Naruto: I Confronted the Five Kage Before the System Arrived

Chapter 239: The Great Lord Feels Off

Despite its massive size, the Three-Tails appeared relatively small in front of the Gedo Statue. As Hagoromo Gengetsu summoned the illusionary figures, they began to appear on each of the ten fingers.

Kakuzu, Hidan, Sasori, Uchiha Izumi, Uchiha Kei, and Uchiha Sasuke, who hadn't been present last time, all materialized. Along with Gengetsu himself, and Deidara and Kisame who were physically there, nine people stood on the Gedo Statue's fingers.

After obtaining the Rinnegan and returning to the village, Gengetsu used its power to create several more Akatsuki rings and distributed them to the three Uchiha, allowing them to project themselves here.

Standing in the spot that once belonged to Itachi, Sasuke's curiosity was piqued by the sight of the Gedo Statue. He turned his head at the crashing sound of the Three-Tails hitting the ground, getting his first clear view of the tailed beast.

Deidara, noticing Sasuke, asked with interest, "Uchiha Itachi's brother? I wonder how strong you are compared to him?"

Sasuke glanced back at Deidara and said indifferently, "You can try and find out."

Deidara smirked. Just like his brother, Sasuke had a similarly annoying demeanor. He wondered if Sasuke was his new partner or if it would be one of the other Uchiha. Either way, his future missions didn't look promising.

As Deidara's expression quickly shifted, Hidan's voice broke the silence, "How come we suddenly have a job? Wasn't the Three-Tails missing? How did we find it?"

Hidan, who had been pondering new doctrines to the point of pulling out his hair, would have preferred to keep thinking rather than endure the tedious task of extracting a tailed beast. However, remembering Gengetsu's formidable power, he quickly fell silent after his complaint.

"Are the other tailed beasts' capture missions starting soon?" asked Kakuzu, eager to seize the opportunity to earn some extra money during the missions.

"Yes, we are entering the final phase of the tailed beast capture plan," Gengetsu confirmed. "I will assign the missions later."

"Now, begin the extraction of the Three-Tails."

At Gengetsu's command, everyone present focused, forming seals with their hands. The Gedo Statue opened its mouth, and as the Three-Tails' chakra flowed into it, the colossal beast began to rise.

Compared to the last extraction, the process was much faster with more people involved and Gengetsu himself leading. Calculating the time, Gengetsu closed his eyes, estimating it would take around an hour to complete.

In the meantime, back with Kakashi, who had received new orders from the Fifth Hokage, the Konoha team began their reluctant return, empty-handed.

"If only Naruto were here," Sakura suddenly remarked during the journey.

As his teammate, Sai felt obligated to respond, "Indeed, Naruto is strong."

But he misunderstood her intention. Shaking her head, Sakura explained, "It's not just because Naruto is strong. He always brings unexpected surprises. Also, having him around always boosts morale. No matter how tough things get, no one gives up."

"I see," Sai began to understand Sakura's sentiment, glancing at their rather gloomy team.

He looked at Sakura and asked, "So, where is Naruto now?"

Naruto had been absent for a long time, missing many significant events. Sakura shook her head, "According to Jiraiya-sama, Naruto is training in a very mysterious place."

Organizing his thoughts, Sai remarked, "Then... let's hope Naruto returns soon."

"Yes!" Sakura gazed into the distance, "I hope Naruto comes back soon."

"Why can't I go back yet? How much longer do I have to drink this green, worm-filled nutrition soup?" Naruto grumbled as he stared at the green concoction on the table.

No matter how many times he drank it, he couldn't get used to it. "Fukasaku-sama, I've mastered Sage Mode, so why can't I leave? My village and friends need me!" Naruto complained, distancing himself from the so-called nutritious soup.

Fukasaku, busy in the kitchen, replied without turning around, "Mastered Sage Mode? You mean the technique that makes you look constipated and only lasts five minutes? Although it's better than Jiraiya, it's nothing compared to your village's First Hokage or that young man Hagoromo Gengetsu I saw recently."

Naruto fell silent at the mention of Gengetsu. "Sasuke..." Knowing what had happened, he regretted not being there that day. That regret fueled his desire to return to the village and not miss any more crucial events. But Fukasaku was right; Naruto still had much to learn.

Looking at his hands, Naruto realized he still fell short compared to Gengetsu. How could he hope to bring Sasuke back at this level? With no choice but to continue training, Naruto downed the green soup in one gulp and rushed outside to continue his training with multiple shadow clones.

"NARUTO! I've made a new batch of nutritious soup... Wait! Don't run!" Fukasaku called out, but Naruto was already gone. Sighing, he handed the soup to Shima, who asked, "How is it?"

"Very good!" Shima praised.

Pleased, Fukasaku said, "Naruto is missing out. It's delicious."

"Naruto..." Fukasaku gazed at Naruto training by the waterfall, "He has indeed mastered Sage Mode. We could let him go."

"I know," Shima replied absentmindedly, planning the next recipe. "But the Great Lord insisted he stay."

"The Great Lord..." Fukasaku hesitated, "Something feels off about him lately."

Shima's eyes brightened, "You think he's gone senile too?"

"No, it's something else. It feels like he's lost his former ease," Fukasaku said solemnly.

---