Hokage: I Confronted the Five Kage Before the System Arrived Novel

Hagoromo Gengetsu carved his path to power in the Naruto world through sheer determination, becoming a pivotal shinobi force. Yet his rise caught the attention of the Five Kage, who abandoned honor and launched a coordinated assault against him. That's when fate intervened—a mysterious system materialized, promising to elevate him above all others in the shinobi realm.

The first mission should've been straightforward. Instead, Hagoromo stared at his objective in disbelief:

[Shinobi School Counterattack: Defeat Uzumaki Naruto, your dead-last classmate.]

"System... what era is this supposed to be?"

[Konoha Year 60]

"We're in Konoha Year 2! Has this system lost its mind?!"

Decades collapsed into a single moment. Hagoromo's eyes snapped open on a rooftop overlooking the Chunin Exams, the Third Hokage standing alert before him. A knowing smile crossed his face as he surveyed the familiar scene ahead:

"Early by several decades, but I arrived nonetheless."