Naruto: Manipulation-Chapter 161: The True Master of Akatsuki… Is Me

The enemy had arrived so quickly!

Their combat experience and strength were overwhelming!

And yet, in the midst of battle, he knew so little about them that before Deva Path Pain could even mount a proper counterattack, he had already been defeated!

"As expected... of the Golden Flash."

Orochimaru stood outside the barrier of the Four Red Yang Formation, smiling as he praised Minato Namikaze for ruthlessly taking down Deva Path Pain.

There was no denying it...

Even in Orochimaru's eyes, this young man—who had once stolen the Hokage position from him—was worthy of admiration at this moment.

Because Deva Path Pain was no weakling.

Even though he had entered a period of weakness after using Super Shinra Tensei, he was not an opponent that could be so easily dispatched. And yet, Minato had done it in just a few breaths, his golden-haired form marked with Edo Tensei's decay still looking completely at ease...

Jiraiya gritted his teeth, shooting an irritated glance at Orochimaru before speaking angrily. "That's because Minato knew our chakra wouldn't last long enough to sustain the Four Red Yang Formation. Defeating Yahiko quickly was the only logical choice."

"Is that so?"

Orochimaru recalled the intel he had received from Obito Uchiha regarding Nagato, narrowing his eyes. "But Pain is not Yahiko."

Inside the Four Red Yang Formation.

Minato frowned slightly as he looked at Deva Path Pain.

To his surprise, a single Rasengan had been enough to bring him down. Given his power, he should have been able to withstand such an attack...

And yet...

Deva Path Pain had collapsed completely.

It was as if losing his combat capability meant losing his very life. Minato's expression remained puzzled as he pulled a black rod from Pain's body.

"This is..."

"Naraka Path: Summoning Jutsu!"

Suddenly, Nagato gritted his teeth and summoned a massive, spectral head—the King of Hell. Its long tongue shot out, wrapping around Deva Path Pain's body and pulling him into its mouth!

Without Deva Path Pain's protection and support...

Even though Nagato could use all Six Paths abilities with his own body, he would undoubtedly fall quickly under the three Hokage's relentless assault!

He had to...

Repair Deva Path Pain immediately!

Unfortunately...

The three Hokage wouldn't give him that time!

Nor did they even know what he was trying to do.

Their goal was singular—to defeat Nagato before he could act, because the ones maintaining the Four Red Yang Formation did not have infinite chakra like the Edo Tensei Hokage. They wouldn't be able to hold out for long!

"Nagato!"

Konan, her paper wings spread wide, flew toward him at full speed, raising her hands toward the three Hokage. Countless sheets of paper floated from her palms!

At this moment...

She had to take Pain's place in protecting Nagato!

Her hands transformed into countless white sheets, each one swirling through the air, laced with explosive tags as they rained toward the three Hokage!

But what greeted her...

Was a simple kunai.

A single kunai, carrying an explosive tag of its own, soared toward her paper storm.

Tobirama Senju didn't even look back as he continued advancing toward Nagato, simply raising his fingers to form a simple hand seal.

"Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags."

In the next instant—

An infinite chain of explosive tags ignited!

A massive fireball burst into the sky as the shockwave expanded in all directions, forcing Konan to retreat into the air, her paper wings unfolding once more.

"Konan!"

Nagato instinctively looked up.

However...

Hashirama Senju had already leaped forward, throwing a devastating punch!

Nagato could only hastily control the Asura Path's laser cannon to fire a shot, but before it could land—

A monstrous force crashed into his body!

This was...

The Strength of a Hundred Technique!

Nagato's body was sent flying, blood spraying from his mouth. He had never expected the legendary First Hokage's strength to be this overwhelming!

As he struggled to gather his chakra and counterattack, two kunai landed beside him!

Tobirama Senju and Minato Namikaze had teleported in an instant!

"Shinra Tensei!"

Nagato raised his hand, repelling the two Hokage away.

But...

It was meaningless.

The strongest Hokage in Konoha's history—the man who ended the Warring States Period, the God of Shinobi—Hashirama Senju was already charging toward him again.

Nagato, believing he could take on all three Hokage at once, had inevitably fallen into a desperate battle!

"Pain!"

The mouth of the Naraka Path's King of Hell opened!

Deva Path Pain emerged from its maw, a black rod forming in his palm as he stepped forward, blocking Hashirama's attack. He was buying Nagato a moment to recover!

"What's going on?"

Hashirama was not alarmed, merely curious as he looked at the now-revived Deva Path Pain.

Had he...

Come back to life?

"It's probably a puppet."

Minato's voice echoed across the battlefield.

The golden-haired Hokage had already deduced something. His gaze sharpened as he locked onto Nagato, gripping one of the black rods tightly.

Pain...

No, Yahiko...

Was not truly alive.

He was merely...

A puppet controlled by Nagato.

Yahiko...

Had already died long ago.

"He's not a puppet!"

Nagato clenched his fists, his eyes bulging slightly as he desperately poured chakra into Deva Path Pain, forcing it to move like a living person, engaging Hashirama in battle!

"Right now..."

