Judging by mission difficulty, danger level, and overall importance, this operation was classified as S-rank.
Serving as bodyguards to the Third Hokage during the signing of a peace treaty with Sunagakure was an assignment of critical importance—and extreme danger—for these thirty-two ninja.
To be more precise, the danger of this mission was highly variable.
If nothing went wrong—if the Hokage and Kazekage completed the signing smoothly and without incident—then the escorting ninja would face little to no danger at all.
But conversely, if anything unexpected occurred during the process, even something seemingly minor, then it was very likely that all thirty-two of them would die without exception.
According to the ninja world's cautious principles, if the lowest possible risk of a mission was D-rank, but the highest possible risk reached S-rank, then the mission itself was classified as S-rank.
Certain matters had to be planned for under the worst-case scenario. Only then could preparations be truly thorough—so that when danger struck, panic would not, and the best possible outcome could still be achieved.
Hagoromo was one of the participants in this mission.
This was also the second S-rank mission he had ever undertaken.
That said, for him personally, the danger was limited. Even if Sunagakure truly betrayed the agreement, he was confident he could escape.
There was no helping it—
He could fly.
If things truly deteriorated to the worst possible point, he could even grab the Third Hokage and make a break for it together. Whether the Hokage had considered that possibility when assigning this mission was another matter entirely.
…No. Definitely not.
The Hokage wasn't that kind of person.
The sixteen Konoha ninja who would enter the restricted zone ahead of the Hokage were temporarily assembled together. From there, they would operate in two-man teams.
The leader of these sixteen was Namikaze Minato.
As for whether the Third Hokage had considered using Minato's Flying Thunder God jutsu as a last-resort escape option under certain circumstances…
No. That hadn't been considered either.
The Third Hokage truly wasn't that kind of person.
For these sixteen ninja, the mission officially began three hours before the actual alliance ceremony.
Three hours in advance, the sixteen Konoha ninja entered the fully sealed restricted zone. However, they didn't immediately begin a detailed search. Instead, they headed straight for the central meeting site.
Everything there had already been prepared.
The flags of the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind, symbolizing the identities of both sides, were already hanging in place.
The arrangements were identical on both sides. When the Konoha ninja entered the restricted zone, the Sunagakure ninja did the same.
A total of thirty-two ninja—sixteen from each side—met at the center.
The purpose of this meeting was simple: to clearly identify the appearance and markings of the opposing sixteen. Once the Hokage and Kazekage arrived and talks officially began, only these thirty-two ninja would be permitted to move freely within the restricted zone.
If anyone else appeared within the area, it would mean that the talks were in danger.
That was why these thirty-two had to recognize one another clearly.
Hagoromo didn't really recognize the leader on Sunagakure's side—but it was obvious that the other party recognized him.
That ninja's name was Ebizō.
His gaze first swept across Namikaze Minato—then locked firmly onto Hagoromo.
That was unavoidable. The Yellow Flash was simply too dazzling. Although Minato mainly operated on the Iwagakure and Kumogakure fronts, Sunagakure could not possibly lack detailed intelligence on a ninja like him.
As for Hagoromo…
Ebizō would never forget him.
White hair. A smooth, expressionless mask.
That night. That day. That battle against Sunagakure.
How much damage had this ninja—who couldn't even be that old judging by his height—inflicted on Sunagakure?
If possible, Ebizō truly wanted to see what kind of face lay beneath that mask.
In truth, there was no need to look. Beneath the mask was just a very ordinary pri—ahem, prince-like face.
Hagoromo noticed that the opposing leader paid special attention to him—but he ignored it.
Not because he didn't care, but because there was nothing he could do about it. By Hagoromo's estimation, he had probably already landed himself on Sunagakure's kill-on-sight list.
There was a kind of admiration called hatred carved into the bone.
Leaving aside everything Hagoromo had done on the battlefield, the simple fact that he had destroyed Sunagakure's core position was more than enough reason for them to want him dead.
But no matter how dissatisfied they were, they had to endure it for now.
With a single glance, Hagoromo memorized the defining features of all sixteen Sunagakure ninja. Using his special ability, he also marked deeper, unalterable signatures—ensuring that he would never mistake their identities.
Although this was technically a meeting between reconnaissance forces, there was no communication whatsoever between the two sides.
They simply faced one another for about five minutes—then dispersed.
Everything had already been arranged. No explanations were needed. All that remained was to execute their assigned duties.
On Konoha's side, Hagoromo was paired with Hyūga Hizashi.
Hizashi was an elite jōnin of the Hyūga Clan, and the twin brother of the clan's current head. Bearing the Hyūga name, his personal strength and mastery of the Byakugan went without saying.
This team bore a particularly important responsibility.
Hagoromo could use his summoning to create a high-altitude platform, while Hizashi's Byakugan could conduct extreme long-range surveillance from that vantage point—allowing them to observe the entire restricted zone at a glance.
Meanwhile, the ninja paired with Minato was Yamanaka Inoichi, an elite jōnin of the Yamanaka Clan skilled in sensory and communication jutsus.
Inoichi's role was not combat.
He was Minato's communication hub.
Every five minutes, Inoichi would contact each of the other seven teams in sequence, ensuring that Minato had real-time situational awareness.
Hagoromo's team was, without question, one of the primary contact targets.
Once the meeting concluded, the sixteen Konoha ninja immediately dispersed according to their preassigned teams.
Hagoromo directly used the Summoning jutsu, carrying Hyūga Hizashi up into the air.
This mission was critical and tense. There was no time for conversation or introductions between Hagoromo and Hizashi. Each of them had to focus entirely on their responsibilities.
For ninja, a fifty-kilometer radius wasn't particularly large. If it were a matter of long-distance movement, crossing it with sufficient chakra wouldn't be difficult at all.
But the difficulty of this mission lay elsewhere.
They had to search every inch of that fifty-kilometer area for potential threats.
Fortunately, this was the Land of Wind. The terrain was barren, with little vegetation. Had this been the densely forested Land of Fire, the complexity of the task would have increased severalfold.
Even so—
Hidden dangers still existed.
They simply hadn't been discovered yet.
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