Naruto: Manipulation

Black Zetsu…

Finally said something that truly resonated with him.

When Black Zetsu suggested letting Obito Uchiha handle the situation, turning it into a win-win scenario, Shigen felt a sense of relief. At the very least, he wouldn't have to worry about Kakashi Hatake's team discovering the Akatsuki base.

All along the journey, he had been enduring Anko Mitarashi's clumsy attempts at leaving traces—he almost felt like pulling her hair out himself just to help her drop more clues!

And yet…

The journey was still filled with setbacks.

Fortunately, everything was progressing within his carefully guided plan. Now, the responsibility of dealing with these Konoha ninjas was pushed onto Obito Uchiha.

Speaking of which…

Black Zetsu's hatred for Obito seemed a little excessive.

Of course, this was partially due to the way Shigen had deliberately portrayed himself in ancient times.

Back then, Shigen had intentionally played the role of a diligent, respectful pawn in Black Zetsu's eyes. He had hoped that, after experiencing all of this, Black Zetsu would subconsciously dislike those who were arrogant, rude, and unreliable.

Now, looking at the results…

It seemed he had pushed a little too hard.

Black Zetsu was practically wishing for Obito to suffer at every possible turn.

However…

Black Zetsu didn't see it that way.

In fact, Black Zetsu had its own little scheme.

If Obito was exposed to the Konoha ninjas, he would undoubtedly become their primary target in the future. It would allow Black Zetsu to throw this useless pawn away as bait—waste disposal at its finest.

However…

If Black Zetsu's plan succeeded, Obito—who was merely resentful now—would likely spiral into complete emotional breakdown later…

Luckily.

Shigen had a much higher emotional intelligence.

When it came to manipulating people, he was far more subtle than Black Zetsu. He even maintained a facade of tolerance toward Obito, despite the latter being his past defeated opponent.

"Don't push Obito too hard."

Shigen casually advised, his words making White Zetsu's eyes light up. "If Obito is unwilling to come, I can deal with the Konoha team myself. This isn't an order for him."

"Yes."

White Zetsu was delighted.

When Obito was twelve, he had been just another Konoha ninja—gravely injured in battle and saved by Madara Uchiha. Back then, it was White Zetsu and its clones who had taken care of him.

They still had some fondness for that once-innocent boy.

White Zetsu didn't want to see tension between Obito and Shigen. It knew that if things escalated, Obito would be dead without a doubt.

Even though…

Obito would probably die sooner or later.

Still…

The White Zetsu clones wanted their source of entertainment to live a little longer.

"One more thing."

"Bring that new recruit over."

Shigen resumed writing on his scroll, sounding indifferent. "That rookie named Uchiha Itachi. Bring him along with Obito, who's been assigned to monitor him. I might as well take this chance to test his abilities…"

"Yes!"

White Zetsu immediately lowered its head in acknowledgment.

Amegakure – Akatsuki's Base.

Obito Uchiha and Itachi Uchiha were still here.

When they arrived, they learned that the entire Akatsuki had become aware of the Konoha spy, Orochimaru. Everyone was eager to eliminate him.

Obito sneered at this notion—he didn't care about Orochimaru's fate. Itachi, on the other hand, felt a slight unease.

This situation…

Felt strangely familiar!

Itachi had a nagging suspicion that Orochimaru, like himself, was a spy forced to defect from Konoha on the surface while secretly working for the village.

Especially when the Akatsuki members confidently claimed that Orochimaru might have been planted by Danzo Shimura, and they all wanted to seize the chance to execute him.

Under these circumstances…

Should he try to save Orochimaru?

Itachi felt conflicted.

As a newly recruited member of Akatsuki, he shouldn't stand by and watch a fellow Konoha ninja suffer. He needed to find an opportunity to secretly investigate Orochimaru's whereabouts and see if he could help him escape the organization's grasp.

However…

Itachi's hesitation didn't last long.

Because…

A White Zetsu clone arrived.

This White Zetsu knew Obito's temperament well. Instead of presenting this as an order from Black Zetsu, it framed the information as intelligence from the main body.

"Lord Shigen is on his way back to the Akatsuki base, but a Konoha team has discovered him…"

"Hmph, that relic still doesn't understand the nuances of modern shinobi tactics."

Obito's tone was laced with disdain, venting his dissatisfaction with Shigen. "Strength alone isn't enough to survive in this era…"

"The leader of the Konoha squad is Kakashi Hatake."

White Zetsu's words made Obito pause.

"…"

Obito ruffled his short hair.

In the past, when he had impersonated Madara Uchiha, he had kept his hair long to match the legendary shinobi's appearance. But now that he no longer had to play that role, he had reverted to his preferred shorter hairstyle.

Wait…

Kakashi Hatake?

Kakashi is chasing Shigen?

Did Kakashi's team consist of the Five Kage or something? Who the hell gave that idiot the confidence to lead a squad against Shigen?

This was suicide!

"Hmph, that fool…"

Obito's gaze darkened as he mentioned his former teammate.

He recalled their time in the same squad—how he had always lost to Kakashi in sparring matches. But now, with the Kamui Mangekyō Sharingan, they were no longer in the same league.

Even so…

Even with his current power…

He still wasn't confident he could defeat Shigen.

In their last fight, Shigen had only won by concealing his mastery of the Flying Thunder God Technique. But even knowing that, Obito was aware that if they fought again, his chances of victory would still be slim.

Battles between space-time users…

Were often decided in an instant.

