Naruto: Manipulation-Chapter 137: The Two Who Arrived First

Calling it "just a little Nine-Tails incident"...

That was far too careless!

The last Nine-Tails attack had cost Konoha dearly. Countless people had lost their lives, and it had only ended with the ultimate sacrifice of the Fourth Hokage and his wife.

And this time...

How many more lives would Konoha lose?

Iruka Umino's eyes burned red with rage as he glared at Kabuto Yakushi, his hands itching to tear the man apart.

This bastard...

He dared to call this a gift?!

Orochimaru was insane, and so were his subordinates!

"You seem upset."

Kabuto smirked, clearly noticing Iruka's anger. He was well aware of Naruto Uzumaki's situation, and with a curious tilt of his head, he asked, "But aren't you the ones who've been pushing that Nine-Tails host to the brink of mental collapse all along?"

"..."

Iruka froze.

For a moment...

He had no way to refute it.

Because, in truth, Naruto had always been teetering on the edge. From the moment he was born, his entire life had been surrounded by hatred...

That child...

Had rarely experienced love.

Naruto had stumbled his way through life, relying solely on his unyielding will to endure the injustice and darkness that constantly tried to break him.

"It's really quite simple..."

"Konoha has already taken ninety-nine steps toward this outcome..."

"You all have wanted that child dead from the start..."

Kabuto's voice was light, almost casual, as he continued, "All we had to do was take the final step—tell him everything, make him realize that his entire life has been nothing but despair."

"No..."

Iruka gritted his teeth.

No...

That wasn't true...

That child shouldn't have to live in despair forever!

He shouldn't have to walk in darkness! He deserved to have light in his life!

Because, in the end...

Naruto Uzumaki, the one who carried the Nine-Tails' seal...

Was just an ordinary child.

A child who had known nothing and yet bore the burden of their pain.

After tonight...

Would he even survive?

The village already despised the Nine-Tails.

After this night, what kind of fate would await Naruto, whose life had already been filled with suffering?

Iruka was just a simple Chūnin instructor.

A nobody in Konoha's rankings, with no real understanding of the significance of a Jinchūriki. All he knew was that his student was being used...

"Naruto..."

Iruka clenched his fists.

He had to tell the truth to the people of the village.

From the very beginning, it had never been Naruto's fault. And even now, everything was the result of Orochimaru's schemes!

Inside Konoha

Tonight was especially long.

Many in the village couldn't sleep.

Some of the academy graduates were still celebrating their promotion to full-fledged shinobi, and their families rejoiced with them. But others, those with more weight on their shoulders, lay awake, trying to prepare for the future.

One such person...

Was Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage.

The old man sat in his chair, pipe in hand, lost in deep thought. He had just finished assigning the new graduates to their teams.

But...

One issue remained unresolved.

The Nine-Tails inside Naruto Uzumaki.

It was no longer a major concern, but Hiruzen still needed to handle it carefully. He wanted to find a better way to approach the situation.

"It seems..."

"I need to seek his advice."

Hiruzen exhaled a ring of smoke.

He had to go to Shigen for guidance.

Only Shigen...

Knew the full truth about the Nine-Tails.

If Shigen explained things to Naruto, it might make it easier for the boy to accept his burden. He needed to understand that the Nine-Tails wasn't just a curse.

However...

There would be no time for that now.

A sudden tremor rattled the windows of the Hokage's office!

Hiruzen immediately stood, pipe clenched between his teeth, and strode to the window. In the distance, he saw a crimson light rise into the sky, and his hands began to tremble.

"How... is this possible...?"

The Nine-Tails' chakra...

It had erupted?!

Hiruzen already knew what had happened at the graduation ceremony earlier that day. He had seen Jiraiya spending time with Naruto on this important milestone. There was no reason for the Nine-Tails to break free today...

There was no reason for it to go berserk.

Not while Shigen was still in the village.

But as Hokage, Hiruzen had no time for doubts.

He removed his hat and shrugged off his ceremonial robe.

Underneath...

Was battle armor.

Ever since the death of Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, Hiruzen had resumed his role and had slept in armor every night. He was the strongest shinobi in the village, and it was his duty to protect Konoha.

Fortunately...

He wasn't alone.

His former students, Tsunade and Jiraiya, were still here.

"Summon Jiraiya and Tsunade!"

Hiruzen crouched on the windowsill, calling out to his Anbu guards. Then, he hesitated.

"And..."

This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.

He stopped himself.

There was no need to say it.

Shigen would not stand by and watch a disaster unfold.

Not with his connection to Naruto.

Not with his knowledge of the Nine-Tails.

And not with his nature.

Konoha Hospital

Shigen often spent his nights here.

Part of the time, he discussed medical ninjutsu with Tsunade. The rest, he reviewed her case files, occasionally pointing out things she had overlooked.

The hospital was brightly lit.

Shigen leaned against the window.

From outside, his silhouette could be seen framed in the glow of the room. He never seemed to need rest, as if his life had been one long, uninterrupted struggle.

When the Nine-Tails' chakra flared, he glanced at the clock on the wall.

"A little later than expected. But no matter..."

Inside the Uzumaki Memorial Hall

The Nine-Tails' chakra continued to grow.

More and more tails emerged behind Naruto.

Mizuki, the man responsible for this disaster, was beyond terrified. He could feel the sheer power of the chakra pressing down on him, making him feel insignificant.

"No..."

"Please, no..."

Mizuki was sobbing now.

The red chakra was suffocating.

The killing intent alone was unbearable!

The air itself burned where the chakra touched it. His skin was already covered in searing marks.

"Naruto..."

"You have to calm down...!"

Mizuki cowered in the corner, tears and snot running down his face as he screamed.

"Don't you want to meet your father?! If you find that treasure, you can ask him why he sealed the Nine-Tails inside you!"

That was the plan.

His mysterious benefactor had told him exactly how to manipulate Naruto.

As long as the boy wanted to know the truth, he would help them find the Uzumaki Clan's relic—the key to speaking with the dead.

But...

Why had it gone so wrong?!

They hadn't even found the treasure yet!

Naruto had lost control the moment he learned the truth!

And then—

A ninth tail emerged.

Naruto had completely transformed.

His body was engulfed in a cloak of crimson chakra, and eight massive tails swayed wildly behind him. He was no longer human—he was a monster!

"Help... help me..."

Mizuki's eyes rolled back in terror.

BOOM!

The memorial hall's wall exploded!

Tsunade crashed through the rubble, frowning in annoyance.

"What the hell are you screaming about? Shut up!"

"Tsunade-sama...!"

Mizuki sobbed in relief.

"What's going on?"

Jiraiya landed beside her, eyes scanning the scene.

"First time releasing Nine-Tails chakra, and he's already got eight tails?"

The Anbu hadn't even arrived yet.

But Tsunade and Jiraiya had already made it here—faster than even Hiruzen.

"It's just this bastard here..."

Tsunade clenched her fist, glancing at Mizuki.

"He must've been up to something. We'll question him later."

"It's not me!"

Mizuki frantically waved his hands.

"It's all Naruto! He just wanted to know about his parents!"

"Ignore him."

"Let's seal the Nine-Tails first."

Jiraiya's hands formed a seal, his expression deadly serious.

But—

Naruto sensed the threat!

A massive chakra claw lashed out toward Jiraiya, moving too fast for him to react!

"Move!"

Tsunade kicked Jiraiya aside.

As she pressed her palms together, black markings spread across her face.

She knew—

This wasn't a fight she could afford to take lightly.

----------

Powerstones?

For 20 advance Chapters: patreon.com/michaeltranslates