Naruto: Manipulation

The opportunity came quickly.

Even faster than Shigen had expected.

Because some people simply couldn't hide their ambitions.

Land of Rice Fields.

Orochimaru's Base.

Uchiha Obito had been scheming to take back control of the Eye of the Moon Plan from Shigen. Meanwhile, Orochimaru had been seeking a way to escape from Shigen's grasp.

When it came to dealing with Shigen, the two shared a common goal.

They both quickly recognized each other's intentions and understood the crucial role the other could play.

Orochimaru noticed that Obito, despite being Shigen's assigned observer, harbored hostility toward him. Orochimaru saw this as an opportunity—if he could turn Obito against Shigen, it would help him escape from Akatsuki's control.

Obito, on the other hand, knew that Orochimaru was the one who performed the Edo Tensei that brought Shigen back. If he could win Orochimaru over, he might find a way to eliminate Shigen and reclaim his position.

Inside the eerie laboratory...

Orochimaru worked on his experiments while secretly observing Obito, who had been appearing more frequently in his lab.

In matters like this...

Orochimaru had an extraordinary amount of patience.

Snakes always waited for the perfect moment to strike.

Even after overhearing Obito complain about Shigen during casual conversations with Itachi, Orochimaru acted as if nothing had changed. He was waiting for the right moment to officially approach Obito about defection.

Unfortunately...

Obito lacked patience.

No matter the situation, Obito never seemed to act like someone burdened by darkness and pain—he didn't even try to hide his true thoughts.

"Orochimaru..."

"Do you want to escape from Shigen's control?"

Obito leaned against the wall, asking casually, without the slightest concern that his question blatantly revealed his hostility toward Shigen.

"I can help you."

Obito had always acted this way.

Just as he had when he wanted to use Nagato's Rinnegan.

Just as he had when he recruited Uchiha Itachi.

He always spoke his mind without hesitation.

"..."

Orochimaru hadn't expected Obito to be so blunt.

Still, a sinister chuckle curled his lips. "As expected, the proud Uchiha are terrible at hiding their true thoughts..."

"There's no need for secrecy between us."

Obito crossed his arms and stated his reasoning. "I want to take back control of Akatsuki from Shigen. You want to escape from his control. Our goals align."

"That much is true."

Orochimaru nodded slowly, fully understanding Obito's intentions. The only thing he couldn't comprehend was Obito's sheer lack of subtlety.

But...

That didn't matter.

It was rare to find a partner in Akatsuki.

Most of Akatsuki's members deeply respected Shigen, and finding anyone in the world who openly opposed him was difficult.

Of course...

That wasn't the biggest problem.

The real problem was Shigen's power.

"Taking on Lord Shigen won't be easy."

Orochimaru recalled their brief confrontation and sighed with a hint of regret. "Even though he's in an Edo Tensei body and can't use his full strength—maybe only a tenth of his original power—he still seems far beyond what we can handle."

"..."

Obito frowned.

Although his only loss against Shigen had been due to the Flying Thunder God Technique, he knew that if they fought again, he could at best avoid a swift defeat.

As for actually defeating Shigen...

That was another matter entirely.

Unless...

Obito turned to Orochimaru and asked, "You're the caster of Edo Tensei. You should know its weaknesses. How do we defeat someone in an Edo Tensei body?"

"Sealing."

Orochimaru could only offer the most conventional method.

"In theory..."

"Edo Tensei bodies are immortal. No matter how many times they're destroyed, they will always regenerate. However, when they're broken apart, there's a brief moment where they can't move. During that window, they can be sealed away."

"But..."

"Even that..."

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A smile crept across Orochimaru's face. "Is nearly impossible to execute against Lord Shigen. I doubt either of us could create such an opening."

"Of course..."

"If we had more help, that might change."

Orochimaru's snake-like eyes narrowed, and he licked his lips. "Using an undying Edo Tensei warrior against another Edo Tensei warrior..."

