Naruto: Manipulation-Chapter 227: Sasuke, Your Despair Isn’t Deep Enough Yet

"No need to save me, is there?"

Uchiha Madara looked dazed as he felt the surge of yang chakra flooding his body. He couldn't understand why Shigen was bothering to save him at this point.

The Eye of the Moon Plan had failed.

What reason was there to keep living?

Did Shigen want him to go confess his mistakes to Hashirama?

"You've only failed twice," Shigen said casually, extending a hand to help Madara up. "Once when you trusted Hashirama. Once when you trusted Black Zetsu. You, who lived through the Warring States era—how could you ever believe that achieving eternal peace in this world would be so simple?"

"..."

Madara's expression grew strange.

He kind of wanted to cuss this guy out.

Seriously—

How could Shigen say that with a straight face?

After all, the only reason Madara trusted Black Zetsu was because this man had allowed Black Zetsu to impersonate his will! When the revered healer of the ancient era backs someone personally, who wouldn't fall for it?

But...

Shigen had just defeated Ōtsutsuki Kaguya. He was now the strongest being in the ninja world. Their difference in power was beyond comprehension.

Besides...

Shigen had saved him.

It wasn't like he'd tossed Madara aside as a pawn. His words and actions carried the tone of someone still treating Madara as a comrade—an invitation to continue moving forward together.

"What about them?"

Madara looked toward Naruto and Sasuke. Having been granted the power of the Sage of Six Paths, he could now sense that both retained the Six Paths chakra.

"As for them..."

Shigen didn't look at Naruto, but locked eyes with Sasuke instead. "Don't worry. I had already made arrangements for them before this battle even began."

"!!!"

Sasuke's face changed.

Compared to Naruto, the rest instantly understood—whatever Shigen meant by "arrangements" couldn't be good.

This was the man who orchestrated Kaguya and Black Zetsu's downfall with ease. If he wanted to dispose of Naruto and Sasuke, he wouldn't need to kill them—whatever scheme he had in mind was guaranteed to be worse.

This was Shigen.

The man who had manipulated the world across a thousand years, calculating even his own death and resurrection into the equation. To call his scheming "terrifying" didn't do it justice.

"What did you do?"

Sasuke asked warily.

"I don't need to do anything."

Shigen gave a light shake of his head, his eyes suddenly growing deep and distant. "Because the one who laid a scheme for you... wasn't me."

"..."

Sasuke's brows furrowed.

If not Shigen...

Then who?

"Sasuke."

"You're a lot like Madara."

"Don't cling to the past. Don't fear the future."

At that moment, Shigen felt like the healer who once stood in Konoha, watching Naruto and Sasuke grow up.

Or rather—

Maybe he'd never changed.

"Sasuke, this world has never liked people like you. People who refuse to be ruled by fate—or worse, who try to rule it. But shouldering the world's future has always been your responsibility."

"I never wanted that," Sasuke scoffed, glancing aside.

He knew Shigen's ideals weren't wrong. But that didn't mean he wanted to follow them. He was still aimless—his life lost all meaning after discovering the truth behind Itachi and the Uchiha massacre.

Even the Sage's mission—to seal Kaguya and defeat Shigen—was clearly impossible now. Even if they summoned the Sage again, it would be meaningless.

"Enough talk."

Shigen raised his hand and opened a black space-time rift. "When you're truly lost, come find me. I'll show you the path."

"..."

Sasuke almost wanted to say he was already lost.

Ever since he learned the truth about Itachi, nothing in his life made sense anymore.

But Shigen's eyes were too sharp.

He seemed to read Sasuke's thoughts, speaking lazily but clearly:

"Your confusion isn't deep enough yet."

"Or maybe..."

"Your despair... hasn't reached the bottom."

"..."

Sasuke clenched his jaw.

What the hell was that supposed to mean?

Was he not already hopeless enough? Even with Six Paths chakra, he and Naruto couldn't beat Shigen. Now Madara had joined him too...

Sasuke knew—

He wasn't strong enough to defeat Madara either.

"Let's go."

Shigen raised a hand and tapped toward Kaguya. "I got only scraps from Black Zetsu. If we want real intel about the threats beyond this world, I'll have to dig through her memories myself."

"!!!"

Kaguya's eyes widened!

But before she could react, Shigen's Mangekyō Sharingan activated—

And she vanished into his Kamui space.

"You're really not going to kill them?" Madara glanced back at Naruto and Sasuke. "They'll stand in our way again."

"They've already lost their chance," Shigen said indifferently, stepping into the Yomotsu Hirasaka portal. "Soon they'll understand—all that's left for them is to lower their heads."

"..."

Madara followed reluctantly.

He too felt lost.

He only knew he had to continue seeking a path to eternal peace—but had no idea what that path looked like anymore.

Elsewhere.

In the Sage of Six Paths' dimension.

With the battle between Shigen and Kaguya concluded, the Sage's chakra observed Naruto and Sasuke being taken prisoner. Though his own power was down to a mere fragment, he quickly summoned the past Hokage's souls, along with Kakashi, Obito, and the Tailed Beasts, pulling them into the Pure Land.

This gathering...

Was not a victory council—

It was a reluctant acceptance of defeat.

"Sorry..."

"We weren't strong enough to beat Shigen."

Naruto lowered his head, frustrated.

He and Sasuke hadn't even had a chance to intervene before being captured.

"This isn't your fault."

The Sage sighed. "Even I didn't expect to have been Shigen's pawn in the past. No wonder he always avoided meeting me..."

"So what now?" Kakashi asked grimly. "Are we really going to let Shigen and Madara run unchecked?"

"..."

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The Sage couldn't answer.

Shigen's strength and cunning were beyond comparison.

In sheer power—

He'd defeated the chakra progenitor herself.

In intellect—

Even Nara Shikaku, the sharpest mind in Konoha, couldn't scheme against him.

To Shigen, the Allied Shinobi Forces were just chakra batteries for Kaguya's resurrection.

"Shigen's not exactly a bad guy..."

Half of Kurama snorted, seemingly indifferent now. "If he's done anything to make humans suffer, it's probably because you brought it on yourselves."

"Come on, Kurama!" Naruto frowned. "You can't say that in front of everyone..."

"All we can do now is take one step at a time..."

The Sage looked gravely at Naruto and Sasuke. "You two must not be separated. If the worst happens, combine what's left of my chakra and summon me to the world once more."

"That still won't be enough to defeat Shigen," Sasuke muttered.

"Even so, we can't give up!" Naruto vowed.

He believed Sasuke wouldn't abandon them.

But...

Every rule has exceptions.

Even if Naruto was important to Sasuke, there was still one other person...

Someone just as important.