"So you really intend to operate alone—as a 'one-man squad'?"
Orochimaru's hoarse voice sounded from behind Hagoromo, his gaze carrying a faintly strange look as it rested on him.
"You don't need teammates to assist you?"
For many shinobi, choosing to face a dangerous mission alone was not merely a matter of combat capability. More often, it was a psychological issue. Whether or not companions were present fundamentally changed a person's state of mind.
But Hagoromo was clearly different.
"Yes. I've already made my decision," he said, staring straight ahead without turning around.
"There's no need for you to confirm it again, Orochimaru-sama."
They were standing on a barren cliff rising roughly ten meters above sea level. Before Hagoromo stretched the endlessly surging ocean, jagged reefs appearing and vanishing with the tide.
Farther ahead, sea and sky merged into a single line.
Beyond that line—far beyond what the eye could see—lay the Land of Water.
Several days had already passed since Konoha's surprise assault on Kirigakure. Once war resumed, its rhythm might fluctuate, but until it truly ended, it would never stop.
And so, even though a major battle had just concluded, Konoha's next operation was already underway.
Judging from the results and the casualties incurred, the previous operation had been an unquestionable success. A massive stockpile of enemy supplies meant for large-scale operations had been destroyed, a forward base eliminated, and an estimated six to eight hundred enemy shinobi killed. Konoha's own losses were kept under two hundred. Most importantly, Kirigakure's high-level combatants—such as Kisame's predecessor, Fuguki Suikazan—had been eliminated.
After this victory, Orochimaru decided to press the advantage.
His next objective was to further cripple the enemy's intelligence and logistics systems, aiming to secure a structural advantage for Konoha in the coming stages of the war.
The concrete plan was simple: dispatch shinobi to infiltrate the Land of Water.
Their mission included gathering, analyzing, and transmitting Kirigakure's operational intelligence; scouting enemy movements; infiltration and sabotage; and—if safety and concealment could be maintained—eliminating small enemy units along the way.
If one were to summarize Orochimaru's operational philosophy in just a few words, it would be:
enemy-rear operations.
Naturally, shinobi assigned to such missions needed to be bold yet meticulous, strong yet cautious—adept at disguise, impersonation, assassination, demolition, and rapid withdrawal.
High-level missions required high-level shinobi.
And jōnin Hagoromo certainly qualified.
Operations were still organized in small teams. Depending on task details and the abilities of the assigned shinobi, there were four-man squads, three-man squads, and two-man squads.
A two-man team was already considered the bare minimum.
Yet Hagoromo had requested to act entirely alone.
"You seem very confident in your own abilities…" Orochimaru remarked, sounding almost contemplative.
It was merely an observation—neither praise nor criticism.
Hagoromo shook his head.
His decision was certainly related to his evaluation of his own strength, but that was not the most important reason. The real reason was that many things were simply more convenient to do alone.
He wouldn't call himself a flawless all-rounder, but his abilities were indeed well-balanced. Ninjutsu, taijutsu, and even genjutsu—though the latter was his weakest—were all within his grasp. As for sealing techniques and barrier ninjutsu, thanks to Kushina's unreserved instruction, he could almost be ranked among Konoha's top practitioners.
Add to that his clear mind, unconventional thinking…
And most importantly—
He was exceptionally good at running away.
In enemy territory, that last point was critical.
By contrast, bringing teammates offered only limited benefits. For Hagoromo's personal combat power, it provided virtually no improvement—and instead imposed restrictions.
To put it simply: if he was alone, he could "open fire" whenever he wanted. But with Konoha comrades nearby, he would have to worry about consistency in his explanations—and about drawing unwanted attention with techniques like instantaneous high-output Lightning Release. Those decisive moves would have to be sealed away.
To make such a choice, one had to believe in the idea that an individual could surpass a team.
Hagoromo genuinely believed this at times.
One shinobi being stronger than an entire squad was nothing strange.
There was a joke that Naruto was a story about "teamwork." Yet in Hagoromo's hazy memory, the ending was simply one group of overpowered individuals ganging up on an even more overpowered boss.
Team Seven fighting Kaguya wasn't teamwork.
If Team Ten had taken down the final boss—that would've been teamwork.
No matter how nicely one dressed it up, reality was simple:
Individual strength trumped everything.
If one person could complete a task alone, why add a second?
"This has nothing to do with arrogance," Hagoromo said calmly.
"I function better alone. I'm confident in my disguises. Adding teammates would only burden me—and increase the risk of exposure."
In another sense, Hagoromo was a master of disguise. He had taught himself from childhood.
After all—wasn't he disguising himself just by living in Konoha?
Words that practically amounted to 'teammates would only hold me back' should have sounded arrogant. Yet rather than feeling offended, Orochimaru found the statement deeply agreeable.
He was different from other Konoha shinobi. He had never truly been influenced by the so-called Will of Fire.
Because of his own outstanding abilities, Orochimaru often felt the same way when leading teams. If he could do something alone, why involve four people—and do it inefficiently at that?
"Very well," Orochimaru said at last.
"Then be careful. The mission begins in three days."
After a pause, he added,
"Don't die in the Land of Water. That's my personal expectation."
There were still many things about Hagoromo that Orochimaru didn't understand.
His cells were ordinary. Even though they adapted to Lightning Release far better than normal, they weren't abnormal enough to explain anything—certainly nowhere near the level of the Raikage.
And yet, Hagoromo could completely negate Lightning Release's backlash.
Orochimaru had personally witnessed him unleash Lightning Release far beyond a normal shinobi's limits. He had assumed the answer lay in cellular resistance.
But it didn't.
Which meant his entire research direction was wrong.
If he truly wanted to understand Hagoromo, studying ordinary cells was useless. At the very least, he should be studying brain cells.
This wasn't something that could be explained by matter or physics alone. Such tangible superpowers lay far outside Orochimaru's area of expertise.
"I understand," Hagoromo replied.
He understood perfectly well what Orochimaru meant. It certainly wasn't concern from a superior toward a subordinate.
More likely, it meant that if Hagoromo was going to die, he'd better die in the Land of Fire—so the research material could be recovered.
Three nights later.
In the dark sea, a pale figure swam silently.
Soon, an enormous slug—almost absurdly large—emerged from the shore. It slowly crawled inland, passing the coastline and entering the dense forest.
Only then did Hagoromo emerge from within Katsuyu.
Because the wound at his waist hadn't fully healed—and to remain as concealed as possible—he had chosen this method of an armed swim infiltration.
Without a sound—
He had already entered the Land of Water.
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