Chapter 247: Kakashi, You
In the Hokage's office in Konoha, Guy, carrying Kakashi, arrived first. Before he could say anything, the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, looked up, slammed her hands on the desk, and stood up abruptly.
"Kakashi, your eye!!"
Kakashi's Sharingan was gone!
Tsunade's shock was evident. She quickly moved in front of the severely injured Kakashi and began performing medical ninjutsu. Soon, the bleeding from Kakashi's left eye socket stopped, and his other wounds healed. Seeing his friend's face regain some color, Guy breathed a sigh of relief.
As she continued her treatment, Tsunade turned to Guy with a serious expression, asking, "What happened? How did Kakashi end up like this?"
As one of Konoha's elite jonin, Kakashi's strength was well known. Now, not only was he severely injured, but his iconic Sharingan was also missing. Tsunade was both angry and puzzled.
"It was Hagoromo Gengetsu!" Guy quickly reported, "He came to the village. Kakashi encountered him first and engaged in battle. I arrived afterward."
Guy might forget other names, but he wouldn't mistake the legendary Hagoromo Gengetsu, especially after seeing him firsthand during the battle at the Naka Shrine.
"Hagoromo Gengetsu??" Tsunade's expression changed, "Him again! Why did he come to Konoha?"
"I don't know," Guy answered honestly.
"Cough... cough..." Kakashi, feeling somewhat better under Tsunade's treatment, spoke up, "Naruto! Hagoromo Gengetsu's target is Naruto!"
"Naruto?" Iruka's voice came from outside the door. Having just arrived, he heard Kakashi's statement. Connecting it with his own recent experience, he thought of a possibility and hurriedly entered, intending to inform Tsunade.
Suddenly, as he stepped inside, he saw Kakashi's current state and was instantly shocked, "Kakashi-sensei, you..."
"Given that my opponent was Hagoromo Gengetsu, I'm lucky to be alive," Kakashi waved his hand. Apologizing to Obito could wait; the priority now was Naruto.
Kakashi turned to Iruka, "Iruka, you must have experienced something too. Report it to the Hokage."
"Oh, okay!" Iruka quickly nodded, avoiding further gaze at Kakashi's changed appearance, and relayed what had happened to him, along with his speculations.
Combining Iruka's and Kakashi's experiences, Tsunade understood the situation but was still somewhat puzzled.
"Hagoromo Gengetsu is inquiring about Naruto's whereabouts. Why?"
Given Hagoromo Gengetsu's status, there shouldn't be anything about Naruto that caught his eye. The two had met before, and Gengetsu had not acted against Naruto then. Why suddenly invade Konoha to investigate Naruto's whereabouts?
Was it because of the Nine-Tails inside Naruto?
But wasn't the Akatsuki's goal the tailed beasts?
Had Hagoromo Gengetsu also taken an interest in the tailed beasts?
Tsunade pondered, her expression complex.
Kakashi quickly continued, "Cough, cough. Hokage-sama, we must inform Mount Myoboku immediately. Hagoromo Gengetsu has already learned that Naruto is there. He won't give up so easily."
Tsunade nodded solemnly, "Konoha doesn't have direct contact with Mount Myoboku. I'll notify Jiraiya as soon as possible to inform them."
"But don't worry too much. Mount Myoboku has the Great Toad Sage. Even if Hagoromo Gengetsu goes there, he likely won't gain much. Naruto should be safe there."
Having personally experienced the power of the Slug Sage, Tsunade had great confidence in the Great Toad Sage. Her focus now was on why Hagoromo Gengetsu suddenly targeted Naruto. Given his identity and personality, it wouldn't be just to eliminate a potential threat. Naruto had many secrets, but the only one that might interest Gengetsu was the tailed beast.
Was it possible that Hagoromo Gengetsu had a conflict with the Akatsuki and moved to act on the Nine-Tails, thwarting their plans? Or had he allied with the Akatsuki, preparing to capture the tailed beasts together? If it was the latter, the situation would be dire.
Tsunade frowned and was about to summon Shikaku Nara and other strategists when hurried footsteps echoed from outside.
Anko Mitarashi burst in, looking grave, "Hokage-sama! There's a high possibility that Orochimaru is in the village!"
"Orochimaru?" Tsunade, Kakashi, Iruka, and Guy were all taken aback.
"Yes!" Anko nodded seriously, "I just—wait, Kakashi, you..."
Like Iruka, Anko was shocked upon noticing Kakashi's changed face.
Kakashi, accustomed to this reaction, gestured for Anko to continue, then pulled his forehead protector down to avoid the recurring surprise from others.
Anko complied, then showed the area where the Cursed Seal of Heaven used to be.
"It wasn't Orochimaru," Kakashi quickly determined.
Anko, puzzled, asked, "If not Orochimaru, then who?"
"Hagoromo Gengetsu," Kakashi said. "Given the time and place, only Hagoromo Gengetsu could have done this. Orochimaru wouldn't be so kind."
"As for why he did this, that's unclear."
Just as they didn't understand why Hagoromo Gengetsu sought Naruto, their knowledge of him was minimal. To Konoha, the five great shinobi villages, and even the entire shinobi world, Hagoromo Gengetsu remained an enigma, his true intentions shrouded in mystery.
Among their adversaries, only Black Zetsu and Uchiha Obito had significant knowledge of Hagoromo Gengetsu. However, they were unlikely to share their information with Konoha unless absolutely necessary.
"Also, those purple whirlpool eyes..." Kakashi added more details from their encounter.
After hearing Kakashi's account, Tsunade recalled a report from the Mist Village about a battle outside Mt. Katsuragi, involving individuals with similar eyes, likely Akatsuki members, and Hagoromo Gengetsu.
"If that's the case, the situation is even more complicated."
Tsunade, not being adept at intelligence analysis, decided to consult experts. But before that, she instructed Kakashi, "Kakashi, your injuries aren't fully healed. Go to the Konoha Hospital for a few days. As for your eye, don't worry; we'll find a new one for you."
Though it wouldn't be another Sharingan.
As Kakashi, having conveyed all his information, followed her orders and left with a calm expression, Tsunade sighed inwardly. Kakashi's combat style was long established; reverting to the Hatake Swordsmanship would mean starting over, something time wouldn't allow. Now, she could only hope he could find a similar path to follow.