"Lord Danzo, the Amegakure scouts have arrived to receive us up ahead."
Asuma reported to Danzo. After penetrating a certain distance into the Land of Rain, the Rain shinobi had finally made their appearance. The group of seven was now nearing the Hidden Rain Village.
The party consisted of the four members of the Hagoromo Squad, while Danzo brought only two subordinates. In their formation, Hagoromo and Asuma led the van, while Yamashiro Aoba and Kurenai brought up the rear. Sandwiched in the middle was Shimura Danzo and his "merry band" of followers.
Hearing Asuma's report, Danzo's exposed eye flickered slightly, spotting the Rain ninja already making contact with Hagoromo. He gave a microscopic nod. Understanding the signal, Asuma signaled the team to continue their advance.
Shimura Danzo possessed unmistakable features; the upper-right half of his face was almost entirely swathed in white bandages. Hagoromo had every reason to suspect that the hidden socket already housed a Sharingan stolen from some unfortunate Uchiha.
Why start "modding" his own body? Likely because a shinobi like Danzo understood the limits of being a non-bloodline user. Plugging in external hardware was undoubtedly the simplest, most feasible, and most effective way to break through those limits.
To put it bluntly: if a shinobi doesn't "cheat," they'll hit a ceiling pretty quickly.
Perhaps Danzo truly had come to secure peace between Konoha and the Rain. He hadn't brought a massive retinue, only two guardians. Through earlier introductions, Hagoromo learned their names: Yamanaka Renme and Aburame Santō.
Shinobi like these were bound to be high-tier Jonin; otherwise, Danzo wouldn't have brought them. Beyond that, Hagoromo had no detailed intel on them. However, based on their surnames, he could easily imagine their combat styles—mind invasion and insect manipulation.
Left to his own devices, Danzo likely intended to enter the Rain with just his two men. The addition of the Hagoromo Squad was an unexpected variable. This was likely Jiraiya's suggestion, eventually approved by the Hokage.
To say they were here to "monitor" Danzo might be a bit strong, but they were certainly there to ensure he didn't pull any strings in the dark without Konoha's knowledge.
The Rain ninja began leading the way. Hagoromo followed cautiously—and for good reason. Even if they claimed to be there for peace talks, Hanzo was the type to change his mind on a whim. What if this was a lead-in to an ambush?
Yet, surprisingly, a man as brooding as Danzo showed no sign of worry, walking forward with bold confidence. Hagoromo glanced back at Danzo's weathered, expressionless face, remembering the incident that had occurred just moments ago.
Danzo's faction was certainly aware of the mission details, including the participation of a new squad. As for Hagoromo, Danzo surely remembered him due to the critical intelligence he had previously brought back. Anyone looking at Hagoromo's dossier would conclude the kid was a "talent" (for causing trouble). If Hagoromo weren't firmly in the Third Hokage's camp, Danzo might have already "friendlily" invited him to defect to the Root.
The two groups had merged at the Iwagakure front before heading into the Land of Rain. But things weren't that simple.
Danzo knew exactly why Hagoromo's squad was there. If not "monitoring," it certainly wasn't for his benefit. Where there is light, there must be shadows. Danzo and the Root he commanded were the darkness of Konoha—and they were very dark indeed. They never hesitated to strike when necessary, whether against enemies or their own kin.
Of course, to rid themselves of "observation," they couldn't actually kill the Hagoromo Squad; after all, the Hokage's son was in the group. Instead, they opted for a more refined method: Genjutsu or mental manipulation.
Just as they were leaving the Land of Fire, Hagoromo had been subjected to a sudden backstab. While he was leading the way, a burst of electrical sparks suddenly erupted around his head without warning! The crackling was so intense it looked like his brain was about to detonate.
The sudden anomaly brought the squad to an immediate, high-alert halt. Danzo's group knew exactly what was happening, but the rest of the Hagoromo Squad assumed they were under attack by the Rain!
Hagoromo had indeed been hit by a mental assault, but it wasn't from a Rain ninja. This was either a specialized Genjutsu—perhaps from a Sharingan—or the Yamanaka clan's Mind Transfer Jutsu!
The source of the attack was self-evident. Danzo.
Did it work? On anyone else, it might have. But unfortunately for them, their primary target was Hagoromo—the squad leader and the strongest member.
They failed.
First, Hagoromo possessed his own mental defenses. Genjutsu, which acts on chakra, was one thing, but he could essentially block most forms of mind-control intrusion. He had developed his "Electromagnetic Barrier" to a deep level, making his defense against mental attacks even better than the original version.
Furthermore, to prevent the leakage of the information in his head, he had asked Kushina to place multiple seals on his mind—all Uzumaki secret techniques, far beyond the reach of standard breaking methods.
To Hagoromo, this was a vital precaution. First, there were things in his head that absolutely could not be leaked. Second, any mental intrusion would cripple his calculation abilities, weakening his combat power or even rendering his abilities unusable.
Danzo's attack had touched his "reverse scale." He wouldn't have minded a literal stabbing as much as this...
These zombies want to eat my brain!!
He didn't fully understand Danzo's intent, but sparks began to flicker across his body—not from Lightning Style, but directly from his LV5 electrical discharge.
Should I counter-attack? Can I take all three of them out?
As his emotions fluctuated, an aura of destruction began to radiate from him. But Hagoromo didn't lose his sanity. If he actually struck, things would get complicated. Even in the best-case scenario where he killed Danzo's trio, he'd have only two choices: leave Konoha immediately, or kill Asuma and the others to keep them quiet.
He was overthinking it for a split second. He hadn't even figured out Danzo's end-game yet. Would the man persist?
No. Danzo gave up.
When Hagoromo's stance was unmistakably clear, his three teammates stood there in total confusion. No enemies? Then who is Hagoromo targeting?
The Aburame and Yamanaka ninjas prepared to step forward, but just as the situation reached a breaking point, Danzo raised a hand to stop them.
"As expected of Uzumaki's disciple. Truly, young shinobi cannot be measured by common logic... Continue leading the way."
Something like an "Electromagnetic Barrier" was outside Danzo's understanding, but he deduced that Hagoromo possessed complex Uzumaki sealing protections strong enough to grant him immunity to mental intrusion.
His meaning was clear: act as if the previous incident never happened. He wouldn't try to control the Hagoromo Squad again.
Act like nothing happened? Hagoromo thought for a moment. Fine. That's probably the most appropriate way to handle this for now.