The Three-Tails was naturally gone. After all, it had croaked, and things like Tailed Beasts never left corpses behind.
"Gone? What do you mean?"
It wasn't that the Mizukage didn't understand the meaning of Ao's words, nor was there any problem with the Byakugan's reconnaissance; she just couldn't process and accept it in that moment.
Why would a Tailed Beast suddenly vanish into thin air?
"I cannot find the Three-Tails' presence, neither in the lake nor the surrounding area," Ao repeated.
Moved? Unlikely. The Three-Tails had been here for years without showing any inclination or intention to move. Furthermore, even if it had relocated voluntarily, it was impossible to do so without leaving a single trace.
Therefore, Mei Terumi's gaze naturally shifted to Hagoromo and his group.
"As expected, your target was the Three-Tails?"
This was the most likely guess, and also the most accurate one.
From the disappearance of the surveillance ninjas to Mei Terumi's arrival, only a short few dozen minutes had passed. Normally, sealing or obliterating a Tailed Beast in such a timeframe would be considered impossible. However, the man before them was different.
He existed in a state of the "unconventional."
By this period, the various villages had gathered a fair amount of intelligence on Hagoromo. His unconventional Lightning Style, its devastating offensive applications, and sealing jutsu were all known to be his specialties.
In a sense, it wasn't an exaggeration to call Hagoromo a "weapon" specifically designed to counter Tailed Beasts.
Mei Terumi's first suspicion was that Hagoromo had sealed the Tailed Beast here and created a new Jinchuriki.
Her gaze swept over his group. First was the young Kekkei Genkai wielder from the Kaguya clan. She recognized him, and seeing him with Hagoromo made the situation obvious.
This was a defection... but compared to the Three-Tails incident, he wasn't important.
As for Haku... Mei Terumi glanced over him and moved on. She didn't notice anything particularly special about him.
Then there was the little red-haired girl. There was an extremely high probability she was an Uzumaki, which also made her the most likely candidate for the new Jinchuriki.
If that were the case, she absolutely could not let her leave.
The characteristics of the Uzumaki clan were no secret. After the destruction of the Land of Whirlpools, the Uzumaki scattered from the Village Hidden in the Tides were nearly driven to extinction. The reason was simple: that signature red hair was far too conspicuous—much more eye-catching than a chakra trait like Haku's Ice Style. If malice sought to destroy them, it was far easier than Kirigakure destroying the Ice Style clan.
"Well?"
Mei Terumi tilted her head and asked Ao.
Ao shook his head slightly. With his Byakugan, he could basically confirm there was no Jinchuriki among them. As for sealing the Tailed Beast through other means, that generally required specialized ninja tools.
Seemingly unaccustomed to the mature woman's, and the one-eyed man's, intense stares, Mirai hid herself slightly behind Hagoromo.
"If you're here looking for the Three-Tails, I'd suggest coming back in a few years. Due to a very accidental reason... it just died."
Hagoromo stated an incredibly plain fact using incredibly plain language... This was an accidental occurrence to begin with, and he felt no need to hide something so obvious.
The only caveat was his emphasis on "accidental"—it wasn't that he accidentally killed the Three-Tails, but rather that he accidentally failed to kill it completely.
"Are you saying that in mere tens of minutes, you obliterated the Three-Tails?"
Mei Terumi naturally interpreted Hagoromo's words her own way. An accident? She obviously didn't believe that.
As for killing a Tailed Beast in such a short time, it truly exceeded her expectations. The timeframe she considered was already pushing the absolute limits, yet in reality, Hagoromo's combat time was much shorter. By the time they arrived, Hagoromo had already squashed the bug and wiped the soles of his shoes clean.
"Given the current situation, the Three-Tails being dead is the most likely conclusion... However, regardless of the truth, since you have appeared in the Land of Water, you don't think you can just leave like this, do you?"
As she spoke, she licked her lips, displaying her aggressive intent.
Truthfully, this situation wasn't the worst-case scenario for Mei Terumi. She was even somewhat relieved—compared to being sealed away by an enemy, the Tailed Beast dying once was perfectly acceptable.
It was, after all, a weapon that could infinitely resurrect. Since Kirigakure had no way to handle the Three-Tails right now anyway, its temporary death was of no major consequence.
"To be honest, I have no reason to fight you..."
Hagoromo said. These words would have been much more convincing if he hadn't just killed Kirigakure's Class-1 protected animal.
But whether faced with provocation or battle intent, Hagoromo was bound to respond.
"In fact, I do cherish the current peaceful situation. But I only 'cherish' it; peace isn't something I value above all else. If you decide to fight me now... it will all be over in an instant."
As Hagoromo's voice faded, Kimimaro unslung Hiramekarei from his back, and Haku moved closer to Mirai's side.
Hagoromo couldn't possibly engage in a conventional battle against Mei Terumi's squad with Mirai present. No matter how you looked at it, if a fight against these four dragged on, he couldn't guarantee Mirai's safety with 100% certainty.
And 100% certainty was exactly what he required...
Hagoromo telling the truth about having no reason or intent to fight was genuine. But if he decided to strike, it would absolutely be an all-out, decisive blow.
He looked harmless now, but if he truly bared his fangs, the question became... could he instantly kill these four people?
"Or perhaps, care to try?"
"No... perhaps there is no need to try."
If veteran drivers wanted to drag race right here and now, the option of "safe driving" simply didn't exist for them, especially when the main opponent was a female driver.
Hagoromo left his words at that. For the four people opposite him, the pressure and oppression washed over them almost instantaneously.
Fighting the current Hagoromo was absolutely a terrible idea... This was something they could simply, viscerally sense.
"Lady Mizukage, do we engage?" Ao asked.
"..."
Hagoromo indeed had concerns about fighting, but he never did things he wasn't confident in. In reality, as the Mizukage, Mei Terumi had far more to consider. Many responsibilities were inextricably bound to her position.
"No..."
Therefore, she was even less likely to do something she wasn't confident in.
"Kirigakure and Konoha are currently in a state of peace. Whatever you planned to do with the Three-Tails, since the Tailed Beast is already dead, your plan must have failed... The matter of the Three-Tails can be set aside for now. I also hope peace can continue, but... you must leave the Land of Water immediately," Mei Terumi stated.
These were hollow words.
Just a moment ago, she suddenly realized that when facing Hagoromo, concepts like "home-field advantage" simply didn't exist. If they fought, did they have absolute certainty of winning a four-on-one?
The aggressiveness Hagoromo hid beneath that calm face made one's skin crawl.
If she had the confidence to defeat him, this talk of "peace" wouldn't have happened.
Ninjas from different villages are enemies. If not bound by her identity as Mizukage, Mei Terumi might have risked it all in a desperate fight. But while Mei Terumi could die, the "Mizukage" could not afford any mishaps.
A ninja or two dying wouldn't trigger a new war, even someone like Hagoromo. The problem was... this particular man was incredibly hard to kill.
"That is for the best. It's just... a pity..."
Hagoromo's words left a lingering implication.
It was a pity that his new jutsu seemingly wouldn't get the chance to be tested in this scenario to see its actual effects.