Just a little bit later, the Sky Screen reappeared.
[The next member to die is none other than, Nagato—one of the founders of the Akatsuki, its second leader, and the manipulator of the Six Paths of Pain.]
A man with gaunt, red hair appeared on the screen, emaciated, seated in a wheelchair, his body pierced with numerous black rods. His cheeks were sunken, his cheekbones pronounced, his eye sockets deeply hollowed, yet those purple Rinnegan still radiated an otherworldly glow.
Behind him stood six figures in Akatsuki cloaks, each with iron rods piercing their faces. They stood expressionless, their eyes vacant, like puppets controlled by strings, yet emanating a suffocating pressure.
In an instant, all eyes across every timeline of the Shinobi World were fixed on the figure. They recognized him as Nagato and the Six Paths of Pain. The de facto ruler of Amegakure, the leader of the Akatsuki, the wielder of the Rinnegan—all of it was concentrated in this young man who looked so gravely ill.
The people of Konoha Year 60 watched without blinking, unwilling to miss a single moment. After all, as impressive as Sasuke was, he was still only a future Six Paths-level figure—impressive, yes, but still "one to watch."
And the other Akatsuki members were mostly Kage-level. But Nagato was a real Super Kage-level Shinobi!
With the Ōtsutsuki clan still hidden on the moon, he was currently the strongest in the world. His Shinra Tensei could wipe out any village with a single strike. And on top of that, his threat to the Tailed Beasts left every major village on edge.
---
[Konoha, Year 60. Akatsuki hideout]
At the hideout, the atmosphere grew even heavier.
The oil lamp's flame flickered in the dim space, casting shifting shadows across the black-and-red cloaks.
All Akatsuki members stared at the screen in shock. Not because of Nagato's death—after all, the screen had already stated from the beginning that all Akatsuki members would die.
What surprised them was that someone as powerful as Nagato wouldn't even be the last to fall. Konan, Kisame, Zetsu, Obito—they all outlived him.
The leader of the Akatsuki… wasn't the last to die? Well… Obito seemed to live a long time, and in the future, his strength would even reach Six Paths level.
So… from piecing together the earlier content; could it be that after the leader killed Hinata, the rampaging Nine-Tails Jinchūriki killed Nagato?
But wasn't Hinata alive and well in the future? She even married Naruto and had children!
Konan's emotions surged so violently that she lost control of her chakra—paper fragments fluttering wildly around her body.
She couldn't understand why, after losing Yahiko, she had to endure the pain of losing Nagato too. If death was inevitable, she would rather die before him.
Pain's face revealed nothing, it was like a perfect mask, showing neither surprise nor anger.
Meanwhile, Nagato's true body in Amegakure sat in his wheelchair, letting the fine rain fall upon him, cold droplets streaming down his cheeks.
He was curious to see how his future self would die.
[Without a doubt, as a Shinobi, Nagato was a genius. With the Uzumaki clan's abundant Chakra and his own exceptional comprehension, by the age of ten he had already mastered all six nature transformations—including Yang Release—allowing him to use nearly every mainstream Ninjutsu.]
---
[Konoha, Year 60. Hokage Office]
Hiruzen drew in a sharp breath. Aside from the Rinnegan, Nagato could use that many Jutsu?!
As the "Professor of Ninjutsu," he knew exactly what this meant! It meant that even without relying on the Rinnegan, elemental affinities would be meaningless against Nagato.
Tsunade's expression also darkened: "The Uzumaki clan's chakra, plus the Rinnegan, plus mastery over all six nature transformations… this man is a natural born monster."
[But in the Shinobi World, having exceptional talent without the power to protect it is not a blessing, it's a tragedy waiting to happen. And so, Nagato's fate was sealed from the very beginning.]
---
[Amegakure (Hidden Rain Village)]
A flicker of loneliness passed through Nagato's eyes. He assumed the Sky Screen was referring to how, after awakening the Rinnegan, various forces had coveted its power, ultimately leading to Yahiko's death.
But still, why did they say his entire life was a tragedy? Even if Yahiko was gone, if he died walking the path of Yahiko's dream, he would have no regrets.
And besides, with the additional intel he now had, who knew who would come out on top? Nagato's eyes narrowed.
