Sanling Mountain—the location of Tom's very first C-rank mission to surround and eliminate a group of bandits—was now silent, still, and desolate. He stood atop the craggy summit, gazing down over the misty valleys below. Beside him stood a figure draped in a black robe.
"We'll use this place as our first research base," Tom declared.
"It's remote and defensible," the black-robed man nodded in agreement. "Just be cautious of Orochimaru. His hidden lairs are all over the Land of Rice Fields."
The man's face was young, strikingly familiar—it was a teenage version of Tom himself. This was no stranger, but Tom's newly perfected True Clone, modeled after his previous life's appearance. To preserve secrecy, Tom had intentionally altered the clone's features to resemble the youthful version of his former self, evoking a strange sense of nostalgia.
There was an odd mix of sentiment and strategy behind this design choice. Perhaps a part of Tom wanted to acknowledge his old identity—not as a ninja, but as the young man named Tom from another world.
With a mutual nod, both Tom and his clone made the hand seals.
"Earth Style: Architectural Shift Technique!"
Originally developed as a battlefield trap meant to confuse and capture enemies, this technique had been repurposed by Tom for construction. As the chakra flowed into the ground, the peak of Sanling Mountain began to rumble. Rocks shifted. Debris tumbled. A low growl echoed across the cliffs as the earth rearranged itself.
Buildings crumbled and were swept aside as stone platforms reshaped themselves into foundations. Ten meters below the surface, a honeycomb of chambers and corridors emerged, glowing faintly with chakra-infused light. The central structure began to rise—an underground complex with thick earth-layered insulation.
Normally, this jutsu would require a drawn blueprint, a blood offering, and hours of setup. But Tom had modified it for rapid construction, trimming non-combat elements while reinforcing stability.
This must be how Orochimaru built his underground lairs, Tom thought.
The hardest part was done. What remained was outfitting the facility with research equipment and staff. Tom handed his clone a small, nondescript card.
"This card is registered under a universal alias. I'll deposit funds into it regularly," he said with a smug grin, as though playing the role of a wealthy investor.
The clone—Tom in his past life's form—took the card, raising an eyebrow. "Really leaning into the mysterious benefactor role, aren't you?"
Tom didn't bother to deny it.
"Once the equipment is in place, we'll begin analysis of the Uchiha clan's Susanoo. There's a chance we can develop a variation using my own chakra pathways," Tom continued. Then, with a sharp glint in his eye, he added, "Also, once you're done here, head to the Land of Waves. Use the card's contact feature to stay in touch. Naruto's graduation is coming up, and I want control over the situation with Gato."
The clone's expression twitched knowingly. "You mean… you want me to save Haku?"
Tom gave a half-smile. "Hinata already likes me. I might've stolen that subplot from Naruto. The least I can do is find him a good teammate."
The clone—still wearing Tom's former face—sighed dramatically. "You're making me play matchmaker now?"
"Don't act like you don't agree," Tom replied, smirking. "Besides, Haku's powerful. And loyal. With the right guidance, she could be a tremendous ally."
(Author's note: In this version, Haku is interpreted as female. The mask and voice in the original series may have contributed to ambiguity, but for this fanfic, she is a girl—deal with it.)
"Fine," the clone relented. "I'll go. But how are you going to make sure you're assigned to Naruto's mission?"
Tom gave a sly grin. "Come on. I'm Naruto's closest friend, and I've got teleportation and Wood Release. Who better to 'supervise' the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki?"
He tapped his chin playfully and added, "Oh, and on the way, swing by the Village of Artisans. I've got some damaged ninja tools I need repaired. They've got the tech."
Without waiting for a reply, Tom leapt off the cliff edge of Sanling Mountain, vanishing into the forest below with a whisper of leaves and wind.
The clone—still watching—sighed and turned to look at the sky.
It's amazing what the True Clone Technique has become, he thought.
There was a strange limitation: while the clone and Tom could sense each other's presence and general condition across vast distances, their memories didn't sync in real-time unless they were within close proximity. When they were far apart, memories had to be manually transmitted, much like syncing two hard drives over a slow connection.
They could "feel" each other's emotions to an extent, but not influence them. Their thoughts were independent. It was like reading another person's journal—you could understand, but not control.
This separation meant Tom had left Konoha covertly after perfecting the True Clone Technique. It would have been difficult to explain another version of himself walking around in broad daylight.
For now, the clone was an unknown variable. A secret ally.
"Well, no point in overthinking," the clone muttered. "Time to restore the lab equipment. Naruto's graduation is around the corner… and so is the real story."
Without delay, the clone dashed off toward one of Orochimaru's abandoned research sites near the border of the Land of Rice Fields. The equipment there was old, but salvageable. With a few repairs, it could serve their purposes—and maybe even contain research notes left behind by the Snake Sannin.
Their own work was still in its infancy. There was no shame in scavenging where possible. Better to build on a genius's ruins than start from scratch.
---
Hokage's Office, Konoha
While Tom and his clone were setting plans in motion, the Third Hokage—Hiruzen Sarutobi—sat in his office, brows furrowed, listening intently. Around him sat his old comrades and advisors: Homura Mitokado, Koharu Utatane, and Danzo Shimura.
"The child must be handed over to Root," Danzo said flatly. "He's the first natural user of Wood Release since the First Hokage. We cannot afford disloyalty."
Sarutobi's eyes narrowed as he puffed on his pipe. "Tom's loyalty is not in question. I've seen the Will of Fire burning inside him."
Koharu interjected, "Even so, he should not remain hidden in the shadows of the ANBU. Let the villagers see him. Let them know that Konoha has once again birthed a Wood Release shinobi."
"More importantly," added Homura, "he's the best choice to watch over the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki. His chakra suppresses tailed beasts naturally. He's the perfect guard for Naruto."
Sarutobi exhaled slowly. He knew Danzo would never stop pushing to claim Tom as one of his own. But Koharu and Homura had a point. The political weight of revealing Tom's identity would strengthen Konoha's image—and protect Naruto more visibly.
"Very well," Sarutobi said at last. "I'll appoint Tom as Naruto's official protector. He'll remain under special ANBU status, but operate publicly."
"Excellent," Danzo muttered, concealing his dissatisfaction.
Sarutobi stared out the window of the Hokage Tower.
Tom… you've come far. Now, the village will look to you, not only as a protector—but as a symbol.