During the battle at the Naka Shrine, Gensou didn't yet wield the Rinnegan.
Now, faced with those swirling purple eyes, Kakashi's Mangekyō Sharingan seemed powerless—subdued, even.
A sinking realization struck Kakashi: The enemy has grown stronger yet again.
For Gensou, the brief exchange that left Kakashi reeling wasn't worth a second thought.
Looking at Kakashi, Gensou asked calmly, "Back to the matter at hand—Naruto's whereabouts. As his teacher, you must know, don't you?"
The unmistakable chirping of Chidori resonated as Kakashi, resolved to give his life, activated Raikiri. His right hand glowed with lightning as he lowered his stance, one foot forward, the other braced behind.
Hearing Gensou's question, Kakashi shook his head firmly.
"Even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you."
"Is that so?"
Unfazed, Gensou stepped forward.
But before he could take a second step, Kakashi lunged like a bolt of lightning, his Raikiri aimed directly at Gensou's heart.
Clap!
Just as during the Chūnin Exams years ago, Gensou effortlessly caught Kakashi's wrist mid-attack.
But this time, Kakashi wasn't done.
"Kamui!"
With their faces mere inches apart, Kakashi's Mangekyō Sharingan activated its space-distorting jutsu.
Immediately, spiraling distortions began forming around Gensou, pulling at his body.
But with a mere jolt of his body, Gensou vanished, reappearing at Kakashi's side in the blink of an eye.
"Too slow," Gensou remarked coldly.
Had Kakashi wielded both Kamui eyes, the attack might have posed a challenge.
But a single Kamui was slower to execute. Against most ninja, it was insurmountable. Against Gensou? It was simply inadequate.
Kakashi, drained from the strain of using his Mangekyō Sharingan, barely had time to react. Desperate, he turned and lunged, aiming to grapple Gensou and drag them both into the Kamui dimension.
Thud!
A black rod pierced through Kakashi's outstretched hands, halting his plan in its tracks.
Thrown off balance, Kakashi staggered forward, his hands skewered together by the rod.
"Almost forgot," Gensou muttered as he glanced at Kakashi's left eye. "Might as well reclaim this Sharingan."
Kakashi let out a cry of pain as Gensou extended his hand, plucking the Mangekyō Sharingan from his eye socket.
The bloodied eye rested in Gensou's palm, and with a faint smile, he pocketed it.
After claiming the Rinnegan and Gedo Statue, Gensou had expected Uchiha Obito—the real mastermind behind Akatsuki—to make a move.
Yet Obito had seemingly vanished.
Anomalies were always cause for suspicion.
With the final stage of his plan at hand, Gensou couldn't afford to overlook any threats.
Obito's unpredictability came primarily from his Kamui. With this eye in Gensou's possession, Obito's advantage was effectively nullified.
"Obito…"
Despite his injuries, Kakashi pushed through the pain. With his hands rendered useless, he leapt forward, his legs scissoring toward Gensou in a last-ditch attack.
Thud!
Kakashi spat blood as Gensou's knee struck his torso, sending him flying backward.
Before he could hit the ground, Gensou caught him by the head, fingers digging into his skull.
Human Path—Mind Reading Technique.
The Rinnegan's technique forcibly breached Kakashi's mind, extracting his memories with ruthless efficiency, even bypassing mental seals.
Flashes of recent conversations flooded Gensou's vision until he reached one in particular.
In the memory, Jiraiya was speaking to Kakashi:
"I'll be taking Naruto to Mount Myōboku next. He'll train there and grow stronger."
"Senjutsu? That's a good idea," Kakashi replied, casually flipping through his Icha Icha novel. "The village could use Naruto's strength in these times."
"It's also to protect him from the Akatsuki," Jiraiya added gravely. "Compared to Gensou, who's targeting the tailed beasts for obvious reasons, the Akatsuki is just as dangerous."
"I understand. Any group that Itachi would join is no joke. But is Mount Myōboku safe?"
Jiraiya laughed confidently. "Of course! With the Great Toad Sage and Gamabunta there, and the natural energy enhancing senjutsu, no one—not even the Akatsuki—can breach it."
"Good to hear…"
The memory faded, and Gensou withdrew his hand.
"Just as I thought—Naruto is at Mount Myōboku. As for its location…"
Though Jiraiya hadn't explicitly stated its whereabouts, he had mentioned the abundance of natural energy there.
The three great sacred sites were known for their senjutsu, situated in regions with the densest natural energy.
In the past, Gensou might have struggled to locate it.
But now, having mastered senjutsu himself, his understanding of natural energy surpassed most. With the Rinnegan's enhanced perception, he could track the flow of energy across the ninja world.
Looking skyward, Gensou focused his senses.
In the invisible expanse above, chakra and natural energy flowed toward three distinct locations—likely the three great sacred sites.
"Now then…" Gensou mused.
What kind of environment do frogs love?
(End of Chapter)
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