https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-246-Now-is-Not-the-Time-to-Experience-the-Full-Power-of-the-Eight-Gates/12553588/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-248-Unexpected-Events-and-Arrivals/12553590/
Chapter 247: Kakashi, What Happened to You?
Chapter 247: Kakashi, What Happened to You?
In the Fire Shadow's office in Konoha, Might Guy, with Kakashi on his back, arrived first.
Before Guy could say anything, the Fifth Fire Shadow, Tsunade, sitting behind her desk, looked up, slammed her hands on the table, and stood up abruptly.
"Kakashi, your eye!!!"
Kakashi's Sharingan was gone!
Tsunade's shock was evident.
Without wasting a moment, she quickly attended to the severely injured Kakashi, using her medical ninjutsu.
Soon, the bleeding from Kakashi's left eye socket stopped, and the other wounds on his body began to heal.
Seeing that his friend's face, which had been deathly pale, now showed some color, Guy breathed a sigh of relief.
As Tsunade continued her treatment, she turned to Guy with a grave expression and asked, "What happened? Why is Kakashi in this state?"
As one of Konoha's elite jonin, Kakashi's strength was well-known.
Yet, he had sustained such severe injuries within the village, and now his iconic Sharingan was also missing.
Tsunade was both angry and perplexed.
"It was Hagoromo Gengetsu!" Guy quickly reported. "He came to the village, and Kakashi encountered him first and engaged in battle. I arrived later."
Guy might misremember other people's names, but when it came to the legendary Hagoromo Gengetsu, a name he had heard too many times and whose prowess he had witnessed firsthand during the battle at the Southern Shrine, he could not be mistaken.
"Hagoromo Gengetsu???!" Tsunade's expression changed. "It's him again! Why has he come to Konoha again?"
"I don't know," Guy answered honestly.
"Cough, cough."
With Tsunade's treatment, Kakashi, who felt much better, spoke up, "Naruto! Hagoromo Gengetsu's target is Naruto!"
"Naruto?"
Iruka's voice sounded from outside the door.
Having just arrived, he suddenly heard Kakashi's words and, connecting them with his own recent experiences, thought of a possibility. He hurried inside, intending to report his suspicions to Tsunade.
But as he entered, he caught sight of Kakashi's current state and exclaimed in shock, "Kakashi-senpai, you..."
"The opponent was Hagoromo Gengetsu. It's a miracle that I'm still alive," Kakashi waved his hand.
Apologies to Obito could wait; the most crucial matter at hand was Naruto's safety.
Kakashi looked at Iruka and said, "Iruka, you must have experienced something as well. Report it to the Hokage now."
"Oh, yes!"
Iruka nodded hastily, no longer looking at Kakashi's face, which was so different from before, and proceeded to relay the events that had just transpired and his subsequent speculations.
Tsunade, piecing together Iruka and Kakashi's experiences, understood the situation, but she still had some doubts:
"Hagoromo Gengetsu is inquiring about Naruto's whereabouts. Why?"
Given Hagoromo Gengetsu's status, Naruto shouldn't be someone he would find interesting.
The two sides had crossed paths in the past, and Hagoromo Gengetsu hadn't done anything to Naruto then.
Why, all of a sudden, had he intruded on Konoha and forcefully sought information about Naruto's location?
Could it be because of the Nine-Tails within Naruto?
But weren't the tailed beasts the target of the Akatsuki organization?
Had Hagoromo Gengetsu also developed an interest in the tailed beasts now?
Tsunade's expression shifted as she pondered these questions.
At that moment, Kakashi quickly added, "Cough, cough. Hokage-sama, we must notify Mount Myoboku immediately. Hagoromo Gengetsu already knows that Naruto is at Mount Myoboku. He won't give up."
Tsunade nodded solemnly. "Konoha doesn't have direct contact with Mount Myoboku. I'll inform Jiraiya as soon as possible and have him reach out to them."
