Hokage: I Confronted the Five Kage Before the System Arrived

Chapter 104: Information from Hanare

The sky was vast, and the land was boundless.

The wind blew and the grass lay low, revealing Gengetsu.

On a grassy plain outside of Lockfront Village.

The weather was nice today. Having returned from Konoha and recently engrossed in studying soul-related topics, Hagoromo Gengetsu took advantage of the day to relax on the grass, hands behind his head, enjoying the cool breeze.

In this lazy and comfortable state, it was hard to believe that he was the man rumored to bring disaster to the ninja world, constantly scheming and making the leaders of the Five Great Shinobi Villages uneasy.

Hanare, dressed in standard ninja attire and just back from a mission, was surprised to find that the clan leader she had been taught to revere as a divine figure was not as imposing as she had imagined.

Though her idealization was shattered, her respect and admiration for Gengetsu remained, and perhaps even grew.

After all, a leader with a human touch felt more approachable.

Hearing footsteps approaching, Gengetsu kept his eyes closed and continued to bask in the sun leisurely, much like an old man in a park.

Having lived a second life, he had grown tired of maintaining a facade of aloofness.

It was too exhausting.

He preferred to live as he pleased, letting future generations handle the rest.

Much like how in the eyes of the Four Hokage, he was a beacon of clarity and power capable of conquering the ninja world.

Similarly, Hashirama Senju, despite his gambling habits and carefree demeanor, was viewed by the villagers of Konoha as a powerful and dignified figure.

When Gengetsu had heard this evaluation in Konoha, he had considered writing a book detailing the 300 untold stories of Hashirama and Madara Uchiha, but he abandoned the idea, realizing he lacked the literary skill.

Step. Step. Step.

The sound of ninja shoes crunching on the grass grew closer.

Soon, Hanare arrived beside Gengetsu and respectfully said, "Clan Leader."

"It’s Hanare," Gengetsu opened his eyes and casually asked, "Has the mission been completed?"

Hanare replied seriously, "Yes, Clan Leader. We have gathered all the details from the Five Kage Summit."

"Go ahead and report here," Gengetsu said calmly.

After the commotion in Konoha, Gengetsu had anticipated that Tsunade, as the Hokage, would not appear. 

After all, it was unusual for a leader of such importance to leave their village.

The Five Kage Summit was not widely advertised, and the discussions were kept confidential.

But this did not hinder Lock Front Village, which specialized in gathering intelligence.

Especially with the most skilled intelligence ninja, Hanare, leading the mission.

Upon Gengetsu’s request, Hanare clearly outlined the details and outcomes of the summit.

Since receiving the news of the Root’s destruction, Tsunade had sided with the Raikage.

However, the subsequent events were somewhat unexpected. Despite the fact that Gengetsu had wiped out Root, the Rock, Mist, and even the Sand ninja—who were allies—did not support the idea of mobilizing a coalition.

Perhaps to them, Konoha was a wolf, and Gengetsu was an external wolf; they were content to let them clash.

Of course, since they had gathered for the summit, they could not waste the trip.

As a compromise, the Five Kage reached an agreement to establish a joint intelligence department to share all information related to Gengetsu, and to send a few elite ninjas to join a special task force under this department.

The deployment of this task force would require unanimous consent from all Five Kage.

"Afterwards, the Five Kage also discussed various issues such as mission quotas and resource allocation, and signed several agreements," Hanare continued.

Although the summit was initially convened to address Gengetsu, once the main topic was concluded, the Five Kage, who rarely met, naturally turned to discuss village matters, resulting in a more efficient session compared to previous meetings.

For this reason, after attentively listening to the topic about Gengetsu, Naruto could not resist falling asleep during the meeting, setting a precedent for the Five Kage Summit.

"Naruto." Gengetsu was quite surprised that Tsunade brought Naruto to the summit.

But upon reflection, Tsunade had already determined Naruto would be the future Hokage after giving him the necklace left by Hashirama, so it made sense for her to train him directly.

Gengetsu was indifferent to the petty politics between the Five Great Shinobi Villages but listened to Hanare’s detailed report with interest.

Afterwards, his evaluation of the Five Kage Summit could be summed up in two words:

"Heh."

A group of leaders with various demands and decades of accumulated conflicts, who, when not pushed to the brink, would hardly set aside their grudges and wholeheartedly confront an enemy. Only those in ivory towers would believe in such a possibility.

"Hanare, do you believe that if I were to appear, the first thing I might encounter would not be kunai from the Five Great Shinobi Villages, but rather some form of ‘benevolent’ contact from one of the sides in the dark?"

Gengetsu knew well the duplicity of these political figures.

As an intelligence operative, Hanare, who had encountered much darkness, agreed, "As you say, Clan Leader, this is highly likely."

In today’s age, everyone considered themselves the true protagonist.

Using Gengetsu as a weapon to be utilized and then discarded was likely a thought many had after learning of Root’s destruction.

Of course, while they might appear so on the surface, they might also take more direct action behind the scenes.

After all, everything hinges on one’s thoughts.

Gengetsu had considered that if there was a coalition of ninjas on a scale of tens of thousands, determined to exhaust him, without a reborn Madara Uchiha-like entity, or the peak form of the combined Senju and Uchiha power, it would be difficult for him to sustain.

Thus, strengthening his own power was essential!

Fortunately, the current Five Kage lacked the overwhelming initiative of the first Five Kage.

Reflecting on the battle in the Valley of the End, it was clear that the five old figures had likely been informed beforehand, as the Five Great Villages had managed to locate him so efficiently.

This was the way to solve problems.

Remaining inactive, building strength, and then delivering a thunderous blow without giving any opportunity to respond.

Unlike the current Five Kage, who were indecisive and failed to keep secrets well.

However, there were still aspects not to be underestimated.

For example, the shared intelligence collection among the Five Great Shinobi Villages.

Gengetsu was indifferent to this but advised Hanare to keep the Clan on high alert and remain inactive for the time being. 

Gengetsu then stood up and continued to address his training issues.

"Forbidden Technique: Reanimation Jutsu!"