Naruto: This Genius is Somewhat Ordinary-Chapter 396

Longevity had always been a universal temptation.

In any world, people feared death. In a shinobi world where lives were measured in missions and body counts, that fear was sharper, closer to the bone. Civilians died young. Shinobi died younger.

So when Fujimoto Tōma dangled the possibility of extending one’s lifespan, it wasn’t a promise. It was a blade.

A blade almost no one could look away from.

He waited, letting the silence ferment. One by one, the people before him snapped back to awareness. Their minds returned first. Their eyes did not.

The heat in their gazes lingered. Their breathing stayed uneven. And the shift in attitude... that was permanent.

Tōma noticed it all and only smiled faintly. Mystery, after all, worked best when left unfinished.

He tilted his head back and looked up at the sky.

"There’s one last thing," he said calmly. "Something I learned during my fight with Ōtsutsuki Kaguya."

Every fragment of attention locked onto him.

Tōma paused just long enough to let the tension bite.

"The Ōtsutsuki," he continued, "aren’t native to this world."

The words landed harder than any explosion.

People who thought they were already immune to shock felt it again, fresh and violent. The idea that chakra’s origin wasn’t human, that its first wielder came from beyond this world, rattled something fundamental.

Tōma didn’t stop.

"Chakra is a system they brought with them," he said. "It works best for them. For us, it’s always been an imperfect path."

That was when realization spread through the crowd.

Certain clans. Certain bloodlines. Strength that never made sense.

Not blessings.

Inheritance.

"So yes," Tōma added, unfazed, "some families carry traces of that blood. That explains their strength. But that’s not the point."

He smiled slightly.

"What matters is this. Kaguya told me something before she fell. In the future... maybe years from now, maybe decades... the Ōtsutsuki clan will return."

Silence shattered.

One Ōtsutsuki had nearly ended the world. A clan would erase it.

Fear crept in fast. And with it, a single unspoken question.

How would anyone survive that?

Almost instinctively, eyes shifted toward Tōma.

No one wanted to admit it. But when they imagined resisting an invasion from the stars, only one figure stood in that future.

Maybe that was the point.

Or maybe, some thought bitterly, this was a lie. A story crafted to make the world cling to him. To make unification easier.

Tōma didn’t give them time to decide.

He snapped his fingers.

"I’ve said what I came to say," he declared. "Believe it or don’t. I have no reason to deceive you."

His smile sharpened, no longer gentle.

"And if you want to oppose me," his voice thundered across the sky, "then raise your banners. Build your alliances. Shout your slogans. Offer your lives and die for your convictions if you must." 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

His laughter echoed like rolling thunder.

Another snap.

Tōma vanished.

So did every shinobi from Konoha.

Only the ninja and samurai of the Five Great Nations remained, staring at one another in stunned silence.

"Damn it!"

The Fourth Raikage’s muscles swelled as he slammed a fist into the air. Rage burned, but no words came.

"What now?" Ōnoki asked quietly, eyes heavy with thought.

"What do you mean, what now?" the Raikage roared. "We form an allied force and resist that bastard Sixth Hokage!"

Ōnoki laughed once, dry and sharp.

"That’s optimistic."

The Raikage spun on him. "Explain."

"He defeated Uchiha Madara," Ōnoki said. "And Ōtsutsuki Kaguya. Both were beyond our understanding. If he surpassed them... how strong do you think he is?"

The Raikage had no answer.

"And Konoha doesn’t stand alone," Ōnoki continued. "Uzumaki Naruto. Uchiha Sasuke. Obstacles we can’t overcome."

The Raikage’s expression darkened.

"Most of those with Ōtsutsuki blood traces," Ōnoki said, "are in Konoha. The war has already taken half our strength. Do you truly believe we can stop them?"

He sighed.

"As long as those people live, Konoha remains untouchable."

"So you want to submit?" the Raikage snarled.

Ōnoki said nothing.

His thoughts drifted. Once, long ago, Iwa had considered joining Konoha. Madara had destroyed that future.

Madara was gone now.

And for an old man with one foot already in the grave, the promise of extended life was... dangerous. Even if Tōma shared his methods later, would there be time?

Still, surrendering his village felt like betrayal.

The Raikage wasn’t any calmer. Killer B’s lifespan weighed on him like a chain. And the truth was bitter.

If anyone could save his brother... it was Tōma.

Elsewhere, Mei Terumī was muttering to herself.

She hated admitting it, but age mattered. Especially now. Especially unmarried.

She’d noticed something the others hadn’t.

Tōma’s skin.

Flawless. Unnaturally so.

He’d always looked healthy, but this was different. Even compared to her youth, it was unfair.

Longevity meant delayed aging.

That alone nearly tipped her resolve.

Behind her, Ao wiped sweat from his brow as dark intent radiated off his Mizukage.

"Gaara," Temari asked quietly, "what do we do?"

Gaara stared at the empty sky.

"I never expected Tōma to choose this path," he said softly.

"His ambition’s terrifying," Kankurō muttered.

Gaara closed his eyes.

"But if it’s him," he said, remembering Infinite Tsukuyomi, "then it’s better than a beautiful lie swallowing the world."

He still shivered when he thought about how close he’d been to accepting that dream.

Konoha, thriving. Order. Stability.

And the alternative?

"Not believing him," Gaara said quietly, "means walking everyone toward death."

Kankurō nodded. Suna knew Tōma’s strength better than anyone. Some still worshipped him as an untouchable god.

Did they really have a choice?

Across the world, debates erupted.

Civilians leaned toward survival. Shinobi leaned toward realism. Those in power resisted hardest, clinging to their thrones while obsessing over the secret of long life.

Tōma didn’t care.

He had shown them fear. Offered temptation. Named a common enemy.

What came next would be iron and blood.

That evening, Tōma walked home with Yamanaka Ino.

He’d left a message in everyone’s minds. A meeting tomorrow. That was enough.

"Surprised?" he asked.

"A little," Ino admitted. Her future had expanded far beyond being the Hokage’s partner.

She hugged his arm, smiling. "But if it’s you, I believe it."

Tōma laughed and ruffled her hair.

"I’m seventeen now."

Ino blushed.

"One more year," he said lightly. "Then we can get married."

When they reached home, Fujimoto Sana opened the door in an apron, smiling warmly.

"Come in," she said. "Dinner’s almost ready. You must be starving."

Some things, at least, never changed.

And for now, that was enough.