Naruto: Manipulation-Chapter 164: Orochimaru Stirs the Chaos!

"...Truly..."

"My deepest apologies."

Hashirama lowered his head, guilt weighing heavily on his heart.

He was so ashamed that he could barely face Shigen.

Calling his brother's actions "biting the hand that fed him" would have been far too kind.

This...

This was beyond unforgivable.

If he weren't already dead,

Then as Tobirama's elder brother, he should have taken a kunai and offered his life in atonement before Shigen.

"Brother..."

Tobirama's brow furrowed as he opened his mouth, trying to justify himself—only to realize he had no words.

At the time, he had no other way to deal with Madara.

The only possible solution...

The only one he could turn to...

Had been the Shigen he resurrected through Edo Tensei.

But Shigen's strength had far exceeded his expectations.

And in the end, he had made a grave mistake—

He had personally driven the one man who had shown kindness to Konoha straight into the arms of their enemies.

"No need for apologies."

"There's no point in dwelling on the past."

Shigen's voice was indifferent as he swept his gaze over the Konoha shinobi before him.

"Now, we are enemies."

"..."

Hashirama clenched his fists.

Hearing those words,

A deep sadness flickered across his face.

Shigen's tone left no room for doubt.

This was final.

"..."

Tobirama shifted uncomfortably.

"..."

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Minato hesitated, unsure of what to do.

"Nagato, Konan, we're leaving."

Shigen glanced at Nagato and Konan, who had just been healed by Katsuyu, and ordered them to follow him.

"Lord Shigen..."

Nagato lowered his head uneasily.

Konan, however, looked at Shigen with gratitude.

Neither of them had expected that, in their moment of greatest peril,

Shigen would reveal himself—risking everything—to save them.

"Yes."

Konan quickly helped Nagato to his feet, ready to leave, though she cast a wary glance at the Konoha shinobi standing nearby.

However...

None of them moved.

Until Konoha's leadership gave the order,

No one knew whether they should try to stop these enemies from leaving.

At this moment...

No one made a move.

Even those who had the authority to decide—

Didn't know whether they should consider Shigen an enemy.

Or simply...

A friend who could never be reclaimed.

Their history with him...

Would fade away as he walked out of their lives.

Everything...

Seemed to be coming to a quiet end.

"!!!"

But not for Orochimaru.

A flicker of urgency flashed in his golden eyes.

He stole a glance at the three Hokage resurrected by Edo Tensei.

He still needed them to deal with Shigen!

If Shigen and his allies escaped...

Akatsuki would hunt him and Obito down.

They...

Would never forgive his betrayal.

Fortunately,

Orochimaru had an ally.

Someone who had never received kindness from Shigen.

Someone who had been wary of him from the very start—

Because he came from Mount Myoboku.

"Wait!"

Jiraiya suddenly snapped back to his senses.

Ignoring his injuries, he leaped forward, blocking Shigen's path.

He had nearly forgotten—

The Great Toad Sage had warned him about Shigen's threat!

If Shigen sought to change the Shinobi World,

He had to be stopped.

Even the mere thought of allowing him to act on that desire was unacceptable!

"...My apologies."

Jiraiya stood alone before Shigen and his disciples, raising his fingers into a stance.

"I can't let you leave."

"The Great Toad Sage once warned me..."

Jiraiya's voice was tense as he recited the prophecy.

"If, one day, Shigen attempts to change the Shinobi World under the banner of 'peace'—"

"Then he must be stopped."

"The Great Toad Sage never told me what exactly you would do."

"But it made one thing clear—"

"Whatever you seek, it is not the future we desire."

"Jiraiya-sensei..."

Minato hesitated for only a moment before leaping to Jiraiya's side,

His gaze turning resolute.

He trusted his master's judgment completely.

He could not allow Shigen to leave!

"Actually, Akatsuki's plans aren't complicated at all."

A glimmer of satisfaction flashed in Orochimaru's eyes.

Feigning indifference, he spoke with a mocking tone.

"The Akatsuki, under Lord Shigen's leadership, only seeks to gather the Tailed Beasts to forge a weapon of mass destruction—"

"A single strike could wipe out an entire nation, slaughtering millions."

"This 'weapon' is meant to intimidate the world into obeying their so-called vision of peace."

"!!!"

A ripple of shock ran through the Konoha shinobi.

Even Hashirama and Tobirama turned, stunned, to face Shigen and his allies.

"Orochimaru, you—!"

Konan's eyes burned with rage.

