During the week in which Izayoi awaited his Tenseigan to complete its awakening, the uproar sparked by the Akatsuki leader and the moon visitor did not gradually subside—on the contrary, it intensified.
As one of the main protagonists in that colossal battle, and also "one side" of the ninja world, Akatsuki found its stronghold in Amegakure not turned into a forbidden zone, but rather into the ninja world's hottest tourist attraction.
Recently, wave upon wave of visitors, draped in rain, came by just to see this realm once ruled by the "Demi-God" and now under the command of the so-called "God of Shinobi" of the new era.
Indeed, in these past few days, Nagato's brilliance grew ever brighter and his fame ever more accepted. Many believed Nagato to be the new "God of Shinobi" for this era.
Because the moon visitor was an outsider, and while Nagato might be the Akatsuki's leader, he also was the leader of Amegakure, one of "us" in the ninja world.
No one knew exactly what that Gedo Statue was, but most folks figured it would be better to keep it in the hands of "our own" than leave it to some whimsical moon visitor. In any case, even if war did erupt, it would be a major-nations' shinobi war, having little to do with ordinary people.
Hence, not a few now regarded Nagato as a hero of the shinobi world—the savior defending it all.
Minor nations around the area secretly reached out to the Rain Daimyō recently, looking to pledge allegiance. The Rain Daimyō, waking one day to find such unexpected good fortune, was thoroughly astonished.
"When did my military base change hands like this?"
And it wasn't the Demi-God but rather the new-age God of Shinobi. What kind of "super multiplier" is this?!
In this era where even open fighting among ninja generally spares the aristocracy, unquestionably, the Rain Daimyō is the most favored by fortune.
"Nagato…"
Jiraiya, Nagato's teacher, was equally thrilled as he read the comprehensive reports while roaming the ninja world in search of information on the mysterious figure.
He seemed to arrive at some misunderstanding, his heart full of joy:
"So that's what you meant about limited knowledge, Nagato? The Gedo Statue, the moon visitor, the Tenseigan… So your reason for gathering the Tailed Beasts is to single-handedly face the Sage child from the moon and safeguard our shinobi world? Nagato, you truly are the Child of the Prophecy!"
All of Jiraiya's burdens vanished. In his view, the disciple whose demeanor had drastically changed into cruelty and brutality had, in fact, never changed at all; he was the same lovable child as ever. Their shared dream—ending war and bringing peace—remained.
Gathering Tailed Beasts might not be for dominating by force, but to watch over the Gedo Statue and protect the world from the moon-based Ōtsutsuki clan. After all, with Nagato's current power, he hardly needed Tailed Beasts to quell the ninja world. The Bijū were mere playthings.
Had the shinobi world possessed a broader perspective, no one would have believed that people could reside on the moon and that ancient Sage heirs had emigrated there—if not for Ōtsutsuki Toneri's self-proclaimed origins.
But everything the moon visitor had done recently—his puppet army and other actions—had labeled him as the villain. Compared to the well-behaved Akatsuki occupying merely one territory, it was this unrestrained outside intruder who truly instilled terror.
Hence, once Nagato became recognized as a hero and savior, the hefty bounties on Tendo Pain and Sasori of the Red Sand were swiftly removed from the underworld.
Replacing them was a bounty on the moon visitor Ōtsutsuki Toneri, at a stunning 1.5 billion ryō. Even a great nation's Daimyō would find that figure painful—equivalent to an entire year of military expenses.
Plainly, multiple nations had pooled resources to offer that reward, because the ninja world, at present, had a common enemy that demanded unity.
…
"But we're an organization of rogue ninjas—weren't we labeled terrorists? How'd our leader suddenly become the world's savior?"
In Amegakure, the members of Akatsuki, gathered for a meeting, all wore perplexed expressions.
A few days ago, they were S-rank missing-nin hunted by every country, labeled as terrorists. Yet in just a matter of days, the supposed top terrorist in the ninja world— their leader—was now hailed as a champion and savior, while they themselves, the "heroes" who aided him, had become loyal subordinates of the "heroic side."
This identity shift left even a veteran like Kakuzu feeling dazed. He'd spent most of his life labeled a criminal; how had he suddenly become a "good guy"?
"It's all political theatrics," Black Zetsu said bluntly, pinning down the truth.
"That does match the style of those bigwigs," Sasori replied in his puppet armor, voice low.
"After decades, everyone forgot how terrifying the might of the God of Shinobi and the Ashura of the Ninja World once was. Now that they've glimpsed the destructive clash between two super-tier powers, the high-ups of the Five Great Nations must be wracked with sleepless nights."
"After all, our Akatsuki is a group of missing-nin. Those mighty lords surely fear we might turn our fangs on them, so they polish up our leader's 'hero of the ninja world' or 'savior' persona in secret. That way, if we truly sought to rule the ninja world, we'd lose public support, never garner the huge following that the God of Shinobi once did."
