Naruto: I Confronted the Five Kage Before the System Arrived

Chapter 282: A Child's Inquiry—Why Are You Late?

The bright sunlight shone into the Quaint town. Men and women dressed in traditional clothing walked along the streets. Occasionally, warriors and ninjas clad in armor could be seen among them, blending seamlessly into the scene and adding to the harmony.

In the midst of this cheerful atmosphere, Hagoromo Gengetsu smiled as he faced the bowing Senju and Uzumaki ninjas before him. After a moment of reflection, he raised his hand and asked:

"How are your clan leaders doing recently?"

Without much thought, the Senju and Uzumaki ninjas responded:

"Clan Leader Hashirama was invited by the Daimyo of the Land of Wind. He's currently engaged in a tree-planting project in the desert."

"Clan Leader Uzumaki has been teaching the younger generation within our clan. By the way, our elders mentioned that Clan Leader Uzumaki plans to visit you soon, Hagoromo-sama."

"Is that so?"

Hagoromo Gengetsu nodded knowingly. Senju Hashirama and Uzumaki Ashina were contemporaries of his own time. Now, he found himself back in the "Warring States Period."

Hagoromo Gengetsu looked up at the sky, fully aware of the situation.

"Limited Tsukuyomi."

An experimental version of the Infinite Tsukuyomi, utilizing the power of the Tailed Beasts to transport the target, including their physical body, into a mirror world copied from reality.

Over the years, Hagoromo Gengetsu only remembered the main storyline of the Naruto series, with only vague impressions of other details. He had heard of the Limited Tsukuyomi but didn't know much about it. The only clear memory he had was that "Naruto" and "Menma" were names of ramen toppings.

It wasn't until he saw this unexpectedly familiar town and the Senju and Uzumaki ninjas that he fully understood everything.

"The activation of the Limited Tsukuyomi requires the power of the Tailed Beasts. The Gedo Statue is in my possession; Uchiha Obito couldn't possibly have hidden the extraction of Tailed Beast power from me. So, it must have been Black Zetsu."

Hagoromo Gengetsu quickly pieced together the entire situation. He initially thought Uchiha Obito invited him to meet in front of the Gedo Statue to forcefully control it through a hidden mechanism and take it away. Hagoromo Gengetsu wasn't particularly concerned about these plans. In his view, with the Mangekyō Sharingan's Kamui ability in his hands, even if Obito controlled the Gedo Statue, it wouldn't matter. Eventually, everything would fall back into his hands.

However, to his surprise, Uchiha Obito had chosen to use the Limited Tsukuyomi on him. Moreover, the speed at which Black Zetsu extracted the Tailed Beast chakra was unexpectedly fast.

"So, are they planning to trap me here forever? Or perhaps deal with me in this world?"

Hagoromo Gengetsu gazed deeply at the world of the Limited Tsukuyomi, identical to the real one.

As he pondered seriously, a black-haired Senju male ninja and a red-haired Uzumaki female ninja exchanged silent glances and lip movements.

"Why is Hagoromo-sama here?"

"How would I know? By the way, Hagoromo-sama is really handsome! As expected of the legendary deity!"

"Thinking of volunteering for his bed?"

"Is that possible?"

"Don't be silly! You know Hagoromo-sama has many admirers. Not to mention, the second princess of the Uzumaki clan is about to marry Hagoromo-sama soon."

"Sigh! The competition is tough. I've heard that even the Senju clan has someone set to marry him."

"I seem to be quite popular here."

Hagoromo Gengetsu, now fully attentive, was taken aback by the whispers of the Senju male ninja and the Uzumaki female ninja. It sounded as if he had many wives. How could that be? He was always self-respecting and self-disciplined. It must be the actions of the local "Hagoromo Gengetsu" and not related to him.

But now that he was here, what had happened to the original "Hagoromo Gengetsu"? Had he been completely replaced, or were they coexisting?

Shaking his head, Hagoromo Gengetsu decided not to dwell on it. The most crucial task was to find Uchiha Obito, the one who cast the jutsu, and deal with him. Once that was done, the Limited Tsukuyomi would automatically be undone. After all, this world and its people were ultimately an illusion, weren't they?

After bidding farewell to the Senju and Uzumaki ninjas, Hagoromo Gengetsu began to walk away. He hadn't gone far when a chubby, white hand grabbed his sleeve tightly. Hagoromo Gengetsu could have easily shaken it off, but...

"Brother Gengetsu! Where have you been? I've been looking for you all day! I'm exhausted! As compensation, you have to buy me... no, three ice creams, and then I'll forgive you!"

A familiar voice sounded in his ear, causing Hagoromo Gengetsu's hardened heart to tremble uncontrollably. He turned slowly to see a ten-year-old girl with a bun hairstyle and a chubby, cute face, holding onto his sleeve. Her bright eyes were filled with mischief as she looked at him.

Seeing Hagoromo Gengetsu's gaze, the mischief in the girl's eyes disappeared, and she put on an even more pitiful expression. She pointed to her dust-covered hair, clothes, and shoes, and quickly added:

"Brother Gengetsu, look! I've worked so hard to find you. A little reward isn't too much, right?"

Hagoromo Gengetsu remained silent, staring at her. The girl felt that maybe her request was a bit excessive. Pouting her cheeks, she struggled to raise two fingers:

"How about... two ice creams?"

Hagoromo Gengetsu still didn't respond. The girl dropped one finger and finally insisted:

"One... one is fine too."

Then, lowering her head, she scuffed the ground with her feet and murmured softly:

"If not, then... well..."

"Ten!"

Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed in her ear. The girl looked up in surprise at Hagoromo Gengetsu, who had just spoken, her eyes forming crescents with joy:

"Really, ten?"

Hagoromo Gengetsu reached out to pat the girl's head, trembling slightly, and said as he gently patted her:

"Just this once. Haru, your stomach isn't strong; you shouldn't eat too many cold things."

"Yay! I knew Brother Gengetsu was the best! I love you so much!"

The girl named Hagoromo Haru, who had been dejected before, quickly regained her cheerfulness, jumping and bouncing around Hagoromo Gengetsu with a bright smile.

Hagoromo Gengetsu watched the lively and adorable figure of Hagoromo Haru reflected in his eyes, never looking away. At this moment, he realized the true danger of the Limited Tsukuyomi.