As for Hagoromo's next assignment, the Third Hokage had not given a concrete answer.
In truth, even he had not yet finalized the arrangement.
After the mission in the Land of Lightning, Hagoromo could no longer be treated as an ordinary shinobi. He had become, in a very real sense, a strategic-class weapon.
At this point, there was no doubt about his professionalism as a ninja. His current strength—combined with his future growth potential—had reached a level that even the Hokage could not afford to ignore.
Although Hagoromo's immediate posting remained undecided, the Third Hokage had already formed a long-term plan in his mind:
In the future, Hagoromo would become a personal guard to the Fourth Hokage.
Although the successor had not yet been officially determined, the Third Hokage already had a preferred candidate.
If strength alone were the criterion, there were several shinobi in Konoha who qualified. But once other qualities were taken into account, one individual clearly stood above the rest.
Placing Hagoromo beside the future Hokage felt, to the Third Hokage, almost inevitable.
In some ways, Hagoromo resembled Orochimaru.
Not in personality—Hagoromo was nowhere near that gloomy—but in behavioral patterns.
Both of them maintained a subtle distance from Konoha. Not alienation, exactly—but a sense of being slightly out of step.
They were both quintessential self-directed actors.
Such people weren't lacking in thoughts—they had too many of their own.
Give Hagoromo a mission and he would complete it, but the process would almost always diverge from standard ninja methodology. What he truly thought, what he truly intended, was never easy to read.
That kind of instability could lead to unforeseen consequences.
The Hokage could not afford to ignore it.
Meanwhile, Hagoromo had already left the Hokage Tower.
He was idly considering how to politely decline if he were awarded titles such as "Top Ten Outstanding Youths of the Land of Fire" or "Model Worker of Konoha Village."
He had no idea that, in the Hokage's mind, he was already being evaluated as a potential unstable factor.
Because of Hagoromo's actions, the death of the Third Raikage had made Uzumaki Kushina famous across the shinobi world.
At the same time, it caused Hagoromo a fair bit of trouble.
Not because Kumogakure might target him later—but because to certain people in Konoha, the phrase "Kushina's disciple" no longer referred to just anyone.
It referred specifically to Hagoromo.
Was his low-profile ninja life about to end?
This wasn't idle speculation.
On his way to the Hokage Tower, Hagoromo had already noticed some ninja addressing him as "Lord Hagoromo."
That was a bad sign.
Although the Hokage hadn't said anything outright, Hagoromo suspected that a promotion to jōnin might not be far off—
And, as usual, likely a direct elevation.
If the assassination of the Raikage were made public, it would be more than enough to turn the White Yaksha into a heroic symbol.
The Raikage's death would become a decisive turning point in the Third Shinobi World War. From this moment on, Konoha's understanding of Hagoromo would fundamentally change.
He could become the Blade of Konoha.
And a blade capable of cutting its wielder must be kept in the hands of the future Hokage.
Lost in thought, Hagoromo headed straight for Kushina's home.
Just as he reached the door, it opened.
Uzumaki Kushina and Minato Namikaze stepped outside together.
Kushina had not known beforehand that Hagoromo had been assigned such a mission. She only learned the truth after hearing the rumor—
"The Raikage was killed by Kushina's disciple."
That revelation had thrown her into a state of barely contained fury.
Her first reaction was not joy at a fulfilled wish—but raw concern for Hagoromo's safety.
No matter how clever he was, survival under those circumstances was never guaranteed.
And then she opened the door—
And there he was. Alive. Standing right in front of her.
"Kushina—" Hagoromo began, raising a hand.
Her eyes widened.
Without saying a word, she rushed up and started smacking him repeatedly.
…Most of those hits landed squarely on his still-healing wounds.
The force made Hagoromo grit his teeth and twitch.
But the intent was obvious—
She was checking whether he was missing any limbs.
Thankfully, he wasn't.
Then Hagoromo panicked.
"Wait! Kushina-sensei!"
"I refuse large-scale physical contact with other people!"
"Have some dignity—your boyfriend is watching!"
She hugged him anyway.
Without warning.
Minato stood behind them, smiling softly. He understood this feeling well—the relief of seeing someone return from the dead.
Kushina hugging Hagoromo in front of Minato was perfectly fine.
Doing it behind his back would be another matter entirely.
After satisfying herself, Kushina finally let go and slapped Hagoromo on the shoulder.
"So?" she asked.
"So… what?"
Hagoromo prided himself on being analytical, but total confusion still happened sometimes.
"So the Third Raikage really is dead?"
"…Yes. Dead. I even brought back the body."
"What?! You brought back the Raikage's corpse? Where is it?!"
"Probably with Intelligence… or Interrogation."
Before he could finish, Kushina had already bolted off at full speed.
"Kushina, what are you doing?" Minato called after her.
"Going to see what the Raikage actually looked like!" she shouted back without turning around.
Hagoromo and Minato stared at each other.
Only then did Hagoromo remember—
Kushina had personal history with the Raikage.
Years ago, when Kumogakure struggled to control the Eight-Tails, they attempted to kidnap Kushina, hoping to exploit the Uzumaki clan's natural resistance to tailed-beast chakra.
That incident led to Minato's heroic rescue.
From Kushina's perspective, the Raikage was unquestionably an enemy.
From Minato's moral standpoint, however… perhaps incense should be offered at the man's grave.
"Kushina may act like that," Minato said quietly,
"but she was genuinely worried about you."
Perhaps he felt the image of Kushina as a teacher was still salvageable.
"I know," Hagoromo replied.
He rubbed his face, then glanced in the direction Kushina had run.
How could he not understand?
When she hugged him, he had felt the faint trembling of her body.
Perhaps his unilateral decision had not brought Kushina any happiness at all.
In a world consumed by war, nothing mattered more than survival.
And for those who stood outside the battlefield—
Nothing mattered more than hearing that the people they cared about were still alive.
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