Hokage: I Confronted the Five Kage Before the System Arrived

Chapter 34: Time's Up

One must admit, Danzo is quite adept at training ninjas.

Even Hagoromo Gengetsu had to acknowledge that these Root ninjas were not inferior to the elite shinobi of the Warring States period; in some ways, they even surpassed them in cold-blooded efficiency.

It was simply unfortunate for them to encounter him.

Any ninja below Kage level would find it extremely difficult to come out unscathed against these two squads.

"It seems that Danzo must have issued a high-priority order to capture me," Hagoromo Gengetsu thought, glancing around. Otherwise, these disciplined Root members would never fully abandon their mission to monitor the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki just to apprehend him.

"I'll remember this debt," he murmured to himself, casting a last look towards the direction of Tanzaku Town before disappearing into the night.

A minute later, Jiraiya arrived at the scene.

Though the commotion between Hagoromo Gengetsu and the Root ninjas had been drowned out by the bustling activity in Tanzaku Town, it hadn't escaped the notice of a Sannin.

Tsunade remained uninterested and continued drinking, leaving Jiraiya to investigate alone.

As he examined the eight corpses on the ground, Jiraiya felt a mix of emotions. While he didn't approve of Danzo or Root's methods, these ninjas were still part of Konoha.

The fact that someone had killed eight Konoha ninjas within the borders of the Land of Fire, right under his nose, was a blatant provocation.

"Could it be Orochimaru?" Jiraiya pondered, recalling that Orochimaru had met with Tsunade in Tanzaku Town and was likely still lingering nearby.

However, after closely examining the injuries on the Root ninjas' bodies, Jiraiya dismissed the idea. He was too familiar with Orochimaru's fighting style, and these wounds didn't match it.

"Another person? Someone who could take out eight Root ninjas in such a short time without sustaining any injuries or leaving any traces must be incredibly formidable," Jiraiya thought gravely.

He realized the mission to persuade Tsunade to become the Fifth Hokage was more complicated than he had anticipated.

"Tsunade's apprentice must know something. There's no more time to waste; I need to get the full story," Jiraiya decided.

But first, he had to deal with the bodies of the Root ninjas.

After the incident that night, everything seemed to return to normal.

Tsunade continued her routine of gambling, drinking, and sleeping. Naruto, on the other hand, was diligently practicing the Rasengan, driven by his bet to master the jutsu within seven days.

While Jiraiya couldn't pry any details about Orochimaru's proposal from Shizune due to Tsunade's orders, he did learn that Hagoromo Gengetsu was nearby. Aside from the occasional drinking with Tsunade, Jiraiya spent most of his time patrolling the area, wary of potential threats.

One Orochimaru was already troublesome enough, but the addition of the legendary Hagoromo Gengetsu was a headache Jiraiya didn't need.

Meanwhile, Hagoromo Gengetsu, who was causing Jiraiya so much worry, was not in Tanzaku Town but in a nearby city, taking a break. Even though he didn't need to rest due to his Reanimation state, a comfortable environment did wonders for his mental well-being.

Taking advantage of the downtime, Hagoromo Gengetsu explored this world, which was vastly different from the Warring States period he was familiar with.

Seven days later, after watching a movie from the "Wind Princess" series, Hagoromo Gengetsu mused, "I never expected film technology to have advanced so much. Compared to the flop movies I saw in my previous life, that was quite entertaining."

The shinobi world now had not only an array of jutsus but also the conveniences and advantages brought by technology.

Looking up at the scorching sun, Hagoromo Gengetsu realized that today was the appointed day. Orochimaru and Tsunade would soon meet, and he couldn't miss the event.

"It's time to go," he said, disappearing from the front of the cinema.

Back in Tanzaku Town, in the same alley where the wall had been broken by a giant snake, Tsunade arrived alone, having drugged Jiraiya the night before to ensure he slept through the meeting with Orochimaru.

Almost simultaneously, Orochimaru appeared from the other end of the alley.

As they approached each other, a flicker of doubt crossed Orochimaru's golden eyes. "Hagoromo Gengetsu isn't here?"

Similarly, Tsunade scanned the surroundings, frowning when she didn't see Hagoromo Gengetsu. 'Is it just Orochimaru?' she wondered.

Hagoromo Gengetsu, the person both Orochimaru and Tsunade were thinking about, had indeed not arrived. After seeing the bet between Tsunade and Naruto, he realized that Orochimaru's deal was off the table, and by extension, so was his.

Having no desire to further entangle himself with the unyielding Tsunade, he turned his attention to Shizune. With Orochimaru's threat looming, Shizune would undoubtedly hurry to aid Tsunade.

With the Will of Fire instilled in Konoha ninjas, they would always choose to protect their comrades.

Hagoromo Gengetsu was eager to see what decision they would make.

Meanwhile, back in Tanzaku Town, Naruto's early awakening due to his injuries from practicing the Rasengan had also roused Shizune. She had been unconscious for an entire night after being knocked out by Tsunade to prevent her from intervening.

"Not good! Lady Tsunade!" Shizune exclaimed, leaping to her feet to pursue Tsunade.

At that moment, Jiraiya, now awake and sensing something amiss, returned. Seeing that Tsunade was nowhere to be found, he gravely addressed Shizune, "Shizune, it's time you told me what you and Tsunade discussed with Orochimaru."

Shizune, looking downcast, replied, "I wanted to believe in Lady Tsunade, so I didn't say anything. But... there's no time now! Please, follow me; I'll explain on the way!"

With that, Shizune quickly ran off, with Jiraiya and Naruto close behind.

As they ran, Shizune explained the details of the deal to a predictably outraged Naruto and a deeply concerned Jiraiya.

"This is Orochimaru's doing. We must stop Tsunade, no matter what," Jiraiya resolved, preparing for the worst.

But before they could act, an unexpected visitor appeared ahead, making Jiraiya's expression darken.