"But..."

"That will take time."

"My Edo Tensei is still incomplete, and I lack the necessary bodies. Even if we want to fight Shigen, we'll need a solid plan."

"This will take time indeed."

Obito nodded but then added, "However, if we don't act quickly, even if you perfect Edo Tensei, it still won't be enough to defeat him."

Black Zetsu was growing impatient.

Since Shigen's resurrection, Black Zetsu had been pushing him to accelerate Akatsuki's plan. They had already started gathering intelligence on the Tailed Beasts and recruiting additional manpower.

Once the plan was set into motion, Akatsuki's overwhelming strength would allow them to swiftly capture the Tailed Beasts and revive the Ten-Tails.

By then, Shigen would fully resurrect as the world's strongest Ten-Tails Jinchūriki.

And for Obito... that would be far too late.

Obito didn't trust Shigen.

He didn't trust Madara either.

The only thing he believed in was the dream of the Infinite Tsukuyomi he had envisioned.

Obito looked at Orochimaru, who was still focused on his experiment, and said, "I'll send Uchiha Itachi back to Amegakure to investigate Akatsuki's internal movements. We need to see how much time we have left. Hopefully, things aren't too far gone yet."

"That would be ideal."

A smirk spread across Orochimaru's face.

For him...

As long as someone within Akatsuki was willing to cooperate, that was enough.

Orochimaru wasn't too concerned about time.

In fact, he preferred delaying things.

There was still so much more he wanted to extract from Shigen.

But...

Opportunities like this were rare.

If Obito was willing to push forward, Orochimaru wouldn't let the chance slip away.

"..."

Outside the lab, Uchiha Itachi's expression remained unreadable.

He had been ordered to guard the entrance and keep Anko Mitarashi from interrupting, ensuring Obito and Orochimaru could talk in private.

Now, Obito had just ordered him to return to Amegakure to investigate Akatsuki's plans...

That also meant he had the perfect excuse to report everything to Shigen.

A double agent.

That part of his life had never changed.

Before defecting from Konoha, he had been a spy for both the Uchiha clan and the village's higher-ups.

After defecting, he had become a spy for both Obito and Shigen.

It made no difference.

One way or another, this was the life he had chosen.

Amegakure.

Akatsuki's Underground Base.

Shigen was always busy.

Ever since returning from Konoha, he had stayed at Akatsuki's base. Aside from occasionally checking on Nagato's health, he spent most of his time writing on scrolls.

Uchiha Itachi stood before him, calmly reporting what he had learned.

"Obito and Orochimaru are growing closer. The two of them are secretly plotting against you. Should we take action?"

"There's no need."

"Once Akatsuki's plan is set in motion, no amount of trickery will matter in the face of overwhelming power."

Shigen's words carried an air of arrogance.

He continued writing without looking up. "I recently returned to Konoha and observed the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki in secret. Before he fully grows into his power, it's the perfect time to begin our plan. Best to eliminate any potential problems now rather than later."

"..."

Itachi's fingers curled slightly into his palm.

"Akatsuki's plan is about to begin."

Shigen, still absorbed in his writing, spoke indifferently. "Once it's complete, all resistance will be meaningless. The world's order will be shattered beyond repair."

"No amount of scheming..."

Shigen's voice carried a deeper meaning.

"Will stop the dawn that is coming."

"..."

Itachi lowered his head. "Should I return and continue monitoring Obito?"

"It doesn't matter."

Shigen didn't seem too concerned. "For now, do whatever you like. Once Black Zetsu returns, I'll summon all of Akatsuki—including you and Obito."

"Understood."

As Itachi left, Shigen's brush finally paused.

He looked up at the retreating figure.

Uchiha Itachi...

Loyalty had never been part of his nature.

The moment Konoha was involved, Itachi would inevitably interfere.

"Don't disappoint me..."

Shigen tapped his brush against the scroll.

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