Naruto: Manipulation-Chapter 193: Akatsuki Moves Out!

Akatsuki Base.

The entire base resembled a hellish prison under the end times. Inside, tailed beasts and jinchūriki were all bound tightly by black receivers imbued with Yin-Yang Release.

All except the Nine-Tails...

The rest of the tailed beasts had already fallen into their hands.

Of course, Akatsuki hadn't won them without cost.

Take Deidara, for instance—he'd lost an arm. Fortunately, Lord Shigen's medical ninjutsu was astonishingly advanced. He crafted a new arm for him with ease.

"Eh?"

Deidara flexed his new arm, watching a familiar mouth appear on his palm, astonished.

"It looks exactly like the original! There's medical ninjutsu this incredible in the world?"

"Maybe look at who treated you..."

Sasori growled hoarsely, irritated by Deidara's dumbfounded expression.

This idiot! The one who fixed him was none other than Lord Shigen!

Compared to Deidara's arm, Uchiha Sasuke's situation was far more serious.

After defeating the Two-Tails' jinchūriki, he recklessly challenged the Eight-Tails...

Luckily...

Madara had been with him.

And Lord Shigen, too, was there.

Sasuke had barely managed to hold onto his life.

"Thank goodness Lord Shigen was here..."

Madara said, after confirming Sasuke's condition was stable, before inviting Shigen to discuss their next operation.

Because capturing the eight tailed beasts was just the beginning.

The real threat—

Uchiha Obito.

"That guy won't give up on the Eye of the Moon Plan."

Madara was confident in his judgment. He had orchestrated Obito's fall into despair himself.

He was sure Obito hadn't given up.

"Now that we have the eight beasts, he's definitely starting to panic..."

"But we still haven't found his location," Black Zetsu whispered beside Shigen.

"He can't hide for long."

Madara snorted.

"He's not someone with patience. As soon as trouble comes knocking, he'll crack."

And indeed—

Madara knew his people well.

Uchiha pride was a shared flaw.

"Let's just continue with our plan," Madara said, turning to Shigen.

"He's bound to act soon. And his target will be the tailed beasts we've secured."

Everyone present—Shigen, Madara, and Black Zetsu—was sharply focused.

"Even if he gets all eight... it doesn't matter," Shigen said coolly.

He didn't care how far Obito thought he could go.

Even if Obito succeeded in reviving the Ten-Tails and becoming its jinchūriki, it meant nothing.

But—

He couldn't speak that truth aloud.

Because Black Zetsu was watching.

If Black Zetsu caught a whiff that Shigen didn't even mind Obito reviving the Ten-Tails...

It might suspect that Shigen could even resurrect Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.

So instead, Shigen offered a tolerable bottom line:

"Just don't let him get the Nine-Tails."

"Even that wouldn't matter," Madara laughed.

"Even if he revives the Ten-Tails, I have plenty of ways to put him in his place."

"Don't get cocky, Madara."

Black Zetsu interjected grimly.

"Once he becomes the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki, his chakra transforms—like Lord Shigen's. That kind of power isn't something you can afford to underestimate..."

Madara fell silent.

He remembered the time his genjutsu had been effortlessly broken by Shigen—the terrifying presence he'd sensed in that instant...

It had never left his memory.

Was Obito capable of reaching such a level?

"Looks like we need to split up," Madara muttered, altering his plans.

"Let Lord Shigen attack Konoha. I'll stay here with Sasuke and guard the beasts."

"The Nine-Tails isn't in Konoha," Black Zetsu reminded him.

"We still haven't found Naruto Uzumaki's location."

"Doesn't matter."

Madara waved it off.

"This is about baiting out that idiot Obito."

"The Nine-Tails... we'll deal with later."

Madara mimed grabbing a head.

"We'll pry the location out of Konoha soon enough."

"Aren't you sending Sasuke with us?"

Shigen raised an eyebrow.

"That kid's will isn't firm enough."

Madara's eyes darkened.

"He still believes he betrayed Konoha, but making him attack it directly? He's not ready. Better he stay and help me deal with Obito."

"Fine by me," Shigen nodded.

At this point, Akatsuki's notoriety had spread across the world.

Countless spies from other villages were watching the Rain Country, hoping for intel.

That meant any Akatsuki movement would quickly be exposed.

But Shigen didn't bother hiding.

He led the Akatsuki openly—no Yomi-no-Hirasaka, no teleportation—marching with purpose, making sure every spy saw.

"Akatsuki's on the move!"

"Their route points toward Konoha!"

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"Shigen leads the group—Madara's whereabouts are unknown, likely guarding the tailed beasts!"

The spies hurried to report back.

Many had hoped to reclaim the beasts—but if Madara was guarding them?

Forget it.

That monster had single-handedly destroyed the Cloud Village!

No one had heard from the Fourth Raikage since.

In truth, the Raikage had been gravely wounded during that clash with Madara and fallen into a coma.

Before losing consciousness, he'd ordered his men to take him to Konoha—not only for treatment, but to consult Tsunade about stopping Akatsuki.

He didn't trust most of Konoha's leaders...

But Tsunade?

She'd once saved his comrade's life during her travels.

To him, the Fifth Hokage was a person of integrity.

Konoha Hospital.

Tsunade frowned.

She hadn't expected the Fourth Raikage to show up at such a critical moment—let alone on a stretcher.

After hearing the Cloud ninja's explanation, she understood.

"Tsunade," the Raikage growled as he woke, wrapped in bandages, still scowling.

"Your medical ninjutsu... really is exceptional."

"I'm more curious..."

Tsunade crossed her arms, gazing out the window at the Cloud guards.

"Just how strong is Madara, that he beat you into this state?"

The Raikage went quiet.

When it came to Madara...

Even someone as proud and unshakable as the Fourth Raikage felt dread.

He couldn't forget that towering Susanoo—

One swing.

Just one.

And not only had he lost—

His entire village had been reduced to rubble.

It had never happened before.

No enemy had ever crushed Cloud so completely.

"That man..."

Beads of cold sweat formed on his forehead.

"I was no match for him."

"You think I didn't know that?" Tsunade snapped.

"Of course you weren't!"

"No, you don't understand."

He shook his head slowly.

"We're not even in the same league."

"My grandfather was the First Hokage," Tsunade said flatly.

She wasn't particularly afraid of Madara.

He had been defeated by her grandfather.

And...

As a child, she'd also heard stories of Madara being defeated by Lord Shigen.

If anything, it was Shigen she feared most—

The man who had once mentored her like a father.

As fate would have it—

Just then, a Konoha ninja burst in.

"Lady Tsunade!"

"Akatsuki is on the move!"

"Leading them... is Lord Shigen!"

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