Naruto: Manipulation-Chapter 153: The True Intentions of the Fourth Kazekage!

The arena.

The moment Shukaku fully emerged, the crowd erupted into chaos.

It wasn't just the Konoha villagers—even the Sand ninja were shaken.

Everyone had seen a Tailed Beast rampage before.

And no one believed that Shukaku had appeared just to defeat Sasuke Uchiha.

This was far bigger than the exam itself!

"Why do we have to deal with something like this in the Chunin Exams?!"

Konoha had only just recovered from the last Nine-Tails incident.

The trauma was still fresh.

And now—another Tailed Beast had gone berserk!

At this point—

No one cared about the exam anymore.

Even the contestants in the waiting area were hesitating—

All except for one.

Pain.

The masked Rain ninja remained motionless, watching from the stands.

He wasn't afraid.

Or rather—

He acted as if he didn't need to be afraid.

But no one had time to dwell on him.

Konoha's Jonin immediately started evacuating civilians.

As the chief examiner, Jiraiya didn't hesitate—

He and Tsunade leaped into the arena, issuing orders to prepare for Shukaku's rampage.

No matter what—

He would not let the village fall into disaster today!

Even if Shukaku wasn't as powerful as the Nine-Tails, he was still a Tailed Beast.

If he went out of control—

The devastation could be catastrophic.

"Withdraw!"

Jiraiya shouted to Sasuke.

"Your exam is over—get out of there!"

"But my fight with him—"

Sasuke gritted his teeth, looking up at Shukaku's massive form.

He saw Gaara's unconscious body resting within the beast's chest.

He hated how powerless he felt.

"This match is over."

Jiraiya sighed, repeating his command.

"Get out of the arena! A Tailed Beast isn't something a bunch of kids can handle!"

"Hurry and leave!"

Tsunade cracked her knuckles, her tone even harsher.

She stared at Shukaku with annoyance, then clicked her tongue.

"What a pain... first the Nine-Tails, now this?"

Meanwhile—

Jiraiya's gaze shifted toward the Kage seating area.

There, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage, remained seated—

Completely unmoving.

Even as Shukaku wreaked havoc—

Even as the arena descended into panic—

The two Kage didn't flinch.

It was almost as if...

They were competing to see who could remain calmer.

But...

Something was wrong.

Rasa, the Kazekage, wasn't panicking at all.

He wasn't worried about his village's Jinchuriki.

He wasn't even concerned about the chaos his son was causing.

Hiruzen felt uneasy.

As the host of the Chunin Exams, he couldn't ignore this.

His expression remained diplomatic, but his voice turned sharp.

"Lord Kazekage, this... shouldn't be happening during an exam."

A chuckle.

Rasa smirked.

His tone was mocking.

"Tailed Beasts are weapons of the Hidden Villages."

"Isn't it only natural for one to appear in a Chunin Exam?"

He turned to Hiruzen, his smirk widening.

"Or is it that Konoha... still refuses to use its Jinchuriki in battle?"

Hiruzen fell silent.

Because, in truth—

Konoha never used Naruto in war.

Even during the greatest conflicts, Konoha never unleashed the Nine-Tails.

Why?

Because once the Nine-Tails rampaged, it was impossible to stop.

"We are not the same," Hiruzen finally answered.

His eyes hardened.

"The risk of a Tailed Beast rampage far outweighs its benefits."

He looked at the battlefield.

"Their power is too much for these young ninja to face. This..."

"This is reckless."

"Hah."

Rasa chuckled again.

"If you don't trust your own village's ninja, you're free to forfeit."

His gaze flickered to the arena, where Shukaku towered over Sasuke.

"As for a Tailed Beast rampage..."

"As the host of these exams, surely Konoha can handle it?"

Hiruzen's face darkened.

He understood what Rasa was doing.

The Kazekage was taunting Konoha.

Mocking how the village had failed to control the Nine-Tails—

Twice.

And—

Rasa was deliberately escalating the situation.

Bringing a Jinchuriki into Konoha...

Allowing a Tailed Beast to go berserk in the village...

This was a declaration of war.

But Hiruzen—

Hiruzen was a man of peace.

For years, he had prioritized stability, even at the cost of Konoha's strength.

And even now—

Even when war seemed inevitable—

He didn't want to escalate the conflict.

"This is a Chunin Exam, not a battlefield."

Hiruzen met Rasa's eyes.

"These children should not be forced to fight a war beyond their capabilities."

Tailed Beasts—

Were far beyond what Genin could handle.

Sasuke Uchiha was still just a child.

And yet, this man—

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.

The Kazekage—

Was expecting a Genin to fight a Tailed Beast?!

"Alright then."

Rasa suddenly softened his tone.

His voice became polite—almost reassuring.

"If Konoha cannot handle this..."

"I will intervene myself."

Hiruzen narrowed his eyes.

Something didn't feel right.

Was Rasa really just trying to show off Sand's power?

Just for a Chunin Exam?

That seemed excessive.

Normally, Hidden Villages only used Tailed Beasts in war—

Not public tournaments.

And yet...

Rasa had willingly brought a Tailed Beast into Konoha.

And let it rampage.

Something wasn't adding up.

Before Hiruzen could speak—

A Konoha ninja rushed over with an urgent report.

"A large force of Sand ninja is approaching Konoha!"

Hiruzen's eyes widened.

He immediately turned to Rasa.

The Kazekage remained calm.

"...Lord Kazekage."

Hiruzen's voice was cold.

"I need an explanation."

"Is the Hidden Sand... declaring war on Konoha?"

A smirk.

Then—

A laugh.

Rasa's fingers tapped against the armrest of his chair.

"Oh?"

Then—

He finally spoke.

"Of course not."

Hiruzen's fists clenched.

This was wrong.

Something was wrong.

And then—

Rasa sighed.

"Alright," he said, his voice turning serious.

"No more games."

He leaned forward.

"If everything has gone according to plan..."

"The Sand ninja should have already stopped outside the village."

Sure enough—

Moments later, another report came in.

"The Sand forces... have halted outside Konoha."

They hadn't attacked.

They were waiting.

"...What is your goal?"

Hiruzen's expression was grim.

Rasa's next words—

Changed everything.

"I need Konoha's help," Rasa said calmly.

"To stage a deception."

Hiruzen's brows furrowed.

"A deception?"

Rasa exhaled.

"The real threat..."

"...Is already inside Konoha."

Hiruzen felt his blood run cold.

"Are you saying..."

Rasa's gaze sharpened.

"Yes."

"The leader of the Akatsuki has infiltrated Konoha."

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