The Third Hokage studied the boy standing before him, his posture noticeably more relaxed than usual. A warm smile crossed his face.
"Tōma," he said kindly, "from now on, if you want to come by, just come directly. There's no need to have ANBU announce you."
"Understood, Third Hokage," Fujimoto Tōma replied. His tone was easygoing. As the Hokage's grand-disciple, this place held no pressure for him.
"Mmm…"The old man glanced around the office, hesitated for a long moment, then spoke again."When no one else is around, you can call me Grandpa."
Tōma paused.
So that silence earlier was for this?
He looked at the Hokage's faintly expectant expression and chose not to refuse.
"Grandpa."
"Oh… good, good…"The Third Hokage's smile widened, the stern weight of office melting away. In that moment, he looked like nothing more than an aging grandfather, far removed from the legendary Professor of Ninjutsu.
Tōma watched him quietly and sighed inwardly.
Three years had passed. The Hokage had grown visibly older.
At this age, with this body, retirement would have made sense. But then the question arose. Who could take his place?
Asuma lacked both strength and reputation. Kakashi might have been suitable if not for the years he'd lost. Danzō was far too extreme.And as for the best choices… Jiraiya was shackled by prophecy, while Tsunade couldn't even be found.
The burden the Third Hokage carried was heavier than it appeared.
Meanwhile, the Hokage examined the boy before him. Though only ten, Tōma's physique already resembled that of a twelve- or thirteen-year-old. His eyes were steady, his presence composed.
The only regret was his age.
The Hokage wasn't sure how long he himself could afford to wait.
"Grandpa," Tōma said, pulling him from his thoughts. "These are my notes from studying the Flying Thunder God."
He produced a scroll, opened it, and used a summoning technique to retrieve several much thicker scrolls, handing them over.
"Well done," the Third Hokage said, taking them with clear delight. "With these, perhaps Konoha will one day have more shinobi capable of using Flying Thunder God."
Tōma smiled politely, though he didn't fully agree. The deeper he studied the technique, the more he understood how brutally high its talent requirement was. Even with these notes lowering the difficulty slightly, very few people would ever truly master it.
After a moment's thought, the Hokage spoke again."Tōma, is there a technique you'd like? These notes are valuable enough to exchange for an A-rank jutsu."
Hidden ANBU presences stirred faintly.
Even Tōma was startled. At most, the notes were worth a B-rank technique, and that was already generous. Knowledge-based rewards usually ranked even lower.
An A-rank offer was blatant favoritism.
The unseen ANBU could only sigh inwardly.Of course. Grand-disciple privileges.
"Shadow Shuriken Clone Technique," Tōma answered without hesitation.
"Oh?" The Hokage chuckled, stroking his beard. "That one happens to be my specialty."
"Of course," Tōma replied smoothly. "You created it, Grandpa."
The Hokage's eyes lit up."You know that too? Excellent. Come on, then. I'll demonstrate it myself."
They moved to the training ground behind the Hokage Tower.
"Tōma, watch carefully," the Third Hokage said, beginning to form hand seals.
His movements were slow, deliberately so. In real combat, this pace would be impossible, but for teaching, it was perfect. Standing nearby, Tōma could clearly sense the chakra flow. Even at such a slow speed, the chakra moved smoothly and precisely, exactly as the technique required.
Old though he was, the Hokage's mastery over ninjutsu had only deepened with age. Only his chakra reserves had diminished.
A shuriken flew forward.
In the next instant, it split into dozens of identical shadows, streaking toward the same target.
This was with restrained chakra. With full output, hundreds would be trivial.
Tōma's eyes gleamed.
Paired with Flying Thunder God tags… even a few dozen would be more than enough.
"Yes, the clones still disperse when struck," he thought calmly, "but that just means placement matters."
"Well?" the Hokage asked with a smile. "Did you see it clearly? I can show it again if you'd like."
"I saw it clearly, Grandpa," Tōma replied.
That alone was impressive. Even Jiraiya wasn't this precise when teaching.
"Then try it yourself," the Hokage said, surprised but pleased.
Tōma stepped forward, casually throwing a shuriken. His hands formed seals without hesitation.
The Hokage's eyes sharpened.
For a first attempt, that seal speed was excellent. More importantly, Tōma's chakra kept pace perfectly. His foundation was unquestionably solid.
"Shadow Shuriken Clone Technique."
The shuriken split.
Not into dozens.
Into over a hundred.
They rained down across the field, kicking up clouds of dust.
The Third Hokage watched in silence, then smiled deeply.
No doubt about it.
My grandson is a genuine prodigy.