"The mission details are clear now," Hagoromo said, looking at the Third Hokage. "But there's one last question. Handling a tailed beast obviously requires combat power and sealing techniques, so it makes sense for me to be involved. Yamato's Wood Release is practically tailor-made for suppressing tailed beasts, so his participation is obvious as well."
He paused, then added calmly,
"So here's the question… what exactly is Kakashi going along for?"
"Cough!"
Kakashi nearly choked on air.
That was ruthless—really ruthless. Was his value as a jōnin in an S-rank mission really that questionable?
Kakashi was very angry.
Unfortunately, it produced no consequences whatsoever.
"Well," the Third Hokage said slowly, "first of all, this mission involves a request from another country. To demonstrate how seriously Konoha takes it, we need to dispatch at least a standard three-man squad."
"Second, because this is an international request, diplomacy and coordination will be unavoidable. Kakashi will be primarily responsible for handling negotiations during the mission."
Based on the Hokage's understanding of Hagoromo's personality, letting him handle diplomacy was a gamble. He might do brilliantly—or he might completely derail things based on personal preference. In situations like this, they needed someone dependable and obedient to command.
"And lastly," the Hokage added, tactfully, "Kakashi is also a reliable combatant. If necessary, his Sharingan should be able to play a role—especially when dealing with a tailed beast. There's no room for carelessness in this kind of mission."
The Third Hokage was clearly trying to preserve Kakashi's dignity by emphasizing his combat value—even if he left that point for last.
After all, comparison was a cruel thing. It wouldn't do to lavish praise on Kakashi's strength in front of Hagoromo. Not only would Hagoromo find it unnecessary—Kakashi himself would feel awkward.
Since the Hokage had put it that way, Hagoromo accepted the explanation. To begin with, he was only habitually stirring trouble. He had never seriously intended to exclude Kakashi.
Besides, the Hokage wasn't wrong.
Kakashi's combat power was still measured in "one Kakashi unit." Theoretically speaking, he was very strong—as long as he wasn't compared to Hagoromo.
"So when do we depart?" Hagoromo asked.
For this mission, the Hokage had truly found the right person. Hagoromo not only accepted without hesitation, but his attitude was unusually proactive—something that hadn't happened in a long time.
"As soon as possible. Ideally, immediately."
Hagoromo thought for a moment. "That's fine. I just need to notify my kids first."
As he spoke, he took out a blank scroll and began writing a message right there in front of the Hokage.
Watching this, the Third Hokage felt a headache coming on.
The man was barely in his early twenties, yet at times he radiated the aura of a middle-aged housewife. He neglected things he should worry about, and fussed endlessly over things he didn't need to.
As for the safety of the children while he was away—that wasn't something Hagoromo needed to worry about. First, the Hokage would ensure it. Second, Hagoromo certainly had his own arrangements.
After finishing the message, Hagoromo formed hand seals and tossed the scroll out through the window.
"All right. Now we can go," he said.
"You're… using that to send a message?" Kakashi asked, once again struggling to follow Hagoromo's thought process.
"What's wrong with it?" Hagoromo replied. "It's just sending a message by carrier bird."
In theory, there was nothing wrong with that.
Everything settled, the three of them quickly left the Hokage's office. As this was an urgent mission, they immediately set out on a long-awaited international S-rank operation…
Or perhaps it would be more accurate to call it humanitarian assistance.
Almost simultaneously with their departure from Konoha, dark clouds rolled across the sky above the Ninja Academy.
A pair of enormous eyes locked onto a specific classroom. The wind whipped violently as massive wings unfurled—so loud that the entire school heard it clearly.
Then, the airborne monster pressed its massive beak against a classroom window.
Tap. Tap.
Classes came to an abrupt halt.
How could they not? What was that thing?!
Iruka was just about to shout for everyone to evacuate—had Konoha been invaded again?!
But a student named Mirai calmly stood up and raised her hand.
"Um… Iruka-sensei, everyone—don't worry. That's just my family's summoning beast."
Using the Yatagarasu to deliver a message scroll… even Hagoromo was pushing it.
Still, it was technically carrier-bird messaging—just with a very large bird.
