If one were to tally everything Hagoromo had done over the past few years…
Actually, it was probably better not to. For the sake of letting the "soul of this story" stay alive a little longer.
After helping Kirigakure's peace faction resolve the most critical of their unavoidable problems—and leaving several high-ranking Mist ninja collectively and profoundly bewildered—Hagoromo seized the opportunity to depart the Land of Water.
As an aside, some of his actions left behind effects that were strangely curse-like. Even many years later, certain images would still surface in Mei Terumī's mind from time to time, impossible to shake.
In truth, creating a shadow clone to mislead Kirigakure had not been an easy task at all. This was where the consequences of Konoha having lost a Byakugan truly became apparent.
If not for Ao's Byakugan, Kirigakure might still have used sensory ninja to monitor Hagoromo—but they would not have been able to directly see his every movement.
Using the Byakugan for surveillance was, quite frankly, a terrifyingly perfect application.
Under such scrutiny, Hagoromo had to seize an opening to use the Shadow Clone Technique—fast, precise, ruthless in timing.
After all of that, his return to the Land of Fire was uneventful.
Given Kirigakure's current situation, even though Hagoromo vanished suddenly—and even mocked them before doing so—they simply had no time or spare strength to pursue him.
With their leadership eliminated, the war faction would inevitably descend into chaos. The peace faction would exploit this opportunity to fracture and dismantle them, stabilize the village, pave the way for Mei Terumī's rise, and quietly wait for the Third Mizukage's eventual death.
Although the position of Mizukage was hereditary through succession, it wouldn't happen overnight. By the time Mei truly matured into a fully established leader, it would likely also be the moment she formally became the Fourth Mizukage.
Despite leaving a note claiming he didn't want to "carry the blame," Hagoromo had long since accepted that he would.
After all, this was not an unjust accusation.
Though the act had been a joint decision, the one who actually carried it out was Hagoromo himself. The current narrative merely exaggerated his share of responsibility from less than ten percent to a full hundred.
Still, this would not affect the peace faction's commitment.
Because it was not a promise—
It was a shared necessity.
Peace was something both sides needed.
Back at the Konoha–Kirigakure Front
"This is…?"
On the front line between the Land of Fire and Kirigakure, Hagoromo handed the document he had gone to such lengths to obtain to Orochimaru.
"Kirigakure's formal reply to the Hokage's letter," Hagoromo said.
"It's a positive response."
His expression was relaxed—clearly satisfied.
The mission, after all, had been successfully completed, even if there had been some turbulence along the way.
"Oh?" Orochimaru's tone carried faint curiosity.
"Given your deadline, I thought you'd already died in Kirigakure. It seems quite a lot happened there."
The words were blunt, but accurate.
Whether Kirigakure's response was acceptance or rejection, Hagoromo had merely been a courier. By all logic, he should have returned long ago. His prolonged absence spoke volumes.
What Orochimaru did not know was that a Konoha ninja—nominally a messenger—had helped orchestrate a political purge and assassination inside Kirigakure.
"There were… unexpected developments," Hagoromo replied.
He began recounting the mission in detail, starting with his realization that the "Mizukage" he met had in fact been Mei Terumī in disguise.
"So the Mizukage truly is compromised?" Orochimaru asked.
He had already finished reading the reply. For Konoha, it was the best possible outcome.
The only flaw was that the document bore the signatures of Kirigakure's advisors rather than the Mizukage himself—leaving its authority technically questionable.
But if Hagoromo's account was accurate, then with the Third Mizukage no longer capable of governing, these signatures represented the highest authority Kirigakure currently possessed.
"While I can't confirm the details," Hagoromo said,
"I'm confident something is wrong. I never once encountered the Mizukage or anyone truly acting in that capacity. In the most extreme scenario, it's possible the Third Mizukage is already dead."
"If Konoha still has agents active in Kirigakure, it would be wise to strengthen intelligence gathering there. My time was limited, and I was under constant surveillance."
In Kirigakure, his movements had been tightly restricted. The few ninja he interacted with were all the sort who would never leak sensitive information.
Still, the situation could be reasoned in reverse.
If the Mizukage were healthy and in control, would he have allowed the peace faction to act so freely?
War or peace should have been his decision—not theirs.
"Excellent work, Hagoromo," Orochimaru said at last.
"With this, my own task here is nearly complete."
There was clear appreciation in his voice. His gaze, however, shifted aside, preventing Hagoromo from seeing his expression.
He was likely pleased.
From Hagoromo's angle—and given the height difference—he could only see the back of Orochimaru's head.
…Come to think of it, Snake-sensei really did have long, straight black hair.
For Orochimaru, killing and warfare were far from his greatest passions.
If one trait defined him, it was not "cruelty," but obsession with jutsu—especially forbidden techniques that required meticulous, step-by-step research.
Thanks to Hagoromo's role in this mission, Orochimaru would likely return to his true work far sooner than expected—perhaps two or even three years earlier than planned.
Looking back, Hagoromo had always shown strong execution and decisiveness as a shinobi. But this mission revealed something new: autonomy, initiative, judgment.
These changes stemmed from a transformation within him.
Before, at his core, he had been… lazy.
Not physically, but existentially—drifting, detached.
As for the Third Mizukage's true condition, Konoha soon learned the truth through intelligence channels.
A tailed beast rampage was not something that could be hidden forever.
Once Kirigakure's internal lockdown loosened, information leaked out:
The Third Mizukage had indeed suffered catastrophic damage.
This further confirmed Kirigakure's determination to seek peace.
Afterward, both sides exchanged envoys multiple times. Without fanfare, hostilities ceased. The front lines fell silent.
Later, on a small island between the Lands of Fire and Water, Orochimaru and Mei Terumī, representing Kirigakure, held formal talks.
The framework of peace was essentially finalized.
Although a fully official treaty would still take time, everything had entered the proper course.
By then, Hagoromo had already seen what he needed to see.
There was no longer any reason for him to remain on this front.
He had other matters to attend to.
In the present, ceasefire and peace were critical—but when viewed from the future, what came next might matter even more.
Such was life.
To gain something, one must lose something else.
And the value of that exchange was never decided by any one individual's will.
For shinobi especially, choice was often an illusion.
Mutual support was rare.
Most of the time, one had only oneself to rely on.
Even Hagoromo was no exception.
So then—
When facing "fate,"
Is resistance defined by what one can do?
Or by what one cannot?
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