Over the past few days, his mind had been locked in a fierce internal struggle. On one hand, there was the looming threat of the Ōtsutsuki on the moon. On the other, there was a faint flicker of expectation for Uzumaki Naruto—the so-called "Savior of the World."
Those Ōtsutsuki seemed to be Six Paths-level beings, any one of them could throw the current world into chaos. And yet, future Naruto could actually fight them.
Could his "weapon of war" stand against a Six Paths-level threat?
And building such a weapon would mean the certain death of Naruto as the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. But then, would the world even have any way to resist the Ōtsutsuki?
After long deliberation, Nagato still couldn't make up his mind.
If not for these concerns, he would have already acted on his plan to bring peace to the world. With the Akatsuki's current strength, they could begin capturing Tailed Beasts early, then spark a war, making the world know pain.
But the Ōtsutsuki threat was stuck in his throat like a fishbone. What if, in the middle of his plan, an Ōtsutsuki suddenly descended from the moon? Everything he'd worked for would be for nothing.
'Six Paths-level…'
Nagato repeated those three words in his mind.
The more he developed the Rinnegan's power during this time, the more his body withered, and a seed of doubt began to grow within him. As the very same eyes as the Sage of Six Paths, shouldn't they bring Six Paths-level power? So why were they consuming his body so severely?
As for Might Guy, who had been mentioned by the Sky Screen earlier, since there had been no visual proof, Nagato, driven by his profound confidence in the Rinnegan and his own strength, did not believe Guy would necessarily be able to defeat him.
To borrow Kisame's words: 'No matter how impressive it sounds, you never know until you actually fight!'
His Shinra Tensei could repel any physical attack, Banshō Ten'in could pull in any enemy, and Chibaku Tensei could seal away anything.
So how could a Shinobi who only used Taijutsu possibly beat him?
Meanwhile, unlike before, the screen didn't immediately show Nagato's battle in Konoha. Instead, another scene appeared.
A young Jiraiya, along with the teenage Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan, were all wearing silly frog costumes, laughing carelessly on the screen.
It was their happiest time, a time without hatred, and only the warmth between master and students.
[Speaking of Nagato, one cannot avoid mentioning Jiraiya.]
[Without Jiraiya's guidance, Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan would not have so easily found their way onto the path of a Shinobi.]
The scene then suddenly shifted to a rain-soaked landscape.
The rain was heavy, large drops pounding the ground, splashing water everywhere. The world was a blur of gray, with distant mountains and trees reduced to faint silhouettes.
A young Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade appeared on the screen. They wore Konoha's flak jackets, covered in mud, their hair plastered wetly to their faces, looking exhausted.
Dragging their weary bodies, they were preparing to leave the Land of Rain. The Great Ninja War was drawing to a close, and their battles with Amegakure had drained them completely; all they wanted now was to return to Konoha.
Just then—a red-haired Nagato, a blue-haired Konan, and an orange-haired Yahiko, three gaunt, ragged children, boldly stepped in front of them, blocking their path.
Tsunade looked at the pitiful trio and felt a pang of compassion. She had seen too many war orphans, and too many corpses. She crouched down, pulled out some dry rations from her pack, and handed them over.
After the three children wolfed down the food, a glimmer of hope returned to their eyes. Summoning their courage, they spoke to the Sannin: "P-Please… please teach us Ninjutsu! We want to become stronger! We want to survive in this war-torn world!"
Faced with the earnest pleas of the three children, Tsunade remained noncommittal; being kind enough to give them something to eat was already the limit of what she could do.
Orochimaru even suggested killing them; after all, orphans in times of war usually met grim fates, and killing them might even be a mercy.
But it was Jiraiya—the rough, boisterous one—who was deeply moved when he saw the flower Konan held out, folded from paper. It stirred something buried deep within him, awakening a long-dormant desire for redemption.
To ease his own conscience, he made a decision that left Orochimaru and Tsunade stunned, and sent shockwaves across every timeline of the Shinobi World.
He decided to stay!
Keep in mind that at this time, Konoha and Amegakure were enemies.
