[I've Already Confronted the Five Kage, and the System Just Arrived!] Chapter 265/266 (Patreon)

"She?"

Gensou followed the Great Toad Sage's gaze upward to the sky.

Through the blinding sunlight, his Rinnegan faintly discerned a massive shadow hovering high above.

"The moon… Could it be Kaguya?"

Gensou pondered aloud, turning back to the Great Toad Sage with surprise.
"You foresaw something so distant? You even dreamed of her?"

The Great Toad Sage seemed equally surprised.
"You know of her?"

It was one thing for Gensou to know about Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki—after all, the Sage of Six Paths left behind traces of his existence in the ninja world.

But Kaguya, the progenitor of chakra, was a different matter entirely.

The Ōtsutsuki brothers had deliberately kept their battle with their mother a secret, leaving no reason for anyone in the ninja world to know about her.

"I know more than you think," Gensou replied calmly.

The Great Toad Sage frowned.

"If you know who she is, if you understand her identity and ambitions, then you should abandon your own. When she reappears, the ninja world—and you—will cease to exist."

The Great Toad Sage had foreseen Kaguya's return in a dream.

Though it didn't know how she would reappear, the dream also showed Gensou resurrecting the Ten-Tails, which once belonged to Kaguya.

It was certain that Kaguya's return was tied to Gensou's actions. That was why the Great Toad Sage had tried so hard to stop him.

"The future is none of your concern," Gensou replied indifferently.

Returning to his question, he asked, "Why are you so afraid of Kaguya's return?"

Seeing Gensou's resolve unmoved, the Great Toad Sage sighed.
"She already knows the truth about the war and how I secretly aided her sons."

Hearing this, Gensou smirked.
"I see."

It all made sense now. The Great Toad Sage feared that once Kaguya returned, she would target Mount Myōboku.

From Kaguya's perspective, the Great Toad Sage had indeed been a schemer.

Long ago, it had deliberately approached Hagoromo, showcasing its abilities, teaching him senjutsu, and even gifting him the talisman that allowed resurrection. It had even assisted Hamura in the second battle against their mother.

During the fateful battle that changed the course of the ninja world, the Great Toad Sage played a significant role.

Now that Kaguya knew of its existence, her vengeful nature would ensure Mount Myōboku's destruction should she return.

No wonder the Great Toad Sage had gone to such lengths, sacrificing so much, to stop Gensou.

Its ultimate goal wasn't just to save the ninja world—it was to prevent Kaguya's return and secure its own survival.

"Cause and effect," Gensou said thoughtfully. "Your dreams of prophecy have brought you to this end, haven't they?"

The Great Toad Sage remained silent, its lack of denial speaking volumes.

Gensou chuckled lightly, summarizing:
"Those who think they've seen through fate are often the ones most played by it."

He had no further questions.

"It's time to send you on your way."

With those words, a Truth-Seeking Orb floated toward the Great Toad Sage.

"Beware of Kaguya," were the sage's final words before its death.

Gensou nodded casually and flicked his fingers. The Truth-Seeking Orb advanced.

Boom!

With a resounding collision, the Great Toad Sage ceased to exist.

Mount Myōboku, one of the Three Great Sage Regions, was erased from history.

At the very moment of the Great Toad Sage's death—

Far away in Ryūchi Cave—

The White Snake Sage, coiled on its throne with a green cat's eye stone embedded in its chest and a crimson jewel adorning its horned head, was leisurely smoking a pipe.

Suddenly, it seemed to sense something. Its head snapped up, eyes fixed in the direction of Mount Myōboku. Its tail, wrapped in golden rings, lashed out involuntarily.

Moments later, the White Snake Sage's expression twisted into wild delight. It burst into unrestrained laughter.

"Gamamaru is dead! That old thing is finally dead! Hahaha!"

For eons, Ryūchi Cave and Mount Myōboku had been at odds, and the animosity between the White Snake Sage and the Great Toad Sage was particularly deep.

Had Gamamaru not been equally powerful, the White Snake Sage would have devoured it and its descendants long ago.

But now—

Gamamaru was gone!

Though it hadn't delivered the killing blow itself, the White Snake Sage was overjoyed.

As for the so-called shared fate of the Three Great Sage Regions? It couldn't care less.

