[I've Already Confronted the Five Kage, and the System Just Arrived!] Chapter 253 (Patreon)

"Are you here at Mount Myōboku because of me, Gensou?" Naruto asked, his voice trembling.

Gensou glanced at him, a smirk forming on his face. "I thought your first words to me would be about Sasuke."

Naruto ignored the jab, his fists clenched tighter. He repeated, more forcefully, "Are you here because of me?"

Understanding the weight behind Naruto's question, Gensou briefly surveyed the devastated Mount Myōboku. He nodded calmly.

"Of course. You should know your own value."

"...The Nine-Tails," Naruto muttered, lowering his gaze as he touched his stomach.

Then, with sudden intensity, he snapped his head up and shouted, "Why?!"

Naruto's fiery eyes locked onto Gensou as he demanded, "Why would you destroy Mount Myōboku? Why hurt all the toads here? Wasn't your target me?!"

"Why?"

Gensou's tone remained indifferent, yet he chuckled lightly.

"That's a good question."

While Gensou had little patience for explanations, Naruto's pained expression made him pause. For once, he decided to humor him.

"Because you didn't show up, Naruto."

Naruto froze, unable to process the response.

Gensou continued, his voice steady, almost emotionless:
"If you had come to me sooner, none of this would've happened. Mount Myōboku would still stand, and its toads wouldn't have suffered. But you didn't come.

Whether intentionally or not, you allowed Mount Myōboku to stand between us. So, to find you, I had no choice but to level this mountain."

"To find me… you destroyed this mountain?!" Naruto whispered, Gensou's words echoing endlessly in his mind.

It was as if a sharp blade had pierced his heart. He stood there, his face pale, muttering, "So… Mount Myōboku's destruction, all this death and pain… is my fault?"

The realization hit like a thunderclap.

If he had gone to face Gensou earlier, Mount Myōboku wouldn't have been destroyed, and the toads wouldn't have suffered.

The root of everything… was him.

Naruto's face twisted in anguish and guilt. The malevolent chakra of the Nine-Tails began to seep out uncontrollably, shrouding him in a dangerous aura.

But within his mind, the Nine-Tails, its eyes filled with wariness toward Gensou, chose not to exploit Naruto's moment of vulnerability. Instead, it snarled:

"Brat! Are you an idiot?! Letting his words get to you?!"

Naruto flinched. Before he could respond, Fukasaku and Shima leapt onto his shoulders, their voices sharp with urgency.

"Naruto, don't listen to that fool!" Shima said.

"This was our decision!" Fukasaku added. "We dragged you away, following the Great Toad Sage's orders! Mount Myōboku's sacrifices are on us, not you! Don't let the toads' efforts be in vain! Look ahead, Naruto! The one who destroyed Mount Myōboku is standing right in front of you—Gensou!"

Naruto took a deep breath.

The combined voices of the Nine-Tails and the elder toads pulled him back from the brink. His eyes regained focus, and his face hardened with resolve.

"I understand now!"

The volatile Nine-Tails chakra around him stabilized, transforming into a protective cloak that wrapped tightly around his body.

Naruto looked straight at Gensou, determination burning in his eyes.

"Mount Myōboku's destruction is partially my fault. But your crimes, Gensou, are far greater!"

Naruto's voice grew stronger. "I don't know what you want with the Nine-Tails inside me, but if the Great Toad Sage and Mount Myōboku fought so hard to stop you, it can't be anything good! So…"

"So?" Gensou raised an eyebrow, his voice calm, almost amused.

"So, I'm going to defeat you here and now!" Naruto declared, clenching his fists and slamming them together in front of his chest. "And then I'll make things right! That's my promise!"

For a moment, Gensou simply observed Naruto. The determination and conviction radiating from him were unmistakably those of a protagonist destined for greatness.

Gensou chuckled softly. "I never expected to talk you into submission, Naruto. But if I can plant even a small seed of doubt in that unshakable heart of yours, then that's enough for me."

With a casual wave of his hand, Gensou gestured at Naruto. "The culprit is standing right here. If you want revenge for Mount Myōboku, come at me."

"You…!"

Naruto gritted his teeth, enraged by Gensou's nonchalant attitude toward the destruction he had caused.

Just as Naruto prepared to launch into battle, his body instinctively forming the hand seal for Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu, a soft purple glow enveloped him.

"Eh? What's happening to me?" Naruto stammered, realizing he couldn't move.

In the blink of an eye, the world around him shifted.

When he looked again, he found himself suspended above the battlefield. No… it wasn't the battlefield that had moved—it was him.

"Wait, what?! Great Toad Grandpa, let me out of here!" Naruto shouted, panic-stricken.

Gensou, who had been watching intently, narrowed his eyes as Naruto vanished in a burst of purple light. He looked up and saw Naruto trapped within a giant, pale purple gemstone set at the center of the Great Toad Sage's prayer beads.

"Crafty old toad," Gensou muttered, his expression darkening.

The Great Toad Sage smiled faintly, its ancient eyes glinting with wisdom.

"You leave me no choice, young descendant of Hagoromo," it said calmly.

Gensou's fingers flexed, his tone sharp. "You could've stayed alive, you know."

The sage chuckled, its voice steady despite the mounting tension.
"I've lived long enough, young one. Do what you must."

(End of Chapter)

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