Naruto: Manipulation-Chapter 82: Konan, Nagato, Someone Important Wants to See You

Some things should never be cross-checked.

For example, Black Zetsu would never dare compare notes with the Sage of Six Paths.

Because if that happened, contradictions would appear, and one of them would be exposed as a liar. And when a liar is exposed, the consequences are often dire.

Orochimaru had never expected...

That on his very first day, he would find himself caught between two masterminds comparing notes.

"First, tell me..."

"What exactly is going on here?"

Shigen's dissatisfaction was evident. "I recall that the Rinnegan was supposed to belong to Madara, wasn't it?"

"Uh..."

Black Zetsu fell silent.

But it had no choice but to reveal some truth. Carefully selecting its words, it painted itself as a benevolent guide to world peace.

"Too much time has passed."

"Madara's life came to an end."

"Before he died, he entrusted his Rinnegan to a boy named Nagato and left me to guide him toward the Infinite Tsukuyomi plan."

"But..."

"That boy, Nagato, later befriended a man named Yahiko. Yahiko wanted to uphold the ideals of peace you once left behind. He and Nagato founded the first Akatsuki, hoping to mediate the wars between great nations—just like you did."

"This isn't unusual. Many who have suffered in war dream of resolving conflicts peacefully, just as you once did when you ended the First Shinobi War. But without exception... they all failed."

"Yahiko was no exception."

"The first Akatsuki was attacked by Danzo and Hanzo."

"Yahiko, the leader of the first Akatsuki, perished in that battle. The organization then began to change. Madara, from the shadows, influenced this change because he believed peace through diplomacy was ultimately temporary. He wanted Nagato to evolve."

Black Zetsu continued, "To ensure Nagato walked the path of true, eternal peace, Madara, before his death, found another pawn—Uchiha Obito. In both his and your name, he instructed Obito to impersonate him and lead Nagato into enacting the first step of the plan: gathering enough power to capture the Tailed Beasts."

The Akatsuki's history was complicated.

Obito had been masquerading as Madara the entire time, even invoking Black Zetsu's name, claiming he was carrying out Shigen's will.

Nagato and Konan, the only remaining elders of the first Akatsuki, had been completely swayed by this.

However, Obito only revealed to them the first step of the plan: reviving the Ten-Tails.

"Shigen."

"In truth..."

Black Zetsu was desperate for Shigen to regain his confidence. In a serious tone, it explained, "You are the true origin of the Akatsuki."

"Yahiko, the first Akatsuki leader, wanted to uphold the peace you once brought to the world. He hoped to mediate war just like you did."

"The second leader of the Akatsuki, Pain, is a puppet Nagato created using Yahiko's corpse and the Rinnegan. Under our guidance, he believes he is carrying out the second path you left for this world."

There was no way to lie about this.

Nagato and Konan genuinely believed this.

When Yahiko had learned about Shigen's role in ending the First Shinobi War, he and his companions deeply admired him.

To earn Nagato and Konan's trust, Obito and Black Zetsu claimed that Shigen had also once despaired at the state of the world and that he and Madara had devised another path.

At the time, Yahiko had fiercely opposed and questioned this.

But when he died at the hands of Danzo and Hanzo, Nagato was forced to believe it.

"So in other words..."

"The Akatsuki is our ally."

Shigen seemed to have pieced together the truth behind the organization.

"..."

Black Zetsu instinctively wanted to deny it.

They were merely pawns!

But now was not the time to argue.

Shigen had never viewed anyone as a mere pawn—just as he had once hoped Madara would lead the future.

"Yes."

Black Zetsu could only agree with him. It even suggested, "However, their progress is slow. To avoid being detected by the great nations, they have yet to achieve significant results..."

"But we now know those nations are already suspicious."

White Zetsu quickly chimed in, lowering its voice, "Isn't Orochimaru, a Konoha ninja, already spying on us from within?"

"..."

Black Zetsu felt a headache coming on.

What a bunch of incompetents!

What was the Akatsuki even doing?

They recruited rogue ninjas without proper screening, and now a Konoha spy was lurking in their ranks. If Konoha had learned of their plans...

Fortunately...

Shigen was back.

Even if he wasn't at full power, his presence alone was enough to deter Konoha.

"We must eliminate Orochimaru as soon as possible."

White Zetsu voiced its opinion. It believed they couldn't afford to let a Konoha spy return with too much information.

"Konoha might have been watching us all along."

To White Zetsu, it made perfect sense. "After Danzo destroyed the first Akatsuki, he secretly monitored its resurgence. That's when he sent Orochimaru to infiltrate us."

"Shigen, you must take control of the plan immediately."

Black Zetsu was growing increasingly frustrated.

It was starting to question Obito and Nagato's judgment—how had they let a Konoha spy expose so many vulnerabilities in the Akatsuki?

Why not just...

Hand everything back to Shigen?

And let him handle it like before?

Shigen didn't object.

He also needed control over the plan—to secure his own resurrection and complete the two missions he had failed to fulfill over a thousand years ago.

In a dark underground cavern.

The Akatsuki's hideout remained concealed.

A red-haired, emaciated man sat in a wheelchair, his Rinnegan slowly opening as he finished meditating on the hidden power within his eyes.

Nagato.

Still adjusting to his Rinnegan, he had only created the Deva Path puppet and had yet to truly enact his plans.

"Do you really trust what that masked man and Zetsu say?"

Konan looked at the increasingly frail Nagato, pain evident in her eyes. "Nagato, they keep pushing you to use the Rinnegan... but your body is breaking under its strain."

"Compared to losing Yahiko..."

Nagato took a deep breath, slamming his hand against the wheelchair.

"This pain is nothing!"

Black rods pierced his back, further weakening his body.

But compared to the agony of losing Yahiko, this meant nothing.

"It doesn't matter if what they say is true or not."

Nagato lifted his head, looking at Konan.

"The power hidden within the Rinnegan is real. And with it, I will bring Yahiko's vision of peace to life!"

He slowly closed his eyes.

And the Deva Path—Pain—opened its own.

This was the leader Nagato had prepared for the Akatsuki, a powerful puppet created from Yahiko's body, meant to carry on his dream.

A symbol.

A vessel to fulfill a fallen friend's ideals.

"Konan."

Pain's voice, still Yahiko's, was now colder, more authoritative.

"How goes our recruitment?"

"Strong S-rank rogue ninjas are rare."

Konan frowned. "And Kakuzu killed his partner again."

"We recruited him with the promise of protection and high-paying missions... but I never expected him to be this much trouble."

A long sigh.

Even the emotionless Pain found Kakuzu exhausting to deal with.

"Find him a partner with a low bounty, then."

"That would mean a weaker partner."

Konan hesitated before adding, "And it wouldn't matter. Even if the bounty is just ten thousand ryo, he'd kill them anyway."

"..."

A problem indeed.

Pain fell silent.

Kakuzu wasn't picky.

Any teammate with a bounty would be killed.

And yet...

He was crucial to Akatsuki.

"Let Zetsu handle it."

Just then, Zetsu emerged from the ground, that eerie black-and-white face wearing an unsettling smile.

"Handle what?"

"Zetsu?"

Konan instinctively stepped in front of Nagato.

"Relax," White Zetsu smiled, stepping forward.

"Konan, Nagato, prepare yourselves."

"Someone important wants to meet you."

"...Important?"

Konan frowned.

That word often meant trouble.

"This is someone..."

"No, the someone."

"A man respected by all of the shinobi world."

Black Zetsu's voice carried an eerie reverence.

"You two are very, very lucky."

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Powerstones?

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