Naruto: Manipulation

"This is…"

Uchiha Itachi unrolled the scroll in his hands.

He would never pass up an opportunity to gather intelligence. Not only would this help him establish himself within the Akatsuki, but it would also allow him to learn more about Shigen, the legendary figure before him.

Somewhat unexpected.

Yet not surprising at all.

The scroll contained intelligence on Obito Uchiha—including details on his Mangekyō Sharingan abilities and his Wood Release kekkei genkai.

Bluntly speaking…

After reading this, Itachi's wariness of Obito only grew. However, the man was no longer an enigma to him.

As long as he had information…

He could eventually find a way to counter him.

"Don't let him have it too easy."

"Let Konoha teach him a lesson."

"Black Zetsu really despises Obito, and I'd like to do it a favor."

Shigen didn't even glance at Itachi, his tone cold and indifferent as he continued speaking. "Though I don't like you, you're the only one I can entrust with this task. Make sure no one else finds out."

"Why me?"

Itachi was silent for a moment before his expression grew serious. "I can't help but suspect that Lord Shigen is trying to sow discord between me and Obito."

"No need to suspect."

Shigen remained unfazed, continuing his work as he spoke. "I'll need you to keep an eye on Obito in the future."

"You hate me, Lord Shigen…"

Itachi tightened his grip on the scroll, furrowing his brows as he continued in a low voice, "Logically speaking, I have no reason to serve you. Don't you worry that I might tell Obito about this?"

"Rookie…"

Shigen finally lifted his gaze, his voice calm yet carrying a sharp edge that sent chills down Itachi's spine. His words echoed in the young Uchiha's ears like a hammer striking stone.

"What gave you the illusion that you can defy my orders in the Akatsuki?"

"!!!"

Itachi's expression stiffened.

He nearly forgot!

He was already a member of the Akatsuki!

At this point, he couldn't tell if his luck was good or bad. He was being forced into the power struggle between Obito and Shigen.

However…

This might not be entirely disadvantageous.

Itachi couldn't help but ponder.

Shigen was ruthless in his methods, but the conflict between him and Obito could ultimately benefit both Konoha and himself. He might even be able to escalate the tension between them, pushing their fight to greater heights.

"I will complete the mission."

Itachi had made up his mind.

"Is that so?"

Shigen lowered his gaze, as if he had seen straight through Itachi's thoughts. A hint of mockery crept into his voice.

"It seems Konoha's shinobi always have their own little schemes, always thinking they see further than others…"

"Hashirama Senju was the same."

"He thought the peace he established would last forever."

"At the time, Madara never agreed with his belief that Konoha was worth sacrificing everything for. We both knew Hashirama's ideals would eventually give birth to the darkness within Konoha…"

"I wouldn't dare."

Itachi's heart sank.

"But then again…"

"I'm no better."

Shigen's voice took on a self-deprecating tone, his murmur filled with an almost wistful admiration. "Perhaps your Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, saw further than his brother."

"..."

Itachi thought Shigen might be mistaken.

Within the Uchiha clan, Tobirama Senju was infamous for isolating them by creating the Konoha Police Force.

It was Tobirama's policies…

That prevented the Uchiha from fully integrating into the village.

Itachi clenched his fists. In the end, those very measures deepened the divide between Konoha and the Uchiha, leading to a crisis that nearly tore the village apart.

"It sounds like…"

Itachi gripped the scroll tightly, feigning indifference as he asked, "Lord Shigen and the Second Hokage had a good relationship."

"No."

"My relationship with him was poor."

"I despised him—that's why I chose to side with the Akatsuki's plan."

"But your existence proves that I was wrong."

Shigen cast a cold glance at Itachi and continued, his tone even icier.

"When I was revived, I told Tobirama that the ancestors of the Uchiha and Senju were once brothers. Siblings should live in harmony."

"But Tobirama stubbornly believed that the Uchiha were too extreme to integrate with Konoha. Perhaps that's why he chose to hide the truth…"

"Now, looking at you—a man who chose to slaughter his own clan for the sake of power—I can almost hear Tobirama sneering at me from the afterlife, mocking my naive and blind faith in humanity."

"That's why, every time I see you… I can't stand you."

"..."

Itachi felt a sharp pain in his chest.

So that's it…

This is…

The cruel irony of fate.

Shigen was actually the one who had the right vision, while Tobirama was the one who was wrong. Yet Itachi's actions had inverted that truth.

He had always wanted to help the Uchiha integrate into Konoha. But now, he had become the embodiment of Tobirama's belief—that the Uchiha were too dangerous to belong.

This realization was both agonizing and absurd.

Especially since Itachi couldn't reveal his true intentions within the Akatsuki. He had to suppress everything, keeping his mission a secret even from Shigen.

The only thing he could do…

Was apologize.

"…I'm sorry."

"I didn't know."

Thirteen-year-old Itachi lowered his head slightly. His crimson eyes glowed faintly, struggling to contain the emotions welling up inside him.

A mixture of guilt toward Shigen and sorrow from his own pain threatened to overflow. Blood-red tears pooled in his Sharingan.

"It doesn't matter."

"I don't care anymore."

Shigen waved a hand dismissively, his voice devoid of emotion.

"Now, I will make good use of you—an Uchiha who sacrificed everything for power."

"I can promise you one thing."

"If you obey me, I will ensure your brother's safety until he awakens his Mangekyō Sharingan. No one will take his life before then."

"But I make no guarantees…"

"That you'll be the one to obtain the Eternal Mangekyō."

"If you accept this…"

"Then carry out the mission I've assigned you."

