To prevent the strong corrosion of the Melting Apparition Jutsu from touching his body, and to achieve the effect of blowing the Lava Style away, Hagoromo decisively invested in the S-rank Water Style: Hard Whirlpool Water Blade.
Proof that S-rank techniques yield S-rank results: the high-speed, high-density, high-pressure explosive torrent was not something that could be dissolved instantly.
However, the effect of the Lava Style remained; it was simply a matter of the water eroding slightly slower.
Hagoromo kept his gaze fixed on the distant water tornado. Because it was churning together with the Lava Style, the scale of the technique was constantly shrinking until the jutsu finally dissipated prematurely.
But Mei Terumi's figure did not reappear.
Did she actually manage to break herself?
Things were not as simple as he imagined. In Hagoromo's perception, something beneath the water's surface was moving rapidly toward his position.
He retreated instantly, activating his Lightning Style for protection. Faced with an unknown attack, Hagoromo chose evasion.
Sure enough, the spot where he had just been standing suddenly erupted in a geyser of water.
Mei Terumi appeared there, launching an ambush.
Fortunately, Hagoromo had detected her attack in advance.
Without any particularly flashy movements, Mei drifted upward from beneath the water. Looking at her now, she hadn't suffered any actual injury from her own Lava Style, but a portion of her clothing had been corroded away.
Hagoromo could see a stretch of her calf.
Looking further up...
Looking further and further up, there was her slender waist.
Looking further, further, and further up...
I'm sorry, imagination is free, but description is a crime. Please stay healthy.
In short, this was a very alternative way of "breaking herself."
Hagoromo took a deep breath and said:
"I suddenly feel an overwhelming urge to express my gratitude..."
For fanservice of this caliber, a 90-degree bow is mandatory during thanks.
The Three Prohibitions of Shinobi, remember? Don't forget the lessons from the Academy.
Mei Terumi had zero interest in small talk now. She was preparing to switch to Boil Style: Skilled Mist Jutsu to thoroughly dissolve the Konoha shinobi before her.
With cold-blooded intent, she didn't want to leave even a trace of him behind—she intended to erase his very existence from every possible meaning of the word.
But just then, from the direction opposite Hagoromo—behind Mei Terumi—an eerie, ringing sound echoed across the distance.
What's going on? A signal?
Hagoromo finally tore his eyes away from places they shouldn't be. He looked toward the distance, but could see nothing. He couldn't be certain if it was a genuine signal or, if it was, what it meant.
However, a sudden urgency left him no time for deep thought. It wasn't that Mei Terumi had launched a new attack; it was a powerful, instinctive sense of crisis erupting from behind him!
Something bad is happening.
Ignoring whatever Mei was about to do, Hagoromo reflexively bit his thumb and wove a series of seals: Boar – Dog – Bird – Monkey – Goat!
Ninja Art: Summoning: Rashomon!
An iron gate, etched with a terrifying demonic face and appearing virtually indestructible, was summoned instantly. One-third of it was submerged, while the other two-thirds stood above the water.
Simultaneously, Hagoromo turned and fled in the opposite direction for all he was worth. He hadn't made it more than a few steps when...
BOOM!
A blast loud enough to cause temporary deafness erupted. The powerful shockwave created an extreme vibration in the air, and the water surface began to surge violently. A wave even more ferocious than the previous Exploding Water Colliding Wave swept upward—a literal tsunami!
Hagoromo was instantly swallowed by the torrent. Losing his balance and wreathed in Chidori Current, he thrashed his limbs in the water like an ugly electric eel.
After an unknown amount of time, once the water finally stabilized, Hagoromo bobbed back to the surface.
The Rashomon he had summoned had vanished. There was only one reason for its disappearance: it had sustained an overwhelming impact.
The abandoned village, which previously had parts of houses visible, had now completely vanished. The lake looked as if it had existed there forever.
Are you kidding me? A Second Impact?
"Cough, cough, cough..."
Hagoromo coughed up the water that had forced its way into his lungs. He didn't even need to think to know who had launched such a powerful attack.
But he didn't blame the attacker; he blamed Orochimaru.
Lord Orochimaru, you can't even hold the aggro while you're fighting a mob?!
That was clearly a Tailed Beast Bomb. He had nearly been taken out by a stray shot! And that Tailed Beast Bomb seemed aimed precisely at him—at Hagoromo Kamishiro!
Hagoromo's inner self was screaming.
In truth, he should be grateful. This was a Tailed Beast Bomb launched by a Jinchuriki who hadn't fully transformed. If the Tailed Beast itself had attacked, a single Rashomon gate would never have stopped it.
"What on earth did Orochimaru do to Roshi to make him resist this fiercely?"
While his head was just peeking above the water, Hagoromo was already spiraling into various wild theories.
At that moment, a hand was offered to him from the front.
It was Kakashi. Hagoromo was soaked to the bone, but Kakashi looked as if he hadn't taken much of a hit. Hagoromo reached out and grabbed Kakashi's hand, allowing himself to be pulled up.
"Hagoromo, that attack just now..."
Kakashi had his suspicions but asked with uncertainty. After all, he had only seen the Rashomon summon, heard the explosion, and felt the impact—he hadn't seen the black sphere itself.
"It was a Tailed Beast Bomb. No mistake."
Kakashi recoiled in shock. "I thought so... but is there a Tailed Beast on this island? A wild one?"
Dripping wet, Hagoromo shot Kakashi a sidelong glance. The way he said it made it sound like there were wild rabbits on the island.
"It's a Jinchuriki. The Four-Tails Jinchuriki. When we first ran into that eyebrow-less kid, I sensed another enemy. It turned out to be Roshi of the Iwa... I retreated after a few exchanges and arrived just in time to help you out."
Kakashi had no interest in correcting Hagoromo's comments about Zabuza's eyebrows. Instead, he asked, "Why is an Iwa Jinchuriki here? And since you left, who is fighting him now?"
Hagoromo could only shake his head at the first question. After a pause, he added, "Orochimaru is dealing with the Jinchuriki now."
"Orochimaru..." The name allowed Kakashi to breathe a slight sigh of relief. One of the Sannin should have no trouble with a Jinchuriki, right?
"Should we go help?"
"No. we're going after the Mist shinobi. Both enemies have disappeared; they likely used the chaos of the explosion to retreat..." Hagoromo said. "I suspect that signal earlier was to tell all Mist shinobi on the island that they can withdraw."
Even if Orochimaru couldn't actually defeat the Jinchuriki, he could certainly withdraw safely. A shinobi of his level wouldn't die there. There was no need for Hagoromo and Kakashi to go and get in the way.
"But..." Kakashi hesitated.
Hagoromo silenced him with a single sentence: "Whether it's assisting Lord Orochimaru or fighting a Jinchuriki, neither is part of our mission. We have only one objective: reclaim the Byakugan."
Mission. For Kakashi, the weight of that word was absolute. What else could he possibly say?