Chapter 243

Konoha Village.

The village had become noticeably quieter lately, with frequent movements of ninja leaving it less lively than usual.

Experienced elders, worried about impending conflict, began stockpiling food supplies.

Scenes like these reminded them too much of the prelude to the previous Shinobi Wars.

"Is there going to be another war?"

Tired and confused voices echoed through the streets.

While Konoha's people, moods, and atmosphere were changing, one thing remained constant: the steadfast presence of its two gate guards.

Despite the Uchiha invasion during which the two guards had been overpowered, they faced no punishment. After all, no one else in the village could have fared better in their place.

With Konoha short on manpower, assigning high-ranking ninja to guard the gates was out of the question.

Thus, Izumo and Kotetsu continued their duties, their workload significantly increased by the frequent comings and goings of ninja.

As Izumo stretched to grab a fresh logbook, ready to replace the filled one, a hand suddenly gripped his head.

"Enemy—"

Izumo's face froze as he instinctively tried to resist, but his body wouldn't obey.

With great effort, he turned his eyes toward Kotetsu, only to see his partner in the same predicament, a hand adorned with a ring pressed firmly against his head.

His final thought lingered on the ring's unfamiliar design.

Who…?

With that, Izumo lost consciousness.

"Uzumaki Naruto hasn't left the village recently, has he?"

Gensou's voice came from behind the two unconscious guards as he used the Human Path's technique to extract their memories.

Moments later, having gleaned information on the comings and goings of Konoha's ninja—and noting the lack of recent mentions of Naruto—Gensou released them.

The two guards slumped onto the desk, unconscious.

Turning his gaze toward the village, Gensou sped through its streets in a blur, moving too fast for anyone to notice.

When he passed Iruka, he appeared silently behind the instructor, pressing a hand to his head and delving into his memories.

"The same—Naruto hasn't been seen for a long time."

Iruka collapsed, unconscious, as Gensou moved on to Ichiraku Ramen.

"Welcome! Oh, where—?" Teuchi began, only to find himself alone before he could finish his sentence.

Moments later, he too slumped over, unconscious.

Removing his hand from Teuchi's head, Gensou mused aloud,

"Even Ichiraku hasn't seen Naruto in ages. That's unusual for him."

"There's only one explanation…"

Moments later, Gensou stood atop the Hokage Rock, his Rinnegan scanning the village below.

"Uzumaki Naruto isn't in Konoha."

"But where could he have gone…?"

Considering the situation, Konoha's alliance with Kumogakure hadn't yet necessitated moving the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails jinchūriki to Turtle Island for protection.

Moreover, Naruto wasn't the type to leave on a secret mission alone—his superiors wouldn't allow it.

The most likely scenario was that Naruto was training in Mount Myōboku.

"Looks like he's been there longer than expected. But there's no sign of Nine-Tails chakra in Konoha, so it must be true. Wouldn't you agree, Hatake Kakashi?"

Gensou spoke without turning.

Behind him, hidden behind a boulder several meters away, Kakashi froze. He had been planning to retreat and warn the village, but now…

Without hesitation, Kakashi drew a signal flare, preparing to launch it into the sky.

Snap!

A hand grabbed his wrist, stopping him mid-motion.

In an instant, Gensou stood before Kakashi, his eyes fixed on the flare.

"Do you want to see Konoha destroyed?" Gensou asked calmly.

Kakashi's heart sank as he realized the gravity of the situation.

During another timeline, Pain's assault on Konoha had begun as a search for Naruto. However, Tsunade's defiance had pushed him to unleash the Shinra Tensei to its full destructive potential, leveling the village.

Without that cataclysmic event, even Naruto's return wouldn't have been enough to defeat Pain.

While Gensou was more composed than Pain, his patience was not limitless—especially when someone obstructed his plans.

And unlike Pain, Gensou could use the Shinra Tensei without significant consequences to himself.

Some things were better left untested.

Understanding Gensou's warning, Kakashi crushed the flare in his hand.

In the same motion, his free hand reached for a kunai, striking at Gensou with precision.

Clang!

With a flick of his finger, Gensou deflected the kunai effortlessly.

Kakashi twisted his restrained hand free, launching a relentless assault of punches and kicks.

Thud thud thud!

The rapid exchange of blows echoed as Kakashi pushed himself to the limit, his movements a blur.

But Gensou countered each strike with ease, his movements calm and precise.

When Kakashi finally retreated, panting and shaken, he looked at Gensou.

The man's clothing remained unruffled, and his Rinnegan glowed with an unnerving calm.

"Those eyes…" Kakashi muttered, his own Sharingan spinning. "Their insight surpasses even the Mangekyō Sharingan."

Realizing the disparity in their abilities, Kakashi felt a deep unease settle over him.

(End of Chapter)

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