"He is still alive..."

Nagato's voice wavered, his initial excitement slowly giving way to calmness, as if trying to convince everyone—including himself.

"We are all still alive..."

Minato's expression turned somber.

Though Nagato was arguing...

Everyone understood.

"What... is going on?"

Jiraiya's heart trembled as he watched the battle inside the Four Red Yang Formation. A painful realization struck him like a blade.

Today...

Too much had happened.

He had believed that all three of his students had died, only to find them standing before him, not as allies, but as enemies.

And now...

The situation had changed yet again.

One of his students—Yahiko—had died long ago and had been turned into a puppet by another student, Nagato?

"So that's how it is..."

Hashirama let out a heavy sigh as he gazed at Deva Path Pain, gripping one of the black rods before slamming Pain into the ground!

Crash.

Once again, Deva Path Pain's body collapsed.

In a pure taijutsu fight...

Pain was no match for the God of Shinobi.

"Turning your dead friend into a puppet..."

Hashirama pulled another chakra rod from Pain's body, turning his gaze to Nagato with a soft sigh. "All just to deceive yourself into believing he's still alive."

Nagato's long, crimson hair hung messily over his face.

As if, in this moment, the beautiful illusion he had built for himself over the years had finally shattered.

How wonderful it had been...

The three of them, alive in this world...

No need to relive painful memories, no need to bear the weight of the future...

If only they had remained in Akatsuki, living in the past, following the man they once admired...

"Nagato..."

Jiraiya's voice was filled with sorrow as he demanded, "What happened? What's going on?"

But Nagato remained silent.

Perhaps because answering no longer mattered.

His crimson hair shrouded his vacant Rinnegan, standing still—resigned.

At that moment—

Orochimaru smirked.

"Of course, Akatsuki won't disband."

His voice carried a chilling amusement.

"Because the true master of Akatsuki has always been in control..."

"I never intended to deal with Nagato."

"From the very beginning—"

"My real target has always been someone else."

"!!!"

Nagato's expression darkened instantly!

The red-haired man, who had been teetering on the edge of despair, suddenly snapped back to attention. His Rinnegan, once clouded with exhaustion, now flickered with shock and realization.

Orochimaru's words were like a dagger, cutting through the last remnants of his illusion.

At this moment...

Nagato finally understood.

Orochimaru had betrayed them.

More than that—

Orochimaru had always been planning to betray them.

And now, he was no longer even trying to hide it!

"You..."

Nagato's voice was hoarse, his hands clenched into fists as he stared at Orochimaru outside the broken Four Red Yang Formation. "You knew everything... from the very beginning?"

Orochimaru merely smiled.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

"As expected of the wielder of the Rinnegan," he chuckled. "I see you finally understand."

Nagato's breathing became heavy.

Everything made sense now.

The attack on Konoha.

The timing of their battle.

The appearance of the Edo Tensei Hokage.

And now...

Orochimaru's betrayal.

All of it had been orchestrated from the start!

Nagato's heart pounded as he slowly turned his gaze toward Jiraiya.

The man who had once been his teacher—

Had also been deceived by Orochimaru's schemes!

"Jiraiya-sensei..."

Nagato's voice was strained, filled with emotions too complex to name.

Jiraiya's expression twisted in pain.

He didn't know what to say.

His former student... the child he had once trained and believed in... had become a pawn in a much larger game.

And worst of all—

The person pulling the strings...

Was someone Jiraiya had known for decades.

"Orochimaru..."

Jiraiya's voice was low, trembling with suppressed anger. "What the hell are you planning?"

Orochimaru's smile widened.

"Planning?" he echoed mockingly. "Oh, Jiraiya, my dear old friend... Haven't you figured it out yet?"

Jiraiya's hands clenched into fists.

The truth was—

He didn't want to hear Orochimaru's answer.

Because deep down...

He already knew.

At that moment—

The air grew heavy.

A chilling presence descended upon the battlefield.

It was different from anything before.

Different from Pain's overwhelming Shinra Tensei.

Different from Hashirama's boundless chakra.

Different from even Orochimaru's eerie, snake-like aura.

This was something else entirely.

Something far older... far stronger... far more terrifying.

Even Hashirama—

The God of Shinobi himself—

Suddenly turned his head, his pupils narrowing.

"This chakra..."

A single sentence.

And yet, it carried a weight that made even the battle-hardened warriors present hold their breath.

A moment later—

A figure appeared.

Not with a flashy entrance.

Not with an explosion of power.

No.

He simply stepped onto the battlefield.

And yet...

That single step sent shockwaves through everyone present.

"Impossible..."

Tsunade's voice was barely a whisper, her eyes widening in sheer disbelief.

Jiraiya's breath caught in his throat.

Even Orochimaru...

For the first time in decades...

Showed a flicker of genuine emotion.

Not amusement.

Not calculation.

Not arrogance.

But something close to shock.

Because the man who had just arrived...

The man who had effortlessly walked into this battlefield...

The man whose mere presence had silenced even the most powerful shinobi in the world...

Was none other than—

Shigen.

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Powerstones?

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