Hokage: I Confronted the Five Kage Before the System Arrived

Chapter 38: Free Rasengan Lesson

In the eyes of a child, the world is either black or white.

In the eyes of an adult, the mixed shades of gray exceed the sum of black and white.

Morality?

It's just a set of guidelines to constrain ordinary people's thoughts.

Take a look at those decadent aristocrats and feudal lords, indulging in luxury and excess. How many of them see ordinary people as equals?

Even in the great ninja villages, even in Konoha, which always champions the Will of Fire, how many people adhered to morality during their rise?

Anyone who asks this question would just be laughed at.

If he could, Hagoromo Gengetsu would certainly prefer to live in a world of high morality, where everyone is a sage.

But the true nature of the world is as it is, and he can only go with the flow.

Should he rebel and start a complete revolution?

Too exhausting.

He has no interest in doing so.

Moreover, rather than being constrained by a piece of paper,

Hagoromo Gengetsu would rather be the master of the document, not just a name within it.

Such is human nature.

Hagoromo Gengetsu openly admits that he is just one of the ordinary masses.

After hearing Hagoromo Gengetsu's clear understanding of his actions and his indifferent attitude towards them,

Naruto's fists clenched tightly.

"You...!"

With little experience, he had yet to recognize the nature of society and humanity. Seeing Hagoromo Gengetsu's look of "I know it's wrong but I won't change," 

Naruto returned to his most familiar and only available response.

"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

A dense army of shadow clones appeared again.

"This guy, Naruto!"

This time, Jiraiya couldn't stand by idly. He charged forward, his long white hair fluttering:

"Ninjutsu: Needle Jizo!"

A mass of white hair shot towards Hagoromo Gengetsu like needles.

Hagoromo Gengetsu didn't move, he just slightly opened his mouth, and a highly corrosive steam spewed out, enveloping his surroundings.

Sizzle.

All the needles melted away in mid-air before reaching Hagoromo Gengetsu.

"Everyone, attack!"

Naruto's clone army, showing no signs of retreat, charged into the steam as if they were a death squad.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

White smoke continuously exploded.

Hagoromo Gengetsu watched all this, slightly twitching the corners of his mouth.

It's important to know that the experiences of shadow clones return to the original body when they disappear.

Being corroded by steam is not a pleasant experience.

However, Naruto seemed unfazed, acting as if nothing had happened.

Hagoromo Gengetsu could only sigh at another protagonist-like character like Senju Hashirama.

But soon, he had no time for further reflection.

As Naruto's death squad continued to charge, the replenishment of his steam technique couldn't keep up with the consumption.

"If I were at my peak, this wouldn't be so taxing."

Hagoromo Gengetsu shook his head, looking at the shadow clones obscured by white smoke, seeing one after another of Naruto's clones rushing in, shouting excitedly:

"Got you!"

Learning from past mistakes, Naruto gave up on using any techniques and simply lunged at Hagoromo Gengetsu, arms and legs spread wide like a brawler, determined to hold him tightly.

Hagoromo Gengetsu crushed one clone after another.

But there were simply too many of them.

Soon, the white smoke from the disappearing clones obscured his vision, allowing one of Naruto's clones to pounce like a monkey and wrap tightly around his left leg.

"Haha!"

The other clones' eyes lit up, and they charged in like they were on steroids.

Before long, Hagoromo Gengetsu had several Naruto clones clinging to him like little monkeys.

"Does it matter?"

Hagoromo Gengetsu said indifferently, just about to act.

A Naruto clone clinging to his shoulder looked up and laughed:

"Of course it matters!"

In an instant, the white smoke in front of Hagoromo Gengetsu started swirling like a vortex.

Instinctively, Hagoromo Gengetsu looked over, lightly exclaiming.

With a better vantage point, Jiraiya also noticed this, surprised: "This kid, Naruto..."

Shizune, following suit, exclaimed with joy: "It's that technique from that night!"

Just as she finished speaking,

right on cue,

from the white smoke in front of Hagoromo Gengetsu, Naruto's energetic voice shouted:

"Rasengan!"

The air currents dispersed the white smoke entirely.

In an instant, Hagoromo Gengetsu saw Naruto charging at his chest, hands holding a rapidly spinning blue chakra sphere.

"Has he mastered the Fourth's technique?" Jiraiya murmured, watching the scene unfold.

"No, it's still lacking." Facing the Rasengan, Hagoromo Gengetsu's lips curved slightly, murmuring to himself.

Boom!

Dust flew as a powerful explosion erupted in front of Hagoromo Gengetsu.

While Shizune was eagerly anticipating,

Jiraiya, understanding the Rasengan's properties and not seeing Hagoromo Gengetsu's figure flying away, frowned and rushed over.

Sure enough.

As the dust quickly settled, they saw Naruto's right hand, which had held the Rasengan, planted in the ground, a small vortex-shaped pit around it.

Now, Hagoromo Gengetsu, free of any clinging clones, looked down at Naruto, amused:

"Using an unfinished technique, I must say you're the bravest."

If the Rasengan were so easily broken, it wouldn't have such a great reputation.

Naruto, as the caster, seemed to have displayed it perfectly.

But with his keen eyes, Hagoromo Gengetsu easily noticed that Naruto's seemingly perfect Rasengan was actually highly unstable inside.

With just a slight nudge, as just happened, it lost control and hit the ground.

"Still not there?" Naruto's expression was somewhat downcast.

"Watch closely." At this moment, Hagoromo Gengetsu spoke again.

Naruto instinctively looked over, seeing Hagoromo Gengetsu extend his palm, saying lightly:

"The Rasengan lesson begins now, free of charge."

As he finished speaking, to Naruto's great astonishment, a familiar blue chakra sphere instantly formed in Hagoromo Gengetsu's palm.

"Rasengan!"

Handling it like the most ordinary ninjutsu, Hagoromo Gengetsu held the non-elemental blue Rasengan, pressing it towards Naruto's chest just like Naruto did earlier.

"How is this possible?"

Naruto stared in disbelief.

The development was too astonishing.

Naruto never expected his opponent would also know the Rasengan.

Didn't the Pervy Sage say this technique belonged to the Fourth Hokage?

Could it be...

"Huh? Why would I think that? He doesn't look like him at all!"

Even at this moment, Naruto's scatterbrained mind wandered to such an extent.

"Naruto!"

Jiraiya's loud shout snapped him back to reality.

Startled, Naruto looked up.

The familiar blue spiraling light of the Rasengan completely filled his vision.