Naruto: I Confronted the Five Kage Before the System Arrived

Chapter 245: What Kind of Environment Do Toads Prefer?

During the battle at the Naka Shrine, Hagoromo Gengetsu did not yet possess these purple swirling eyes. Now, facing him, Kakashi found his Mangekyō Sharingan not only ineffective but suppressed. A deep realization dawned on Kakashi: the enemy had grown stronger.

For Hagoromo Gengetsu, what had just transpired was merely a blink of an eye, not worth much attention. He asked Kakashi calmly, "Back to the previous question. As Naruto's teacher, you should know his whereabouts, right?"

The sound of chirping birds—Chidori—rang out as Kakashi, determined and resolute, prepared his Lightning Cutter technique. He took a stance, legs bent, ready to strike. "Even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you," he replied, calm and unwavering.

"Is that so?" Hagoromo Gengetsu shook his head, taking a step toward Kakashi, who charged forward, aiming to pierce his heart with lightning speed. Just like during the Chunin Exam years ago, Hagoromo Gengetsu easily caught Kakashi's wrist, stopping the attack.

But this time, it wasn't over. "Kamui!" Kakashi activated his Mangekyō Sharingan's ability, creating a spiral of space-distorting power around Hagoromo Gengetsu. Just as he was about to be drawn into the Kamui dimension, Hagoromo Gengetsu shook off the spatial pull and instantly appeared beside Kakashi.

"Too slow," Hagoromo Gengetsu remarked. If Kakashi had both Kamui abilities, it might have been troublesome, but with only one, the attack was too slow for someone like him.

Kakashi, unable to catch his breath, turned, determined to take Hagoromo Gengetsu down with him, aiming to drag both of them into the Kamui dimension. Suddenly, a black rod pierced through Kakashi's hands, disrupting his plan.

As Kakashi fell towards him, Hagoromo Gengetsu looked at the Mangekyō Sharingan in his eye socket. "Almost forgot. Might as well take this Sharingan."

He plucked out the eye, ignoring Kakashi's scream of pain. Stashing the eye away, Hagoromo Gengetsu recalled that despite his efforts, Uchiha Obito, the mastermind behind Akatsuki, had not made any moves. This unusual inactivity was concerning, especially now as his plans reached a critical phase.

Kakashi, fighting through the pain, leaped up, attempting to grapple Hagoromo Gengetsu. But a sharp knee strike from Hagoromo Gengetsu sent him flying, coughing up blood.

Hagoromo Gengetsu caught Kakashi by the forehead and used his soul-piercing technique. Despite any mental defenses, the Rinnegan's power allowed him to extract all of Kakashi's recent memories, stopping at a conversation with Jiraiya.

In the memory, Jiraiya was saying, "I'm going to take Naruto to Mount Myoboku. There, he can train and grow stronger."

"Senjutsu? That's good. With the current situation, the village needs Naruto's strength," Kakashi responded.

Jiraiya emphasized, "It's also to protect him from Akatsuki. Compared to Hagoromo Gengetsu, Akatsuki is dangerous with their goal of the tailed beasts."

"Understood. With someone like Itachi in their ranks, Akatsuki is not to be underestimated. But is Mount Myoboku safe?" Kakashi asked.

Jiraiya laughed confidently, "Of course! With the Great Toad Sage and Gamabunta, plus the rich natural energy enhancing senjutsu, not even Konoha could breach it."

The memory faded. Hagoromo Gengetsu released Kakashi. "As expected, Naruto is at Mount Myoboku. As for its location..."

Jiraiya had mentioned the high concentration of natural energy, and with his senjutsu training, Hagoromo Gengetsu had become attuned to these flows. Observing the natural energy currents, he knew they converged in three specific areas, corresponding to the three legendary places.

Looking skyward, Hagoromo Gengetsu noted the chakra and natural energy converging, pointing towards Mount Myoboku. "So, what kind of environment do toads prefer to live in?"