After confirming the general situation with only a few glances, Minato's team, Hagoromo, and Queen Sāra left the site of the incident.
Although the presence of Sunagakure ninja was one reason, leaving in such haste was, from any objective standpoint, neither scientific nor rigorous.
Of course, matters wouldn't simply end there. Konoha would continue its follow-up investigations into Lōran ( Tsuchigumo clan territory ), but the people carrying out those missions would no longer be Minato or Hagoromo.
Once the group returned to the Land of Fire, Minato's team split off from Hagoromo. They headed straight back to Konoha to submit a detailed mission report.
Hagoromo, meanwhile, still had one important task left—
Escorting Queen Sāra…
cough… Mayor Sāra home.
When comparing land and resources among the great nations, the Land of Fire was unquestionably superior. This was also one of the fundamental reasons it so often became the target of joint pressure from other countries.
Economically speaking, the Land of Fire was the undisputed number one.
With fertile land and relatively low population density, resettling several tens of thousands of people posed no real difficulty.
However, for various political reasons—or perhaps lingering concerns—the former citizens of Lōran ( Tsuchigumo clan territory ) were settled closer to the Land of Rivers, rather than in the Land of Fire's central or core regions. There had been no major towns nearby to begin with.
Whether one called it "relatively independent" or "somewhat isolated," a certain distance clearly existed.
In reality, the people of Lōran ( Tsuchigumo clan territory ) were extremely satisfied with this arrangement.
They were more than happy not to be bothered by the locals.
Although the environment had changed, their situation hadn't shifted all that much. They still lived together as a single community, but now on land far more fertile than their old desert surroundings. Life was easier, more stable.
What was there to complain about?
"Well then, Sāra. Goodbye," Hagoromo said with a smile as he set her down at their destination. "I have a feeling we'll meet again someday—though by then, the world will probably already be at peace."
"For me, Lōran ( Tsuchigumo clan territory )'s peace is world peace," Sāra replied flatly. "And I see no need to meet you again in the future."
Her expressionless face was less about indifference and more about confusion.
She honestly didn't know what kind of expression she was supposed to use when facing Hagoromo.
After all, she'd known this man for only a few days. They'd exchanged fewer than twenty sentences total.
So why did his farewell sound like that of an old friend?
Sāra's understanding of Hagoromo amounted to knowing his name and that he was a shinobi from Konoha. Beyond that—nothing.
Whenever she faced him, her emotions were complicated.
After all, this was the man who had proposed blowing up her homeland.
She couldn't say she hated him. She was perfectly capable of distinguishing right from wrong.
But gratitude?
Logically, yes.
Emotionally… she just couldn't accept it.
If the heroic figure from her dreams were here—how would he treat this man?
She had no answer.
Seeing her expression, Hagoromo smiled faintly. He understood how she felt. Losing one's homeland and being cast into an unfamiliar environment was no small thing.
Sometimes, he preferred being around ordinary people rather than shinobi.
But still—
"Take care of yourself. And of your people," he said.
With that, Hagoromo turned and left.
For him, the matter of Lōran ( Tsuchigumo clan territory ) was finished. Preventing certain people from exploiting the Dragon Vein had been the objective—and it had been achieved.
After walking some distance, he could still hear joyful cries rising and falling behind him.
"The Queen is back!"
"The Queen has returned!"
Lōran ( Tsuchigumo clan territory ) was still Lōran ( Tsuchigumo clan territory ).
Perhaps from now on, they would live peaceful lives.
It was something worth envying.
But it was not a place that belonged to Hagoromo.
All reporting related to Lōran ( Tsuchigumo clan territory ) was handled entirely by Minato. After returning to Konoha, Hagoromo temporarily found himself without new assignments.
So he entered the rare, leisurely period reserved for shinobi between missions.
Still, he knew this was likely just the calm before the storm.
Once fighting resumed, it would almost certainly be the final phase of the Third Great Ninja War.
