Hearing Rorin's words, Konan fell silent, while Nagato gave a helpless smile.
"To be honest, because I've been frequently using the power of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path for years, my lifespan is already nearly exhausted."
Rorin froze for a moment at those words, then glanced at Nagato and slowly walked toward him.
Konan stepped in front of Nagato, staring at Rorin warily as she called out,
"What are you trying to do?!"
"Calm down, Konan. Step aside," Nagato said softly. Only then did Konan slowly retreat a few steps, though her eyes remained locked on Rorin.
If Rorin made any move against Nagato, she would strike without hesitation.
Nagato glanced at Konan and gently shook his head. Before long, Rorin was already standing in front of him.
Looking at Nagato's emaciated frame, Rorin shook his head. This didn't look like a thirty-five-year-old man at all—his back was pierced with countless black rods.
His face was gaunt; in Rorin's eyes, Nagato now looked even older than Shimura Danzō.
"Are you willing to trust me?" Rorin asked.
Nagato nodded slightly. "I already said earlier—I choose to trust you."
"Good. I have a way to restore your health. Are you willing?" Rorin said casually.
Nagato and Konan both froze. Konan turned to look at Nagato; truthfully, she hoped Rorin's words were real.
After all, in her world, Nagato was her only remaining family. But when it came to his life, she had to be cautious.
"Will it harm you in any way?" Nagato asked. It was impossible for him not to want to live.
"It won't have much impact. I'll just be a bit weak for a short time," Rorin replied softly.
Nagato fell into thought. He glanced at Konan beside him, then spoke firmly,
"I want to keep living—to atone for the mistakes I've made, and to make up for them."
Rorin felt a surge of relief at those words, but there was something he needed to make clear.
"Of course, I have a condition. You can't keep frequently using the Demonic Statue's power. Otherwise, my treatment would be meaningless. Everything must be done step by step—don't rush for quick results," Rorin said.
Nagato nodded slowly, and Konan beside him also felt greatly reassured.
Rorin then leapt onto the shinobi mechanical wheelchair beneath Nagato and placed both hands in front of him.
One's Own Life Reincarnation!
Half an hour later, color returned to Nagato's cheeks, and his body brimmed with vitality.
However, due to years of strain, his body was still quite thin. He would need proper nutrition and time to recover fully.
Rorin could restore his vitality, but he couldn't make him gain weight.
Even so, Nagato was already deeply satisfied. His body now felt as though it had returned to the condition of his early twenties.
Rorin withdrew his hands and wiped away his sweat. Nagato's condition had been even worse than Uchiha Itachi's—he had used nearly half of his own life force to heal him.
Nagato looked at Rorin with gratitude. Not only had he shown him a path toward peace, but he had also healed him.
Seeing Nagato's restored complexion, Konan was also filled with gratitude toward Rorin.
Rorin sat weakly in Nagato's custom wheelchair, breathing heavily.
Nagato asked with concern, "Rorin, are you alright?"
Rorin waved his hand. "I'm fine. Just need some rest—and I'll recover after replenishing some nutrition."
Only then did Nagato finally let out a breath of relief.
"How do you feel now? By the way, when I was treating you earlier, I noticed an issue with your legs, so I fixed that as well," Rorin said after resting for a while.
Nagato looked at his legs in shock. If Rorin hadn't mentioned it, he wouldn't have noticed—they seemed to be able to move again.
Konan then jumped onto the wheelchair as well. Fortunately, it was spacious enough not to feel cramped.
She supported Nagato and helped pull out all the black rods from his back.
Clang! Clang!
Konan tossed the black rods onto the ground. Nagato slowly pulled his hands free from the wheelchair.
Carefully, Konan helped him up. His legs left the wheelchair, and the two descended to the ground.
Nagato's feet touched the earth. He slowly tried lifting his legs. Having not used them for years, when he stepped down, they gave way slightly and his knees bent—but he could clearly feel that they responded.
With Konan supporting him, Nagato began to walk slowly.
"It's fine, don't rush. Take your time with rehabilitation. After all, it's been a long time since you last walked," Rorin said with a smile as he hopped down from the wheelchair.
Nagato turned to look at Rorin, his gratitude impossible to put into words.
"By the way, it seems we skipped the most basic introductions. You know our names, but I still don't know yours," Rorin said casually, without the slightest hint of embarrassment.
Konan and Nagato exchanged a glance and smiled.
After that, they introduced themselves to Rorin, and the three of them chatted happily.
"So, what are your plans next?" Rorin asked, looking at the two.
"Regarding the common enemy you mentioned earlier… I have someone in mind," Nagato said after a moment of thought.
"Oh? Who?" Rorin asked, feigning curiosity.
"Uchiha Madara," Nagato said slowly.
Rorin frowned slightly. "Him, huh."
"Rorin, you don't seem surprised that Uchiha Madara is still alive?" Nagato asked.
Rorin smiled faintly. "That's because another friend told me."
Nagato thought for a moment. "The friend you're talking about… is it Uchiha Itachi?"
Rorin paused, a bit surprised. Not bad—Nagato could be quite sharp sometimes.
Since they were now allies, there was no need to hide certain things.
Rorin nodded. "Yes, that's right."
Nagato and Konan exchanged another glance. Then Nagato looked back at Rorin.
"So, what do you think of Uchiha Madara?"
Rorin rubbed his chin for a moment, then nodded slightly.
"He is indeed a suitable choice."
After their discussion, Rorin slowly stood up and looked outside the tree trunk. The sky had already darkened, so he bid them farewell.
"I should head back to the Hidden Leaf Village. Oh, and Nagato—your body still needs time to recover. Make sure to get plenty of nutrition."
Nagato nodded. "I will. Thank you."
Rorin then took out a bone and handed it to Nagato.
"If anything comes up, you can contact me through this."
Nagato accepted the bone with a slight smile—no words were needed.
"Oh, right. The Five Paths of Pain in the Hidden Leaf Village—you don't need me to retrieve them for you, do you?" Rorin asked with a grin before leaving.
Nagato shook his head. "No need."
"Alright then, I'm off!" Rorin waved, and his figure vanished.
...
Rorin returned to the Hidden Leaf Village and headed straight for Ichiraku Ramen. This time, he hadn't prepared ramen in advance—after all, he hadn't known when Nagato would attack the village. As for the earlier battle affecting Ichiraku Ramen and causing it to close for the day? The thought didn't even seem remotely possible to Rorin.
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