"Good riddance! Dead at last!"

For days, the White Snake Sage's raucous laughter echoed throughout Ryūchi Cave.

Meanwhile, in Shikkotsu Forest—

The Slug Sage, renowned alongside the Great Toad Sage and the White Snake Sage, was quietly enjoying its solitude, splitting into countless clones for entertainment.

At the same moment as the White Snake Sage's reaction, every one of the Slug Sage's clones paused in unison and turned toward Mount Myōboku.

They had felt it—the extinguishing of an immense life force.

"Gamamaru…"

A soft, sorrowful voice echoed through the forest.

Unlike the White Snake Sage, the Slug Sage had been friends with Gamamaru for many years.

"Gamamaru, did you foresee this day in your prophecies?"

The Slug Sage sighed.

It recalled a young, ambitious Gamamaru confidently declaring that the future was within his grasp.

The Slug Sage had once advised him not to rely too heavily on prophecies and to avoid entangling himself in human affairs.

But Gamamaru had ignored that advice, delving deeper and deeper until it cost him his life.

Though it felt a pang of sadness for its old friend, the Slug Sage would not change its ways.

For millennia, it had observed the rise and fall of its summoners, including the extraordinary Hashirama.

Now, it would continue to dwell in Shikkotsu Forest, watching silently as the ninja world changed around it.

Gensou, unaware of the reactions in Ryūchi Cave and Shikkotsu Forest, wouldn't have cared even if he knew.

Neither the White Snake Sage nor the Slug Sage seemed likely to seek vengeance.

And if they did, it would merely lead to another battle.

However, after the destruction of Mount Myōboku and his battles against the Great Toad Sage and Naruto, Gensou felt an unfamiliar fatigue.

But he had no time to rest. Walking over to Naruto's lifeless body, he crouched down.

(End of Chapter)

Gensou crouched beside Naruto's lifeless body, gazing at the stubborn face that even in death refused to yield. He sighed with a tinge of regret.

"Fate is fickle. Even the Child of Destiny cannot escape it."
What a pity.

He hadn't had the chance to witness Naruto's infamous "Talk no Jutsu."

Gensou had been curious about what Naruto might say—whether his words could stir something within him or inspire some new perspective.

Instead, the Great Toad Sage, who had grown numb to all words, ended things with a swift and decisive betrayal, leaving no room for Naruto to act.

"Is he really dead?"

Reaching out, Gensou examined the wound on Naruto's chest. His heart was utterly destroyed. Even if Tsunade had been present, there would have been no way to save him.

"The Sage's Talisman… Didn't Mount Myōboku have a treasure capable of resurrection? Could they have hidden one for Naruto?"

Though it was unlikely, Gensou carefully checked Naruto's entire body.

After confirming the absence of the Sage's Talisman, Gensou concluded that Naruto was, indeed, truly dead.

Standing up, Gensou cast a final glance at Naruto's face before walking away.

It wasn't that he couldn't save Naruto.

For example, the Rinne Rebirth Jutsu could bring him back.

But the technique demanded the caster's life as the price.

In the original story, Nagato had died immediately after using it.

Obito had managed to stay alive briefly after using the jutsu only because of residual Six Paths power, Black Zetsu's influence, and Naruto's yin-yang chakra, but he too succumbed eventually.

Sacrificing his life to save Naruto?

Gensou wasn't that foolish.

Moreover, even if there were other methods to revive Naruto without harm to himself, the Nine-Tails within him had already dissipated. Reviving Naruto wouldn't bring the beast back.

Gensou saw no point in wasting effort on a futile task.

"This mission… is a complete failure."

He surveyed the ruins of Mount Myōboku.

After such a grueling battle that pushed him to the brink, all his efforts had amounted to nothing.

The Great Toad Sage had indeed accomplished its goal—delaying his plans, albeit temporarily.

Gensou lifted his gaze to the moon high above and began to think.

With the Nine-Tails in Naruto gone, he couldn't afford to wait several years for it to reform before proceeding with his plan.

Fortunately, only half of the Nine-Tails had been inside Naruto.

The other half was sealed within Minato's soul, ready for the taking.

Though summoning the Ten-Tails with an incomplete Nine-Tails would result in an imperfect form, it would still be sufficient to initiate the Infinite Tsukuyomi.

