Chapter 186: Chapter 186: Nagato and Uchiha Madara!
In the mountain graveyard, deep within an underground base…
As Nagato and Konan arrived, the first thing they noticed was the familiar Gedo Statue, the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, leaving both of them visibly shocked.
How could the Gedo Statue, summoned by the Rinnegan, be here?
"Nagato, we meet again!" A voice called out—it was Uchiha Madara's.
Only then did Nagato and Konan see an elderly figure sitting in a chair just beneath the statue.
"So, you're Uchiha Madara?" Nagato frowned. "Whether you are or not, I don't believe we've met before."
Madara replied calmly, "True, you haven't seen me before, but when you awakened the Rinnegan upon the death of your parents at the hands of Konoha's shinobi, I sensed it."
"Since then, I have been watching you."
The Nagato standing before him had been hardened by Yahiko's death, and Madara's words left him largely unmoved.
Konan asked, "Then, what's your connection to the Gedo Statue?"
Nagato noticed the tubes linking Madara to the Gedo Statue and inquired, "Could it be that you also have the Rinnegan and can summon it?"
Madara replied, "I am merely its guardian."
With that, Madara began his carefully crafted story.
"The Rinnegan, the eyes of the Sage of the Six Paths, possess the power to create and destroy worlds."
"But what you may not know is that the Sage of the Six Paths also had the Eyes of the Sage—the Sharingan of the Uchiha Clan."
Nagato and Konan were stunned.
Konan couldn't help but ask, "Are you suggesting the Uchiha Clan descends from the Sage of the Six Paths? Why don't they inherit the Rinnegan, then?"
Instead of answering, Madara continued, "After founding the ninja world and the ninja creed, the Sage had two descendants. The elder son, Indra, inherited the Sage's Eyes, the Sharingan."
"And the younger son, Asura, inherited the Sage's body."
"The Uchiha Clan descends from Indra, while the Senju Clan descends from Asura."
"In addition, the Uzumaki Clan, symbolizing longevity, are blood relatives of the Senju, allying and intermarrying through generations as fellow descendants of Asura."
"Your red hair, Nagato, is the mark of the Uzumaki. In fact, you carry the combined bloodlines of the Senju and Uzumaki, giving you the purest Asura blood."
Konan asked, "So, did Asura also inherit the Rinnegan from the Sage of the Six Paths?"
Madara avoided the question, instead asking, "You've heard of the Battle at the Valley of the End, haven't you?"
Nagato nodded. "The ultimate battle between Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama, ending with Madara's death and Hashirama's victory—or so it's said."
"Then, if you are Madara, how are you alive?"
White Zetsu, or Tobi, chuckled, "Thanks to the ultimate illusion of the Sharingan: Izanagi, a technique that sacrifices light to transform anything unfavorable—even death—into mere illusion. It's a technique that can defy death."
"Of course, the price is steep, as it requires sacrificing one of the Sharingan."
Madara went on, "Since you know about the Battle at the Valley of the End, you should also know something of the history that ended the Warring States Period, right?"
Nagato answered seriously, "Our teacher, Jiraiya of Konoha, told us about it."
"That battle marked the beginning of the Konoha Village with the alliance between Senju and Uchiha, ending the Warring States era and establishing the one-nation-one-village system."
"Later, Hashirama distributed the tailed beasts to maintain the balance among the major villages."
"Correct," Madara said calmly.
"But as you can see, Hashirama's approach hasn't brought peace to the ninja world."
"That was one of the reasons I left Konoha."
"If Hashirama had listened to me, unifying all tailed beasts and subduing all ninja villages, the current wars among the Five Great Shinobi Nations wouldn't exist."
Nagato and Konan were silent.
If Madara's words were true, then by possessing all the tailed beasts, no single village would stand a chance, essentially preventing any war.
"Then, what was the more important reason you left Konoha?"
Nagato was beginning to believe this man might really be the legendary Shinobi, Uchiha Madara.
However, this did not mean he trusted him.
But for Madara, this was all as he expected. He responded to Nagato's question, "Because of a stone tablet!"
"A stone tablet left by the Sage of the Six Paths, safeguarded by the Uchiha for generations, which only the Sharingan can decipher."
"The higher the Sharingan's grade, the more information it reveals. After I transplanted my fallen brother's eyes to gain the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, I uncovered a massive secret."
"The Rinnegan, and the Gedo Statue."
"The Gedo Statue can contain the nine tailed beasts, becoming the ultimate weapon, and the Rinnegan can control this weapon."
"It was through this that the Sage of the Six Paths created the ninja world!"
"And so, I stole the Nine-Tails in that battle. Although I lost, and only survived thanks to Izanagi, I learned the Six Paths and Yin-Yang techniques left by the Sage from the stone tablet. With them, I summoned the Gedo Statue, awaiting the one with the Rinnegan to appear."
Madara looked at Nagato. "However, you appeared a bit late. I'm now forced to rely on the Gedo Statue to sustain myself, and have crafted these incomplete forms to act on my behalf in the ninja world."
