Iruka sat in Fujimoto Tōma's home, warming his hands around a cup of tea while quietly taking in the room.Just as he'd expected, the place was modest. Clean, practical, lived-in. Not small, but far from luxurious.
Tōma's father had been a capable shinobi in his own right.If he were still alive, Iruka suspected he might have reached special jōnin one day.As for himself… Iruka doubted he'd ever touch that threshold.
And yet, from a household like this came a child so disciplined, so driven, and so naturally gifted that it left him genuinely relieved for the village's future.
The bathroom door slid open.
Tōma stepped out dressed far more neatly than usual. A high-collared sweater, a simple white jacket layered over it, black hair still slightly damp but already drying as faint currents of air brushed past him. He looked refreshed. Focused.
Iruka blinked."…You clean up well, Tōma. Why don't you dress like this at the Academy?"
"Training ruins clothes," Tōma replied calmly. "This is impractical for exercise."
Iruka laughed softly. "You really are serious about it."
Tōma checked that his hair was dry and nodded. "I'm ready, Iruka-sensei. Let's go."
Only then did Iruka realize there was no draft in the room.
Wind Release shape control… again?At this point, he didn't even feel shocked anymore.
"Fujimoto Tōma has arrived, Hokage-sama," Iruka reported as they entered the office.
"Oh? Took a bit longer than expected," Sarutobi Hiruzen said cheerfully. "Let me guess. He was training again?"
"Yes, sir," Iruka admitted, scratching his head.
"Well then, you may go. I'd like a private word with our little prodigy."
Iruka saluted and withdrew.
Once the door closed, the room felt quieter.Tōma could sense it clearly—ANBU presence, hidden but watchful.
Still, his attention stayed on the old man before him.
This wasn't his first time seeing the Third Hokage.But it was the first time he'd stood this close.
"Ho ho," Hiruzen said kindly. "I've heard your name from Naruto more times than I can count. It's good to finally meet you properly."
Tōma smiled politely. "I've wanted to meet you as well, Hokage-sama."
They both knew the truth.The crystal ball existed for a reason.
"Tell me," Hiruzen continued, "you know the rumors surrounding Naruto. Most children avoid him. Why don't you?"
"Because he's never tried to hurt me," Tōma answered simply. "And I don't see how someone who hasn't done anything wrong should be treated like a monster."
Hiruzen studied him for a moment before speaking again."You know about the Fourth Hokage, don't you?"
"Yes," Tōma replied without hesitation. "He's my hero."
A genuine laugh escaped the old man.
"The Fourth gave his life to stop a terrible calamity and save the village," Hiruzen said quietly.
"And that has nothing to do with Naruto," Tōma replied after a pause. "Even if something dangerous was sealed inside him… that doesn't make Naruto responsible."
Hiruzen's pipe went still.
"In fact," Tōma continued calmly, "if anything, the village owes Naruto. He bore that burden so everyone else wouldn't have to."
Silence lingered.
"…The village owes Naruto," Hiruzen repeated softly.
"And if people are afraid something might go wrong," Tōma added, eyes steady, "then the answer is simple."
"Oh?"
"I'll just become stronger than whatever they're afraid of."
It was a child's answer.Too straightforward. Too bold.
And yet, Hiruzen smiled.
"Then let me ask you this," he said. "Do you know what made the Fourth Hokage famous?"
"Yes. The Flying Thunder God Technique."Tōma paused deliberately."A special form of high-speed movement. Not a normal Body Flicker."
Hiruzen nodded, clearly pleased.
"Would you like to learn it?"
For the first time that day, Tōma froze.
"…I can?"
"Yes. But understand this," Hiruzen said seriously. "This technique was created by the Second Hokage, perfected by the Fourth, and mastered by no one else. Its difficulty is extreme."
"I can do it," Tōma said instantly.
Hiruzen chuckled and produced a scroll and a distinctive tri-pronged kunai.
Tōma's eyes locked onto it.
The marking etched into the blade.The familiar inscription.
A Flying Thunder God kunai.
"This is not the technique itself," Hiruzen explained. "It's a test. The scroll contains a method to see whether you possess the spatial aptitude required. You have one semester."
Tōma accepted both items with controlled excitement.
Not the technique yet.But the doorway to it.
"I'll do my best," he said earnestly.
Hiruzen watched him go, eyes thoughtful.If the test failed, the boy would be guided elsewhere.But if it succeeded…
Perhaps the Yellow Flash would one day shine again.
That night, Tōma returned home buzzing with restrained anticipation.
He opened the scroll immediately.
The instructions were precise and grounded.Imprint his chakra onto the marked kunai.Establish a stable connection.Learn to sense its position with clarity.
A tool-summoning technique was included as well.Space-time adjacency.A prerequisite, not the destination.
So this is just the foundation, Tōma thought.As expected.
With chakra reserves low, he reluctantly put the kunai away.
For now, adjustments to his training schedule would be necessary.And for the Flying Thunder God… any price was worth paying.
Fujimoto Sana returned home later than usual, arms full of boxed food and humming to herself.
She'd already heard the news.Her son had placed first again.
So she'd bought extra grilled meat—his favorite.
Before she could open the door, it slid aside.
Tōma took the boxes from her hands."That's a lot."
"For celebrating," Sana said proudly. "I'm grilling tonight."
She paused, eyeing his neat clothes."You look unusually formal."
Tōma explained everything.
The summons.The Hokage.The Fourth's technique.
Sana stood there, stunned.
"…My son is learning the Fourth Hokage's jutsu," she whispered.
Tōma smiled faintly. "I ranked first."
That night, after dinner, he spoke again.
"Mom. I've been practicing a new kind of massage."
"You don't need to," she said gently. "Focus on your training."
"I already did," he replied calmly.
Eventually, she gave in.
Lightning Release chakra flowed carefully beneath Tōma's hands.Gentle. Precise.
Sana gasped softly.Then relaxed.
Warmth. Relief. Lightness.
It wasn't dangerous.It wasn't reckless.
It was thoughtful.
Afterward, she tried to stop him from doing it again.
And failed.
Watching her son smile with quiet confidence, Sana thought—
Talent or not…Having a child like this was her greatest fortune.