Naruto: The Immortal Sage

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"Hehe, Mr. Manji, you still have time to run. We'll even close our eyes and count to ten for you," the leading Kirigakure jōnin offered with a mocking chuckle.

"That's right. You're Konoha's greatest prodigy, after all. We wouldn't want anyone accusing us of bullying you," another Mist shinobi added.

"..." Watching them get carried away with their roles, Manji's expression darkened. His calm voice carried an authority that left no room for argument.

"You little brats had better stop before you make me log in to my main account."

The smug grins vanished from their faces. Every Mist shinobi immediately bowed before him.

"White Zetsu greets the Grand Sage!"

"White Zetsu greets the Grand Sage!"

"White Zetsu greets the Grand Sage!"

Their perfectly synchronized voices resounded through the forest. These so-called Kirigakure shinobi were all White Zetsu clones in disguise.

Manji acknowledged them with a slight nod.

Kirigakure was currently consumed by internal conflict, and the shadow of the Bloody Mist hung over the entire village. It could spare few shinobi for operations in the Land of Whirlpools, much less deploy a large force. At most, it could send a handful of scattered squads.

Manji had placed every "Mist shinobi" gathered here in advance.

"Did you complete the task I gave you?" Manji asked, getting straight to the point.

The leading White Zetsu immediately lowered his head. "Yes, Grand Sage. Everything has been arranged. We've gathered every infant with Uzumaki blood. As instructed, we left Kushina alone because of her special identity."

Manji nodded, satisfied with the report.

He had already planned to select a group of Uzumaki infants and take them back to Mount Myōboku—where they would be raised alongside the children of the Hyūga Clan.

Those who weren't chosen could rest in the Pure Land.

Without looking back, Manji lifted his chin toward the bushes behind him.

"Come out."

The White Zetsu turned in confusion. A moment later, a toad from Mount Myōboku hopped out of the undergrowth, trembling after being caught.

"Wait, Grand Sage! Please let me explain!" the toad cried.

"What are you doing here?" Manji tilted his head.

"Lord Jiraiya ordered me to follow you in secret!" the toad hurriedly explained. "He said you'd been acting strangely lately. I was planning to report his orders to you before doing anything, but you discovered me as soon as I arrived."

The toad lowered its head. "Please punish me as you see fit!"

Manji showed no concern and waved the matter aside. Jiraiya and the toads of Mount Myōboku were his own people.

"It's fine. Go back and tell him that everything is normal."

"Understood!"

Manji clasped his hands behind his back and faced the others. "All right. You've done well. Return to your posts and wait for further instructions."

He studied them for a moment before adding with an amused smile, "Once the Fourth Shinobi World War is over, you'll all be able to call it a wrap."

"No trouble at all! We live to serve the shinobi world and the Grand Sage!" the disguised Mist shinobi and the Mount Myōboku toad declared in unison.

Manji smiled at their enthusiasm.

..............

Inside the Six Paths Temple, Tsunade stood near the entrance, repeatedly glancing outside with worry written across her face.

"Why hasn't Manji returned yet? We've been here for so long. What if something happened to him?" she asked the others, unable to keep her concern to herself.

"Don't worry. Manji is strong enough to protect himself," Sakumo Hatake assured her in a steady voice.

Orochimaru narrowed his serpentine eyes and nodded. Jiraiya leaned against a corridor pillar, idly spinning his forehead protector around one finger while he waited for news from his toad.

Before long, a summoned toad landed on Jiraiya's shoulder and whispered a few words in his ear.

Jiraiya froze, then lowered his gaze as guilt crept across his face.

'Looks like I let my own suspicions get the better of me...'

They waited a little longer, but Tsunade's impatience finally won out. She abruptly rose to her feet.

"That's it. I'm going to find him myself! What if he really is in trouble?"

She had barely taken a step toward the entrance when a figure emerged from the fading light and appeared at the temple doors.

"I'm back," Manji announced calmly.

The tension inside Tsunade broke at once, and her eyes turned red. Before Manji could say anything else, she rushed forward and wrapped both arms around him.

"You finally came back!"

Her voice trembled faintly as she buried her face against his shoulder.

The unexpected embrace caught Manji off guard. He stared down at the blond hair pressed against him, unsure how to read her reaction.

"I'm fine, Tsunade," he replied evenly.

Only then did Tsunade realize how badly she had lost her composure. She released him, turned her back, and clenched her fists as she recovered her usual stubborn attitude.

"Good. That's all that matters."

Sakumo watched them with a faint smile.

Manji's expression soon became serious. "I just received a confidential message from the Hokage."

The others immediately straightened, their attention fixed on him. Manji unrolled the scroll and read its contents aloud.

"The Hokage has ordered the immediate termination of every mission outside the village. Amegakure and Sunagakure have allied and declared war on Konoha. The Shinobi World War has begun. We must return at once."

"What?! The war has really started?!" Sakumo's pupils contracted as Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya reacted with equal shock.

They had all sensed the storm gathering across the shinobi world. The mounting tension had been obvious even from the reports published in Konoha's newspapers. Still, when war arrived with so little warning, their hearts sank.

Only Manji remained unmoved.

He controlled the most vital intelligence network in the shinobi world and possessed enough influence to determine the course of the conflict. Whether this war continued or ended depended entirely on him.

The great villages might have divided the shinobi world among themselves, but Mount Myōboku's reach and influence had never disappeared. Stopping the war would require little effort. If Manji wished, he could rewrite its entire course just as easily.

Kushina clutched the corner of her clothes and nervously studied the tense faces around her.

No one wasted any more time. They gathered their belongings and immediately began the journey back to Konoha.

Before leaving, Manji returned to his own portrait and lit another stick of incense. When it came to having his alt account pay respects to his main account, he had the routine down perfectly.

..............

Upon returning to Konoha, the group went directly to the Hokage's office and reported everything concerning Uzumaki Kushina to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

The others then departed, leaving Manji alone with the Hokage.

"She's far too young. She hasn't even reached the age to enroll in the Academy," Hiruzen observed with a slight shake of his head.

Manji nodded in agreement.

Because events had unfolded ahead of schedule, Kushina had been brought to Konoha much earlier than in the original timeline. She had already reached a suitable age when Konoha took her in during the original story.

Right now, she was still too young.

"We should place her in the care of someone trustworthy for the time being," Hiruzen suggested, thoughtfully holding his pipe between his lips.

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