"I think… by now, news of my death should have spread in Konoha, right?
Someone like the Third Hokage would definitely be aware of that kind of intelligence."
Hagoromo spoke calmly.
It was already evening.
Inside a room at a small inn, Shizune was treating the injuries covering his body.
He couldn't help but wonder what kind of reaction Uzumaki Kushina would have upon hearing the news.
Would she strangle Jiraiya in order to avenge him?
Hagoromo didn't have any truly fatal wounds, but the number of light and severe injuries was honestly impressive. After all, he'd effectively brawled with close to ten thousand people.
These were all external injuries—well within Shizune's ability to handle.
Inside the room, Tsunade had already returned to her usual appearance… probably her usual one.
At thirty-eight, there was really no need to pretend to be younger.
This was where male stupidity showed itself.
Hagoromo would much rather believe Tsunade was an elegant, mature beauty than accept the fact that she was, by definition, already a middle-aged woman.
Self-deception—was it really such a bad thing?
At the moment, Tsunade stood by the window, looking outside, not turning back even once.
This wasn't because Hagoromo's bare upper body was inappropriate to look at. As an experienced, unmarried woman, Tsunade wasn't about to feel shy over a young man's physique.
And illness was nothing to be ashamed of.
The real reason was simpler: although clothing hid it, Hagoromo's body was undoubtedly a mess of blood and injuries. Even seeing it would be mentally distressing for Tsunade.
She couldn't bring herself to treat him personally.
In response to his question, Tsunade said:
"If Jiraiya was willing to send you on a mission like that, it means he trusted your abilities. He wouldn't easily conclude that you're dead."
Hagoromo wasn't entirely convinced.
After all, several thousand people had witnessed him take a direct hit from the Tsuchikage's Dust Release. There could very well have been Konoha spies among them—ones who might have already rushed that information back to the village through special channels.
From the outside, Hagoromo had "fallen" after completing an extremely dangerous and glorious mission.
Some idiot might even think he had died appropriately.
They might already be carving his name onto the Memorial Stone.
Still, Tsunade's words weren't unreasonable.
Since Hagoromo hadn't refused the mission, he had naturally believed he could escape the battlefield.
First, he could fly—and fly fast.
Second, in a true emergency, he could even use reverse summoning.
No one had expected Iwagakure to mobilize ten thousand ninja.
And even fewer had expected Hagoromo's escape method to involve fake death followed by hiding underwater using a near-hibernation technique.
Noticing Hagoromo's lingering doubt, Tsunade continued:
"Besides, don't you still have Minato Namikaze's Flying Thunder God mark on you? As long as the mark hasn't disappeared, he should know you're still alive."
That puzzled Hagoromo.
"But Lady Tsunade, I heard that unless the caster removes the mark themselves, it remains even after death."
"And with a distance spanning several countries, Minato-senpai wouldn't be able to sense it anyway, right?"
"Otherwise, I feel like he would've come looking for me… or at least tried to confirm my situation."
"And besides—"
He didn't get to finish that sentence.
Crack.
Tsunade crushed the wooden window frame beneath her fingers as if it were popcorn. Her expression clearly wasn't friendly anymore.
Tsunade had always had a bit of a princess temperament—she tended to get irritated when her opinions were questioned, especially when the counterarguments were laid out one by one and made sense.
She'd only said all that to ease his unnecessary worries.
Couldn't he tell?
"Lady Tsunade, you're absolutely right!"
Hagoromo immediately understood.
As a young ninja, respecting one's seniors was very important.
What was a little dignity compared to survival?
Poor Shizune.
She had been running around Hagoromo the entire time, exhausting her chakra to treat him, yet only got a few lines once everything was done.
After finishing treatment and bandaging, she finally spoke:
"All done. With my technique and treatment, there shouldn't be any major problems—but some scars may remain."
There was a hint of regret in her voice.
Hagoromo pulled on his clothes and replied:
"Thank you, Shizune. I feel much better now. As for scars… there won't be any."
"Eh? Why not? Treatment was delayed, and I don't have Lady Tsunade's level of skill. Plus, considering the number of wounds you had—"
"Because my skin is good," Hagoromo interrupted seriously.
Shizune: "..."
Not good skin.
Just skin.
Once his injuries healed, his body would mysteriously erase scars on its own.
After Hagoromo finished dressing and Shizune cleaned up—especially disposing of the blood-soaked bandages—Tsunade finally turned around.
"Lady Tsunade, do I still need to pay medical fees?" Hagoromo joked.
Despite his age, Hagoromo was actually quite well-off. He had completed many B-rank and above missions, and he had almost no expenses.
Compared to Jiraiya—who had recklessly completed nearly two hundred and fifty S-rank missions—Hagoromo couldn't compete, but he was still comfortably funded.
"This one's on the house," Tsunade said after a glance.
"I'm not so desperate that I need to take a junior's mission money."
Her gambling, after all, was more a way of living recklessly than genuine poverty.
After reminding Hagoromo to rest properly, Tsunade and Shizune left the room.
With such a powerful shinobi nearby, Hagoromo felt unusually safe—and slept soundly that night.
But when he woke up the next morning, he realized he'd been tricked.
Tsunade and Shizune were gone.
The note they left behind contained only eight characters:
Inn. Expenses. All on you.
So much for not needing a junior's mission money.
For the record, the innkeeper personally handed him the note—and watched him like a hawk, making escape impossible.
Left with no choice, Hagoromo paid up.
As for why Tsunade had left in such a hurry—was it because of overwhelming debt, or fear that staying near Hagoromo would attract Konoha's attention?
No one knew.
But considering how decisively she'd left Konoha before, the latter seemed more likely.
In that case, there was no need for Hagoromo to go looking for her again.
He should respect her choice.
And with treatment complete, his body had begun to recover.
After thinking it over, there was no real reason to remain in the Land of Hot Water.
So—
He headed back to Konoha.
Almost immediately, Hagoromo left the Land of Hot Water and boarded a ship bound for the Land of Iron.
The Land of Iron was a permanently neutral nation bound by treaties with all countries—and the only true "Land of Samurai." It did not participate in the Third Shinobi World War.
Pure samurai, in truth, had limited prospects. The Land of Iron maintained neutrality largely because it retained considerable combat power—many samurai could wield chakra much like ninja, and the two systems shared fundamental similarities.
Its climate was harsh and cold.
The sharp contrast made Hagoromo, who had just left the warm Land of Hot Water, feel deeply uncomfortable. He didn't linger, heading straight toward Konoha.
Hopefully, his gravestone hadn't been carved yet.
And if someone had already engraved his name—
He would retaliate.
By asking Kushina-sensei to set the Third Hokage's beard on fire.
One blaze.
Guaranteed to burn for half a year.
Honest workmanship. No deception.
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