"That tablet is still enshrined at the Naka Shrine of the Uchiha Clan. If you wish to see it yourself, I can lend you my Mangekyo Sharingan."
He wasn't worried about Nagato seeing it; he had already instructed Black Zetsu to alter the tablet's contents.
Of course, the Mangekyo would be Uchiha Obito's pair.
Madara believed this was a flawless story.
"No need to check. I believe you."
Nagato then asked, "So, what are you planning to do?"
"In your current state, assisting me doesn't seem possible."
Madara replied, "Indeed."
"So, I plan to pass down the Six Paths and Yin-Yang techniques to you before departing."
"After that, Black Zetsu and White Zetsu will execute my will, assisting you in collecting the tailed beasts."
"When you have gathered them all, you can use the Rinnegan's Rinne Tensei Technique to resurrect me."
"While using Rinne Tensei now would cost you your life, once you have all the tailed beasts, your Rinnegan will gain its true, creation-level power. Then, reviving me will merely cost a trivial amount of chakra."
"With my strength restored to its peak, we will together establish a new world order, creating a world without war!"
"So, Nagato, do you agree to join me?"
Madara's eyes locked onto Nagato's.
Konan also looked at Nagato, concern in her gaze.
After the betrayals of Hanzō and Yahiko's tragic death, Konan didn't fully trust Madara in her heart.
However, after a moment's consideration, Nagato nodded. "Of course."
"I do need someone to help me."
Konan opened her mouth as if to speak, but then fell silent.
Madara nodded. "Very well!"
"Next, I'll teach you techniques to help you master the Rinnegan."
"In addition, White Zetsu will replace your legs, infusing Hashirama's cells to enhance your bloodline and bring out the Rinnegan's power further."
He glanced at Konan. "Of course, she can stay by your side during the procedure."
Konan exhaled, visibly relieved.
Nagato nodded silently. He trusted Konan.
Nagato lay on the wooden table as Madara activated his Sharingan, pulling Nagato's consciousness into a genjutsu, where he began imparting the Six Paths and Yin-Yang techniques.
Meanwhile, outside, Black and White Zetsu replaced Nagato's legs, fusing him with the cultivated White Zetsu cells from Hashirama.
Performing the surgery was a spiraling White Zetsu connected to the Gedo Statue through cables.
Unbeknownst to Konan, this White Zetsu was directly controlled by Madara through the Gedo Statue. While embedding Hashirama's cells, he also placed a curse seal on Nagato's heart.
…
Konoha Village.
Just as Shūichi returned home, he found Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki at his door.
Kushina's face was filled with concern. "Shūichi, are you really sure about this?"
With a confident smile, Shūichi replied, "Of course! After all, I'm also a Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails now!"
Minato, however, looked cautious. "It's still a bit reckless."
Kushina nodded in agreement. "Shūichi, it would've been safer to act after Minato officially became the Fourth Hokage."
Minato could only respond with a wry smile.
Switching the topic, Shūichi went on to brief them on recent developments, finally adding with a serious tone, "Minato Sensei, we should be ready for potential attacks at any moment."
Hearing this, both Minato and Kushina grew tense.
Kushina then asked, "Shūichi, is there any hope to save Obito?"
Shūichi couldn't make any promises. "Hard to say for now. We'll need to see what kind of Mangekyō Sharingan abilities Obito has."
"I marked him with the Flying Thunder God, but there may only be one chance."
"We shouldn't let anyone know about this unless we're absolutely certain."
Minato nodded in agreement. "Shūichi's right. If the enemy discovers the Flying Thunder God mark, they might give up on Obito altogether and take his eyes instead."
Shūichi then asked, "By the way, Sensei, is Jiraiya-sama currently in Konoha?"
Minato immediately understood. "You're thinking of contacting Nagato through Jiraiya-sensei?"
"Just a trial run," Shūichi explained.
"Recruiting Nagato and his group probably isn't feasible."
"Plus, just in case, I'll go with Jiraiya-sensei when the time comes."
Minato nodded. "Understood."
"Jiraiya-sensei is currently in the Land of Grass. I'll notify him."
Shūichi nodded in return. "There's no rush on that for now. What's important is that Kushina-san's training to control the Nine-Tails progresses quickly."
"Sadly, achieving perfect control as a Jinchūriki is no easy feat."
Hearing this, Kushina couldn't help but grumble, "That damned Nine-Tails!"
Then, with a determined smile, hands on her hips, she said, "But don't worry, Shūichi, I'll master the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode soon enough."
"Once we team up with Minato, we won't even fear the Rinnegan!"
Admirable confidence!
Shūichi thought for a moment, though. Nagato, in his current weakened state, wouldn't be difficult to handle.
…
After seeing off Minato and Kushina, Shūichi checked the time. It was almost noon, so he headed to Konoha Hospital to have lunch with Nonō Yakushi, Asuka, and Shizune.
By now, news of Danzo's death had spread, and many shinobi were discussing it.
