Out at sea, on the small island where the Three-Tails had been sealed.
Kamizuki Hikari arrived from afar, finding Nagato waiting there—with Konan standing quietly behind him.
As for the six Paths of Pain, Hikari completely ignored them.
"So, you're Kamizuki Hikari?"
On this tiny island, only a few kilometers across—where one could see the shore from anywhere—there was no point in hiding. Nagato simply revealed his true body and appeared openly before Hikari.
"That's me."
Hikari admitted it directly. After glancing over the two of them, he scanned his surroundings.
"What happened to the people who were here before? Did you kill them?"
Given the temperament of the Kiri shinobi, they should have fought to the death. Yet there were no corpses, no traces of blood. That truly surprised Hikari.
"In your eyes, are we that cruel?" Nagato's Rinnegan never left Hikari as he spoke.
Something strange was happening. Despite the Rinnegan's power, Nagato couldn't see through Kamizuki Hikari at all. It was as though a thin, invisible film surrounded him, shielding him from Nagato's sight.
"Aren't you?" Hikari asked calmly. "Plenty of people have died by your hand."
Nagato fell silent for a moment before answering. "It's true, I've killed many. But I doubt the number of deaths on your hands is small either."
Hikari shrugged. "Including Kakuzu, I'd say the total isn't even twenty. Two of Danzō's squads, Danzō himself, and Kakuzu's group of misfits. Not more than twenty in all."
That answer made Nagato glance at him in surprise.
With such power, he had assumed Kamizuki Hikari's hands would be stained with hundreds, even thousands of lives.
"Don't worry," Konan spoke softly. "Nagato let those shinobi go."
Hikari raised an eyebrow, doubtful.
"They saw your Rinnegan. Aren't you afraid they'll spread that information?"
Nagato's tone carried quiet pride. "If the Rinnegan could be defeated merely by leaking information about it, then it wouldn't be worthy of the name Rinnegan."
That was a bold statement indeed.
Hikari looked closely at the rippling rings in Nagato's eyes, nodding thoughtfully.
If Nagato had remained in perfect condition, he truly would have been invincible in the shinobi world. But he'd been tricked by Hanzō—no, more accurately, betrayed by the very will of this world itself.
For a wielder of the Rinnegan to lose his legs to explosive tags—how absurd was that?
"Well said," Hikari admitted.
"Still, I'm curious. Working with Madara is like bargaining with a beast. Your paths are clearly different. Do you really believe he'll support your ideals—or let you control the Ten-Tails?"
That was the question that had long puzzled Hikari.
Nagato was silent for a while before replying.
"Madara's power lies in his space-time ninjutsu. I still need his help. As for Black Zetsu, he was brought by Madara as well. But it doesn't matter. As long as I wield the Rinnegan, they can only bow before my eyes."
Arrogant.
The Rinnegan had granted Nagato power beyond mortal comprehension—and with it, a godlike sense of supremacy.
It wasn't hard to understand.
If Hikari himself possessed such power, he wouldn't tolerate the complaints of ordinary men either.
Yet he made a conscious effort to restrain himself—to keep a normal heart, to stay connected to the people.
He didn't want to become detached, isolated by his own strength.
Think of the Sage of Six Paths' sons—Indra failed because he couldn't understand the strength of the masses. He sought only to control them with his own power.
People like that would only be rejected by the world.
"I have one last question," Hikari said.
"Judging by your hair, you're clearly of the Uzumaki clan. Yet in the thousand-year history of the Uzumaki, the Rinnegan has never appeared once. What do you think of those eyes?"
The meaning behind his words was obvious—these eyes aren't yours, and you know it.
Nagato instantly caught his implication. His gaze deepened as he looked at Hikari. Konan, beside him, tensed up, worried that Nagato might lash out.
Instead, Nagato laughed.
He looked at Hikari and smiled brightly.
"You think I've never considered that myself?"
"These eyes have been with me for years. I've studied why they appeared, and pondered who might have given them to me. When I think of all the people I've met... aside from Konan, the only one I could never fully trust—the one who appeared too mysteriously—was 'Madara'. So, as you say, these eyes must be tied to him somehow."
Nagato spoke calmly and thoughtfully, earning Hikari's respect.
He had underestimated the shinobi of this world.
Look at Yakumo—given just one chance to change, she'd grown to a level beyond comprehension.
And Nagato—how could a man who had led Amegakure for so many years be the naïve boy Hikari had once imagined?
He was wrong. Completely wrong.
"In the end, it doesn't matter where these eyes came from," Nagato continued. "What I seek is strength—my own strength. I want to create a world of peace. If these eyes can help me do that, then that's all that matters."
Hikari took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
"You're right. I was mistaken. Now that we've talked this far, is there anything you want to ask me?"
Nagato gazed quietly at Hikari. Behind him, the Pains stepped forward one by one.
"I want to know," Nagato said, "since you possess such immense power, why do you sit by and watch the shinobi world descend into chaos? Wouldn't it be better to use your strength to settle everything once and for all?"
Kamizuki Hikari replied, "Every person is an independent individual. Today I could crush the other hidden villages, even force them to submit, but doing so would only breed hatred. Hatred can only be washed away with blood. Do you really want me to slaughter countless people?"
Nagato's voice turned cold. "That's the difference between us. You stand aside and watch the world burn, while I use my power to end the war myself. That is my mission—perhaps even the destiny of the Rinnegan's wielder."
Hikari could not agree with such words.
Yet right now, he could say nothing more.
Because the Pains had already surrounded him.
The Deva Path raised his hand toward Hikari—not to shake hands, but to unleash an attack.
"Shinra Tensei!"
A violent wave of repulsive force exploded outward. It was like being struck by a wall of pure air—Hikari was hurled backward instantly.
At the same time, the Asura Path's arms transformed, revealing a barrage of weapons with modern mechanical designs. They fired at Hikari in a fierce bombardment.
The Human Path and the Preta Path closed in simultaneously—one with overwhelming taijutsu, the other ready to absorb chakra. If Hikari were caught between them, the outcome would be disastrous.
The smoke from the explosions cleared...
Hikari stood there unharmed.
The Human and Preta Paths lunged at him again—one possessed powerful taijutsu, the other the ability to absorb chakra.
If Hikari were trapped by these two, the consequences would be dire.
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