Sasori of the Red Sand, having deserted the Hidden Sand Village, was likely on a "whim-of-the-moment" journey, wandering aimlessly through the shinobi world.
However, he still factored in his own safety.
There were places he wouldn't just stroll into—like deep into the Land of Fire.
Even though they were currently on the border, based on the current state of the Great War, this position wasn't far from the front lines where Jiraiya, the Toad Sage, was stationed.
Considering the Sannin's strength and his own status as a rogue, Sasori didn't want to risk a confrontation if his presence was leaked.
cThis wasn't a lack of confidence, but simple pragmatism: he didn't want to fight a Kage-level opponent in an "imperfect" state.
If he had already completed his total puppet transformation—possessing a "core" to dominate a mechanical body and achieving "eternal" life—he wouldn't have retreated. He would have hunted Hagoromo down without hesitation.
It wasn't out of hatred for Hagoromo, but rather the obsession of an artist chasing a rare piece of material. Because of their "elemental compatibility," Sasori's greatest toy—the Third Kazekage puppet—was rendered useless against the "Magnet Style" of Hagoromo.
Furthermore, his ultimate technique, the Performance of a Hundred Puppets, wasn't yet fully realized. In terms of absolute strength, Sasori could likely only exert half of his true potential at this moment.
Hagoromo, of course, didn't know Sasori's inner monologue, but he breathed a sigh of relief when the pursuit ended.
The pressure of an S-rank rogue is no small thing. That was exactly why he had chosen to retreat toward the Leaf's front lines while fighting, rather than toward the squad's original meeting point.
He had gambled that a ninja like Sasori would know where large clusters of Leaf ninjas were gathered and would avoid them. The gamble paid off; Sasori stopped the chase.
From start to finish, Hagoromo's goal was simply to shake him off, not to engage in a fight to the death. He had played a defensive, passive game and hadn't even shown his full hand—Hagoromo was the type to keep his trumps hidden until life was truly on the line.
If he had relied solely on his abilities as a "ninja" to fight Sasori, he would have been slaughtered.
The encounter was a total accident, but fortunately, it caused no lasting damage. Sending his teammates away early had been the correct call; he couldn't protect them while facing a demon like Sasori.
The rain muffled the clattering of the puppets as Sasori's silhouette vanished into the gloom, leaving behind a trail of splintered wood.
Notably, Sasori didn't immediately unsummon his remaining puppets, keeping them as a protective guard as he withdrew.
He was wary of that final move Hagoromo had used.
The name of that technique remained unknown to him, but its power, speed, and destructive force were impeccable. Its range was also extraordinary; Sasori judged it to be roughly 50 meters.
Sasori was the kind of ninja who had seen a Tailed Beast Bomb. Compared to that, a Tailed Beast Bomb held more destructive power and longer range—it was an attack capable of leveling entire villages.
But in terms of "quality," both were of similar rank.
If anything, the Railgun was much more dangerous. If that thing hit a person, they would explode into a puddle of blood, regardless of strength. You could bring out the First Hokage to take a hit, and it's doubtful his regeneration could outpace the it.
Of course, the prerequisite was hitting the target. As powerful as the Tailed Beast Bomb is, it rarely managed to kill high-level ninjas.
Statistically, it's likely that more ninjas have been finished off by a ball of chakra (Rasengan) passed down through three generations than by the ultimate beast blast. In some cases, a well-placed kunai is more efficient than an ultimate move.
Confirming Sasori was gone, Hagoromo finished his "shift" and headed for the rendezvous point.
Though the others had left on the bird, Hagoromo figured that given Asuma's injuries and the danger outside, they wouldn't have gone far.
They were likely still hiding at the base. Timely reporting was important, but staying alive to deliver it was more so.
The only upside to the fight with Sasori was confirming Pakura's objective: she was hunting a traitor. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), her pursuit was cut short by the Akatsuki. If she had caught Sasori, the "Hero of the Sand" likely would have died at his hands.
Now, Hagoromo had a mountain of heavyweight intelligence to report. Based on the significance of this info, his squad was looking at a massive bonus on top of their mission pay.
Performance matters, even for ninjas.
After a few hours of traveling, Hagoromo arrived at the base. He didn't rush in. He placed his fingers in his mouth and let out a sharp, piercing whistle—the predetermined signal. He didn't want to be "friendly fired" by a jumpy teammate.
Soon, a similar whistle echoed from a hollow tree. Hagoromo relaxed; they were safe.
He stepped forward and pulled back the camouflage at the entrance. Kurenai, Asuma, and Aoba were all there. Seeing Hagoromo, they let out a massive sigh of relief.
He looked a bit haggard, and his look had changed—he was now carrying a large iron gourd, But he was alive, and that was enough.
They had assumed his decision to stay behind was a suicidal sacrifice. They had been mourning him for hours, only for him to pop up again.
Before they could ask questions, Hagoromo spoke: "We have major intelligence. We need to report to HQ immediately. We're moving out."
He glanced at Asuma. The boy's wounds had been re-treated.
"Aoba, carry Asuma on your back. Let's go."
Aoba nodded, stood up, and somewhat roughly hoisted Asuma over his shoulder. It definitely pulled at the boy's wounds. If possible, Asuma would have preferred Kurenai to carry him.
Unfortunately, even in an if scenario, that if didn't exist.
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