Anything labeled "final" in war was guaranteed to be intense—and brutally bloody.
Hagoromo needed to be prepared.
After Water Release, he had already begun training his next chakra nature. Success was still far off, but with experience from his first transformation, progress was proceeding within expectations.
From time to time, he also listened to Kushina's teachings. With Minato able to remain in the village recently, his teacher had been in particularly good spirits.
One day, at a training field, Hagoromo ran into an old acquaintance—
Uchiha Obito.
With Minato still in the village, Obito and his teammates were naturally there as well. They hadn't yet reached the point where they could undertake independent missions.
Back in the Academy, Hagoromo and Obito had been part of the same trio. After graduation, however, he'd spent far more time with Kakashi than with Obito.
The reason was simple: rank.
Hagoromo was a chūnin who was often used like a jōnin.
Obito was just an ordinary chūnin.
Hagoromo could occasionally be assigned missions alongside Kakashi, but never with Obito.
"Well, if it isn't the elite shinobi of the Uchiha Clan—Uchiha Obito," Hagoromo said jokingly, emphasizing the word elite.
Obito, who had been practicing Fire Release, immediately turned around with an angry expression—clearly thinking he was being mocked.
Then his face changed.
"Oh. It's you, Hagoromo."
Ignoring him, Hagoromo looked around.
"Hey, what are you looking for?" Obito asked.
"Rin," Hagoromo replied. "If she's not here, who are you even trying so hard for?"
A flawless argument.
"It has nothing to do with Rin!" Obito said gloomily. "I'm preparing for the upcoming Chūnin Exams, okay?"
Clearly, he wished Rin were here.
"Oh? Another Chūnin Exam?" Hagoromo said in surprise. "I didn't even notice."
"You jerk," Obito snapped. "Being promoted two years earlier really makes you feel superior, huh?"
Hagoromo said nothing—only silently expressed his apology.
Sorry.
He'd never actually taken the Chūnin Exams as a candidate.
He'd taken them once—as an examiner.
"Once I pass this time, I'll be the same rank as you and Kakashi," Obito emphasized.
Hagoromo remained silent, and again apologized inwardly.
Sorry again.
His Special Class Ninja, Category Three, unrestricted license was about to be issued. Even if Obito became a chūnin, they still wouldn't be the same rank.
"Well… good luck with your training," Hagoromo said. "I'll get going."
Obito seemed to give him an impatient wave, as if truly busy.
Hagoromo took a few steps, then suddenly stopped and turned back.
"Obito," he said seriously, "the war is nearing its end. Be careful. Don't die."
His tone was solemn.
There was little else he could do. Some events, he didn't know when or how they would happen.
All he could offer was a warning.
After all, everyone had their own path—something that could even be called fate.
Many things were beyond Hagoromo's ability to change.
Perhaps, in the original course of events, Obito was already meant to "die" around this time.
"Huh?" Obito said. "Are you stupid? I'm not dying before I become Hokage and make Kakashi bow his head!"
"Then do your best," Hagoromo replied. "I'll look forward to the day you become Hokage."
An Uchiha Hokage?
Heh.
"Just watch me!"
Idiots were always brimming with confidence.
Not long after, although the war had not reignited, Hagoromo's next assignment came down.
"Orochimaru-sama is highly interested in me… and pressure on the Kumogakure front has eased, so I'm being reassigned to the Kirigakure front?"
Hagoromo stared at the orders in his hand, on the verge of tears.
Kumogakure, Kirigakure—he didn't even care which. All he knew was that something like 'Uncle Orochimaru's Hagoromo Observation Log' was probably about to be published.
Why are my eyes always full of tears?
Because I love scientific research so very, very deeply.
PS: I've been releasing chapters daily . Honestly, it hurts seeing almost no support on Patreon after all that work.If you're enjoying the fic, even a little, supporting me would mean a lot. It helps a student stay independent .
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