Naruto: Manipulation-Chapter 173: Send Uchiha Itachi to Bring Back Uchiha Sasuke

Truthfully—

From Jiraiya's perspective, if the Great Toad Sage's prophecy was to be believed, then Naruto Uzumaki was likely the only person in Konoha who could one day pose a true threat to Shigen.

Naturally—

Jiraiya needed to provide him with special training.

Both as the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki and as the Child of Prophecy, Naruto would require more of Jiraiya's time and effort in the future.

"Naruto."

Jiraiya beckoned Naruto over, seemingly wanting to have a serious talk about the future, hoping the boy could start preparing himself early.

However—

A Konoha shinobi suddenly leaped down!

With the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, dead, and Konoha leaderless, this shinobi naturally saw Jiraiya as the next Hokage and rushed to report to him.

"Lord Jiraiya, something's happened!"

The shinobi hastily reported a crisis regarding Sunagakure's One-Tail Jinchūriki.

"The One-Tails Jinchūriki from the Sand is acting up again!"

"That guy, Gaara?!"

The moment Naruto heard this, he stepped forward before anyone else.

He recalled what Shigen had once told him and volunteered to handle Gaara himself.

"Let me go! I can definitely solve this!"

"..."

The people around him gave him doubtful looks.

But—

Jiraiya agreed.

Because he knew Naruto saw Gaara as someone like himself.

Still, Jiraiya didn't expect it to be an easy task and planned to go along to help seal the One-Tail, at the very least to prevent further chaos.

What Jiraiya never expected—

Was that Naruto handled the situation alone.

That blond kid left him dumbfounded as he dodged Shukaku's attacks, rushed straight toward Gaara, and punched him awake!

And then—

Within just a few sentences, Naruto had reduced the bloodthirsty, solitary Gaara to tears.

"That kid..."

Jiraiya's eye twitched.

He had never expected Naruto to contribute to Konoha this much at this young age.

"How the hell did he do that?"

The Next Day

Gaara seemed... different.

The red-haired boy from Sunagakure no longer carried an aura of pure killing intent.

His cold, distant demeanor hadn't fully shifted yet, but at the very least, people no longer feared him on sight.

Except—

Whenever he saw Naruto, there was something different in his gaze.

Because—

They were too alike.

Just as Gaara's mother had died giving birth to him, Naruto's parents had sacrificed themselves to protect Konoha and their son.

And beyond that—

Both had endured tragic childhoods.

Both had suffered isolation and fear from others because of the Tailed Beast inside them.

But more than anything—

Naruto had told him the truth.

"We're not monsters..."

"Your mother and uncle loved you..."

"We carry the hopes of those who loved us, entrusted to us in their final moments, so we have to live on—stronger and happier!"

Naturally—

Naruto had earned a lifelong friend.

Gaara didn't say much after that, but when he returned to Sunagakure—

He began preparing himself to become the next Kazekage.

A Tailed Beast Jinchūriki—

A former berserker—

And only twelve years old—

Wanting to become Sunagakure's Kazekage?! That had to be wishful thinking, right?

But—

It turned out...

It wasn't.

After surveying their poor, war-torn village, the higher-ups of Sunagakure quickly saw Gaara's potential and began grooming him as a candidate for the Fifth Kazekage.

Yes.

With the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, dead, Sunagakure had lost its last Kage-level shinobi.

Meanwhile—

Compared to Sunagakure, where the entire village placed their hopes on Gaara, Konoha was a different story.

Despite Naruto's accomplishments, he was not selected as the Fifth Hokage.

Because Konoha...

Wasn't as desperate as the Sand.

Still—

The identity of the new Hokage came as a surprise.

Tsunade.

Konoha's new Fifth Hokage.

The woman who, during the Chunin Exams crisis, had been mentally shattered after Shigen's attack—

Had finally pulled herself together under the weight of the Hokage's responsibilities!

"Ahhhhhhh!!!"

Naruto stood below the Hokage Tower, pouting as Tsunade stood atop it, solemnly donning the Hokage hat.

"I was supposed to be Hokage!!!"

"You brat..."

Jiraiya flicked him on the forehead with his finger.

"Enough whining. Say your goodbyes to your friends—it's time for us to start your training."

"Eh?"

Naruto blinked in confusion.

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"Staying in Konoha won't help you anymore."

Jiraiya sighed, explaining Naruto's situation.

"Even if you stay with Team 7, you'll only be doing normal missions. That won't help you grow stronger.

"If you truly want to be strong enough to face Shigen, you need to dedicate all your time to training."

"..."

Naruto felt the pain of separation again.

But—

Jiraiya's words made sense.

They couldn't afford to ignore the threat that was Shigen.

If Shigen didn't recognize Naruto's potential, then at just twelve years old, Naruto wouldn't even have the right to stand before him.

"Then..."

Naruto hesitated.

He didn't want to separate from Sasuke.

"Jiraiya-sensei, can Sasuke come with us?"

"Sasuke..."

Jiraiya shook his head.

"He has his own path to follow."

Jiraiya had only enough energy to train one student.

And he wasn't an expert in the Uchiha's Sharingan or their training methods.

Truthfully—

Jiraiya had already taught Sasuke the Fire Style techniques he knew.

But beyond that—

It was better for Sasuke to stay in Konoha and learn from Kakashi Hatake.

In fact—

Kakashi himself thought the same.

Because he knew the Uchiha Clan's massacre had secrets behind it.

With Hiruzen Sarutobi's death during the Chunin Exams, Kakashi might be one of the last people alive who knew the truth.

He needed to tell Sasuke—

That his brother, Uchiha Itachi, had his reasons for what he did.

Unfortunately—

Kakashi never got the chance.

At the Borders of the Land of Fire.

Shigen rested here with Nagato and Konan.

Black Zetsu, visibly frustrated, reported back to Shigen.

Neither it nor White Zetsu had found Danzo or the missing Rinnegan.

They feared that both Rinnegan eyes had fallen into the hands of either Orochimaru or Uchiha Obito.

"It's fine."

"Losing a pair of Rinnegan..."

"Means we'll just create another pair."

Shigen didn't seem bothered at all.

He had already anticipated this outcome.

He spoke of creating a new pair of Rinnegan as if it were as simple as pouring a cup of tea.

With his eyes still covered by a black cloth, looking like a blind man, he gave his next command.

"Bring back Uchiha Sasuke."

"That child has the potential to awaken the Rinnegan."

"This mission will go to Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame."

"Shigen... they're Obito's spies."

Black Zetsu warned him.

"If Obito finds out Sasuke is our candidate for the Rinnegan, he might order his subordinates to eliminate him."

"..."

Shigen was surprised for the first time.

What?

Was Itachi actually capable of killing Sasuke?

Now that...

Would be far more entertaining than a simple Rinnegan retrieval.

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