Before carrying out what he planned to do next, Hagoromo needed to make one important preparation.
That was to sunbathe.
After all, getting some sunlight was good for both body and mind.
In the courtyard of his home, Hagoromo held a small transparent vial between two fingers and raised it toward the sun. Through the curved glass, the sky beyond became distorted—blue heavens bent into strange shapes, wisps of cloud stretched and warped by refraction.
He gently tilted his wrist, and the liquid inside the vial sloshed accordingly.
A clear blue sky paired with dark crimson blood made for a rather mismatched image.
"What's that?"
A voice came from behind him.
Another ANBU had arrived at Hagoromo's home—but this time, it was a proper one.
Not only that, it was the head of ANBU himself.
That was why his tone was relaxed, lacking the faint stiffness most shinobi showed when speaking to Hagoromo.
"A shinobi should be able to tell at a glance," Hagoromo replied without turning around, still absorbed in observing the light.
"It's blood. Someone's blood."
"Human blood?" the newcomer asked reflexively. "Whose?"
Hagoromo's answer caught him completely off guard—mainly because that name was rarely spoken in Konoha anymore.
"Orochimaru's."
The blood in Hagoromo's hand undeniably belonged to Orochimaru.
"You've been in contact with Orochimaru recently?"
ANBU might not be able to catch him, or even find solid proof, but if they couldn't sense any abnormality at all, they might as well resign.
"The ANBU paranoia is acting up again?" Hagoromo said calmly.
"Relax. I've been in Konoha this whole time. How could I possibly have met him? Besides, he's a missing-nin. This is something I obtained back during the war years."
If that were true, then his preservation methods deserved praise—after all these years, the blood hadn't coagulated or evaporated.
Of course, if praise was due, it would be for his lying skills, not his storage techniques.
In reality, this blood was acquired very recently.
Hagoromo flicked the vial lightly. The half-filled container spun into the air, and with a casual motion he caught it again—then it vanished into storage.
The gesture clearly told Kakashi not to ask further questions, such as what the blood was for.
Hagoromo wasn't obsessed with human experimentation, nor did he have any desire to turn himself into a snake. His reason for obtaining Orochimaru's blood was extremely simple:
By using it as a medium for Reverse Summoning, he could travel to Ryūchi Cave.
That was something he'd planned to do in the near future.
However…
That plan now seemed destined to be delayed.
"Well then."
After storing the vial away, Hagoromo finally turned to face his visitor.
"What brings the ANBU Captain—White Fang's son, Hatake Kakashi—to see me? Got too much free time?"
For some reason, even though the titles were complimentary and not unique to Hagoromo, hearing them spoken this way made Kakashi feel faintly mocked.
The more seriously Hagoromo said it, the sharper the irony felt.
This was probably a side effect of the overwhelming gap in strength—at least, that was how Kakashi rationalized it.
"The ANBU are relatively free right now," Kakashi admitted.
"Including me. The biggest incident has already ended."
After the Uchiha affair concluded, ANBU's operational load dropped from overcapacity to less than half. The constant tension eased, patrol frequency declined, and even Kakashi—Captain of both the ANBU and its First Division—found himself with time to spare.
Hagoromo's social circle was simple—almost monotonous.
Despite having returned to the village for months, he'd hardly met anyone familiar.
This was the first time he'd seen Kakashi in years.
Not because they avoided each other—
but because neither had time.
If asked how Kakashi had changed over the years, Hagoromo wouldn't mention strength or physique. Those were natural with age.
The biggest change was that Kakashi had finally perfected his "dōjutsu."
Not the Sharingan—some eyes were meant to be hidden, after all.
What Hagoromo meant was Kakashi's visible right eye.
It had fully evolved into the ultimate dead-fish eye—indestructible, unshakable, emotionally invincible, and radiating pure lethargy. The kind of gaze that said: "I really don't feel like it."
Oddly enough, that was still better than how he'd been years ago.
"Speaking of that," Hagoromo continued casually,
"I heard Uchiha Itachi was your subordinate. How does it feel to be surpassed by someone younger?"
As usual, Hagoromo had an exceptional talent for reopening old wounds.
With Itachi now a missing-nin, there was no way Kakashi's feelings could be anything close to pride.
"If I had to say," Kakashi replied calmly,
"it's confirmation that 'genius shinobi' truly exist."
"Huh?" Hagoromo tilted his head.
"Shouldn't your deepest realization be that a half-baked Sharingan user can never beat a true Uchiha?"
That was no longer a stab—it was a clean execution.
One more word and Kakashi might've sought spiritual peace alongside his father.
Ironically, with the Uchiha gone, Kakashi could now rightfully bear titles like Copy Ninja or Konoha's Top Technician.
Back when Sharingan were everywhere, those titles would never have landed on a half-blood user like him.
"You really feel… more approachable than before," Kakashi muttered.
Translation: please stop talking.
"Is that so?" Hagoromo replied thoughtfully.
"Most feedback suggests I've become much gentler."
That "most feedback" existed entirely inside Hagoromo's head.
Because of their shared lineage under Minato, they weren't close friends—but they were still friends.
Unfortunately, Hagoromo hadn't shown even the slightest hint of hospitality.
"In any case," Kakashi continued, steering the conversation back on track,
"your return did put considerable pressure on the Uchiha. Before everything happened, they were forced to divert much of their attention to you. That made ANBU's work easier."
With no Sannin, no Fourth Hokage, and the Third unable to act directly, Hagoromo's mere presence had served as a powerful deterrent—even if he seemed to do nothing.
Sometimes, containment alone was enough.
Of course… from start to finish, the actual dirty work was done by ROOT.
ANBU mostly just watched.
And while Itachi was ANBU, his actions hardly counted as ANBU achievements.
"Kakashi," Hagoromo said with mild exasperation,
"your emotional intelligence is worrying. Haven't you figured it out yet?"
"I'm saying—get to the point. Stop circling."
Kakashi fell silent.
…Right. He'd been seen through.
He did have official business.
In hindsight, it would've been wiser to go straight to the point instead of enduring emotional damage first.
"There's a special mission," Kakashi said at last.
"The Hokage wants you to take it."
Hagoromo's expression sharpened slightly.
"It's a mission related to the Tailed Beasts."
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