Naruto: I Confronted the Five Kage Before the System Arrived

Chapter 262: To Hell with Hagoromo Gengetsu!

"It's over."

The Great Toad Sage raised his right hand. Under the toad's Shadow Manipulation Technique, far more potent than the Nara Clan's Shadow Imitation Technique, Hagoromo Gengetsu's controlled body mirrored the toad sage's movements, raising his right hand as well. Unlike the toad sage's empty hand, Gengetsu's right hand gripped a long black rod.

The tip of the rod was about to pierce Gengetsu's own jaw, threatening to penetrate his head. From dozens of meters away, the two Truth-Seeking Balls under his control were returning, but they wouldn't arrive in time. Seeing his situation as hopeless, Gengetsu's eyes flickered as he suddenly remarked, "Interesting."

The Great Toad Sage's expression changed, and he hastened his movements without hesitation.

Clang!

A clear collision sounded in front of Gengetsu. The Great Toad Sage looked up to see a small, familiar black sphere abruptly appearing under Gengetsu's jaw, blocking the upward thrust of the black rod.

"A Truth-Seeking Ball!" The sage's pupils contracted as he spoke each word deliberately.

"Correct," Gengetsu replied coolly. From the beginning, he had four Truth-Seeking Balls. He had only shown three to deceive his opponent, keeping one hidden in his clothing for a surprise, hoping to catch the enemy off guard and gain an advantage.

After all, a ninja's personal information often plays a crucial role in battle. An unknown trump card is always the greatest threat to the enemy. However, Gengetsu hadn't expected that his hidden card would end up saving his life rather than securing his victory.

"I must admit, Great Toad Sage, you are the most formidable and respectable opponent I've ever faced," Gengetsu continued. Unlike Senju Hashirama, who resorted to brute force, the Great Toad Sage combined formidable strength with genuine combat wisdom. He had almost succeeded in defeating Gengetsu.

Therefore, such a powerful adversary shouldn't merely fade away with age. Dying in battle would be a more fitting end. Gengetsu's eyes gleamed as the Truth-Seeking Ball in front of him transformed into a sword, striking towards the sage.

The Great Toad Sage dispelled the Shadow Manipulation Technique and tried to evade. Suddenly, the shadow beneath Gengetsu exploded with the power of Yin Release, causing the sage to momentarily freeze. Though Gengetsu hadn't studied shadow techniques, the essence of such techniques was Yin Release. There was no need for precise imitation; simply unleashing the power of Yin Release in the shadow was enough to disrupt the sage's rhythm, just like now. The Great Toad Sage quickly regained his composure, but in that split second, the Truth-Seeking Ball had already reached him, leaving no time to dodge.

Seeing this, the sage sighed and was about to make his final decision.

In the next moment, something unexpected happened. Amid the sound of crystal breaking, a golden chakra hand swiftly extended, catching the sage and pulling him back forcefully just as the Truth-Seeking Ball was about to strike him.

Boom!

As the sage hit the ground, the chakra hand shattered upon contact with the Truth-Seeking Ball. Gengetsu noticed this and raised an eyebrow, turning his head to look.

Not far away, the Great Toad Sage stood beside a figure covered in golden chakra, hair spiked up like horns, with six magatama markings around the collar, and horizontal slit pupils—Naruto Uzumaki had finally arrived.

"Nine-Tails Chakra Mode combined with Sage Mode..." Gengetsu's Rinnegan scanned Naruto, immediately analyzing his state. He then glanced at the completely shattered cat's eye stone on the ground, realizing that Naruto had broken the seal with Kurama's help and escaped.

"The Nine-Tails... always causing trouble," Gengetsu remarked, shaking his head. Without Kurama's initiative, Naruto, who had never been to Turtle Island, couldn't have activated the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode. However, dealing with one more troublemaker wouldn't make much difference.

Gengetsu gestured, and the three Truth-Seeking Balls quickly returned, floating behind him.

Across from him, Naruto, brimming with fighting spirit, slapped his hands together, declaring, "Great Toad Sage, let's fight together!"

"Naruto..." The sage looked at the boy who had just saved his life, his gaze complicated. He nodded and warned, "Be cautious of Gengetsu's Truth-Seeking Balls!"

"I understand!" Naruto nodded firmly, his eyes resolute as he stared at the three Truth-Seeking Balls floating behind Gengetsu, who held a long black rod with a stoic expression. Inwardly, he spoke, "Kurama, it's our turn!"

"Indeed... let's go!" In the sealed space, Kurama's massive form emerged from the darkness, ready for battle against Gengetsu. Uchiha Madara, Senju Hashirama, and now Gengetsu—each one a bigger threat than the last. As the strongest tailed beast, Kurama had a temper and couldn't tolerate these individuals constantly manipulating him.

Especially this time, sensing a profound danger, Kurama decided to fight back.

"Kid!" Kurama suddenly called out, stopping Naruto just as he was about to move.

"What is it?" Naruto asked, puzzled.

Kurama looked deeply at Naruto and decided, "I entrust everything to you!" With these words, Kurama merged all his power with Naruto, opening his heart to him. Knowing that if they didn't give their all now, there would be no second chance.

In an instant, Naruto fully comprehended Kurama's existence. Without hesitation, he opened his heart in return. In this brief moment, with Kurama's cooperation, they became one, making Naruto a perfect jinchūriki.

A more powerful aura erupted from Naruto, elevating his golden chakra cloak from the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode to the Kurama Mode, combined with Sage Mode, reaching his strongest form.

"This power-up..." Gengetsu commented, resting the black rod on his shoulder. He couldn't help but complain. In such a short time, he had witnessed Naruto's strength grow from being able to compete with the Five Kage, to surpassing Kage-level, and now approaching the power of the Sage of Six Paths. As the destined protagonist of this world, Naruto had unlocked unprecedented potential in the face of grave danger.

Gengetsu looked at the eager Naruto. "But, the principle of 'what goes up must come down'... I wonder if you understand that."