Naruto: Manipulation-Chapter 117: Someone’s Doing Evil in My Name?!

Late at night.

Inside a small tavern.

Tsunade was still unaware of the misfortune looming over her, but her streak of wins at the gambling table left her in high spirits as she drank.

As always, Shizune had no way to stop her teacher. All she could do was watch Tsunade drink herself into a drunken stupor, slumping onto the table.

"This is going to be a hassle again..."

Shizune sighed and clutched the bag of winnings as she went to settle the bill.

However, when she returned to the table, she saw a figure in a straw hat standing beside Tsunade, reaching out and placing a hand on her golden hair.

What the hell...

What is this guy doing?!

Does he even know whose head he's touching?

Even in her drunken state, Tsunade's body wouldn't ignore danger. Her instincts alone could launch a devastating punch that would leave the man severely injured—or even dead!

In this world, no one could withstand Tsunade's punches!

"Hey, stop—"

Furious at this person's audacity, Shizune rushed forward to intervene, certain that he was about to suffer the consequences.

But—

She was stopped.

A dark-faced man suddenly appeared, blocking her way.

"...Mr. Kakuzu?"

Shizune stared at the man in shock, nervously clutching the bag of money.

"How much does she owe you?"

The man in the straw hat glanced at Shizune and Kakuzu before speaking softly, "Don't make things difficult for a child."

"Yes."

Kakuzu nodded and took the bag of money from Shizune's hands.

"Wait—"

Shizune hadn't planned on stopping Kakuzu, but she was far more concerned about Tsunade. She anxiously wished her teacher would wake up soon.

Because right now—

She had no idea how to handle this!

That man in the straw hat looked incredibly dangerous!

But—

Tsunade didn't react at all.

When the man gently ruffled her hair, she merely snuggled into his palm like a child in a deep sleep.

As if...

That hand posed no threat whatsoever.

As if, in her drunken haze, it felt safer than anything else.

In her dream-like state, Tsunade believed herself to be back in her childhood, dozing off in the hallways of Konoha's hospital...

And in her dreams, a familiar medical ninja, taking a break from writing on his medical scrolls, gently patted her head with his reanimated hand.

That long-lost sense of security...

Tears silently trickled down Tsunade's cheeks.

She truly thought she was dreaming.

And yet... the dream felt unsteady.

Somewhere in her haze, she sensed the presence of Shigen trying to leave. Instinctively, she reached out and grabbed his arm.

"...Lord Shigen..."

"You've grown up, Tsunade."

The Shigen in her dream gently pried her fingers away, left her with those words, and walked away from her childhood.

No—

Not just from her childhood.

This time, it felt like he was leaving her life for good.

The next morning.

Tsunade woke up in her inn's bed.

Shizune sat beside her, looking dazed.

"I really need to stop drinking this much..."

Tsunade rubbed her aching head, groaning in frustration. "I thought I'd get a good night's sleep, but even my dreams were unsettling."

"..."

Shizune had an odd expression on her face before quietly saying, "Last night, Mr. Kakuzu came to collect the debt..."

"Oh."

Tsunade didn't particularly care about that. She casually asked, "I won enough at the casino, right? Did he leave us enough travel money?"

"Yes."

Shizune nodded, then hesitated before adding, "There was also a man in a straw hat with him..."

"That bastard!"

Tsunade's face twisted with irritation as she grumbled, "I was always going to pay him back! Did he really need to bring someone along to corner me? Did he think I'd run away this time?"

"That man..."

Shizune clenched her fists, nervously recounting what happened in the tavern—the way he had ruffled Tsunade's hair.

She wouldn't hide this from her teacher.

She was even a little afraid that Tsunade would fly into a rage. But as she spoke, she noticed that Tsunade didn't seem angry at all.

If anything, she looked strangely calm.

"Anything else?"

Tsunade's expression remained unreadable. "When did that guy leave?"

"Right after..."

"...Mr. Kakuzu finished counting the money."

Shizune hesitated before continuing, feeling awkward about describing Tsunade's drunken behavior. "When he tried to leave, you... wouldn't let go."

It was incredibly embarrassing.

Even Shizune was reluctant to bring it up.

"...Let's go!"

Tsunade suddenly threw off the blanket and stormed toward the door, her eyes flashing with a stormy intensity. "We're going to find Kakuzu!"

"Huh?"

Shizune hesitated before quickly adding, "Mr. Kakuzu didn't overcharge us. He didn't even charge us interest..."

But Tsunade ignored her.

She grabbed her coat, threw it on, and rushed toward Kakuzu's orphanage. She was determined to get answers.

Unfortunately—

Kakuzu had already left.

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He had even left a sum of money behind before departing.

