Old man! Little Tōma! Little Naruto! Food's ready!" Shima's voice rang out.
Naruto's face stiffened instantly.
Tōma, meanwhile, felt a rare flicker of tension. He hadn't been back in a long time. If Shima had prepared insects for him…
Well. Running away now would be rude.
He followed them into the room.
As expected, Fukasaku and Naruto were served insects.
Tōma stared at the bowl Shima was holding, resigned to his fate.
Then, at the very last second, she pulled out another large bowl and placed it in front of him. It was piled high with fresh fruit.
Tōma froze.
"Eat," Shima said casually. "I know you don't like bugs. Had the little ones gather this just now."
"…Thank you, Shima-baasan," Tōma said, smiling genuinely.
"Hmph. You don't know what you're missing," she replied, though she was smiling too.
Naruto, halfway through a bug, slowly turned his head. His eyes widened.
"WHY does Tōma get FRUIT?!"
"Because I've always eaten fruit here," Tōma said calmly. "And besides, insects are Shima-baasan's specialty. She's giving you the best treatment."
Naruto opened his mouth to protest, then caught Tōma's look.
He followed it… and saw Shima's expression shift slightly.
"…Never mind," Naruto said weakly.
This was probably his last meal here anyway. He'd survived this long. One more wouldn't kill him.
After the meal, Tōma took Naruto back to Konoha.
He offered to let Naruto continue training Rasenshuriken at Mount Myōboku, but Naruto's horrified refusal ended that idea instantly.
"Want to go to Ichiraku now?" Tōma asked.
"No… maybe later," Naruto said, pale. Just thinking about food made his stomach churn.
Tōma understood and went alone.
At Ichiraku, Tōma ate until several empty bowls stacked in front of him. He'd always trained hard. His appetite matched.
"Long time no see, Tōma," Teuchi said as he came out from the kitchen. "You've been busy."
"Yeah," Tōma replied. "It's been hectic."
"Well, makes sense. Almost Hokage and all. Oh, by the way, Kakashi's been looking for you."
Tōma paused. "Kakashi?"
"Yeah. Yesterday, I think."
"I've been out of the village," Tōma said, standing up. "Thanks, Teuchi-san."
As he left, excitement stirred in his chest.
Kakashi was back.
That meant only two possibilities.
Either the investigation was complete…
Or everything had been wiped clean.
Either way, Tōma couldn't wait to hear the answer.
...
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