Leaning back in his chair, Fujimoto Tōma found himself asking a question he'd returned to more than once.
Why get stronger?
When he first arrived in this world, he'd been lost. Back then, survival itself felt optional. He hadn't planned for a future here, much less strength.
That changed because of Fujimoto Sana.
Watching his mother endure, watching her keep moving forward no matter how heavy life pressed down, gave him a reason to stay alive. Dying casually stopped being an option.
Once he accepted that he would live, the next problem was obvious. This was a world ruled by chakra, bloodlines, and monsters wearing human skin. If he wanted control over his own fate, strength was non-negotiable.
So he trained obsessively.
At the same time, he made sure the Third Hokage noticed him. In a class filled with Naruto and children from powerful clans, standing out wasn't difficult if he performed far beyond expectations. Background clean. Resources scarce. Talent undeniable.
For an old Hokage softened by time, the conclusion came naturally. A child like that was worth investing in.
Tōma never aimed too high back then. Replacing Sakura on Team Seven had been the plan. Becoming a Sannin's disciple felt unrealistic, especially when none of them had any reason to return to the village for a nobody.
Plans, however, had a habit of collapsing.
Instead of Team Seven, he ended up under Jiraiya.
Jiraiya hadn't taught him much directly, but that title alone cleared countless obstacles. Doors that were once closed no longer required knocking. That was more valuable than any scroll.
Tōma never complained about favoritism. For him, the name was enough.
In truth, even if Jiraiya had wanted to teach him more, Tōma might not have followed. He had his own path mapped out.
Strength accumulated quietly.
Now, survival was no longer a concern. Before the true monsters revealed themselves, he stood at the peak of the shinobi world. Only Naruto, in his current state, could trade blows with him.
Yet Tōma kept moving forward.
Part of it was caution. Part of it was boredom.
This world didn't offer many things that truly interested him anymore. Watching himself grow stronger had become one of the few remaining pleasures.
And there was another thought, one he rarely voiced.
If he reached a level no one before him had touched… could he cross worlds?
Even if he never found his original one, stepping into others didn't sound unpleasant.
With Naruto already approaching the height of Six Paths power, Tōma no longer worried about the future collapsing. Even if his plans failed, the outcome wouldn't be worse than history's original ending.
He stood and walked to the window, staring at the distant sky.
Sometimes, boredom was the real enemy.
A knock sounded.
Nara Shikaku entered, scroll in hand.
"Another issue?" Tōma asked, returning to his seat.
"A request from Sunagakure," Shikaku said. "A missing-nin named Mukade. They've been chasing him, but he keeps vanishing."
"Alliance assistance?" Tōma asked.
"Yes."
"Standard fee based on threat level," Tōma replied casually.
Shikaku nodded and turned to leave, but Tōma froze mid-motion.
His eyes had caught a line on the scroll.
Rōran.
"Wait," Tōma said sharply.
Shikaku paused. "Something wrong, Hokage-sama?"
"You know Rōran?"
"Of course," Shikaku replied after a moment's thought. "It was once famous for a unique chakra source. It disappeared years ago. Minato Namikaze led a mission there. Akimichi Chōza, Aburame Shibi were part of it."
Tōma nodded and headed straight for the archives.
Shikaku followed, puzzled.
It didn't take long to find Minato's mission report. Tōma brushed the dust off and read it carefully.
Nothing unusual.
No mention of travelers from the future. No anomalies.
He rubbed his temples.
So the mission had happened… but something diverged.
If Tōma from the past had been involved, there would have been traces. He was certain of that. The absence meant variables had changed.
Which made this far too interesting to ignore.
He would go.
Back in the office, Tōma made his decision.
"Kakashi leads," he said. "Team members: Naruto and Sakura."
Sasuke was intentionally left out. Between recovery and sage training, he wasn't available.
Shikaku hesitated. "Isn't sending Naruto excessive?"
"Yes," Tōma agreed. "Tell him not to use the Nine-Tails unless it's an emergency."
Shikaku left with a conflicted expression.
Naruto accepted the restriction easily, assuming it was training.
Once the team departed, Tōma followed in silence.
A day later, Kakashi's team reached Rōran's ruins. Before they noticed anything, Tōma sensed faint chakra threads weaving through the air.
Puppets.
Kakashi and Sakura picked up on it quickly.
Naruto didn't.
Watching Naruto charge ahead, Tōma pressed his fingers to his forehead. Power without experience was dangerous. A loaded weapon in careless hands.
This confirmed it. Naruto needed missions. Real ones. Without relying on overwhelming power.
Behind the scenes, Kakashi reached the same conclusion.
Mukade struck.
Kakashi held back, letting his students engage. Sakura adapted quickly, using a chakra blade designed to sever control threads.
Naruto, meanwhile, brute-forced his way in.
Pain meant nothing to puppets.
He paid for it and had to be pulled out by Kakashi.
Mukade escaped deeper into the ruins.
At the heart of Rōran, Kakashi's gaze locked onto a familiar kunai embedded in the seal.
"…Sensei's Flying Thunder God marker."
Memories resurfaced too late.
Mukade laughed, placing his hand on the kunai as markings spread across his body.
"This isn't breaking the seal," he said. "It's using it."
Kakashi shouted for retreat, but white light exploded outward.
Naruto entered his advanced state instinctively, yet realized the light wasn't destructive.
Kakashi charged in.
Sakura followed without hesitation.
None of them noticed the fourth presence already swallowed by the glow.
Inside, Tōma felt it immediately.
This sensation… time distortion.
It reminded him of battling Ōtsutsuki forces.
He opened his eyes within a vast, undefined space. Familiar chakra lingered. Flying Thunder God marks drifted like stars.
He could use them.
If he didn't, he'd arrive wherever Naruto did.
But that was predictable.
Uncertainty was more interesting.
Gripping that faint connection, Tōma released his chakra and activated Flying Thunder God.
The drain was monstrous. Even with reserves rivaling a tailed beast, it nearly emptied him.
Which only made him grin.
Then his figure vanished.