"Yes…"

Itachi dropped to one knee in acknowledgment. He then crushed the intelligence scroll in his hands, leaped into the night, and vanished beneath the moonlight.

At that moment…

He suppressed all unnecessary thoughts.

Even though he knew how dangerous his position in the Akatsuki was… Even though he understood why Shigen despised him…

Shigen's stance and promise were precisely what Itachi wanted.

Even Shigen's hatred toward him was something he welcomed.

Tap… Tap… Tap…

The sound of a pen striking a wooden scroll echoed in the night.

Shigen didn't bother watching Itachi leave. Instead, he continued writing, but this time, it was no longer medical notes—only names of shinobi.

If someone were to see his scroll…

They would notice that each name was connected by thin lines, forming a web so intricate that no one could untangle their relationships.

Some names had been marked with circles. Black ink surrounded Black Zetsu's name, while Kakuzu, Nagato, and Konan's names were enclosed in green.

Suddenly…

Shigen calmly circled Itachi's name in red—linking it directly to Obito's.

Meanwhile.

Kakashi Hatake's squad was closing in.

As the team's sensor, Kurenai Yuhi raised a finger, quickly locating the position of the kidnapper and Anko Mitarashi. Her senses were razor-sharp.

"Did you find them?"

Kakashi felt a growing unease. Things had gone almost too smoothly… Had the enemy really not noticed their pursuit?

"!!!"

Kurenai's face suddenly changed.

"What's wrong?"

Yamato turned to her in surprise.

"It's… enemy reinforcements."

Kurenai's expression turned grim. She could feel two strong chakra signatures rapidly approaching.

"They're here!"

Might Guy gripped his nunchaku tightly. His body tensed as he swung his leg forward in a powerful kick toward the sky. His sensory abilities were lacking, but his battle instincts were razor-sharp.

From within the forest…

A masked man stepped into view.

Might Guy's foot landed squarely against the man's body, but instead of feeling resistance, his strike passed through as if he had kicked thin air.

"Hmm? What's going on?"

Guy was momentarily surprised by his own failure. He immediately realized something was off—his vision had been precise. He had definitely landed a hit!

How could it have missed?

But…

None of that mattered.

Guy twisted his body mid-air, pivoting as he launched a spinning kick straight toward the masked man.

"Leaf Great Whirlwind!"

Once again…

His attack hit nothing but empty space!

Undeterred, Guy pressed forward, launching a rapid sequence of kicks toward his opponent.

"Leaf Strong Whirlwind!"

Even the masked man seemed momentarily silent as he observed Guy's repeated yet fruitless attacks. He couldn't quite understand why this man, despite failing to land a single hit, remained so unshaken in his resolve…

But…

This was far enough.

Guy's movements finally slowed as he landed, a slight frown forming on his face. He looked down at his own foot, uncertain of what had just happened.

"…I didn't hit him?"

Kakashi Hatake had been watching the entire exchange closely, and his eyes narrowed. He had witnessed every one of Guy's attacks miss despite their accuracy.

This opponent…

Was trouble.

"Sharingan!"

"He has a Sharingan!"

"Don't make eye contact with him!"

Kakashi quickly warned his teammates as he pulled out a kunai and stepped forward to intercept the masked figure.

Beneath the mask…

A single crimson eye glowed ominously.

"Who are you?"

Kakashi's grip on his kunai tightened as he stared at the masked man.

"Did you steal that Sharingan?"

His free hand reached up, slowly pushing his forehead protector aside to reveal his own Sharingan. He needed to observe the enemy carefully.

"Hmph…"

The masked man scoffed at Kakashi's words, but he couldn't be bothered to respond.

Nor did he have any interest in mocking Kakashi.

His eerie Mangekyō Sharingan spun as his voice rang out, cold and indifferent.

"Leave now, and I will spare your lives."

The moment he finished speaking, the masked man sidestepped Kakashi's kunai and countered with a swift kick to Kakashi's chest, sending him flying backward.

"Wood Release… Great Forest Technique!"

Yamato quickly formed hand seals, stretching his arms forward as wooden spikes shot out from his limbs, aiming to impale the masked man.

However…

It was useless!

The wooden spikes passed right through him, as if he wasn't even there!

"Hmph…"

The masked man leapt backward, landing atop a thick tree branch. His gaze swept over the Konoha squad with an air of disdain.

"…We can't hit him."

Yamato's forehead beaded with sweat as he spoke in a grave tone. "His body isn't solid—our attacks just phase through him…"

"He's tangible."

Kakashi flipped in midair, regaining his balance as he landed. He wiped the corner of his mouth, staring intently at the masked man.

"But only for a brief moment."

Because…

He had been hit.

"That makes things easier."

A smirk spread across Guy's face, his enthusiasm reigniting. The man radiated a boundless energy, his teeth practically gleaming in the moonlight.

"If he has a body, then I'll land a hit eventually!"

"Don't be reckless…"

"We need to figure out how to counter his ability first."

Kakashi's gaze remained locked onto the masked man. He spoke in a low voice, "Our priority is rescuing Anko, not defeating this unknown enemy."

He turned toward Kurenai.

"Kurenai, can you sense our target's location?"

"…That's…"

Kurenai's voice faltered.

"Long time no see."

A voice rang out from the shadows.

From within the depths of the forest, a lone figure emerged. His scarlet eyes glowed ominously in the darkness, like a specter from the underworld.

Thirteen-year-old Uchiha Itachi stepped forward, his expression calm and unreadable.

Every Konoha ninja in the squad stiffened.

"…Uchiha Itachi!"

The name sent a chilling wave of recognition through them all.

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Powerstones?

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