"One more thing," Fujimoto Tōma said quietly. "It would be best if you keep this to yourselves."
Naruto still hadn't fully come to terms with Tōma's true intentions, but he nodded anyway. Sasuke, unsurprisingly, didn't object at all.
Tōma had no intention of spreading his real goal widely. He understood better than anyone that the more people who knew, the greater the risk. Even those closest to him weren't exceptions.
He didn't plan to tell Jiraiya or Tsunade.
Tsunade might hesitate, but Jiraiya would almost certainly oppose him outright. That wasn't guesswork, just an honest read of their personalities.
Still, Naruto and Sasuke weren't the only ones who needed advance notice. Some people had already pieced together fragments of his thinking over time. Nara Shikaku, for example.
The heads of the Ino–Shika–Chō clans could be trusted. So could several other clan leaders.
As for the Konoha Twelve… that was trickier.
Some of them were idealistic to the core, and a few had mouths far too loose. Letting them know now would only invite trouble.
Tōma didn't dwell on it long.
"We should return to the village," he said. "What happened at the summit needs to be reported immediately."
Naruto and Sasuke stepped closer. In a flash of space-time distortion, the three of them reappeared atop the Hokage Monument, overlooking Konoha.
"Sasuke," Tōma said, "notify all advisers and jōnin. Call them to the council chamber."
"Understood."
Sasuke vanished.
Naruto let out a long breath. "I'm going home, Tōma. I'm… tired."
"Go rest," Tōma replied. "If you still can't accept my decision when I make it public, you don't have to fight. I won't force you to act against your beliefs."
To Tōma, Naruto's participation wasn't essential.
As long as Naruto didn't stand against him, that was enough.
Naruto nodded and left.
Tōma remained on the monument, gazing down at the village bathed in evening light. A faint smile crept onto his face.
So it's finally begun.
The announcement hit Konoha like a thunderclap.
The Fourth Great Ninja War.
The formation of the Allied Shinobi Forces.
Even in the solemn council chamber, murmurs broke out among the assembled jōnin and advisers. Shock rippled through the room, voices overlapping as people tried to process what they'd just heard.
Tōma didn't interrupt them. He waited calmly, letting the initial impact settle.
"So this is how the Fourth War begins…" Hiruzen Sarutobi said softly.
Jiraiya and Tsunade shared a similar expression of disbelief. Former enemies, now allies. Even with a common threat, it felt unreal.
Some wondered if Akatsuki alone truly warranted such a massive alliance.
If Konoha had already experienced Pain's assault in this world, no one would have asked that question.
Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane had initially considered questioning the need for an alliance. That thought vanished the moment they heard one detail.
Konoha would command it.
At that point, objections felt unnecessary. They were already calculating how much prestige the village would gain from this war.
Their earlier dissatisfaction with Tōma quietly faded. Since his rise to Hokage, he had steadily stripped the advisory role of real power. They had resisted, appealed to Hiruzen and Tsunade, and failed.
Hiruzen was too old to care about authority anymore.
Tsunade had never been inclined to support them, least of all against Tōma.
Konoha had become a village that moved to one voice.
And now that voice had secured command of the alliance.
Eventually, the room fell silent.
Tōma began issuing preparations.
Publicly, the war would be framed as a fight for peace and survival, emphasizing unity and Konoha's leadership to maintain morale.
Medical-nin would be assigned to counsel those with no battle experience. Anyone unfit for frontline combat would be redirected to logistics and support.
Supplies, weapons, medical stockpiles, transport routes. Everything was set in motion.
Konoha began to move like a machine waking from sleep.
Only after finishing did Tōma excuse himself to a smaller meeting room.
He had already summoned a select group.
One by one, they arrived.
Nara Shikaku.
Akimichi Chōza.
Yamanaka Inoichi.
Hyūga Hiashi.
Aburame Shibi.
Hatake Kakashi.
Tōma had deliberately not called the younger generation. Ideals ran too hot there, and a few of them would openly resist him.
Clan heads, on the other hand, understood cost and consequence.
Tōma wasted no time.
He told them everything.
Shock crossed every face. Even Inoichi, who was technically family, hadn't expected this.
Only Shikaku looked unsurprised.
"I thought so," he said after a moment. "This war creates the perfect opening."
He was the first to voice support.
Inoichi followed quickly. Chōza nodded once the others agreed. The remaining clan heads suppressed their disbelief and gave their consent.
Ambition flickered behind their eyes.
If Tōma succeeded, their positions would rise with him.
Kakashi remained quiet.
He studied Tōma with complicated eyes.
He had once thought Tōma resembled his teacher. Now he realized how wrong that was.
Minato would never have chosen this path.
If Minato were alive, Kakashi was certain he would oppose Tōma outright.
And yet…
Kakashi sighed inwardly.
Even if I wanted to stop him, he admitted, I couldn't.
When the meeting ended, only Tōma and Shikaku remained.
"One concern," Shikaku said. "Civilian-born shinobi may not support this."
"I know," Tōma replied. "But there's no single person who represents them."
After a pause, he added, "Except one."
Shikaku blinked. "Who?"
"Me."
Understanding dawned.
Tōma had no great lineage. His father had been a mid-level shinobi who died early. His mother, Fujimoto Sana, was an ordinary civilian.
He had risen on talent and effort alone.
That mattered.
"…Then they'll listen," Shikaku said at last.
"Good," Tōma replied. "I'll leave the strategic framework to you."
Shikaku gave a strained smile. "I'll do my best."
"Not just the shinobi world," Tōma added suddenly.
Shikaku froze.
"I want one country," Tōma continued calmly. "No villages. No borders."
Shikaku exhaled slowly. "Understood."
After he left, Tōma stood alone again, staring into the distance.
Unification was only the first step.
Governance would be far harder.
And beyond that… greater threats still loomed.
Ōtsutsuki.
Perhaps an external enemy is exactly what this world needs, he thought.
A knock sounded.
"Come in."
Sasuke entered, followed by Mitarashi Anko.
"Hokage-sama," Anko said casually, hands in her pockets. "Sasuke said you wanted to see me?"
Tōma gestured to the door. "Sasuke, stand guard."
Sasuke complied.
Anko raised an eyebrow, then smirked.
"…You're not about to abuse your authority, are you?"