If one were to take stock of everything Hagoromo had done over the years... it would actually be best not to, just so he, the soul of this story, could continue to live on.
After helping the Hidden Mist's peace faction eliminate their most necessary and major obstacles, and causing widespread, prolonged bewilderment among several Mist ninjas, he took the opportunity to leave the Land of Water.
As a side note, certain actions of his created an effect akin to a curse. Even many years later, certain images would still occasionally surface in the minds of Mei Terumi and the others, lingering unforgettably.
In reality, it hadn't been easy for Hagoromo to create a clone to confuse the enemy while in the Hidden Mist. This highlighted the severe drawback of Konoha losing a Byakugan.
If it weren't for Ao's Byakugan, even if the Mist used sensory ninjas to monitor Hagoromo, they at least wouldn't have directly seen what he was doing... The Byakugan was practically born for peeping; its potential was truly maximized here.
Therefore, under such intense scrutiny, Hagoromo had to be fast and precise to find a window to use the Shadow Clone Jutsu, grasping the timing perfectly.
After accomplishing all of this, his return to the Land of Fire was entirely uneventful. After all, for the current Hidden Mist, even though he had suddenly vanished and thrown out some mockery before doing so, they genuinely didn't have the time or spare energy to do anything about him right now.
Having lost their leaders, the Mist's war faction would likely fall into a chaotic mess. The peace faction would seize the opportunity to divide and dissolve them, striving to stabilize the situation in the Mist, paving the way for Mei Terumi's subsequent rise to power, and waiting for the Third Mizukage to kick the bucket—though Kage succession wasn't usually so rushed. By the time Mei Terumi truly matured into a formidable woman, it would probably be the exact time she became the Fourth Mizukage.
Although he left a note saying he didn't want to take the blame, in reality, Hagoromo had already mentally prepared himself to be the scapegoat.
It couldn't really be called wronging him, anyway. While it was a joint conspiracy, Hagoromo was the one who actually carried out the deed. The current situation merely exaggerated his less-than-ten-percent share of the responsibility into a full one hundred percent.
However, this wouldn't affect the peace faction's commitment, because it wasn't just a promise; it was the shared demand of both the peace faction and Konoha. Peace was what both sides needed.
...
"This is..."
On the Konoha frontline facing the Hidden Mist in the Land of Fire, Hagoromo handed the document he had gone to such great lengths to obtain to Orochimaru.
"The Hidden Mist's reply to the Hokage's handwritten letter. It's a favorable response," Hagoromo said. Judging by his expression, he was feeling quite relaxed and satisfied at the moment.
After all, the mission had been completed flawlessly, despite a few minor hiccups.
Although his words weren't very pleasant to hear, they were the truth. Whether the answer obtained in the Mist was positive or negative, Hagoromo was just there to deliver a letter. Logically, he should have returned early. His delayed return was enough to explain some issues.
How could Orochimaru possibly know that Hagoromo, a Konoha ninja—or more specifically, a Konoha ninja acting as an errand boy—had actually helped stage a coup and political assassinations in the Hidden Mist?
"Let's just say there were a few unexpected situations..."
Hagoromo began detailing his mission, starting from the moment he accidentally discovered that the Mizukage meeting him was actually Mei Terumi in disguise.
"So to speak, a problem truly has occurred with the Mizukage?"
Orochimaru had quickly finished reading the reply. This was indeed the best possible response for Konoha. The only regret was that it was signed only by a few advisors and not the Mizukage, raising suspicions of insufficient validity.
But if what Hagoromo said was true, considering the Third Mizukage was now incapacitated, these should be the signatures of the highest authorities in the Hidden Mist.
"Although the specific situation is unclear, it should be true. From beginning to end, I never saw the Mizukage or anyone resembling him. Taking an extreme guess, we can't rule out the possibility that the Third Mizukage has already met with an accidental death... If Konoha still has active spies in the Hidden Mist, we can step up intelligence gathering in this area. After all, my time in the Mist was too short, and I was strictly monitored the entire time," Hagoromo replied.
During his time in the Mist, his movements had been strictly restricted. From beginning to end, he only came into contact with a handful of ninjas, and they were all the type to keep their mouths tightly shut regarding crucial intel. Gathering intelligence was virtually impossible.
However, despite the lack of direct evidence, Hagoromo was basically able to confirm the Mizukage's situation through reverse deduction. If the Mizukage hadn't encountered a problem, would he have allowed the peace faction to run wild like this? Ultimately, he should be the one deciding whether to fight or seek peace, not the people Hagoromo had met.
"Hagoromo, you performed exceptionally well on this mission... Because of this, my work will also be completed very soon." Admiration and praise could be heard in Orochimaru's tone. However, he had turned his gaze away, so Hagoromo couldn't see the exact expression on that pale face.
Presumably, he must be quite pleased.
From this angle, combined with Hagoromo's own height, he could only see the back of Orochimaru's head... Huh, looking at it like this, is Uncle Snake actually a girl with long, straight black hair?
For Orochimaru, compared to killing and fighting, there were things he preferred to do and was much more interested in. If one had to summarize him with a single defining trait, it wouldn't be "poison," but rather an obsession with "jutsu."
Various types of jutsu, especially forbidden jutsu that required step-by-step research.
Now, thanks to Hagoromo's role in this mission, Orochimaru could likely return to his primary work much earlier than anticipated, perhaps even two or three years ahead of his original estimate.
Thinking about it carefully, Hagoromo was actually a ninja with great initiative and execution capabilities. These two points were evident from his past missions. What this recent mission showcased was his autonomy, proactivity, and judgment—all unprecedented.
The reason was that he had undergone certain transformations. Fundamentally, he used to be a... slothful person. Yes, that exact kind of sloth where one's brain trembles.
As for what exactly happened to the Third Mizukage, for Konoha's spies, it wasn't the kind of mission that required high-risk espionage. A Tailed Beast rampage was impossible to cover up. After the Mist relaxed its lockdown slightly, the intelligence was transmitted out, and Konoha thereby learned that the Third Mizukage had indeed suffered heavy injuries.
This state of heavily depleted military strength further validated the Hidden Mist's determination to negotiate for peace.
Afterward, both sides exchanged envoys for a second and third round of communications, and through a tacit understanding, they reached a ceasefire state. The frontlines of both sides basically fell silent.
Later, on a small island situated between the Land of Water and the Land of Fire, Orochimaru and the Mist's representative, Mei Terumi, alongside others, held a formal dialogue, essentially finalizing the framework for peace.
Although true peace would still require some time, the matter was entirely on track. By this point, Hagoromo had seen everything he wanted to see. Having extracted the maximum meaning from it, he had no further reason to remain on this front.
He had other things to do next. While the current ceasefire and peace were naturally of paramount importance, considering the implications for the future, the latter seemed far more crucial.
But such is life. When you gain something, you inevitably must lose something. And the priority and weight between gains and losses are not determined by any single person's subjective consciousness.
This was especially true for ninjas. Often, the right to choose simply didn't exist for them, and mutual assistance was frequently impossible to achieve. More often than not, they had to rely on themselves. This was true even for Hagoromo.
But regarding certain matters, is being able to do it a form of rebellion, or is being unable to do it a form of rebellion?
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