"The conclusion is… we probably ran into a fake boss."
The Split Hound carried the four members of the Hagoromo Squad as it sprinted toward the Land of Fire. The beast itself remained silent, the only sound being the rhythmic thud of its paws striking the ground.
The battlefield had already been left far behind.
Unable to make sense of how events had unfolded, Hagoromo could only arrive at that conclusion.
A fake boss?
That made no sense. The three at the head of that group were clearly Nagato and his companions. That was easy to confirm. With their current status, there was no reason for anyone to impersonate them.
Then why didn't they choose to fight? Why did they so easily let the four Konoha ninja leave?
Setting aside Hagoromo's memories of how Akatsuki usually operated, even judging by the timing and circumstances alone, things shouldn't have been this simple.
Since the other side openly wore Amegakure forehead protectors, it meant they still identified with the Land of Rain. And Konohagakure was, without question, an enemy of the Hidden Rain.
In terms of raw power, Akatsuki held an overwhelming advantage—both in numbers and in the quality of their top-tier ninja.
Hagoromo couldn't figure it out, largely because he lacked sufficient intelligence on Akatsuki itself. If he had truly understood how the organization came into being and what it stood for at this stage, he would have known why Yahiko chose not to fight and instead allowed them to withdraw so easily.
Born an orphan amid war, Yahiko understood the pain war brought better than anyone. That pain had nothing to do with justifications or national stances—war itself inevitably led to death. Because of that, once he grew up, he sought a path to peace that did not rely on fighting or killing.
In his view, the life of an individual ninja stood above national rivalries. Respect for life was the most basic—and most important—principle.
That was Yahiko's personal belief, and also Akatsuki's guiding principle at this time. They were still far from the later, infamous phase of "making the world feel pain."
Put another way, Akatsuki's stance at this point was clear and unmistakable:
Human rights over state sovereignty.
With Pakura's true objective impossible to determine, and Akatsuki's sudden involvement complicating matters beyond reason, continuing the fight had lost all meaning. Once Hagoromo's team realized they could withdraw safely, they did so without hesitation.
The squad had no objections to Hagoromo's decision to retreat, even though nothing had been fully clarified.
First, considering the number of enemies, facing dozens of ninja head-on was never within the expectations—or plans—of the other three team members.
Second, only a few hours earlier, half the squad had lost combat capability due to unforeseen circumstances. At that moment, survival took priority over everything else.
So they retreated—and did so calmly.
"Can Pakura handle the Hidden Rain ninja?" Asuma asked.
His wounds had already received basic treatment. Though he still couldn't move freely, he no longer looked as miserable as he had at the start.
That said, with the Split Hound's bounding gait, the constant jolting occasionally struck his injuries, causing his expression to twist sharply for an instant.
Considering his need to maintain a tough-guy image—and the speed with which he had to smooth out his face—Hagoromo found it impossible to look directly at him.
By now, Kurenai Yūhi had also regained her mobility. She had only been paralyzed briefly by Lightning Release, and once the numbing effect faded, there were no lingering aftereffects.
When Asuma referred to "Hidden Rain ninja," he was, in truth, talking about Akatsuki.
Based on Asuma's judgment, Pakura still held the advantage. The Hero of Sunagakure was famous for a reason. More importantly, her Scorch Release was perfectly suited for chaotic battles—hadn't she already killed dozens of Hidden Rain ninja earlier without any trouble?
But what Asuma didn't understand was that Akatsuki was different.
"Who knows…" Hagoromo replied.
Yes—normally, the outcome of a ninja battle could only be determined after fighting.
But Hagoromo's real thought was something else entirely: Would someone like Pakura even be enough to fill Nagato's teeth?
Would Pakura continue fighting Akatsuki? And what would the outcome be?
Hagoromo would never know.
From the beginning, this entire incident had been an accident—unrelated to the squad's actual mission, and completely outside Hagoromo's control.
In summary, the Hagoromo Squad's experience could be described as follows:
A spur-of-the-moment reconnaissance → a sudden attack by Pakura → a confusing continuation of combat → Akatsuki's unexpected arrival → and finally, a baffling yet peaceful withdrawal.
Several hours earlier, just as Pakura attempted to incinerate Yahiko with her Scorch Release, Nagato suddenly stepped in front of him.
That jutsu—one that could not be defended against and could only be avoided—vanished abruptly.
More precisely, it was erased.
Nagato, who stood at the forefront, wasn't just alive—he hadn't suffered even the slightest injury.
Pakura halted mid-charge. No one was more shocked than she was herself. Her never-failing "mummification-by-scorch" technique had actually failed this time.
Pakura was stunned, but Hagoromo found the method of nullifying—or rather, absorbing—the ninjutsu disturbingly familiar.
That's the Rinnegan's ability, he concluded instantly.
Which meant that Nagato had already begun to properly control those eyes.
Judging by the outcome, not acting rashly had been the right decision. Leaving aside the burden of injured teammates, even if Hagoromo had charged in at full power… who would really have been bullying whom?
"Konoha ninja, what is your purpose for entering the Land of Rain?"
The one who spoke was Yahiko, standing behind Nagato.
Nagato had done nothing beyond defending. He showed no intention of pressing the advantage.
Yahiko also refrained from attacking again, lifting his head as he addressed Hagoromo directly.
Our purpose? Hagoromo answered without hesitation:
"Our objective… isn't anything we can't say. We received intelligence that a Sunagakure ninja had entered the Land of Rain, and her movements suggested she might continue into the Land of Fire. Our mission was to investigate and, if necessary, stop her."
Every word was improvised nonsense.
"Considering that our two villages have just formed an alliance, it's only natural that a ninja of that caliber operating near the border would draw our attention."
The story was fabricated—but it was perfectly reasonable. There was no way Hagoromo would reveal the real mission. Only an idiot would say, 'We're here to spy on your homeland,' to their faces.
His confidence was so convincing that even Pakura glanced at him, momentarily wondering whether her infiltration had truly been exposed to Konoha through espionage.
If Pakura survived and returned to the Land of Wind, Sunagakure might very well launch another large-scale counterintelligence purge.
Turning lies into something that sounded like truth—this, too, could be considered a twisted form of Talk no Jutsu.
Regardless of how much he believed Hagoromo, Yahiko nodded.
"Whether you are ninja of Konoha or Sunagakure, we have no intention of being your enemy. But this is the Land of Rain—not your country. We hope you will leave."
"If possible, we wish to avoid meaningless battles."
Even so, Yahiko was no fool. While speaking, he remained fully alert.
Avoiding killing did not mean refusing to kill.
By then, Akatsuki had already secured the area. Its members began checking the wounded—though there was little point. Anyone from Amegakure lying on the ground was unquestionably dead.
At that moment, Hagoromo almost doubted his hearing.
We can really just… leave? After crashing their battlefield?
His thoughts were chaotic, but he immediately followed Yahiko's lead.
"Our mission was to stop Pakura of Sunagakure. Given the current situation, it's impossible for her to continue toward the Land of Fire. With the mission complete, withdrawal is only natural… We have no intention of causing trouble in the Land of Rain."
Since Yahiko seemed reasonable, a peaceful retreat was ideal. In truth, Hagoromo's team had completed their mission. As for what Pakura actually intended to do—Hagoromo had no idea. She never truly planned to enter the Land of Fire in the first place.
No matter why they were allowed to leave, if it was an act of goodwill, Hagoromo would accept it.
As repayment, he very unfortunately revealed Pakura's identity and abilities during the final exchange.
By the Sage of Six Paths, may the world find peace—and may both sides blow each other's brains out.
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