"Even if we won, we'd be labeled conquerors and tyrants, and the Five Great Nations, once toppled, could still revive by capitalizing on that. If we disregard reputation and forcibly seize power, they can still dangle that 'maintaining your heroic name' as leverage and salvage some of their interests."
"…I see."
Deidara and Hidan, upon hearing that, exchanged glances and found themselves somewhat relishing it.
Then Deidara sneered: "Politicians are scumbags, yeah. Guess we gotta keep an eye on the Leader's real body, or he'll prove as scheming as that old man in Iwagakure."
Kisame, eyeing Tendo Pain, gave a toothy grin: "Leader, you've revealed your body's secrets, so why use a puppet at a meeting again? Perhaps the real you is busy training, hmm—always so diligent."
"True, yeah… Leader, you turned out to be from the Uzumaki and Senju clans, awakened Wood Release, yet never joined Konoha—maybe you bear grudges against the nations that destroyed Uzushio, planning to lead Amegakure in retribution?" Deidara added excitedly.
"Bringing on a Fourth Great Ninja War would be awesome—Lord Jashin thrives in rivers of blood!" Hidan folded his arms in anticipation.
The others ignored those two's chatter, gazing at Tendo Pain, awaiting an official statement. This meeting clearly wasn't just a casual discussion but must have important announcements.
Sure enough, a figure stepped from the shadows to stand beside Tendo Pain—a youthful, handsome Nagato.
"Apologies. My body was unwell before, so I couldn't meet you all in person," Nagato said, instantly startling the Akatsuki members.
Not from his sudden appearance, but rather from his gentle tone—completely at odds with Tendo Pain's lofty, self-deified style.
While the group was still adjusting, Nagato set his hand on Tendo Pain's shoulder: "Truth is, I'm not the leader of Akatsuki; Tendo Pain is."
"What do you mean?"
Everyone turned in puzzlement toward Nagato.
"Tendo Pain's real name is Yahiko. He was Konan's and my dearest friend, the true founder of Akatsuki," Nagato explained solemnly. "Though he's dead now, I'll carry out his will, forging a new era with no war so that everyone's dreams can come true—under his name."
"Therefore you must accept this: Pain remains our real leader of Akatsuki."
A hush fell. They wondered if Nagato had a split personality, but they could sense his feelings for Yahiko and Konan. They began to see him in a new light: a leader who was deeply loyal to his friends.
After emphasizing Yahiko's status, Nagato then took out a handful of rings, placing them on the table—each one bearing the symbol of Akatsuki.
"Leader, why are you giving us new rings? We already have some," Deidara said, raising his own "Ao" ring.
"Yeah, what's the point—spares?" Hidan chimed in.
Everyone else eyed the new rings with wariness. Even Itachi, with his three-tomoe Sharingan active, observed the chakra within them, mind brimming with thoughts.
"These are newly forged using the Rinnegan and Wood Release, engraved with my summoning technique. All of you, replace your old ones."
Nagato's face grew serious, delivering a staggering revelation: "Barring any surprises, Ōtsutsuki Toneri's Tenseigan has now completed its evolution."
"What?!"
Shock seized the entire Akatsuki at this impossibility.
"Can a Sage's Eye evolve, like the Sharingan does?" Kisame blurted in disbelief.
"I'm not certain," Nagato shook his head, then gave his analysis: "He left the battlefield that day not because we were evenly matched, but because his brain had abruptly secreted enormous chakra to his eyes, rendering him temporarily unable to wield his dōjutsu. His Tenseigan likely shares similarities with my Rinnegan, yet he's missing the Six Paths Jutsu and Yin-Yang Release. Even his gravitational powers aren't as complete as Tendo. It seems he hasn't awakened them."
"Yet now, from what we see, it isn't that he lacks the Six Paths Jutsu—he just hasn't unlocked them yet."
At that, Nagato's face turned grave—though this heaviness was more about "Uchiha Madara" than Ōtsutsuki Toneri.
That the Sage's Eye can evolve startled the entire group, but it also unsettled Nagato, giving him a new realization: the Six Paths Jutsu and Yin-Yang Release might not be something created by the Sage of Six Paths and locked to the Rinnegan. Possibly, the Rinnegan inherently wields them.
If so, why did he himself need someone else to grant him the power of the Six Paths and Yin-Yang Release? He'd sensed the Gedo Statue's presence but never detected any significant changes in his eyes. Before, he assumed that was merely normal for the Sage's Eye. But after witnessing how Tenseigan can evolve, he began to suspect otherwise:
If another Sage's Eyes keep evolving but his Rinnegan cannot—and all its abilities had to be given to him—what does that imply?
Nagato once had no idea of "Uchiha Madara's" agenda, but now he thought he had a clue: these might be Madara's eyes or perhaps obtained from the Sage of Six Paths' ruins.