"However, we don't need to worry too much. Mount Myoboku has the Great Toad Sage, so even if Hagoromo Gengetsu goes there, he's likely to come back empty-handed."
What concerned her more was the reason for Hagoromo Gengetsu's sudden attack on Naruto.
Given Hagoromo Gengetsu's identity and personality, it was unlikely that he was after Naruto to eliminate a potential threat.
While Naruto possessed several secrets, the only thing that would truly capture Hagoromo Gengetsu's interest was the tailed beast within him.
With Hagoromo Gengetsu's known conflict with the Akatsuki organization, could his actions be an attempt to thwart their plans by targeting the Nine-Tails first?
Or, had Hagoromo Gengetsu formed an alliance with the Akatsuki, and they were now working together to capture the tailed beasts? If the latter were true, the situation would become dire.
Tsunade furrowed her brows and was about to summon Nara Shikamaru and the rest of her advisors when hurried footsteps sounded from outside the door.
Anko Mitarashi pushed the door open and entered, her face grave as she announced, "Fire Shadow, there's a high possibility that Orochimaru is in the village!"
"Orochimaru?" Tsunade, Kakashi, Iruka, and Guy were all taken aback by this revelation.
"Yes!" Anko nodded solemnly. "I just—wait, Kakashi, what happened to you?"
Like Iruka, Anko was shocked to notice Kakashi's altered appearance, her expression mirroring his own surprise.
It was safe to say that Kakashi had left a deep impression on them, and they would never have imagined him looking the way he did now.
Kakashi, accustomed to their reactions, waved his hand, signaling for Anko to continue with her report. He then pulled his forehead protector down to cover his eye, hoping to avoid the inevitable comments about his appearance from everyone he encountered.
It was too tedious to address them all.
Anko complied and even showed them the spot where the Heavenly Curse Mark used to be.
"It wasn't Orochimaru's doing," Kakashi quickly deduced.
Anko asked, perplexed, "If not Orochimaru, then who could it be?"
"Hagoromo Gengetsu," Kakashi replied without hesitation. "Based on the timing and location, only Hagoromo Gengetsu has the capability to do this. Orochimaru wouldn't be so considerate."
"As for why he did it, that remains a mystery."
Just like everyone else, Kakashi had no idea why Hagoromo Gengetsu had targeted Naruto.
With limited knowledge about Hagoromo Gengetsu, Tsunade, Kakashi, Konoha, the Five Great Shinobi Countries, and even the entire ninja world were facing a veiled figure whose true intentions were obscured by a thick mist.
Among their adversaries, the one who knew Hagoromo Gengetsu the best, aside from Black Zetsu, was undoubtedly Uchiha Obito.
However, unless absolutely necessary, they would not willingly share this information with the people of Konoha.
"Also, that purple spiral eye…" Kakashi continued, providing additional details about their previous encounter.
Upon hearing Kakashi's account, Tsunade suddenly recalled the intelligence from Kirigakure about a suspected clash between Hagoromo Gengetsu and several individuals with similar eyes, possibly members of the Akatsuki, outside Mount Katsuragi.
"If that's the case, the situation becomes too complex to analyze."
Not being adept at intelligence analysis herself, Tsunade decided to consult the experts.
However, before that, she instructed Kakashi, "Kakashi, your injuries haven't fully healed yet. Go to the Konoha Hospital and rest for a few days. As for your eye, don't worry, we'll get you a new left eye soon."
Of course, it wouldn't be a Sharingan.
Watching Kakashi, who had finished relaying his intelligence, obediently turn to leave, Tsunade sighed inwardly.
Kakashi's combat style was already set, and if he wanted to reclaim his prowess with the Hatake Clan's blade techniques, he would have to start from scratch, which was unrealistic given the time constraints.
Now, she could only hope that he would find a way to adapt and forge a new path based on his existing foundation.
(End of Chapter)
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