Many things that were supposed to happen still felt unexpected when they unfolded before Hagoromo's eyes—because he never truly knew what that "supposed" version was.
All Hagoromo really knew was that the future followed a vague and uncertain trajectory. Compared to others, he perhaps knew a little more than the Great Toad Sage—but only a little.
Which meant that life was still unpredictable.
And so his experiences were sometimes surprising, sometimes startling, sometimes shocking, sometimes unsettling.
At times he felt lost.
At times he felt regret.
At times he felt his heart seize in fear.
What happened to Pakura was one such case.
And what came next would be another.
After successfully capturing Pakura of Sunagakure—a truly heavyweight prize—Hagoromo already possessed intelligence of enormous value. Compared to continuing his infiltration within the Land of Water, it was now far more urgent to return and report that Kirigakure was actively seeking peace with Sunagakure.
Moreover, with Pakura in her current half-dead condition, continuing the mission was impossible anyway.
That said, with Pakura now officially "missing," whether the peace agreement between the two villages could still be concluded was anyone's guess.
After all, missing meant her life or death could not be confirmed—meaning Kirigakure's conditions had not been met.
Sunagakure had, in a sense, already paid its price. They had done what was required. But Kirigakure had received no tangible result.
They wanted to see Pakura's corpse before signing a peace agreement.
And now, they couldn't even find a single strand of her hair.
Once Hagoromo decided to withdraw, he acted decisively.
Fortunately, no additional Kirigakure shinobi arrived while he was performing emergency treatment. After the rescue was complete—and after his shadow clone made a cursory effort to clean up the scene—Hagoromo departed immediately with Pakura.
However, due to the sheer brutality of his counterattack, the battlefield had been soaked in blood. Completely erasing all traces was impossible.
Unless he blew up the entire valley.
But considering the noise that would create…
Running was far more practical.
Hagoromo summoned the Yatagarasu and took Pakura with him, departing the Land of Water by air and flying out over the sea.
"What are you going to do with me next?"
Pakura spoke calmly. The Yatagarasu's speed didn't hinder conversation at all.
Her current condition was grim. She was severely injured, and Hagoromo showed no mercy—binding her tightly like a rice dumpling and placing sealing tags on her body.
He had sealed her chakra.
First, to prevent a sudden counterattack.
Second—and more importantly—to prevent suicide.
Given her condition, the first concern was minor. The second was critical.
If she died, all of Hagoromo's earlier, borderline corpse-abuse efforts would have been for nothing.
Sealing her chakra was necessary. One could never be too careful. Just imagine if Pakura somehow used Scorch Release while riding the bird—forget whether Hagoromo would fall into the sea; the Yatagarasu would certainly be reduced to roasted poultry.
Still, Hagoromo retained a shred of kindness.
At the very least, he hadn't gagged her.
There was a rather fanciful idea known as "biting one's tongue to commit suicide." Even if Pakura had heard of it, she likely wouldn't attempt it—after all, its success rate was near zero and far less efficient than biting through a wrist.
In truth, Pakura didn't display any strong desire to die.
Nor did she show much will to live.
She was remarkably calm—neither frightened nor enraged by her capture.
This was likely the state known as the heart already dead.
For a shinobi worthy of being called a "hero," fighting and even dying for the village was acceptable. She had long been prepared for that.
But being betrayed by the very village she trusted?
That was something only Pakura herself could truly comprehend.
"I'm not the one who'll decide your fate," Hagoromo replied.
"I'm only responsible for bringing you back to Konoha. What happens afterward isn't up to me."
He added calmly,
"My treatment methods were extremely rough. If you want to conserve your strength, you'd best talk less."
What he'd done barely qualified as emergency treatment. Even if there was no residual poison left in her body, the problem of massive blood loss remained unresolved.
Even after stuffing her with blood-replenishing pills, her face was still deathly pale.
"Konoha…" Pakura murmured.
"Come to think of it, I've never been there."
She clearly had no intention of following his advice.
"Konoha's not bad," Hagoromo said, sounding almost like a tour guide.
"As long as you cooperate and tell what you know, they probably won't treat you too harshly. Going to Konoha isn't so bad—after all, you don't really have anywhere else to—"
He stopped himself.
That was too cruel.
A day ago, Pakura had been Sunagakure's hero.
Now, she truly had nowhere left to belong.
Even if she escaped from Hagoromo at this moment, she would spend the rest of her life as a missing-nin.
She could never return to Sunagakure.
Her betrayal had been a collective decision by Sunagakure's upper echelon. Going back would only mean walking into a trap.
"…A place to belong," Pakura said softly.
"You're right. I really don't have one anymore."
From Hagoromo's position, he couldn't see her expression—but he could imagine it clearly.
A state where living felt meaningless, and dying felt equally so.
This transaction between Sunagakure and Kirigakure had stripped Pakura of every sacrifice she'd made as a shinobi—of all her value.
"By the way," she continued, her tone unexpectedly calm,
"we've met before, haven't we? A few years ago, during the pursuit of Sasori…"
Her manner was completely different from their last encounter. She didn't speak like a captive or an enemy at all.
"You remember that?" Hagoromo replied.
"Then yes—this would be our second meeting—"
Before he could finish, something changed.
Hagoromo suddenly stood up, rushed to the Yatagarasu's head, and stared intently in a distant direction.
He had sensed chakra.
Though not a true sensor-type, he had sensed it unmistakably—
Because it was chakra that any shinobi could feel.
Bijū-level chakra.
"That's… powerful chakra," Pakura said.
Even in her condition, she could sense it.
"Completely on the level of a tailed beast," Hagoromo murmured, half to her, half to himself.
The sheer pressure of it was enough to make a shinobi tense, skin prickling with unease.
Hagoromo had fought jinchūriki before. He had even battled tailed beasts themselves. In terms of raw intensity, this chakra was no weaker than either.
Yet—
It didn't feel like a tailed beast.
Nor like a jinchūriki.
Hagoromo could tell.
It lacked the malice and corrosive nature unique to bijū chakra.
If he had to describe it emotionally—
This chakra was nothing but blazing, bone-piercing battle intent.
He had felt something similar before.
On the Third Raikage.
But this—
This was even stronger.
Who was it?
Were they fighting?
Judging by the distance, it was close.
At this point, the Yatagarasu had already crossed the midpoint between the Land of Water and the Land of Fire. By territorial standards, this was Konoha's domain.
Hagoromo thought briefly—then guided the Yatagarasu toward the source of the chakra.
It didn't take long.
He spotted a small island.
The presence was there.
Circling lower, Hagoromo finally saw it—
A crimson figure.
Some people are born holding a lucky draw.
They may be strong—but not truly great.
Others spend twenty years waiting for a single, ultimate moment—
And when they bloom,
They burn so brilliantly that no one can look directly at them.
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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