"H-how is this possible?!"
Konan's eyes widened, her face filled with shock and disbelief. Her gaze was locked onto Naruto's eyes.
Having been by Nagato's side for so long, she was certain… these were genuine Rinnegan. She couldn't understand why Naruto also possessed these eyes.
'Hadn't Jiraiya-sensei once said that these eyes hadn't appeared in centuries?'
"And unlike Nagato, whose power was forced upon him, I might be closer to a god."
Naruto's lips curled into a confident smile.
He had full confidence in his current self. After all, his Rinnegan was different from Nagato's, which had been transplanted from someone else. As a Rinnegan that had evolved naturally, its control and power far surpassed Nagato's. Moreover, it wouldn't leave him paralyzed from overuse.
Hearing this, Konan trembled, her eyes now filled with both shock and fear.
"H-how do you know about Nagato's identity?"
Naruto simply looked at Konan calmly, not answering directly. Instead, he countered, "Shouldn't you be more curious about why Nagato, who was only using his own power, ended up so emaciated?"
Konan was stunned by Naruto's question. After a moment, she replied, "Nagato became like that because he used a Forbidden Technique."
Naruto shook his head and said: "The Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique isn't a Forbidden Technique for the Rinnegan. And as far as I know, Nagato was already frail before he ever used it. Even after becoming a Ninja, his body remained weak. For someone of the Uzumaki Clan, that's quite unusual."
"You've met Kaho, right? She nearly died from excessive Chakra and vitality consumption, but after receiving proper care and replenishment, she's now healthier than most people. That's what a normal Uzumaki should be like."
After hearing this, Konan also recalled that Nagato had always been sickly, even as a child. Moreover, his body was weaker than hers. If Nagato was truly an Uzumaki, this was indeed abnormal.
"Then... why is that?"
"Right now, there's another Ninja in the Land of Waves who had a similar situation. His name is Hatake Kakashi."
"The son of Konoha's White Fang! I've heard he's the only person outside the Uchiha Clan to possess a Sharingan. Why would he..."
Konan's eyes suddenly widened as if she had realized something: "The eyes!?"
"Gaining power that doesn't belong to you comes at a cost."
"Kakashi's Sharingan doesn't belong to him, so he can't deactivate it. He has to constantly expend his Chakra to maintain it."
"Nagato is the same. Those Rinnegan were forced upon him, and he can't control them. Even with the Uzumaki Clan's natural gifts, his body remains weak."
To prove his point, Naruto's eyes flickered, reverting to their original blue color.
Konan still found it hard to believe. "But Nagato's eyes have been like that since he was born."
"Doesn't that mean Nagato has been part of someone else's scheme from the very beginning? Those eyes are like a seed planted in him, and he himself is the nourishment. After all, ordinary people can't sustain the Rinnegan."
At this moment, Konan felt a chill run from the soles of her feet to the top of her head, as if she had been plunged into an icy abyss. Her lips trembled slightly.
She lowered her head and gritted her teeth. "Who is it?!"
"Don't you already know?"
Konan's head snapped up, and a name escaped her lips.
"Uchiha Madara!"
Because after Yahiko's death, this 'Uchiha Madara' had appeared, proposing the plan to gather the Nine Tailed Beasts to them.
'Perhaps Yahiko's death was also related to him!'
'A fierce glint appeared in Konan's eyes.'
It wasn't that Konan trusted Naruto completely after just a few words. It was that Naruto had sufficiently proven the credibility of his claims.
Both were Uzumaki, both possessed the Rinnegan, yet the difference between them was like heaven and earth.
Moreover, she had sensed something off about 'Madara' when he first approached Nagato. It seemed her instincts had been right.
Konan immediately stood up and bowed deeply to Naruto.
"I'm truly sorry, Leader of the Land of Waves. I must return to the Land of Rain immediately. I'm afraid I can't give you an answer right now."
Naruto shook his head and handed her a ring, saying, "I think you're familiar with the function of this ring. Once you've reached a decision, feel free to contact me anytime."
Konan looked at the ring in Naruto's palm and, without hesitation, took it. If 'Madara' was truly behind all of this, having Naruto's help would be an extra layer of insurance.
"Thank you."
After expressing her gratitude, a pair of white paper wings sprouted from Konan's back, and she soared into the sky.
Watching Konan's retreating figure, Naruto smiled.
'What kind of reaction would Nagato, who always claimed to be a god, make upon discovering that he was merely a pawn in someone else's game?'
'Would he break free from the chessboard, or would he continue to deceive himself and maintain the status quo?'
Naruto hoped Nagato would be sensible. Otherwise, he'd have to personally go and teach him a lesson. And when that time came, those Rinnegan would need a new owner.
He suddenly thought that if the Land of Waves ever suffered casualties in the future, maybe he could implant the Rinnegan into Hidan.
'Wouldn't that make the Land of Waves essentially have a mobile healing fountain?'
Anyway, the Rinnegan is hot-swappable, so he can just install it on others after using it.
Naruto glanced at the students on the playground, who were amazed by the sight of someone with wings, and stopped overthinking. He had already left a Flying Thunder God's mark on Konan.
Now, Naruto could launch a surprise attack on the Land of Rain at any time.
Speaking of which, after having Rinnegan, Naruto learned that as an evolution of the Sharingan, Rinnegan actually didn't overwrite the original Mangekyo Sharingan's Dojutsu. So, he was now very curious about what Madara's Mangekyo's Dojutsu was.
---
Back in his office, Kaho had already prepared tea.
She was now wearing a white shirt under a sleek black uniform, her expression gentle as she stood there.
In her hands were documents, likely something she needed to report.
Kaho's current role was Naruto's secretary.
Originally, given her abilities, she should have been working at the Land of Waves Hospital. However, due to the massive loss of Chakra and vitality she had suffered in the past, she had only recently recovered and couldn't handle Chakra-intensive tasks in the short term.
That's why she had chosen the relatively less demanding role of secretary.
Naruto lazily leaned back in his office chair and asked, "Anything important these past couple of days?"
Kaho glanced at the documents in her hands and began her report.