Because the Uchiha clan lacks the strong life force of the Uzumaki and Senju, even if Madara transplanted Hashirama's cells and awakened Wood Release, he couldn't truly control the Rinnegan.
His advanced age forced him to pass the Rinnegan on to Nagato, then at an opportune time, supply him with the Six Paths Jutsu and Yin-Yang Release. And what's that timing? The Gedo Statue.
Connecting with Toneri's remarks, the Gedo Statue certainly isn't only for sealing Tailed Beasts. It's evidently some "thing" the moon's guardians protected for a millennium and are now exposing themselves to retrieve. There must be secrets known only to a "true" Sage's Eye wielder.
Hence, Nagato's greatest fear became "Uchiha Madara," not the moon visitor. He was extremely wary that if he collected all the Tailed Beasts, Madara might betray him—or they may already have rigged something in his body. Otherwise, why help him regain his powers?
Of course, Nagato told none of this to Konan, keeping it to himself. Nonetheless, in his mind, the biggest threat now was Madara, not Ōtsutsuki Toneri.
Unaware of Nagato's reasoning, the Akatsuki members exhaled in mild relief.
"So basically," Sasori said gravely, "that brat's next evolution would be more like Pain's Six Paths, broadening his capabilities? Then next time, his puppet army's strongest puppet might not be Shimura Danzō but the Six Paths of Pain themselves?"
"Correct." Nagato nodded. "Even if his Tenseigan fully awakens, he still can't defeat me. To seize my Gedo Statue, he must find ways to weaken the Akatsuki first, presumably by hunting all of you—just as he incited war to have Kumogakure bomb Amegakure."
"But now that I've recovered my peak condition, I'll also strengthen Pain, with no more distance restrictions. If you encounter danger, pour chakra into your rings to trigger the Summoning Technique. That will summon the Six Paths of Pain, who can also reverse-summon me. So even if you operate solo, you won't fear that guy targeting you."
With that, Nagato exuded the aura of a Pokémon Champion. Akatsuki felt assured.
Their fear of that overpowered threat vanished—they no longer needed to hide in Amegakure but could roam unrestrained as missing-nin. Soon they exchanged their old rings for the new ones and dispersed.
Soon only Nagato, Tendo Pain, and Konan remained in the meeting room.
"Konan, because of the incoming tourists, the village will be bustling. Sorry to trouble you." Nagato said with a smile. "Apart from village business, I'll let Pain handle anything else."
"Understood," Konan nodded. Now that Nagato had fully regained his youth, her own spirits soared. With him revered as the hero and savior—though a result of those meddling politicians—she recalled the original path for the Three Orphans. Perhaps they'd once gone astray, but now they'd returned to the right track. Nagato would surely transform the world for the better.
Carrying such thoughts, Konan left with a gentle angelic smile, and Tendo Pain followed behind her. Nagato sat alone at the main seat, radiating an aura of authority as he spoke:
"All of you, come out."
No sooner had his words fallen than the space beside him warped to reveal a palm-sized black hole. Uchiha Obito emerged from the vortex, settling on a stone chair. Black Zetsu, who had just departed, emerged from the ground.
"Have you located a path to the moon?" Nagato asked Black Zetsu.
"There must be a concealed seal blocking that route—and he can use Flying Thunder God, so no sign of residual aura or smell," White Zetsu replied, shaking his head.
Nagato didn't seem surprised and turned to Obito: "Where did you get the Four Red Yang Formation? The Uzumaki clan's scrolls, the Konoha ninjutsu library, or the Scroll of Seals, or from Kumogakure's library?"
"If you require Uzumaki sealing arts, I can obtain them," Obito said indifferently. "Your Wood Release plus Uzumaki sealing, along with your Rinnegan's Preta Path, would approach 'authentic Wood Release.'"
Seeing "Uchiha Madara" dodge the question, Nagato dropped the idea of gleaning Konoha's sealing library from him. Eyes serious, he spoke: "I need more of Hashirama's cells. Can you get them?"
Originally unimpressed by Wood Release, Nagato—like Mei Terumi—had harbored incomplete notions. Yet once he wore "Tobi's armor" to unleash Nativity of a Sea of Trees and the Wooden Golem, he learned why the God of Shinobi was so formidable.
Even with his Shinra Tensei: Full Throttle, he could hardly contend with Senju Hashirama.
His "God of the New Era" moniker was a bit unearned. Consequently, Nagato yearned for more of Hashirama's cells, to enhance his own Wood Release. With that plus Tobi's suit, he'd be even stronger.
Obito hadn't anticipated this request. Beneath the mask, his Sharingan flickered toward Black Zetsu, as though exchanging glances.
Eventually, Obito responded softly, "After creating the White Zetsu, I have precious few Hashirama cells left. But… I do know someone else has quite a stash of them."
~~~
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