"Did I say something untrue?"

Orochimaru's snake-like pupils gleamed with malice as he smirked.

"I was once part of Akatsuki, after all."

"I may not know everything, but I know enough."

"!!!"

Jiraiya cast a brief, shocked glance at Orochimaru—

Then quickly turned back to Shigen, his resolve hardening.

If this was true...

Then there was no way they could let Shigen leave.

This was their only chance to stop him!

"Unless..."

Orochimaru sneered, his voice dripping with mockery.

"Unless Lord Shigen wants to refute me?"

"I know quite a few of Akatsuki's secrets, after all."

"Orochimaru..."

Nagato glared at him coldly.

"Is it true?"

Hiruzen stepped forward.

He stood protectively in front of Jiraiya,

Fixing his gaze on Shigen.

"Lord Shigen."

His voice was steady, but there was a hint of hope.

"Is this how you intend to bring about your so-called 'eternal peace'—"

"By creating a weapon capable of killing millions at a whim?"

Hiruzen didn't want to believe Orochimaru's words.

He wanted to hear a different answer.

Because in the past—

He had seen Shigen pour his heart into saving even a single dying patient.

Could this same man now be the one planning to slaughter countless lives so easily?

But...

Shigen's answer wasn't what Hiruzen wanted.

Or what anyone who had once known him wanted.

"On the surface..."

Shigen lifted his gaze slightly.

He made no attempt to deny it.

Calmly, indifferently, he confirmed it.

"Yes. More or less."

"!!!"

The weight of those words crashed down on the crowd like an unshakable mountain.

"Brother..."

Tobirama stared at Shigen.

For the first time, he saw an opening to argue against him.

"This kind of peace—"

"Peace achieved through power and slaughter—"

"This is exactly the kind of evil Madara would embrace."

"..."

Hashirama remained silent.

"...Heh."

Orochimaru chuckled softly,

Watching as chaos spread through the Konoha ranks.

Then, slipping into the shadows,

He vanished.

Because his goal had been achieved.

From this moment on...

Peace was no longer an option.

The battle in Konoha would spiral out of control.

Even Hashirama, no matter how much guilt he felt,

Couldn't just stand by while Shigen threatened Konoha's people.

"Finally..."

Orochimaru folded his arms, standing at a distance.

He watched as the confrontation grew tenser by the second.

A satisfied grin curled across his lips.

"The true feast has only just begun."

At the same time—

A spiraling distortion in space appeared beside Orochimaru.

Uchiha Obito emerged from the vortex, his expression cold as he looked toward Shigen.

"It seems our plan is proceeding smoothly. Everything is still on track..."

"Don't worry."

"No matter what happens..."

"There won't be any mistakes."

Orochimaru smirked, his golden eyes gleaming with a sinister light.

"This may seem underhanded, but in truth, it's an open strategy."

"As long as they've entered Konoha..."

"As long as they can't deny Akatsuki's so-called 'evil ambitions'..."

"This war is inevitable."

"All we need to do now is watch..."

"Watch as Konoha's Hokage decide how to eliminate the man who was once seen as their greatest protector—yet is now their greatest threat."

"Care to wager a guess?"

Orochimaru tilted his head slightly, his grin widening as he turned toward Obito.

"Who will be the one to claim victory?"

"..."

Obito's frown deepened.

Without a word, his figure dissolved into another spiraling distortion, disappearing from sight.

After all—

Orochimaru was merely a pawn.

Obito had bigger plans.

The Moon's Eye Plan was about to reach its climax, and he needed to claim Nagato's Rinnegan.

And he wasn't the only one with such ambitions.

Elsewhere, hidden in the darkness,

Shimura Danzo waited patiently, gripping his bandaged arm tightly.

He was biding his time, watching for the perfect moment to strike.

At that same moment—

High atop a crumbling wall—

A figure slowly emerged from the stone, half black, half white.

"Are you sure this won't go wrong?"

White Zetsu's voice carried a note of unease as it observed the scene below.

"Shigen is surrounded. There are too many enemies."

"And they're strong... We don't have a good way to deal with some of them."

"Don't worry. It's inevitable."

Black Zetsu's voice was filled with eerie satisfaction as it watched Shigen's predicament unfold.

A wicked smile spread across its face.

"It's finally happening..."

"Face the entire world as your enemy, Shigen."

"Every person in this world carries their own selfish desires, their own attachments."

"But I..."

"I am the only one who stands beside you, truly and completely."

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