"I really want to try and see if I can kill you."
Nagato raised his hand, aiming at Madara's body.
If he wanted to, he could kill the old man in front of him at any moment.
Madara calmly stared at Nagato's palm, his expression still eerily composed.
Ignoring Nagato's hand poised to unleash a Ninja Technique, he walked to the other side with a candle, placed it on the ground, straightened up, and looked at Nagato again, just calmly staring at him without any change in expression.
Nagato also looked at Madara, and at this moment, sweat of tension unconsciously trickled down his face.
For some reason, he felt like a frog being watched by a snake, as if if he made a move against Madara now, his life would end in an instant.
The pressure of death had never been so clear.
Clearly, he gathered his Ninja Techniques and was determined to attack Madara, yet why did the technique not come out?
It wasn't that Madara controlled him, but because the disparity in strength was so great that even his instincts were stopping him from attacking.
Am I a fool to make a move against such a being? Nagato dared not imagine how strong Madara truly was.
"Killing me is meaningless. You've survived until now, protecting those in the Akatsuki, haven't you also relied on the power I gave you? In a certain sense, you are indeed the lucky one."
"Don't spout nonsense in front of me; I won't be controlled by your will!"
Nagato retorted fiercely, then panted heavily, as if speaking those words had drained all his strength.
"That's the truth. Your mind is in turmoil, calm down. I am now just an old man without any power to resist."
Without any power to resist?
Feeling the aura of death shrouding him, knowing the other could kill him at any moment, Nagato dared not underestimate the old man in front of him who appeared to pose no threat.
He also somewhat believed that his Rinnegan was indeed Madara's possession.
"...What exactly do you want to do?"
Nagato struggled to calm his inner turmoil.
"I said before. I just want you to truly understand the cruel and ruthless nature of this real world. The longer you live, the more you comprehend this truth. In this world, love will eventually be plundered clean, leaving only numbness, pain, despair, regret, and solitude...no one can escape this fate."
The candle flame flickered, reflecting on Nagato's now silent face.
"Over the years, you and your companions established the Akatsuki, hoping to end war through negotiations and bring peace to the Land of Rain. Yet, reality delivered its most merciless blow. The oppression of the Hidden Sand, Konoha's betrayal, made you realize that relying on negotiation to bring peace was a fundamentally unworkable path. The path to peace you once firmly believed in was essentially incorrect."
Nagato still remained silent, but Madara knew he was listening intently.
Everything he said was an irrefutable fact.
"Therefore, in this Ninja Realm, seeking a solution based on fairness and justice does not exist. The victor dominates everything, the defeated lose everything. This is the bloody reality of the Ninja Realm."
"So you faked your death decades ago, escaping from Senju Hashirama's hands, just to plan your so-called Infinite Tsukuyomi, wanting to completely eliminate the pain of reality?"
Nagato exhaled deeply, fully understanding Madara's intentions.
The longer one lives, the more one experiences, and the more one sees.
Madara must have been a person full of love in the past.
But that love in his heart, over time, eventually succumbed to reality.
All that remains in Madara's chest now is pure numbness and pain.
The only result of escaping reality is that the Illusion Technique world of Infinite Tsukuyomi can save his heart.
"That's right. I want to change this filthy world, to sever the inevitable causation between victors and the defeated. Infinite Tsukuyomi is the best solution. I will create a world where there are no losers, everyone is a victor, living happily in peace."
Madara's voice wasn't loud, but his words were filled with conviction, forming a natural, powerful intimidation that compelled people to believe him.
So, Madara extended an invitation to Nagato, his tone filled with sincere emotion.
"Nagato, I hope you can assist me, inheriting my will. My body is nearly failing, you are the only one who can inherit my will, become the Savior of this Ninja Realm."
Nagato was silent for a moment, then spoke, following his own heart, not Madara's will:
"Although you speak well, I refuse."
Nagato's response did not anger Madara; instead, he looked at Nagato with interest.
"Can you tell me why you refuse?"
He had thought that Nagato, having lost hope in reality, would act according to his will, but unexpectedly, Nagato had another idea.
Though time was running short, he still had a moment to chat further.
"Yahiko and the others are already dead; even if revived in the Illusion Technique world, it doesn't change the fact that they are dead. The world of Infinite Tsukuyomi you speak of negates their existence. I no longer agree with the past methods of the Akatsuki, but that doesn't mean I will desecrate their will."
A hint of calm finally returned to Nagato's face.
Indeed, the world of Infinite Tsukuyomi that Madara spoke of was certainly an alluring and beautiful world.