Shinobi from the Rain and Leaf had been killing each other not long before, the corpses still fresh on the battlefield. And here was Jiraiya, a disciple of the Hokage, choosing to stay in enemy territory and teach Ninjutsu to orphaned children of the enemy?
If word of this reached the village, at best he'd be punished, at worst, branded a traitor.
"Have you lost your mind, Jiraiya!" Orochimaru snapped coldly. "This is still a war zone, and you want to drag around three dead weights?"
Tsunade also frowned: "Our mission is already complete."
Jiraiya, however, was unshakable: "No… my mission has only just begun. What these children need… is hope."
---
[Land of Lightning, Kumogakure]
A looked at the screen and couldn't help but scoff: "This guy's got a screw loose. Teaching enemy Shinobi in enemy territory? That's just feeding a tiger that'll come back to bite you."
Dodai nodded: "Raikage-sama is right. If Jiraiya had done nothing back then, Nagato wouldn't be a threat now."
---
[Land of Earth, Iwagakure]
Ōnoki also shook his head: "Jiraiya… is too sentimental. The Shinobi World can't be changed with compassion alone."
His tone carried the weariness of someone who had seen it all.
He had witnessed too many idealists like Jiraiya meet tragic ends—though Jiraiya was still alive, at least.
---
[Land of Wind, Sunagakure]
Looking at the screen, Rasa sneered: "Konoha shinobis, always such idealists. And what came of it? The student he raised nearly destroyed the village."
---
[Land of Water, Kirigakure]
Mei sighed: "Jiraiya… seems like a good man. But being good doesn't always mean doing good."
---
[Konoha, Year 60. Hokage Office]
Tsunade looked at the stubborn expression of the Jiraiya on the screen, a swirl of emotions churning within her. That idiot, he was clearly still a half-baked Shinobi himself back then, yet he was always thinking about saving others.
Hiruzen puffed on his pipe, silent for a long time. Finally, he spoke: "Jiraiya did the right thing."
Tsunade turned to look at him.
"Those three children just wanted to survive back then."
"If no one had reached out to them, they might have died in the Land of Rain long ago. Even if Nagato later strayed from the path, it doesn't negate the kindness Jiraiya showed at the time."
"Besides, I approved of his decision as well."
Meanwhile, somewhere in the Land of Waves.
Jiraiya looked at the screen, at the young version of himself, and little Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan—a wave of bitterness rising in his heart.
If… if he had done better, if he had given them more attention… would things have turned out differently?
[It can be said that it was precisely the children's will to survive, coupled with the fact that Jiraiya bore some responsibility for the state of Amegakure, that led him to choose to teach them Ninjutsu and help them stand on their own.]
[Of course, Jiraiya initially had no intention of investing too much effort into teaching them. After all, his primary goal was to make them self-sufficient. And as one of the Legendary Sannin, making three children able to survive on their own shouldn't require too much effort.]
[But as Jiraiya observed their words and actions, he discovered that Yahiko, in particular, possessed great ambition and remarkably mature ideals; a promising seedling worth cultivating. So he decided to train all three of them seriously.]
[However, just as he resolved to do so, something else happened—Nagato's Rinnegan awakened.]
The scene continued.
At first, Jiraiya did not teach the three children Ninjutsu.
Each day, he foraged for food, shared meals with them, told stories of the Shinobi World, and listened to their naïve hopes for peace. Life was humble, but filled with joy.
Until one day.
A few wandering thugs set their sights on Konan and Yahiko.
They tried to steal their food, and even laid hands on Konan. And in a surge of sheer fury, the frail Nagato suddenly released an overwhelming repulsive force!
The thugs were flung through the air, crashing heavily to the ground, blood spilling from their mouths as they struggled to rise. But what was even more shocking was that beneath his orange-red hair, the eyes that opened were ringed with rippling purple patterns.
The Rinnegan!
The legendary eyes—said to be the same as the Sage of Six Paths!
Across different timelines of the Shinobi World, sharp intakes of breath echoed once more.
[As eyes identical to those of the Sage of Six Paths, the Rinnegan truly possesses unrivaled power. No wonder Jiraiya believed Nagato was the legendary Child of Prophecy, placing all his hopes for peace on him.]
[But unfortunately, these eyes did not truly belong to Nagato.]
