Hearing that the moniker "White Yaksha" had been pinned to his head, Hagoromo's mind reflexively summoned an image. He instinctively began to mimic a certain dead-eyed expression from his previous life's memories.
Combined with his naturally sharp, "shonen protagonist" facial features, the addition of a magical, listless "dead-fish stare" created a bizarre visual dissonance. Rin didn't know why, but for a split second, she felt like her eyes had been physically assaulted by a supernatural phenomenon.
The irony wasn't lost on Hagoromo. In his head, the title "White Yaksha" started off cool—swords clashing against aliens and all that. But he also knew that for the vast majority of the time, that legendary figure was just a lazy, broke slacker.
Who started this rumor? White Yaksha? Do you people even know what a JUSTWE is?
Rin, oblivious to his internal crisis, continued her report. "People are talking about you everywhere. They're calling you one of the Three Geniuses of the New Generation."
"Wait, stop. What 'Three Geniuses'?" Hagoromo felt a chill run down his spine. "Genius" was just a pretty word people used before a specialized assassination squad from an enemy village turned you into a priority target.
Whoever was spreading this clearly didn't have his best interests at heart. Or was this another of Konoha's "Star-Making" propaganda campaigns?
If it was the latter, he couldn't disagree more. Someone like Minato Namikaze could carry the title "Yellow Flash" because he had the terrifying, world-shaking power to back it up. The directive "Flee on sight" was a testament to a strength that made propaganda irrelevant.
But Hagoromo? He knew his own limits. He was a "Glass Cannon"—high attack, zero defense. His current combat effectiveness relied entirely on his Lightning Release. If an enemy found a way to seal his lightning or negate his speed, he'd drop from "Yaksha" to "Target Practice" in seconds.
The ninja world was a terrifying place. What if a high-speed specialist appeared behind him to slit his throat? What if he took a hit from Particle Style? Or a Body Revival technique? Or a taijutsu master who could open the Inner Gates?
He felt a sudden wave of paranoia. There are always commoners out there trying to harm this Emperor.
In reality, he had only himself to blame. You don't publicly pummel the One-Tailed Shukaku into the dirt and expect people to forget about it. While the observant could tell Kushina did the heavy lifting with her sealing, the sheer, barbaric dominance of Hagoromo's railgun barrage was what stuck in everyone's minds.
"The first," Rin listed, counting on her fingers, "is Uchiha Shisui from the Mist front. An elite among elites, master of Genjutsu and Flicker techniques—'Shisui of the Body Flicker.'"
"The second is the son of the White Fang and student of the Yellow Flash—Kakashi Hatake." Rin glanced at Kakashi, who remained entirely motionless, as if he hadn't heard his own name.
"And the third, from the Sand front, the student of the Uzumaki survivor Kushina—the Lightning master who crushed the One-Tail, the 'White Yaksha,' Hagoromo Kamishiro."
Hagoromo was speechless. Being lumped in with Shisui and Kakashi was basically a formal invitation for every enemy village to put him on their "Must-Kill" list. This meant that from now on, he'd have to be triple-careful on the battlefield.
Low-key was supposed to be the way of the king. If Konoha was spreading this, the Sand already knew. And if the Sand knew, the other villages would find out through their spies. He could almost hear the Raikage now: "Did you hear? Some brat named the White Yaksha solo-poured the Shukaku..."
He forced himself out of the spiral. "What's the current state of the war?"
"The Sand's surprise attack caused massive losses on our side," Rin said, her tone sobering. "But they didn't gain much. Estimates put their casualties at over 2,000. We don't have the exact kill-to-wound ratio."
"Their losses were that heavy? Wouldn't that be the perfect time for Tsunade-sama to launch a counter-offensive?"
Rin shook her head. "Our losses weren't light either. Exact numbers are classified, but I doubt we're much better off. Most importantly, our logistics and non-combat personnel were decimated. We don't even have the supply lines to sustain a base, let alone a grand assault."
"So it's another stalemate," Hagoromo sighed, rubbing his temples. A war without a strategic victory or defeat was just a slow, bloody grind.
Suddenly, Kakashi spoke.
He closed his book, tucked it into his pouch, and finally turned his masked face toward Hagoromo. "The Third Hokage has made up his mind. He's coming to end the war with the Sand personally. He's leading Konoha's last mobile reserve—about 3,000 ninjas—and heading straight here. Once he arrives, we launch the final strike."
"The Third is coming to the front lines?" Hagoromo was stunned.
He didn't doubt the intel; Kakashi's proximity to Minato gave him access to the highest circles. But if the Hokage was taking the last of their strength to the front, who was left to guard the village? While a major army couldn't bypass Konoha's defenses, small, elite suicide squads could still wreak havoc.
Hagoromo's worry was well-founded. At this moment, the defense of Konoha rested entirely in the hands of Danzo's Root and the Uchiha Police Force.
The Third Hokage, leading the most elite of his personal Anbu, was already on the move.