Nagato sat silently on the ground, emotions churning inside him.
Had he been living inside a lie all along?
All this time, trapped in someone else's plan, working just to resurrect Uchiha Madara.
Peace for the ninja world?
A better world?
It was all a joke.
Even his Rinnegan had been given to him by someone else.
Thinking back to what Orochimaru said, Nagato was overwhelmed with shame, almost wishing he could simply die and disappear.
Orochimaru, watching the two sitting in silence, said in a reassuring tone, "Don't worry. As long as you join our faith, true peace is possible. Hand over the Gedo Statue. I'm ready to create a brand-new altar. This time, I'll show you the true greatness of God."
Nagato, disillusioned, didn't argue.
He summoned the Gedo Statue without hesitation but insisted on one condition: he must witness the sacrifice himself.
Having been deceived once, he wasn't about to be tricked again.
Orochimaru easily agreed and even gifted each of them three meditation scrolls.
"Just meditate," he said, "and you'll grow stronger. You'll also be able to glimpse the presence of the true God."
Obito looked at the scroll in his hand, his expression mixed with resistance and uncertainty, but when he saw Nagato and Konan already entering meditation, he reluctantly followed.
Reciting the divine incantation, the world around Obito suddenly darkened.
In that infinite darkness, he saw it.
The existence of the Eternal God.
It wasn't a dream or illusion. It wasn't a fake world like the one Madara once crafted.
It was real.
He saw countless radiant figures floating around—a river of souls, believers who had transcended death, forming an endless stream of light praising their faith.
Tens of thousands of souls.
Each one alive in its own right, undying, shining brightly.
"This… This is meditation..." Obito sat down cross-legged, humbled by the light of the Divine Realm, strengthening his spirit with every breath.
When he opened his eyes again, he realized something incredible.
The body that had once been patched together with Hashirama's cells had completely healed.
No longer decaying, no longer painful—it was his own body again, fully merged with the power inside.
Even the cursed seal planted on his heart was gone.
Just by meditating, he had changed so drastically. No forbidden jutsu. No sacrifices.
Only the grace of a real god.
On the other side, Nagato also opened his eyes.
He lowered his head, looked at his fully recovered legs, touched the healthy body he hadn't felt for years—and then immediately knelt in front of Orochimaru.
Orochimaru raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"
Nagato bowed deeply, his voice filled with guilt. "I feel shame beyond words. From now on, I dedicate myself to the Eternal God, to atone for my sins."
The Akatsuki had once stood for hope—to drive out the darkness from the world.
But they had fallen into the very evil they swore to destroy, spreading war and suffering wherever they went.
If not for Orochimaru and the Eternal God, Nagato realized, there would have been nothing left but despair.
Orochimaru chuckled lightly. "Good. In the future, develop believers. Everyone stumbles. There's no shame in that.
Now, work with Sasuke. Start collecting the Tailed Beasts. I'll begin constructing the altar."
"Understood," Nagato said firmly.
———
Meanwhile, in the God's Domain.
Lucian Carter sat quietly, reviewing his recent gains.
His skin shone like flawless white jade, divine power flowing through his body like endless rivers of light.
He could feel it—the nursery world was beginning to reject him.
"It's time," Lucian muttered, glancing out into the endless horizon. "Time to open Tianmen and move to the upper space. The repulsion is getting too strong. I can't stay much longer."
The nursery world was too small.
For someone like him, already reaching mid-tier godhood, staying here was almost unnatural.
After receiving the sacrifices from Dragon and advancing so quickly, the very fabric of the world was trying to expel him.
If he stayed any longer, it wouldn't be long before beings from the upper realms came down to forcibly remove him.
And worse—if the pressure continued to build, the nursery world itself could collapse.
It would destroy everything.
The Central Zone of the Blazing Azure Immortal Field was the location of Hongtianmen—the Gate to the Higher Realm.
Protected by divine light, it was said even Main Gods could not destroy it.
Very safe.
Lucian arrived and registered his place in line.
Number 7.
Meaning there were six challengers ahead of him, each also seeking to ascend.
Beneath a brilliant golden sky, a tall god stood solemnly before the heavenly gate.
His voice echoed across the field:
"Gods seeking ascension today, step forward."
A name flashed in golden letters.
[Challenger: Wang Mo. Strength: Beginner Stage Main God. God Domain Size: 100,000 kilometers.]
Whispers swept through the waiting gods.
Wang Mo, the child of the prestigious Wang family of the Central Divine Realm.
It had only been two years since he first became a god, yet his domain had already expanded to a hundred thousand kilometers.
An incredible achievement.
He was considered one of the most powerful second-generation gods.
"How long do you think he'll take to open Tianmen?" someone whispered.
"I bet an hour," someone else said.
"Two hours."
"Three hours," guessed another. "Even though his God's Domain is massive, Tianmen's barrier strength is set for an 80,000-kilometer domain. He's only twenty thousand over it. It won't be easy."
Everyone remembered what happened yesterday—
A god with a 90,000-kilometer domain had needed six full hours to open the gate.
The stronger your Domain, the faster you could break through Tianmen.
But strength wasn't everything.
Endurance, technique, and pure force of will all played a role.
The golden light of the divine barrier shimmered as Wang Mo stepped forward, preparing to challenge the Heavenly Gate.
Behind him, Lucian Carter waited patiently.
He didn't mind. He could use the time to adjust his divine energy, ensuring his breakthrough would be flawless.
Soon, it would be his turn.
And when it came, he wouldn't just break through.
He would rewrite the rules entirely.