The public was told that Danzo died in service to the village, not the truth—that Shūichi had killed him for betraying the Hokage and murdering comrades.
As soon as they met up, Asuka whispered excitedly to Shūichi, "Shūichi, Danzo is finally dead!"
Shūichi smiled and nodded. "I heard the news, too."
Nonō, with her sharp hearing, gently scolded, "Asuka, don't spread rumors."
Asuka quickly closed her mouth, pretending to be serious.
Shizune, however, leaned over to Shūichi and asked quietly, "Shūichi, do you know how Danzo died?"
Asuka's ears perked up instantly.
Shūichi chuckled and winked.
Clever as she was, Shizune got the hint, her eyes widening as she clasped her hands over her mouth to avoid exclaiming.
Nonō looked at Shūichi with some concern. "Shūichi, you…"
Shūichi quickly reassured her, "Don't worry, it's all taken care of. There won't be any problems."
Once they were seated for lunch, Shūichi shifted the conversation. "I have some good news! I've completed a new curse mark. Now, I just need to figure out a name for it."
The three of them couldn't help but smile.
Asuka cheerfully suggested, "Why not call it the Super Bijuu Sealing Mark, just like you named the previous mark with Tails Beast inspiration! That way, you won't need to stress over naming it."
Shūichi, however, thought of Momoshiki Ōtsutsuki's Rinnegan ability—an eye power that could absorb and amplify an enemy's jutsu before returning it.
At this point, Shizune proposed, "Since it's Shūichi's original creation and it'll keep evolving, why not call it the Star Curse Mark?"
"The Star Curse Mark…"
Shūichi pondered it and then his eyes lit up.
Asuka quickly added, "We could use divine names for curse marks that amplify different types of jutsu, and the main one could be the Star Curse Mark, representing Shūichi!"
"Someday, Shūichi could even surpass the First Hokage and become a new God of Shinobi—a Star God!"
Shizune nodded enthusiastically.
Nonō simply smiled as she watched the conversation unfold.
"Then it's settled—the Star Curse Mark!"
"For amplifying Yang Release, we can use the Yang Curse Mark." (T/N: Have some good names?)
Shūichi made his decision.
While the name might sound a bit audacious now, given continuous development, it could be justified in time.
Just then, their ordered bowls of udon arrived. Nonō smiled warmly, "Alright, decision's made. Let's dig in!"
Meanwhile, as Shūichi enjoyed his lunch…
In the underground base below the Grave of the Mountains…
After half a day, Nagato's legs were finally replaced, with additional White Zetsu cells grafted into his body.
Meanwhile, in an illusionary realm, Madara Uchiha had completed the transfer of his ninjutsu knowledge.
"Now, go and capture all nine Tailed Beasts, then revive me."
With that, Madara disconnected himself from the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, slumping over and gradually drawing his last breath.
Nagato and Konan silently watched, and after Madara died, Nagato turned to White Zetsu. "White Zetsu, take us back to Amegakure."
"As you wish!"
White Zetsu, controlling Obito, activated Kamui to transport them both back to Amegakure.
As he looked upon Yahiko's body, Nagato said, "Next, I'll create the Six Paths puppets. Black Zetsu, White Zetsu, I'll need you both to find suitable bodies."
White Zetsu smiled. "Of course, no problem."
Nagato added, "And we need to keep an eye on the Nine-Tails."
"The seal is weakest during childbirth—our best chance to capture a Tailed Beast."
White Zetsu chuckled. "There's no word yet of a pregnant Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, but it's bound to happen sooner or later."
"We're on it; these things are right up our alley."
While Konoha was now aware of their presence, White Zetsu was confident that with Obito's Kamui, infiltrating Konoha to gather intel wouldn't be a big issue. They'd just have to be more cautious.
As White Zetsu finished, he and Black Zetsu disappeared into a space-time distortion.
Konan looked at Nagato. "Nagato, can we really trust them?"
Nagato replied indifferently, "It's just mutual exploitation."
"During the cell transplant, Madara left a curse mark on me."
Konan was startled. "What?"
Nagato reassured her. "Nothing to worry about. It's not difficult to remove—just not the right time yet."
Konan nodded and looked at Yahiko's body, her expression forlorn. "To gather the Tailed Beasts, we'll have to go against Konoha and Jiraiya-sensei."
Nagato was silent for a moment, then said resolutely, "It's a necessary sacrifice on the road to peace."
"Jiraiya-sensei seeks peace, too. We're just on different paths. He won't blame us for this."
"Besides, Yahiko's death is tied to Konoha. They should experience the pain we endured, so they'll fear war and desire peace."
Nagato took one last look at Yahiko's body before turning away. "Let's go. We need to find a new base."
"When I gain better control over the Rinnegan, I'll start by dealing with our traitors."
Konan silently nodded and followed.
Once, she had followed Yahiko, adopting his dreams as her own.
But now, she would follow Nagato, helping him realize Yahiko's ideals—even if it meant standing against her former sensei.
"Yahiko, please watch over us from the Pure Land and witness the day we make it happen!"
(End of Chapter)
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