Mirai opened the window, gently patted the Yatagarasu's beak with one hand, then held her palm beneath it. A scroll dropped neatly into her grasp.
The classroom fell completely silent.
Damn it—was this bird really fully domesticated?
Then, suddenly, the Yatagarasu's eyes spun sharply, releasing an intense and dangerous glare—
Which landed squarely on a certain pink-haired student.
A scream immediately followed.
At that point, Iruka could only sigh. Maybe the academy should consider adding a course on Summoning Beast Identification… to prevent students from being traumatized by giant creatures appearing out of nowhere.
Back on the mission side, Hagoromo had no idea the Yatagarasu had caused such a commotion. And even if he did, he wouldn't care. The mission came first.
Hagoromo, Kakashi, and Yamato were headed to Takigakure of the Land of Waterfall.
Their objective: assist Takigakure in re-securing the Seven-Tails, Chōmei.
For a long time, Chōmei had been Takigakure's tailed beast. However, for a small hidden village, jinchūriki succession was always risky.
After all, there were very few ninja in the world capable of independently sealing a tailed beast. Small villages often lacked both the manpower and the sealing expertise. In many cases, their seals were… barely adequate.
So a tailed beast crisis in Takigakure was hardly surprising.
Normally, matters involving a village's jinchūriki were top-secret, handled internally whenever possible. But when the situation exceeded their capabilities, seeking aid from a major power became unavoidable.
Takigakure choosing Konoha made sense.
First, after the war, most small nations surrounding the Land of Fire were effectively under Konoha's influence. The Land of Waterfall was, in practical terms, a junior ally.
Second, Konoha had always presented itself as a "peace-loving" village. Combined with the First Hokage's historical distribution of tailed beasts, it was reasonable to assume that Konoha had no obsession with seizing other villages' tailed beasts.
Those assumptions weren't wrong.
The problem was—
This time, they might have found the wrong person.
Seven-Tails Chōmei.
Was it still possible to run…?
As the three advanced rapidly, Kakashi provided what amounted to mostly unnecessary background information.
"The Land of Waterfall is bordered by the Lands of Fire, Earth, Grass, and Frost. Small countries like this are easily trampled in wartime. However, Takigakure has never been conquered—thanks to its terrain. The village is concealed behind massive waterfalls."
"According to legend, Takigakure was founded by a kunoichi named Zerora, whose life details are largely unknown. The village has long upheld a tradition of compassion. Though it's a ninja village, it isn't aggressive, and the Seven-Tails has never been deployed in war."
"This mission was a direct request from Takigakure. Given the village's nature, we shouldn't face much resistance."
Hagoromo nodded in agreement.
There probably wouldn't be resistance…
At least, not until they found out someone intended to kill the tailed beast.
Hagoromo himself hadn't spent much time in the Land of Waterfall, but he had passed through it once before—hidden among an Iwagakure force en route to invade Kumogakure.
"Wait," Hagoromo suddenly said, stopping them.
He'd sensed the Yatagarasu approaching. No matter how fast legs were, they couldn't beat wings.
Moments later, the Yatagarasu landed before him.
Hagoromo retrieved Mirai's reply, skimmed it briefly, and put it away. Smiling, he said,
"We'll fly straight to the destination. Agreed? Time is critical."
Kakashi and Yamato exchanged a glance, then nodded.
If they could fly, why bother running?
After two days of intermittent flight, the trio finally arrived at Takigakure.
"So this is it?" Kakashi said.
They landed amid thunderous water sounds—speaking required raised voices.
Abundant water and uneven terrain defined the Land of Waterfall, creating its countless cascades.
"Still… no sign of the village."
Takigakure was well hidden indeed.
Just as Hagoromo considered making some noise to announce their arrival, a Takigakure ninja emerged from somewhere unseen.
"Konoha shinobi? We've been expecting you."
Kakashi handed over the mission scroll.
The Takigakure ninja carefully read it from start to finish before finally relaxing.
The mission scroll was their identification.
"Please follow me closely," he said, then stepped directly into a massive waterfall.
So there really was a Water Curtain Cave after all.
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