Naruto: This Genius is Somewhat Ordinary-Chapter 397

That day, arguments erupted across every nation.

In the palaces of the daimyō, inside hidden villages, and behind closed doors of power, voices clashed without pause. Even after Fujimoto Tōma had demonstrated strength that bordered on the unreal, there were still people who believed that if their entire country stood together, they could block his advance.

Inside the Fire Country’s daimyō residence, the daimyō himself sat at the highest seat, slowly fanning himself as the debate raged below.

The factions were clear.

One group argued for immediate submission.

Another hesitated, caught between fear and pride.

The last faction rejected surrender outright.

Their logic was simple. The shinobi villages relied on national funding. If Fire Country cut off Konoha’s supplies now, before war began, then even a powerful village would struggle to mobilize.

The opposition scoffed at that idea.

The current Hokage’s strength had already surpassed conventional limits. This was no longer a conflict resources could restrain.

The daimyō sighed and glanced toward the sky.

The image of that falling meteor was still burned into his memory.

As Fire Country’s ruler, he understood shinobi better than most civilians ever could. Shinobi were born for war. Even in earlier eras, villages alone had been capable of threatening entire nations.

Cutting supplies sounded effective on paper, but there was no guarantee Konoha wouldn’t seize new resources before depletion... or simply strike first and remove the problem at its source.

That fragile balance between daimyō and village had never been true control. It was an unspoken agreement, one established by the First Hokage long ago.

And now, that agreement had been torn apart by the Sixth.

"Troubled times..." the daimyō murmured, realizing he was likely about to make a decision that defied tradition itself.

Similar scenes played out across the world.

And the man responsible for igniting all of it spent that day doing absolutely nothing.

Tōma didn’t meet visitors.

Didn’t plan strategy.

Didn’t concern himself with politics.

He stayed home and enjoyed a peaceful day.

The next morning, Tōma walked into the Hokage conference room.

Every advisor and every jōnin-level shinobi in Konoha was already present, waiting.

"Morning," he said casually as he took his seat.

"...Good morning, Hokage-sama."

Several people twitched at his relaxed tone, but no one dared ignore the greeting.

Tōma yawned once.

"Alright. Let’s begin," he said. "Today’s topic is how we start the war to unify the world. Whether we should do it isn’t up for discussion."

The room fell silent.

Jiraiya frowned immediately. "Tō— Hokage-sama. Is this really necessary? The world only just escaped Uchiha Madara’s nightmare."

"Sensei," Tōma replied calmly, "I decided this before the Fourth Shinobi War even began. And honestly, you can ask around. How many people here oppose it?"

Jiraiya froze.

His gaze swept the room.

He saw Sarutobi Hiruzen, ex-Hokage, sigh quietly. Acceptance, not approval. The clan heads didn’t even hide their stance. They had made their choice the moment they marched to Tōma’s side during the war.

Among the jōnin, there were doubts. But numbers mattered.

And doubt was vastly outnumbered.

Jiraiya exhaled slowly.

From the start, he’d known the only person he could argue with was Tōma himself. And Tōma had skipped debate entirely, moving straight to execution.

Tōma had already calculated the room.

Less than ten percent would support Jiraiya. Tsunade, maybe. Hiruzen, reluctantly. Even Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura would side with Tōma.

They were conservative, yes. But above all, they loved Konoha. And Tōma’s plan promised strength beyond anything the village had known.

Tōma didn’t resent them. Experience still mattered. Old views could be filtered. Wisdom didn’t expire just because perspective did.

He looked at Jiraiya and sighed lightly.

"Sensei," he said, "don’t you believe the world will be better once this is over?"

Jiraiya opened his mouth... and closed it again.

"...I saw the village yesterday," Tōma continued. "After the announcement. Did you see their faces?"

Jiraiya nodded silently.

Pride. Excitement. A sense of being at the center of history.

Opposition existed, but it was drowned beneath momentum.

"...I understand," Jiraiya finally said.

"One more thing," Tōma added, his tone sharpening. "The faster this war ends, the fewer people die."

Jiraiya smiled bitterly. "...Yeah."

With that settled, the meeting truly began.

Logistics. Resources. Movement routes.

Tōma listened, mildly amused. In this world, individual power distorted warfare completely. And most of that power was concentrated in Konoha.

Himself.

Uchiha Sasuke.

Uzumaki Naruto.

Any one of them could shatter an army alone.

So what was there to fear?

A straightforward plan emerged quickly. The world was small. Smaller than Tōma’s previous life by orders of magnitude. Unification here was closer to conquering a large country than ruling a planet.

Governance afterward would be the real challenge.

Which was why Tōma smiled.

Three days.

If anyone wanted to be useful, now was the time.

As the meeting ended, Tōma spoke again.

"Ring the village alarm. Gather all shinobi."

Shikaku Nara’s eyes narrowed. "Hokage-sama... you mean—"

"Yes," Tōma said. "I’m going to teach the method for absorbing natural energy."

Breathing around the room immediately grew heavier. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

No one could ignore a path tied to extended lifespan.

They moved fast.

Soon, Tōma stood atop the Hokage Tower, gazing down at the massive crowd below. Shinobi filled the square. Civilians too, hopeful despite knowing the odds.

No one shouted.

No one pushed.

They waited.

"Before I teach you," Tōma said, his voice carrying easily, "there are things you need to understand."

"First. This path doesn’t grant techniques like standard ninjutsu by itself."

A ripple of unease spread.

"Second," he continued, "natural energy can be converted into chakra. Converted chakra is denser, more stable, and strengthens your techniques."

Relief followed.

"Third. This method is dangerous. Failure can result in petrification, bodily collapse, or death."

No lies. No sugarcoating.

He explained perception. Control. Absorption.

Then he let them try.

Tōma watched carefully, intervening the moment instability appeared.

One by one, people succeeded.

Three to four out of ten grasped the method on the spot. Including civilians.

Tōma exhaled softly.

So this was the world restored to balance. Natural energy was calmer now. More abundant. No longer hostile.

This was why he dared to spread it.

Sage Mode had always been too extreme. Too narrow.

But this?

This could be inherited by the world.

And as Tōma looked down at the crowd, he knew it for certain.

The age of chakra alone was ending.