"Can I help you with something, Uchiha?"Tōma lifted his gaze, meeting Sasuke's cool stare without a hint of tension. If anything, he found the little guy's overly serious expression oddly adorable.
Rivalry? Provocation? Competing for attention?He wasn't interested. These were kids. Even if personality was shaped by environment, he wasn't going to stoop to playground-level dramatics.
Sasuke held his gaze for a long moment, frustration flickering beneath the surface. Finally, he muttered only one line:
"Next time… I'm going to beat you."
Then he spun on his heel and walked away.
Tōma blinked, then chuckled softly.
Even in a shinobi village, kids were still kids.That earnest stubbornness and forced cool pose were honestly charming. If he had a camera, he would've recorded this for future blackmail—show it to teenage Sasuke and watch him implode.
Still, Sasuke's words didn't trouble him.Sure, the boy was a future protagonist candidate with more "script armor" than he cared to admit, but his breakthrough moment hadn't arrived yet. Tōma wasn't about to be overtaken by a pre-loaded prodigy whose power-up hadn't even been delivered.
He actually liked Uchiha Sasuke—hardworking, driven, and prideful in a manageable way. Compared to the clan's typical arrogance, Sasuke was practically humble. His pride didn't twist into cruelty, and he didn't resent others for surpassing him. All he did was clench his teeth, promise to improve, and act on it.
That kind of pride was difficult to dislike.
His past-life self would be shocked—he used to hate Sasuke.Back then, all he saw was someone who "treated Naruto badly" while acting smug. The childhood lens was simple and blunt.
Now, with an adult's clarity, Tōma saw the boy differently.
If an entire clan was slaughtered overnight, isn't revenge the most normal reaction imaginable?Blaming him for wanting justice would be absurd. If Sasuke didn't desire revenge, that would make him an ungrateful monster.
As for his relationship with Naruto… anyone with eyes could see the bond beneath the bickering.
But then there was Uchiha Itachi.
A genius with unmatched illusionary skill.And a man whose logic Tōma would never understand.
Trying to ease tensions between clan and village is fine. But failing that and choosing to murder your own clan? What kind of "solution" is that supposed to be?
Tōma simply couldn't comprehend the thought process.Nor did he want to.
He only knew this:if anyone in the village ever targeted Fujimoto Sana—no matter their rank, title, or political influence—he would burn down everything between him and the culprit. Even if he had to play the long game and strike only when strong enough, he would not forgive.
Luckily, Sana lived peacefully.The village treated her decently, provided work, gave minor subsidies—small gestures, but enough for a single mother to raise a child comfortably.
And because of that, Tōma had no hatred for Konoha.He knew the village was full of shadows, but so were all shinobi nations. None of them were "clean." You could compare differences, but they were differences in degree, not kind.
He wasn't a savior trying to cleanse the world.He just wanted to grow strong and protect the people he cared about. Everything else was someone else's problem.
So whatever Itachi had done?That was for Sasuke and the elders to untangle. Tōma had no interest in shouldering that narrative weight.
Still… he glanced at Sasuke again.
The clan's tension with the village was escalating.If memory served, the infamous night was close—far too close.
Don't get involved, he reminded himself immediately.
He was still a nobody in the academy. Rushing into Uchiha business was a fantastic way to die pointlessly.
Sana had no ties to the Uchiha district. She wouldn't be caught up in anything that night. That alone let him breathe easier.
As for the Uchiha themselves…What could he do?
Nothing.Absolutely nothing.
They're doomed. Let it play out.
It was unfortunate—especially for Uchiha Fugaku, who truly tried to avoid conflict—but between Danzo's paranoia and the political stalemate, reconciliation was a fantasy. Even if Shisui's Sharingan gave the clan a faint lifeline, the moment Danzo laid eyes on that power, the outcome was sealed.
Maybe Fugaku felt forced into rebellion after seeing Shisui's Mangekyō. Maybe he thought it offered a way out.But even then, did he truly believe a single Mangekyō could overthrow the strongest village in the world?
More likely, he simply saw no other path forward.
And then came betrayal—from inside and out.
A tragedy with no survivors.
Tōma rubbed his temples.Good thing he didn't reincarnate as an Uchiha. He'd be planning an escape route from day one.
As for trying to alter history?
Convincing Shisui to assassinate Danzo?Impossible.Even entertaining the thought felt like a migraine.
No point overthinking it.It wasn't his burden to carry.