Tōma watched the pink-haired girl stand to speak, his gaze complicated.
Haruno Sakura could reasonably be called one of the story's main heroines. Yes, Uzumaki Naruto would eventually marry Hyūga Hinata, but Hinata's presence early on was limited. For most of the Academy and beyond, Sakura occupied center stage.
Unless, of course, one considered Uchiha Sasuke the real heroine.
In that case… fair enough.
Sakura's reputation in the original story wasn't great, but objectively speaking, her achievements were undeniable. Among ordinary shinobi, her final strength ranked near the very top. She was intelligent, hardworking, and capable of brutal self-discipline when it mattered.
Her poor reputation largely stemmed from two things.
First was her fixation on Sasuke, which from an outside perspective often came off as shallow infatuation. Second was what came later, when Sasuke defected. Unable to stop him herself, she turned to Naruto in tears. Naruto would have chased Sasuke regardless, but that moment left a bad taste with many viewers.
Tōma included. At least when he was younger.
Back then, his logic had been simple.I'm watching this story through Naruto. You treat Naruto badly, I won't like you.
As he grew up, that irritation softened into something closer to detached respect. He didn't like Sakura, but he acknowledged her.
So why did he feel a faint sense of guilt now?
Because Sakura was his target.
More precisely, her position.
When Tōma planned ahead, Sakura was the only person he could realistically replace.
Team Ten was impossible. Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Chōji, and Yamanaka Ino were inseparable. The Ino–Shika–Chō formation was tradition.
Team Eight wasn't viable either. Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino, and Hyūga Hinata each offered unique abilities. Hinata's Byakugan was irreplaceable. Kiba's ninken and Shino's insects defined their team's scouting role.
Even if those clans weren't elite by political standards, their specialties were non-negotiable.
Trying to replace them would require Tōma to prove rare scouting talent early and decisively, with no guarantee of success. Worse, he'd likely still be placed elsewhere.
Too much uncertainty.
That left Team Seven.
Naruto was the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki. Sasuke was the last Uchiha. Neither could be substituted, not by merit, not by politics.
Which meant Sakura.
She came from a civilian family. No clan. No bloodline. Her academic talent was excellent, but not something Tōma couldn't surpass.
Her only true advantage was… being a girl.
This wasn't a joke.
While nothing was officially written, Academy teams heavily favored two boys and one girl. Replacing Sakura meant more than outperforming her academically. It meant becoming strong enough that the village wanted him in an elite team regardless of ratios.
If Tōma established himself early as the strongest candidate, assignment wouldn't be a question of if, but how.
The Third Hokage couldn't reasonably bury a standout talent in an average team.
Even then, exceptions existed. Three-boy teams and two-girl teams had happened before.
Tōma's goal was clear.
Elite team or nothing.
The difference between instructors alone made it worth everything. Hatake Kakashi, even after years of stagnation, was still an elite jōnin. Sarutobi Asuma was solid, upper-tier. Yūhi Kurenai specialized in genjutsu but was otherwise average.
And those were the best teams.
Outside of them, getting a tokubetsu jōnin as a leader would already be considered lucky.
So no matter how he looked at it, Tōma had to aim upward.
Sakura… sorry.
He respected her. But survival came first.
Besides, her ceiling was clear.
She would eventually become a new-generation version of Tsunade. Not Tsunade herself, but close. A "Little Tsunade."
And that was impressive.
But Tsunade was a Senju. Sakura wasn't.
Walking the same path, Sakura could never fully surpass her teacher.
So what about him?
As a completely ordinary person, no bloodlines, no shortcuts, how far could he go?
Past Jiraiya?Rival Might Guy with the Gates?Or would he fall short… even of Sakura?
There was only one way to find out.
Reborn into this world, with no other great distractions, chasing strength was the only honest choice.
"Fujimoto Tōma."
Iruka finally called his name.
Tōma stood, posture calm.
"I'm Fujimoto Tōma. I don't have a favorite food. I like myself and my mother. I dislike coriander. I don't currently dislike anyone. My goal is to become the strongest shinobi."
There was no reaction.
No jeers. No laughter. No awe.
Becoming "the strongest" meant very little to children who barely understood what strength was. Plenty of students claimed they wanted to be Hokage, after all.
To them, the strongest shinobi was the Hokage.
Tōma's words passed quietly.
Then Naruto's turn came.
When Naruto shouted his dream with boundless energy, only swapping "strongest" for "Hokage", laughter rippled through the room.
Tōma sighed softly.
Better than the streets. Still learned behavior.
During breaks, Tōma made no effort to socialize. Sitting beside Naruto already discouraged attention. He looked ordinary. Decent-looking but not striking. Black hair. Taller than average. Nothing that drew eyes.
Naruto, however, kept glancing over, clearly wanting to talk but holding back.
After thinking for a moment, Tōma leaned over and whispered, "In class, you don't have to be as careful as in the village. Just don't act too close. Treat it like normal classmates."
He calculated quickly.
Danzō's reach likely didn't extend into a group of Academy children. There wasn't even a Shimura kid in the class. Normal interaction should be safe.
Naruto needed a desk partner anyway.
And Tōma had his own plans. If he showed enough talent early, he'd inevitably enter the Third Hokage's sight. Even if Danzō noticed him later, that attention would become a leash rather than a blade.
What he lacked was opportunity.
Naruto's eyes lit up."So… can we be friends?"
Tōma met his gaze. Remembered the laughter, the coins in the dirt, the restraint.
He smiled.
"Yeah. We can."
Immediately after, the smile vanished. His face returned to polite indifference as he glanced around.
Better to look like an unlucky kid forced to sit next to Naruto.
For now, that mask mattered.