Karin still didn't know who Nagato was, but the moment she saw his red hair, a wave of affection washed over her. She knew, just like her, this person was a member of the Uzumaki Clan.
Although Nagato's eyes were blind, he could still perceive his surroundings. "From the feel of your chakra, you must be an Uzumaki as well."
Konan spoke with a hint of worry. "Nagato, don't talk. You need to treat your injuries."
Karin replied, "That's right. My mother was from the Uzumaki Clan."
Despite the blood trickling from the corners of his eyes, Nagato's demeanor was calm. Hearing Karin's words, a gentle expression appeared on his face. "Like you, I am from the Uzumaki Clan. My name is Nagato, and this is Konan."
As he spoke, he brought his hands together in a seal, and his body began to recover at a rapid rate. Karin watched in astonishment. His healing abilities were incredible!
Nagato let out a breath. He had been careless, allowing the Rinnegan to drain so much of his chakra, which was why he was in such a sorry state. The bones that had been shattered earlier were now reset. With some of his chakra restored, his wounds were healing much faster.
"I'm fine. I can heal myself."
Konan then remembered Nagato mentioning he had such an ability, but she never imagined it was this powerful. Breathing a sigh of relief, she looked at Karin gratefully. "Thank you so much. Are you one of Orochimaru's disciples?"
At the time, Karin was only twelve. She and her mother had endured great hardship before meeting Orochimaru. But after joining him, her life had improved immensely. She never had to worry about food or shelter, and for someone who had lost her mother at a young age, her current life felt like a true blessing. Although Orochimaru had never formally taken her as an apprentice, Karin considered herself one. The years she had spent with him had changed her personality significantly. At the very least, the Karin of today was far more well-behaved and endearing.
"Yes, I'm Lord Orochimaru's disciple. He gave me instructions earlier. You don't need to find him; you can go directly to Lord Kawasaki."
Karin glanced at Nagato's eyes. Though they were no longer bleeding, the empty sockets were still a frightening sight. "Are your eyes really going to be okay? Master has the technology to clone them."
It was rare for Karin to meet a fellow clansman, so she was naturally concerned. Although Nagato's eyes were gone, as one of Orochimaru's frequent assistants, she was used to such things.
Nagato shook his head. "Let's leave them for now. We can deal with the eye problem later."
"Is my master still waiting outside?"
Karin nodded. "He should be. Since you don't need any more treatment, we'll take our leave. I have to go back for dinner."
After Karin left, only Nagato and Konan remained in the room. Konan brought up the matter of Jiraiya. "What do we do now?"
Nagato's expression was serene and relaxed. He had finally cast off all his burdens and could now live as his true self. "Don't say anything to Jiraiya until Kawasaki gives us permission."
"What about Yahiko?" Konan had previously told Jiraiya about Yahiko's death.
Recalling Kawasaki's prior advice, Nagato replied, "Don't mention that either. Kawasaki already has a plan for it."
"Alright. Let's go see Master, then."
"Mm."
The two of them walked out of the room. Sure enough, Jiraiya was standing right outside the door.
"Nagato! Konan!"
Nagato remained calm, offering a slight smile. "It's been a long time, Master."
Konan followed suit. "Master."
Jiraiya's heart ached as he looked at Nagato. "Nagato, how are you? Konan, what happened? Why did you get into a conflict with Obito?"
Faced with a barrage of questions, Nagato said softly, "Let's find another place to talk."
Seeing that Nagato had recovered well, Jiraiya agreed. He led them away from the laboratory to his residence in the village, noticing that the surveillance around them had lessened considerably. Jiraiya brought them to his home, which, though he rarely stayed there, was regularly cleaned and maintained.
After they sat down, Nagato began to speak. "Danzo killed Yahiko all those years ago, so I took control of the organization. I turned Yahiko's body into a puppet and controlled its actions."
This revelation left Jiraiya both guilt-ridden and shocked—guilty that he hadn't been there to prevent the tragedy, and shocked that the feared leader of the Akatsuki was nothing more than a facade.
"Then why were your Rinnegan being used through Yahiko's body?"
"I was always the true wielder," Nagato answered. "That was merely a projection. I thought Uchiha Obito was a trustworthy ally, but I never expected his greed to be so deep that he would even try to steal my treasure."
Jiraiya recalled hearing Obito shout something about the Rinnegan and betrayal. It was clear there was more to the story. For now, however, he didn't press further, instead changing the subject. "What are your plans for the future?"
The immediate priority was to repair Nagato's damaged eyes, and the best way to do that was to have Orochimaru cultivate new cells. He had heard that Fugaku and his son's eyes had already been successfully recreated using this method, though their performance didn't match the originals. For now, a perfect restoration wasn't necessary; functionality was the most important thing.
Kawasaki was lost in thought. A few White Zetsu in Konoha wasn't surprising, but Nagato's report of a large number of them made him uneasy. He grew alert. He had to move the Uchiha Clan somewhere else immediately. Kawasaki didn't want to see any unnecessary sacrifices. Whatever Obito and his cohorts were planning, he had to consult with Orochimaru first. They needed to decide whether to expose their intentions and force the White Zetsu to retreat or take another course of action.
After listening to Nagato's description, Kawasaki was surprised to find that the ability Nagato had awakened seemed very similar to Karin's Kagura Mind's Eye. The strange thing was, with so many White Zetsu active in the village, Karin hadn't detected a thing. Had the White Zetsu specifically avoided the area around Orochimaru's lab? Or were Nagato's eyes simply stronger than Karin's sensory abilities?
These questions filled Kawasaki's mind. After receiving Hashirama's cells, Nagato had clearly become much stronger. It was still unclear how many of Hashirama's other techniques he had learned. When the opportunity arose, he would have to show him the Secret Scroll of Wood Style.
Just as Konan and Nagato were heading to the Uchiha clan's compound, Tobi had already slipped silently into a secluded house in a residential area. Someone was already waiting for him inside. It was one of the Hyuga Clan's great elders—Hyuga Kaito.
When Danzo saw Kaito, his expression instantly grew complicated, his heart reeling in shock. So he was the one being controlled?
Hyuga Kaito appeared perfectly calm, showing no outward signs of being manipulated. However, the voice and tone with which he spoke were completely different from before.
"Lord Tobi, what mission do you have for me?"
Tobi sized Kaito up. "Heh, I didn't expect it to actually work."