Naruto: Manipulation-Chapter 174: I Believe Sasuke Uchiha Has the Potential to Lead the Akatsuki!

As news spread among the ninja world, the major events that occurred during the Konoha Chunin Exams quickly became known across the land. Konoha had no way to stop ninjas from other villages from spreading the information.

However...

What happened there was truly full of twists and turns—far beyond anyone's expectations!

Iwagakure

The Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, was no stranger to the Akatsuki.

Sipping his tea at a leisurely pace, he flipped through intelligence reports delivered by Iwagakure's Anbu. He saw that the Akatsuki's leader, Pain, had appeared in the Chunin Exams.

"Not bad at all..."

Ōnoki had previously hired the Akatsuki for missions, and he was quite satisfied with Pain's strength, which was displayed during the exams.

"To think he could defeat that old Third Hokage, along with Jiraiya and Tsunade... That's no small feat."

Without a doubt, Pain had bested three Kage-level powerhouses.

However, as he continued reading the report, the tea in his mouth sprayed out uncontrollably. He didn't even care about the tea stains on his chest as he hastily grabbed the document, rereading it carefully.

The more he read, the more serious his expression became.

According to the intelligence, Orochimaru, Konoha's rogue ninja, had used the Edo Tensei technique to resurrect the past Hokages. But fighting the Akatsuki's leader was merely the opening act!

"Lord Shigen..."

Ōnoki's eyes landed on a familiar name, recalling the legendary figure he had once met in his youth—a man of noble ideals.

And yet...

That same man, Shigen, had now become the mastermind behind the Akatsuki, a mercenary organization!

Ōnoki was more shocked by this revelation than by Shigen single-handedly defeating Konoha's four Hokages.

Because the true horror was that this once-great figure had become the hidden force behind the Akatsuki, aiming to create a weapon of war capable of annihilating entire nations!

"Hey, Dad..."

Ōnoki's son, Kurotsuchi, peered over his father's shoulder curiously.

"This Shigen guy... is he the same person from those stories I heard when I was a kid?"

"Yes."

Ōnoki nodded solemnly, his mind drifting back to the past—over forty years ago—when he had encountered Shigen.

Back then...

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Even three Kage together had been powerless against him.

But at that time, Shigen had fought for peace. Now, he seemed to be fighting for peace in a far more extreme manner.

"From now on..."

"Never hire the Akatsuki again."

Ōnoki sighed as he issued the command.

The Akatsuki's plan to create weapons of mass destruction was not in Iwagakure's best interest. As Tsuchikage, he could not allow Shigen's ambitions to succeed.

In fact...

From this moment on, Iwagakure and the Akatsuki were enemies.

After all, as one of the Five Great Nations, Iwagakure was obligated to maintain the existing balance of power in the ninja world. They could not allow anyone to surpass the Great Nations—not even to stand on equal footing with them.

"Speaking of which..."

"The man's strength is truly terrifying..."

Kurotsuchi naturally wouldn't question his father's command, but his curiosity remained.

"Konoha's four Hokages together weren't even his match?"

"That's only natural."

Ōnoki furrowed his brows, his expression heavy with memories.

"After all... even Madara Uchiha once admitted defeat at his hands."

That same Madara Uchiha...

Even now, the thought of him still sent chills down the old Tsuchikage's spine.

"There's no way I could ever defeat Lord Shigen..."

Ōnoki gazed out the window at the bustling streets of Iwagakure, whispering to himself.

"The ninja world is about to face a crisis."

Kumogakure

Kumogakure's reaction was different.

They weren't interested in Shigen being the mastermind behind the Akatsuki, nor were they particularly concerned about him defeating Konoha's four Hokages.

No...

There was only one thing that caught their attention.

"So even Minato lost, huh..."

The Fourth Raikage's only interest was in the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, who had once defeated him and his sworn brother in the Third Great Ninja War.

"It seems that man's speed is incredible..."

Clenching an apple in his massive fist, the Fourth Raikage evaluated the situation.

"My speed should be faster than Minato's now... but I still don't think I could defeat that guy."

And yet, Minato—the very ninja who had bested him—alongside the legendary First Hokage, the lightning-fast Second Hokage, and the famed Third Hokage, had all been completely outmatched by Shigen.

That meant...

There was little chance that he himself could win.

"Lord Raikage..."

His secretary spoke cautiously.

"If that man truly has some grand scheme... should we start monitoring the Akatsuki more closely?"

"Keep an eye on them."

The Fourth Raikage was a rough, straightforward man, but he was no fool. What mattered most to him was Kumogakure's internal strength.

Regardless of what happened in the outside world, as long as Kumogakure remained strong, he was confident they could handle any crisis.

This was a lesson learned from years of war.

Unlike the other Great Nations, Kumogakure prioritized its internal stability above all else. This focus had led to a highly unified village, with almost no rogue ninjas in recent years.

Of course...

This was partly due to the fact that Shigen had been active long before the Fourth Raikage was born. Even his father, the Third Raikage, had only vague memories of Shigen's lofty ideals—nothing that truly piqued his interest.

The Akatsuki

Among all those concerned, none were more shaken than the Akatsuki members themselves.

The organization had lost the Rinnegan.

Without it, they could no longer use the Phantom Projection Jutsu for long-distance communication.

Upon returning to their hideout, they discovered that Pain had disappeared completely.

And the one who now controlled the Akatsuki...

Was a blind man.

Fortunately, Shigen's authority remained absolute.

At least, none within the organization dared to rebel.

However, there were two exceptions—Uchiha Obito's spies: Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki.

Unlike the rest of the ninja world, which was fixated on the resurrection of the Hokages and their subsequent defeat, Itachi was solely concerned about his younger brother, Sasuke.

Meanwhile, Kisame was more interested in assessing how much strength Shigen still retained.

Shigen, however, had no interest in their thoughts.

Instead, he gave them a command.

"Go to Konoha and bring back Sasuke Uchiha."

"!!"

Itachi's expression changed instantly.

"Isn't this a bit much?"

Kisame grinned, flashing his sharp teeth.

"That kid is Itachi's younger brother, right? And he has quite the grudge against Itachi... If he joins the Akatsuki, how will Itachi manage?"

"Oh?"

Shigen, seated in his wheelchair, tilted his head slightly, as if surprised by Kisame's resistance.

"So... are you refusing the mission?"

"No, no..."

Kisame immediately chuckled.

"Not at all."

"At the very least..."

Itachi looked directly at the blind Shigen, his voice steady.

"What's the point of recruiting Sasuke into the Akatsuki? He's not that impressive right now."

"Is that so?"

Shigen seemed to understand his hesitation.

"Then let me put it plainly—an Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan can evolve into a Rinnegan.

"Does that answer your question?"

"...Or would you prefer it if I were even clearer?"

"In the future, only a Rinnegan user can lead the Akatsuki."

"I spent years in Konoha observing Sasuke. He has the qualities necessary to take up that role."

"I know..."

"You're not happy that I see him as the Akatsuki's successor."

Shigen's blind eyes stared straight ahead.

"But Itachi, you could always compete with him for the position."

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