[And precisely because of that, the immense burden they placed on his body, combined with the prolonged overuse of the Gedo Statue, left him barely able to walk in later years. He could only move with mechanical assistance. And if it wasn't for the fact that Jutsus only required hand seals to activate, Nagato's combat ability would have suffered greatly.]
The people of the Shinobi World, who had just been shocked by the Rinnegan, were suddenly silent, as if their throats had been gripped.
What did this mean? The Rinnegan wasn't Nagato's?! And it was even putting a strain on his body?!
Was the screen kidding?
---
[Konoha, Year 60. Akatsuki Hideout]
The Akatsuki members were dumbfounded, staring at each other in disbelief.
Deidara was baffled: "The Rinnegan isn't the leader's? Then whose is it? Can you just give something like that away? And who would be willing to part with it?"
Kakuzu's eyes glinted sharply, his gaze landing on Tendo Pain. "So the leader has been using it all these years without knowing anything?"
If the Rinnegan didn't belong to Nagato, then whose was it? Who would "give" the Rinnegan to Nagato? What was the true purpose of the person who "gave" those eyes?
Beneath his mask, Obito's expression turned dark. If the secret of the Rinnegan was exposed… Nagato would likely become uncontrollable!
Worse, the Rinnegan was a critical part of his own plan. He could not afford to lose it.
Pain showed no expression on his face. But somewhere in a tall tower in Amegakure, Nagato's true body sat in his wheelchair, his emotions surging, and the rain around him began to ripple violently.
'Lies!'
What the Sky Screen said had to be lies!
How could the Rinnegan not be his?!
Although Nagato had harbored some doubts before, now that the truth had been laid bare, his first instinct was to deny it.
He gripped the armrests of his wheelchair with such force that the black rods piercing his body sent jolts of pain through him.
---
The leaders of the Five Great Nations were equally stunned into silence.
[Kumogakure]
A's brows were knitted into a frown: "The Rinnegan isn't Nagato's?! Then who would give such a thing to a child?"
"Could it be… an Ōtsutsuki from the moon?"
[Iwagakure]
Ōnoki, floating mid-air, swayed slightly, nearly falling. "The Rinnegan… can be transplanted?"
[Sunagakure]
Rasa's hand unconsciously moved to his own eye. 'Sharingan, Byakugan, Rinnegan… just how many secrets do the bloodline limits of this world still hold?'
[Kirigakure]
Mei took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. "So, there really is someone behind Nagato, and that person is the real mastermind."
---
[Konoha, Year 20. Hokage Office]
Tobirama stared at the screen's description of "the Rinnegan not belonging to Nagato," his brows tightly locked.
For some reason, his thoughts immediately turned to a certain man who was supposedly dead. That man had both the power and the motive to do something like this.
Although it was only a speculation, he was already fairly certain, if there was anyone in the Shinobi World who could possess the Rinnegan, it was definitely that guy Madara.
Of course, the Ōtsutsuki on the moon were not included in that calculation.
The issue was, that while the Sky Screen had mentioned several Ōtsutsuki names so far, the only ones whose images had appeared were Toneri and Urashiki.
One had a Tenseigan, and the other appeared to have a Byakugan.
This suggested that the Ōtsutsuki lineage leaned more toward the Byakugan, not the Rinnegan. The Rinnegan was more likely a bloodline limit of the Sage of Six Paths' descendants.
And among the known bloodlines descending from the Sage of Six Paths, who else excelled in ocular Jutsu?
Certainly not the Senju!
More importantly, both Madara and Sasuke were considered the so-called reincarnations of Indra. And in the future, Sasuke would even possess a Rinnegan—didn't that say enough?!
So if Madara was still alive, his purpose in giving the Rinnegan to Nagato couldn't possibly be just to help him. There had to be some ulterior motive.
---
[Another Timeline. Somewhere underground in the Shinobi World]
The elderly Madara leaned back in his stone chair, watching the Sky Screen's revelation about Nagato's Rinnegan, and instantly developing a headache.
The Rinnegan had already been transplanted into Nagato, who was now even stronger than his aged self. And now that Nagato knew the truth, how could Madara ever reclaim it?
"Obito…" he muttered the name under his breath. "You'd better not disappoint me."
*****
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