Tsunade had no intention of troubling the orphanage, so she simply left a message for Kakuzu, telling him to contact her. Then, without hesitation, she prepared to return to Konoha.

"We're heading back to Konoha?"

Shizune looked surprised.

"I just want to check on something."

Tsunade wouldn't admit to the suspicion forming in her mind. "I want to see if something I left behind is still there."

She hoped...

There wouldn't be a problem.

Now, she could only hope that her old friend, Orochimaru, still had some decency left. That he hadn't stolen what she had left behind when he defected.

If Orochimaru really had taken her things...

And if he had mastered Second Hokage Tobirama's Impure World Reincarnation...

A chilling thought crossed Tsunade's mind.

She didn't want to confirm it just yet.

First, she needed to return to Konoha.

Then, she would decide whether she needed to hunt down Orochimaru.

If her suspicions were right...

She might end up chasing after him, just like Jiraiya.

Outside a small town.

Shigen removed his straw hat.

Kakuzu stood beside him, speaking in a hushed tone. "That First Hokage's granddaughter might have realized that Lord Shigen has returned from the underworld once again..."

"It doesn't matter."

Shigen seemed utterly unconcerned with Tsunade. His tone was casual as he said, "I only ran into her by chance. My real reason for coming to the Land of Hot Water was to help you recruit a suitable partner."

"There's one here?"

Kakuzu was intrigued.

He was always interested in his assigned teammates—especially if they were worth a lot of money.

"There's a man named Hidan..."

Shigen mentioned the name.

"Him?"

"I think I've heard of him before."

Kakuzu pulled out his bounty book, flipping through it until he frowned. "Wait... This guy isn't even on the bounty list."

"He's your future partner."

Shigen raised an eyebrow, reminding Kakuzu that not every teammate needed to be a bounty target.

At least act somewhat normal.

"...Useless."

Kakuzu shook his head in disapproval.

After his betrayal by Hidden Waterfall, he never trusted teammates again. The only person he truly trusted was Shigen.

Once, he had almost trusted Tsunade.

But her gambling and debt-dodging had made him see her true nature. He wanted nothing more to do with Konoha ninja.

Besides—

The Akatsuki's recruits were always problematic.

They only cared about power, never reputation. That was why Kakuzu refused to acknowledge his teammates... aside from their bounty prices.

However—

Shigen was particularly interested in Hidan.

After all, Hidan had supposedly obtained immortality through some kind of secret experiment.

Even if—

That meant using him for research.

Hidan was the perfect subject.

Only those who had experienced death could truly appreciate the value of life.

And those who were immortal...

Never cherished their own existence.

Hidan was exactly that kind of person.

"Want to join Akatsuki?"

When Shigen and Kakuzu finally encountered Hidan, the man showed no interest in their invitation. Instead, without hesitation, he swung his scythe at them with a crazed grin.

A moment later—

A flash of emerald-green chakra sliced through the air.

In an instant, Hidan's head was severed from his body, rolling onto the ground with a dull thud.

However, he was still alive.

Even as his head lay on the dirt, his severed body flailed behind him, blindly trying to retrieve it.

"You bastards!"

Hidan's severed head rolled a few times before coming to a stop, his furious eyes glaring up at Shigen.

"This guy really does have the so-called immortality..."

Kakuzu remained unfazed. He had heard rumors of an unkillable man in the Land of Hot Water, so he wasn't surprised. After all, he himself possessed a form of immortality.

But aside from that—

Hidan seemed to have no other special abilities.

From the way he recklessly charged in, swinging his scythe without technique, it was clear he was full of openings.

"This guy..."

Shigen frowned as he watched Hidan's head roll on the ground while his body stumbled around searching for it.

Something felt... off.

Was it just him, or did Hidan seem incredibly stupid?

"...He'll do."

Kakuzu stomped down on Hidan's head.

At the very least, this idiot could serve as a disposable pawn in battle.

"Join Akatsuki?"

Kakuzu asked again, staring down at Hidan.

"No way!"

Even with his head pinned to the ground, Hidan remained arrogant.

Despite his situation—despite the fact that his body could be torn apart at any moment—he showed no signs of surrender.

However, when he felt Kakuzu's foot press harder against his skull, he quickly shouted, "Wait—unless you're willing to help Lord Shigen spread his teachings!"

"...Lord Shigen?"

Kakuzu's eyes narrowed in confusion.

"Of course, I'm talking about the great Lord Shigen—the divine figure who blessed me with immortality!"

Hidan's voice was filled with fanaticism, as if he took immense pride in his so-called faith.

"..."

Kakuzu instinctively turned to look at Shigen.

"...The ninja world..."

Shigen's brows furrowed tightly.

Wasn't he the only Shigen in this world?

An uneasy feeling crept into his mind.

Had someone been using his name to commit atrocities in secret?

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