Aftermath of the Root Purge, Sasuke's Sharingan
Not long after Nara Shikaku left the Hokage's office, another presence arrived.
Fujimoto Tōma felt a dull pressure build behind his temples.
Too many things were piling up at once. He hoped this meeting would finally bring clean results. If it didn't… no, that wasn't an option. He had already made his decision. This "meeting" was little more than a formal announcement.
Still, he preferred it if everyone involved had the sense to accept proposals that were clearly in their favor. Being forced to solve things through brute authority always left a bad taste.
Tōma rubbed his forehead. "Come in."
The door opened. An ANBU stepped inside, wearing a plain mask without markings.
Tōma's eyes lit up.
That mask design was familiar. It was the same type he had once worn himself. These days, only one person still used it.
So the purge was finally over.
"Lord Hokage," Sasuke said, placing a scroll on the desk. "These are Root's remaining assets, along with a full roster of its personnel."
Tōma accepted the scroll. "No outsiders here. Just call me Tōma."
Sasuke glanced around, confirmed the room was empty, then nodded. "Alright. Tōma."
He removed his mask.
Honestly, being able to casually use Tōma's old name in front of him without hesitation was rare. Aside from a few elders, only Naruto still did that.
"That's better," Tōma said, unrolling the scroll.
His brows rose almost immediately.
Root's resources were… underwhelming. Far less than he had expected. Orochimaru must have squeezed them dry at some point. Even so, the numbers were unimpressive.
Danzo had even been bleeding his own clan for supplies. A disturbing amount of Root's funding had been siphoned directly from clan stockpiles.
No wonder the cleanup had taken Sasuke days. Most of the time wasn't spent on money or weapons, but on confiscating experimental materials. Those took time.
Danzo really had been a singular creature. He cared about nothing except the Hokage seat and his own power.
And yet, ironically, he never truly believed in effort.
Once he hit a certain ceiling, he abandoned training altogether and poured everything into experiments, trying to force progress through shortcuts.
Tōma couldn't fully dismiss that thinking. In a world with hard limits, effort did have diminishing returns.
He skimmed the list of materials and experiment reports. Some he recognized. Many he didn't. Just reading the descriptions made his skin crawl.
In another world, this would have earned a lifetime sentence without debate.
Then he found what he'd been looking for.
Hashirama cells.
There was still a supply. Not much, but enough.
Satisfied, Tōma moved on to the personnel list. Most names passed without comment… until one stopped him.
He stared at it for a long moment.
"Tōma," Sasuke asked after the silence stretched. "All Root members are secured. How should they be handled?"
Tōma tapped his temple with a finger.
So he was here.
Sai.
If he hadn't seen the name, Tōma might have forgotten the boy existed at all.
His feelings about Sai were complicated. No hostility, no attachment. He hadn't even met Ino yet, so there was nothing to feel conflicted about.
And guilt? None. First come, first served. As long as he wasn't tearing apart an existing bond, he owed no apologies.
After a moment's thought, he said, "Disperse them into ANBU units. Keep them under watch."
He'd never considered releasing Root members outright. Most of them hadn't stayed by choice anyway. Danzo's threats and seals had made sure of that.
Some Shimura clan members, however, would need closer scrutiny.
Sasuke nodded. "Understood."
"And this one," Tōma added, pointing. "Sai. Assign him to Tenzo's unit."
Sasuke frowned slightly. "Any reason?"
On paper, Sai didn't look special. If anything, his demeanor leaned… unsettling.
"I know him," Tōma said. "His abilities are unusual. Worth keeping."
More than that, Sai in his current state reminded Tōma of Tenzo's own childhood. Emotionally stunted, disciplined, empty.
If anyone could guide him without Naruto's influence, it was Tenzo.
"And even if he straightens out," Tōma added silently, "he'll still be efficient."
Sasuke accepted that answer.
Then he paused. "Wait. Tenzo and I are both squad leaders. Wouldn't it be awkward for me to place someone into his team?"
Tōma blinked. "…You're right."
Both were division captains. He hadn't thought that through.
The ANBU Commander position, however, was another matter.
The current commander was from the same generation as the village elders. He'd long passed his prime and only stayed on because there hadn't been a successor. Tsunade hadn't cared enough to push the issue.
Most of the time, the man simply signed orders and delegated everything.
A quiet retirement was overdue.
Tōma reached into a drawer and handed Sasuke an official seal. "Hold onto this. The commander will step down soon. When that happens, you'll take the position and answer directly to me."
Sasuke accepted it without hesitation. "Alright."
Tōma smiled faintly. "You know, Itachi never made it past squad leader. You've completely surpassed him now."
Sasuke shook his head. "That comparison means nothing. I passed him the moment I became a jōnin."
He paused. "It wasn't about ability. He just never had the chance."
Tōma nodded. He agreed.
After a moment, another thought surfaced.
"How's your Sharingan?" Tōma asked. "Close to awakening the Mangekyō?"
The gap between the base Sharingan and Mangekyō was enormous.
"I think it's soon," Sasuke said.
His eyes shifted. Three tomoe spun into view, the pattern trembling, as if something deeper was trying to surface.
Tōma studied them carefully. One more push. That was all it would take.
He hesitated.
Then sighed.
"Sasuke," he asked, "would you use the traditional method to awaken it?"
"No," Sasuke answered instantly.
"I figured."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "You had something in mind, didn't you?"
"Yes." Tōma nodded. "A classic approach."
"…Can I hear it?"
"Do you know the Kurama Clan?"
Sasuke did. "They've declined. No one's inherited their kekkei genkai in years."
Tōma nodded. "Except Kurama Yakumo. She owes me a favor."
Sasuke stiffened. "…That alone would be enough?"
"The Kurama genjutsu targets the senses directly," Tōma said calmly. "The sharper the perception, the deeper the trap. Even the Byakugan fares worse."
"That strong?" Sasuke whispered.
"Stronger."
Then Tōma smiled.
"And I wasn't planning to rely on that alone."
Sasuke looked up.
"You know the Yamanaka mind techniques," Tōma continued. "I have something similar."
"I was planning to use a spirit projection. Enter your body. Act as your darker self."
Sasuke's forehead began to sweat.
"I even consulted Ino," Tōma added casually. "I could convince you I was truly part of you."
He sipped his tea. "You can guess the rest."
"…I kill someone close to me," Sasuke said hoarsely.
Tōma nodded.
The room felt colder.
Sasuke wiped his brow. If it were only a genjutsu, he might have sensed something wrong. But with Tōma's presence inside his mind?
Real and false blended together.
Despair would be absolute.
"…It would work," Sasuke admitted. "Almost certainly."
"I thought so," Tōma said. "I even considered bringing Naruto, Kakashi, and Sakura."
Silence.
"…You're terrifying," Sasuke muttered.
"Sadly unusable now," Tōma said. "You know too much."
Sasuke explained his resolve. He wouldn't walk Itachi's path. Even if it worked, he refused.
Tōma listened, then nodded. "Then you'll have to push harder."
"I will," Sasuke said. His Sharingan gleamed. "I can see the path now."
"Just remember," Tōma added, "Itachi may not live long enough to see it."
Sasuke froze.
Tōma told him everything.
When he finished, Sasuke's hands trembled.
"…He'll come," Tōma said quietly. "You won't need to search."
Sasuke believed him.
With renewed urgency, he replaced his mask and left.
Tōma watched him go, then sighed.
Another capable asset gone, at least for now.
Later, Nara Shikaku returned with word that the council was ready.
The final task of the day.
Tōma rose, a quiet anticipation settling in his chest, and followed him toward the meeting room.