For personal reasons—and more importantly, to avoid missing the Kirigakure shinobi sent to receive him—Hagoromo chose to approach the Land of Water on foot, traveling across the sea's surface.
Perhaps because he had prepared so thoroughly beforehand, he now carried an indistinct but unmistakable aura of "don't provoke me."
Yes.
Provoke him, and he would blow you up. No negotiation.
Naturally, his speed across the water could not compare to flight. This was not because he failed to grasp the urgency of travel, but because the mission required him to arrive at a specific location at a precise time—neither early nor late. Only then would he meet the Kirigakure shinobi assigned to formally receive him.
Arriving too early might cause him to clash with patrols unaware of the negotiations.
Arriving late could mean the reception party had already withdrawn, resulting in immediate mission failure.
Timing was everything.
On the surface, Hagoromo looked relaxed as he walked across the sea, but in truth his mind was fully alert. Given the danger level of this mission, the threat did not begin only after entering Kirigakure. The journey itself was already perilous.
In the Shinobi World War, every village appeared unified against outsiders—but in reality, internal factions existed everywhere.
Konoha had Danzo's faction and the Uchiha clan.
Kirigakure was no different.
Within the Mist were those who favored peace with Konoha, those who insisted on fighting to the bitter end, and the perpetually unstable Kaguya Clan.
To those who wanted to pull the village out of the quagmire of war as soon as possible, a Konoha envoy was welcome.
To the hardline war faction, his arrival was something that absolutely had to be stopped.
An assassination attempt was not only possible—it was likely.
Some of this information came from Konoha's intelligence network. Some came from Hagoromo's own reasoning and analysis. In truth, such thinking was highly reliable.
Triggered by a recent incident, the contradictions between Kirigakure's factions had completely erupted into open confrontation. Their opposition was now unmistakable.
Hagoromo's decision to enter Kirigakure at this time could be called either the best moment—
—or the worst.
And the anticipated interception arrived swiftly.
"Who would've thought I'd run into a familiar face here," Hagoromo said calmly, looking at the four-man squad blocking his path.
"This isn't the rendezvous point agreed upon by Konoha and Kirigakure… which means you're not here to welcome me, are you?"
Encountering Mist shinobi sent to intercept him was no surprise.
What he hadn't expected was to see an old acquaintance again.
"'White Yaksha' of Konoha… no. I suppose I should call you by your real name now—Ueishira Hagoromo."
Standing opposite him was a Kirigakure four-man squad led by Yagura, someone Hagoromo had crossed blades with before.
They had once fought briefly and dangerously. In the time since, Yagura had more than enough opportunity to investigate the identity of that Konoha shinobi.
Naturally, he now possessed basic intelligence on Hagoromo.
"Be careful," Yagura warned his teammates.
"I've fought this man once. Stay alert. He wields an extremely powerful Lightning Release technique… and he's also rumored to be the Konoha shinobi who assassinated the Third Raikage."
As one of the very few who had survived Hagoromo's Lightning Release:, and considering the timing of the Third Raikage's death, Yagura was at least eighty percent certain that the culprit was the young man standing before him.
Even without definitive proof that Hagoromo was Kushina Uzumaki's disciple, the conclusion was obvious.
Yagura's three teammates—while unfamiliar faces—were clearly no ordinary shinobi. Anyone entrusted with an assassination mission of this importance would be elite, cautious, and mentally disciplined.
Yagura's warning only heightened their vigilance.
The purpose of this interception needed no explanation. Hagoromo didn't bother confirming it verbally. Instead, he asked something else.
"How did you know it would be me?"
This question was critical.
If Kirigakure truly knew in advance that Hagoromo would be sent as envoy, it would imply a massive intelligence leak within Konoha. Only a handful of high-ranking individuals knew the mission details.
If that information had leaked, it would suggest Mist operatives had infiltrated Konoha's core leadership.
But Yagura's reply dispelled that concern.
"For us, it doesn't matter who Konoha sends," he said coolly.
"Our orders are the same regardless."
Their mission was simply to assassinate Konoha's envoy.
The envoy's identity was irrelevant.
Sometimes, a shinobi's estimation of their own team's strength was accurate. Other times, it was not.
But sending just this four-man squad to kill Hagoromo?
If this had happened months ago—facing a team of apparent jōnin including Yagura—Hagoromo's first choice would likely have been immediate withdrawal.
Now, things were different.