And Shigen also possessed the Rinnegan's power…

Even if Kakashi's team were all Kage-level shinobi, they wouldn't stand a chance against Shigen. This was practically a death sentence!

So…

Should he just sit back and watch?

If Kakashi died while Obito was unaware, it wouldn't matter. It would simply mean the weak were eliminated—he had long since stopped caring about his past life in Konoha.

But…

Now that he knew about it…

Obito clenched his fingers tightly.

He thought about the Infinite Tsukuyomi—the dream world he had envisioned countless times, the future or past that he truly longed for.

In that world, Kakashi would still be the unreachable genius teammate of the underdog Obito Uchiha. They would still be comrades who entrusted their lives to each other.

In that world, Rin Nohara—the girl he had always loved—would never suffer from the tragedies of reality. She would always be by his side, comforting him when he lost to Kakashi and praising him when he finally won.

So…

Until the Infinite Tsukuyomi became reality…

Should he intervene in Kakashi's impending crisis?

"Do you need me to handle this?"

Obito sat up, his gaze locked onto White Zetsu before he quickly averted his eyes, his voice cold as he repeated, "Do you need me to take care of that weakling Kakashi for Shigen?"

His expression was still filled with arrogance, his eyes narrowing as he sought justification for his involvement. "Shigen probably doesn't understand how meticulous shinobi tracking has become in this era, does he?"

"Hmph, even if he kills Kakashi, more Konoha ninjas will follow the trail he leaves behind. We could end up in an all-out war with Konoha before we even capture the Tailed Beasts…"

"Yes…"

White Zetsu quickly nodded, seizing the opportunity to persuade him.

"We're worried about that too! While Lord Shigen can easily handle the Konoha team himself, we requested that he let someone more familiar with modern shinobi tactics handle the cleanup…"

"I understand."

Obito clasped his hands together, his right eye flashing as a space-time vortex engulfed him—transporting him toward the Konoha team's location.

Before Obito could completely disappear into the vortex, White Zetsu's clone quickly called out to stop him.

"Wait!"

Obito paused for a moment, his gaze shifting back impatiently.

"If you're going," White Zetsu's clone reminded him in a low voice, "Lord Shigen's order was to bring the newcomer, Uchiha Itachi, along. He wants to take this opportunity to observe his abilities."

"Hmph…"

"What a waste of time."

Obito's tone was filled with disdain.

Although he believed he could handle everything alone, Shigen's orders weren't something he could openly defy—at least, not for now. So he had no choice but to bring Itachi along.

"It seems Shigen has run into some trouble."

"Let's go clean up the mess for him."

"That person… could even run into trouble?"

Uchiha Itachi was puzzled.

"A Konoha team has spotted him…"

Obito spoke as he observed Itachi's expression carefully. "We're going to help him deal with them."

"With his strength…"

Itachi's eyes narrowed slightly, pretending not to understand. "Did Konoha send an exceptionally powerful team?"

"No…"

Obito scoffed, his tone full of mockery. He shared his opinion that Shigen wasn't well-versed in the modern tracking techniques of shinobi.

"He got spotted while returning and has been unable to shake off his pursuers. Our job is to make sure he does."

"…"

Itachi nodded silently.

For the thirteen-year-old Itachi, he had no desire to start killing Konoha ninjas immediately after defecting. That could complicate his delicate relationship with the village.

Fortunately.

If this mission was merely about covering tracks…

It wouldn't be a problem for him.

As a former captain of Konoha's Anbu, Itachi was an expert in erasing traces left during shinobi operations. In fact, this task was almost beneath his skill level.

"Let's go."

Before leaving, Obito suddenly pulled out a mask and placed it over his face, as if he had just remembered something.

Although…

His identity wasn't exactly a secret within Akatsuki…

Even so…

Obito still didn't want Kakashi to recognize him. He knew that if Kakashi discovered the truth, it would cause endless complications for him.

As expected.

The moment he put on his mask, Black Zetsu couldn't resist sneering at him.

"Obito…"

"Still trying to hide from your old friend?"

"I'm just avoiding unnecessary trouble."

Obito's eyes were cold. He knew Black Zetsu was displeased with him, so he immediately retorted, "Compared to your reckless actions drawing Konoha's attention, this is far less foolish."

"You…"

Black Zetsu's gaze darkened dangerously.

"Enough."

Shigen put an end to their bickering. He looked at Obito and said calmly, "The rest is up to you."

After speaking, he took out two scrolls and tossed them to Obito and Itachi.

"These contain Flying Thunder God marks. If anything happens, I'll step in."

"No need."

Obito sneered, tossing the scroll back without hesitation, completely uninterested in Shigen's supposed safety measure.

Hmph!

Just Kakashi Hatake?

Did Shigen think he was still the same weakling from back then?

Obito's right eye spun, forming a space-time vortex. His body disappeared into it as he transported himself toward the Konoha team's location.

"I'll keep an eye on him."

Black Zetsu's figure melted into the shadows, silently following.

Itachi, however, kept the scroll. Unlike Obito, he wasn't in a position to defy Shigen's instructions, and he also couldn't afford to raise any suspicion.

Of course…

As for the scroll containing the Flying Thunder God mark…

Itachi had already decided to destroy it at the first opportunity during battle. He didn't want Shigen to have a means of suddenly appearing at his side whenever he pleased.

However…

It seemed his intentions had been noticed.

"You can destroy the scroll if you wish."

Shigen's expression remained indifferent as he sat beneath a tree. His voice was eerily calm, as if it carried no weight, yet was as elusive as a leaf caught in the wind.

"But I'd suggest you read it first, rookie…"

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