The only downside was the preparation time required—from starting the jutsu to the God Tree blossoming.

Obito had once activated the Infinite Tsukuyomi with only fragments of the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails, but he was defeated during the preparation phase by the Allied Shinobi Forces.

Madara had later succeeded, capturing the full Eight-Tails and half the Nine-Tails to become a near-perfect Ten-Tails jinchūriki. He absorbed the God Tree's power and awakened the Rinne Sharingan on his forehead, enabling him to cast the Infinite Tsukuyomi.

Gensou had originally intended to absorb the power of all nine Tailed Beasts, summon the God Tree, and activate the Infinite Tsukuyomi instantly.

But after the Great Toad Sage's interference and Naruto's death, he now had no choice but to follow Obito's path.

Unlike Madara, who had absorbed the God Tree, Gensou had no intention of letting Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's power manifest within him prematurely.

After all, his goal was to harvest the chakra of the ninja world through the Infinite Tsukuyomi and ascend to the Kekkei Sōmō stage. Allowing Kaguya to disrupt that process would be disastrous.

Having revised his plan, Gensou felt surprisingly calm.

In any endeavor, there would always be opposition. It was simply part of the process.

He withdrew his gaze from the moon. Now all that remained was to wait for news from the other teams capturing Tailed Beasts.

With a flash, Gensou vanished.

A minute later, he returned, crouching to retrieve Naruto's body. He decided to take it with him.

...

At the Valley of Clouds and Lightning

The sound of roaring thunder echoed incessantly through the canyon.

As the perfect jinchūriki, Killer Bee's strength far exceeded expectations.

At first, Kisame had tried to handle him alone, but when his sword Samehada nearly rebelled during the fight, he quickly called for Sasuke's assistance.

This Sasuke, unlike the overconfident version from the original story, was much stronger after awakening the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.

It wasn't long before Killer Bee, who had been rapping nonstop earlier, found himself overwhelmed, unable to focus on his music.

Even in his fully transformed Tailed Beast form, Killer Bee couldn't withstand the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan's power and found himself in grave danger.

Just as Sasuke was about to deliver the finishing blow, he suddenly froze.

A strange emptiness filled his heart, prompting him to glance toward the horizon.

"What's wrong, Sasuke?"

Kisame covered for Sasuke's distraction and turned to ask.

"Nothing," Sasuke replied, refocusing.

But deep down, he whispered to himself,
"Naruto..."

Sasuke knew that Gensou's target on this mission was Naruto.

Confident that a jinchūriki's life wouldn't be immediately at risk, Sasuke hadn't intervened. He had even planned to plead for Naruto's life afterward, similar to how the Six-Tails jinchūriki had been spared.

Despite their current divide, Naruto still held a significant place in Sasuke's heart.

Even blinded by hatred in the past, Sasuke had made similar choices. Now, with a renewed outlook, his decision was clear.

"Did something go wrong?"

Pushing the thought aside, Sasuke steeled his resolve and focused on finishing the battle.

Before long, the Eight-Tails let out a pained roar.

After identifying Killer Bee's Octopus Leg Substitution technique, Sasuke and Kisame managed to capture his true body. They left the canyon with the unconscious Killer Bee before the Cloud Village reinforcements could arrive.

The capture of the Eight-Tails jinchūriki was a success.

...

Above Sunagakure

Meanwhile, a rare aerial battle was nearing its conclusion.

As Sand shinobi piloted hastily assembled flying contraptions to counter Deidara's clay bombs, the chaos forced Gaara to split his focus, using some of his sand to shield the village below.

At that moment, a voice rang out:
"Ningu: Tailed Beast Prison!"

A metallic cage descended from the sky, trapping Gaara inside.

Before he could react, Gaara felt Shukaku's chakra draining from his body.

In contrast, the mysterious attacker's aura grew stronger by the second.

Though Gaara eventually broke free of the cage, the loss of chakra left him too weakened to fend off the combined assault of Deidara and the newcomer.

Under the watchful eyes of countless Sand shinobi, Gaara fell unconscious and was taken away.

The capture of the One-Tail jinchūriki was a success.

However, not every team achieved their goal without complications.

As with Gensou's plans, unforeseen events disrupted the mission targeting the Two-Tails jinchūriki.

(End of Chapter)

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