"Don't move!"
Considering rank and authority, even though Ao was the most experienced person present, this was not a situation where he should have been the one speaking.
Yet not only did he speak first—he did so in a commanding tone.
"Do not move," he repeated, emphasizing it a second time.
The teasing smile had yet to fade from Hagoromo's face.
Behind him, it was as though a pitch-black tree had grown—its branches heavy with red fruit.
When visiting a neighboring village, one should bring gifts.
Unfortunately, gifts that could explode at any moment were clearly not welcome.
As dozens of Four Symbols Seal scrolls revealed themselves, Hagoromo achieved exactly the level of deterrence he wanted.
"Ao, what's going on?"
Mei asked.
The others couldn't decipher the scrolls, but every one of them instinctively sensed danger. Mei felt her heart seize for a brief instant—and it refused to calm down.
"An extremely destructive sealing technique," Ao said, cold sweat sliding down his face.
"Above S-rank. Each one is already filled with chakra and could detonate at any time."
The veins around his Byakugan bulged like a spiderweb.
Only Ao, who could truly see, understood just how terrifying those scrolls were.
Dark. Devouring. Pure destruction.
The sealing formulas seemed to draw everything in—including one's gaze.
If Ao had known what a black hole was, he would have used that word to describe it.
"He might really be capable of devastating the village…" Ao finally said aloud.
From his perspective, Kisame looked almost eager to try a sudden attack.
That would be suicidal.
Sealing techniques were not ninjutsu. Unless one could guarantee an instant kill, acting rashly was forbidden.
And killing Hagoromo instantly?
Had Ao not just heard that even Yagura died at this man's hands?
Ao's statement was, in effect, indirect confirmation of Hagoromo's claim that he could "die together with Kirigakure."
In an instant, everyone froze—as if bound by a paralysis technique.
At this moment, Hagoromo held absolute authority over the situation—so long as Mei and the others did not want consequences worse than death.
In truth, Hagoromo had taken out so many scrolls purely to intimidate.
First, even if all the scrolls were activated simultaneously, the Four Symbols Seal did not stack its effective range. It would still form a roughly spherical sealing zone about 200 meters in diameter. Multiple focal points might expand it slightly—but not meaningfully.
Ao, however, could not know this.
He could not read the formulas. Seeing so many seals clustered together, he naturally assumed their power stacked.
In his perception, the destructive potential was on the level of a tailed beast.
Second, because the chakra had been sealed hastily—and because Hagoromo's chakra did not preserve well—the earliest scrolls would soon begin leaking power.
This was a one-time opportunity for total nuclear deterrence.
Finally, in such a confined space, activating the seals risked killing Hagoromo himself. The Four Symbols Seal granted no immunity to its user. One misstep, and he would be erased along with everyone else.
As Hagoromo casually displayed his "peacock fan," he began speaking leisurely.
His expression was infuriatingly smug—but no one dared to test their luck.
Anyone who carried unstable, chakra-saturated sealing techniques in a gourd on his back was clearly insane enough to choose mutual destruction.
"Birth, aging, illness, and death are unavoidable for all humans," Hagoromo said.
"Shinobi are no exception."
"The Third Mizukage… due to certain reasons, his strength has declined. To the point where he can no longer govern properly. Correct?"
This was only speculation.
As he spoke, Hagoromo carefully watched their expressions.
Here, the weakness of youth showed itself.
Young shinobi often failed to keep their faces neutral. The more they tried to control themselves, the more obvious their reactions became.
From their subtle expressions, Hagoromo knew—
He was right.
A shinobi's strength had no guaranteed connection to their physical health. In fact, many exceptionally powerful shinobi died young from incurable illnesses.
Reality was cruel.
Even Son Goku could die from a heart virus.
A shinobi dying from illness was nothing special.
"Since I dared to come to Kirigakure, I naturally have confidence in my own safety," Hagoromo said.
As he finished speaking, he retracted the iron sand and returned the scrolls to his gourd.
The threat had served its purpose.
Now it was time to talk properly.
There was no reason to keep the scrolls on display—that would be impolite.
Earlier, the "Mizukage" Hagoromo had met was, in fact, Terumī Mei in disguise.
That much was now obvious.
She had used some method to perfectly mask her chakra—but Hagoromo didn't identify people by chakra signatures in the first place.
Whether advanced or crude, he relied on subtle differences in bioelectric signals.
Had a random stand-in been used, he might not have noticed.
But the absence of the real Mizukage from such a formal meeting was suspicious. Assassination risk made no sense as an excuse.
That was when Hagoromo began to suspect something was wrong.
And he had been right.
The Mizukage was indeed incapacitated—possibly even already dead.
"Claiming I can destroy Kirigakure with these seals is exaggerated," Hagoromo said calmly.
"But they're more than enough to clear a path straight out of the village."
"And in doing so, I would inevitably cause serious damage."
"So if possible," he added,
"I would rather not do that."
With the scrolls withdrawn, the suffocating tension in the room eased noticeably.
At the very least, it meant Hagoromo had no intention of launching a suicidal sealing detonation.
"…What exactly do you want?"
Mei asked.
Letting someone like this enter Kirigakure had clearly been a mistake—but it was far too late for regret.
"Of course," Hagoromo replied,
"I want peace between our two villages."
"And friendship."
If possible, no one wanted to discuss peace with someone who felt like a walking doomsday weapon.
And judging from Hagoromo's attitude, he seemed to be offering Kirigakure a very simple choice:
Either—
True peace.
Or—
Total annihilation.
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