"There's no personal grudge between us," Yagura continued, raising his weapon.
"But orders are orders. Leaving a shinobi like you alive is far too dangerous for Kirigakure."
"So… forgive me. You'll die here."
Regardless of his personal beliefs, Yagura's current position required the war to continue—at least for another two or three years.
He took a combat stance. His teammates followed suit.
After his hook-staff had been thrown into the water during their last encounter, Yagura had clearly had a new one made. And having studied Hagoromo's fighting style, he was confident—
With numerical and overall combat advantage, killing Hagoromo should not be difficult.
"Is it just the four of you?" Hagoromo asked, sounding genuinely puzzled—
as though he were asking whether a few scraps like them could really accomplish anything.
"I'm slightly different from the man you met a few months ago," he continued calmly.
"I don't really like saying this, but it's the truth."
"You have no idea what kind of monster I am now."
The words sounded like intimidation—but Yagura still heightened his guard. One could never assume a shinobi like Hagoromo had stagnated. In these months, he might well have developed new techniques.
The distance between them was twenty meters.
As he finished speaking, Hagoromo began forming hand seals.
Ninjutsu: Multiple Shadow Clone Technique.
Four identical clones appeared beside him.
"Trying to compensate for numbers with clones?" Yagura thought.
That would be pointless. Against opponents of their level, shadow clones only wasted chakra.
But Hagoromo's intent was entirely different.
Using clones to carry Reaper Four Symbols Seal (Dead Demon Consuming) Seal (Dead Demon Consuming) Seal scrolls in suicidal charges?
That would be clever—but he didn't do that either.
Area-sealing techniques like Reaper Four Symbols were most effective when enemies were densely packed. Sealing one person or a hundred made little difference.
Using it here would be wasteful.
Saving it for Kirigakure itself—that was the right choice.
The four clones scattered in four directions, appearing to flee.
In reality, they were cutting off escape routes.
As they moved, each clone tossed scroll after scroll into the sea while rapidly forming hand seals.
Then they stopped—each occupying one corner of a square, surrounding the battlefield.
Yagura and his squad did not act rashly. Their focus remained firmly on Hagoromo's main body.
When the clones completed their final seals—
A translucent, cubic barrier—less than a hundred meters on each side—instantly enclosed everyone.
"A barrier?!" Yagura was stunned.
Barrier ninjutsu consumed enormous chakra—and worse, this cut off retreat entirely.
"I told you," Hagoromo said quietly.
"I'm not the same as before."
"Today, I intend to kill you. Completely."
They were not only interfering with his mission—
They were obstructing his will.
This was no longer about victory or retreat.
It was about who lived and who died.
The technique he had deployed was called Danku (sealing barrier).
Barrier Sealing Technique: Binding Way of the Eighty-One – Danku (sealing barrier).
A powerful space-sealing barrier. Not unbreakable—but as long as Hagoromo remained inside, the enemy would have no chance to destroy it calmly.
Nor did the Mist ninja have reason to try.
"So unless one side is completely wiped out," Yagura said slowly,
"this barrier won't open?"
"That works perfectly for us," he continued.
After all, it was still four against one.
Hagoromo shook his head.
"You really don't understand anything about me."
Then—he began speaking nonsense.
"I've bombed Sunagakure,"
"I've caused chaos in sunflower fields,"
"I've drifted corners on Mount Akina,"
"I've smoked on Planet Namek,"
"I've caught cheaters in School Days,"
"I've thrown punches in Academy City—"
It was all utter nonsense. Pure garbage.
Nothing but Hagoromo's black history leaking out.
Aside from the bombing of Sunagakure—which he had done—none of the rest was his work.
The Mist ninja couldn't possibly understand a single word.
As he spoke, Hagoromo rolled his shoulders, then extended both arms straight forward.
His wrists crossed in an X.
Four fingers curled inward. Thumbs pressed beneath index fingers.
Fingertips aimed directly at Yagura's squad.
"Yagura, if we were ranking things," Hagoromo said calmly,
"I'd classify you as an S-rank shinobi."
"To deal with someone like you, ordinary techniques won't do."
"Naturally… only S-rank ninjutsu is appropriate."
Then his gaze sharpened.
"But tell me, Mist shinobi—"
"Have you ever seen a Super S-rank technique fired in rapid succession?"
At the end of his words—
Lightning exploded across Hagoromo's body.
Thunder roared.
Power surged like the descent of the heavens themselves.
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