Chương 64: Chapter 64

While I was talking with Tsunade and Jiraiya, my students—Naruto and Fū—were spending time together. At the moment, the blond was showing her the sights of Konoha.

Since Fū and Naruto didn't hide their status as jinchūriki from each other, finding common ground was extremely easy for them.

I had nothing to do with them for now, which meant I had a couple of possible plans of action...

"Reed-san!"

My gaze fell upon a group of jōnin. It seemed they had decided to gather to take a break from their genin.

"Long time no see."

I realized that I had found a way to occupy myself for the next three hours.

—= Some Time Later =—

"You haven't been wasting your time," Asuma said.

At that moment, we were in one of the most popular establishments among jōnin.

"What do you mean?"

Hiruzen's son smirked and said:

"I'm talking about your involvement in suppressing the civil war in Kirigakure."

Ah, yes, by this time, every interested party was already aware of what I did in Kirigakure. And it wasn't just because every major village has spies in each other.

"An interesting experience."

"Only you could say that suppressing a civil war is a trivial matter," Kurenai said with a slight smile, shaking her head.

At that moment, I felt a very familiar chakra approaching the establishment.

Itachi and Sasuke entered the place. The boy with the spiky hairstyle looked much better than during my last visit.

"For what you did with Itachi, I'm most grateful," Kakashi said, noticing my gaze. "Since Itachi's return, Sasuke's mental state has improved."

I knew that after Itachi returned to Konoha, he had a rather heavy conversation with young Uchiha. Thanks to numerous factors coming together, Sasuke forgave his brother for what he had done. The death of Danzō and Hiruzen's involvement in those conversations played a role in this forgiveness.

"I take it that further training of Sasuke has been taken over by Itachi?" I asked Kakashi.

The one-eyed jōnin nodded. Then, seeing that the other jōnin were interested, he added after thinking for a couple of seconds:

"At least, Itachi has taken over training with the Sharingan. I'm still handling team training aimed at improving teamwork."

"Naruto is training under Jiraiya-san, but who is training Sakura?" Asuma asked.

Kakashi smiled and looked at Kurenai.

"She's training with me," said one of the few genjutsu masters in Konoha. "Since my genin are training within their clans, I have time to work with Sakura. Sakura has excellent chakra control, which is ideal for practicing genjutsu."

—= Some Time Later =—

Amegakure greeted Jiraiya and me with rain that poured incessantly, as if it were an integral part of its existence. The rain fell in sheets, piercing the air and shrouding the city under a dense veil of water, creating the impression that this city was always underwater.

Amegakure, known as the Village Hidden by Rain, fully lived up to its name. Narrow streets paved with slippery cobblestones were filled with puddles. The roofs of houses, from which water trickled down in thin streams, created a melody that accompanied us every step. Tall buildings with flat roofs and metal structures towered over the streets, creating a feeling of confinement and gloom.

Metal towers, covered with moss and rust, rose above the city like sentinels watching every movement. Pipes and channels for diverting rainwater were installed on these towers, but they couldn't keep up with the flow, and water bubbled and overflowed over the edges. In the light of rare lanterns that flickered through the curtain of rain, the water sparkled and glistened, creating bizarre reflections on the wet pavement.

The inhabitants of Amegakure, wrapped in cloaks with hoods, moved along the streets, hiding their faces from the endless downpour. Their steps were cautious and swift, as if they were accustomed to the constant rain and knew how to move without lingering under its streams.

The sounds of dripping water, the rustle of wet footsteps, and the quiet whisper of rain created a unique atmosphere. It seemed that the city lived in its own rhythm, obeying the unchanging law of the rain.

"If it weren't for these tall buildings, I'd say that Amegakure has frozen in time," Jiraiya whispered.

At that moment, I felt the rain change.

"We've been detected. The rain serves as a medium for Nagato's technique."

One of Pain's bodies, the one responsible for summoning, began moving in our direction.

"One of his bodies will be here in five minutes."

Jiraiya was already aware of what Pain was. For this reason, he formed the seals for the summoning technique. Judging by the amount of chakra flowing through his body, he intended to start with his trump card.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

The moment Jiraiya's palm hit the ground and a series of symbols spread across it, Pain's body was already visible in the air. Pain's Rinnegan scanned me and Jiraiya, apparently considering us dangerous enough to confront us fully prepared.

As soon as the body responsible for summoning landed on the ground, a series of symbols spread from the spot where his palm had touched.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

In a cloud of smoke appeared all Six Paths of Pain. In an identical cloud of smoke stood Jiraiya, on whose shoulders now sat two very powerful elders from Mount Myōboku.

"Jiraiya, you could at least visit us once in a while..." said one of the elders from Mount Myōboku, Shima, the Mother of the Toad Way.

"Wife, we're on the battlefield right now..." replied her husband, Fukasaku.

At that moment, Jiraiya folded his hands into seals for concentration. Judging by how sharply his facial features changed, it could be concluded that he had entered Sage Mode.

"I'll definitely visit you when we're done with my foolish student," Jiraiya declared loudly enough for Nagato to hear.

The toads raised their eyes in the direction where, at that moment, stood one who bore the Rinnegan in his eye sockets.

"So it's him..." Shima whispered.

"Rinnegan..." Fukasaku murmured.

"Long time no see, Jiraiya-sensei," said the Deva Path, who was once Yahiko.

Jiraiya's eyes filled with sadness when he saw Yahiko's face with Nagato's impassive eyes.

"Nagato..."

If Jiraiya wanted to say something, he didn't get the chance, as the Six Paths of Pain began to act.

The Animal Path performed another summoning. This time, from a cloud of smoke emerged a dog-like creature that moved toward us.

Understanding Nagato's tactics was quite simple. He wanted to use the summoned creature to figure out how to deal with us.

"You're underestimating me," I said before bringing my hands together in the seal to create a Wood Release technique. "Wood Release: Wood Golem Jutsu!"

From beneath the ground burst a giant wooden hand that grabbed the dog in mid-air. Soon, the rest of the giant wooden golem emerged.

Wood Release possessed the incredibly useful property of absorbing an opponent's chakra and using it against them. This feature allowed users of this nature to employ it effectively against bijuu.

Pain's summoned beast was strong, but it wasn't stronger than a bijuu. For this reason, it couldn't even move the tip of its tail, let alone split into two separate dogs.

While my golem held the dog, my attention was drawn to movement from a point Nagato perceived as my blind spot. The Asura Path, having taken a very advantageous position, transformed its arm into a rocket launcher.

Nagato was clearly counting on killing me with this projectile. However, something happened that he did not expect.

Activating the Sharingan, I focused my gaze on the Asura Path. Using Amaterasu in this area would be extremely wasteful, so I opted for Kamui. The torso of the Asura Path disappeared into Kamui.

At that moment, Jiraiya and the remaining Paths of Pain joined the fray.

The Animal Path summoned a giant rhinoceros that charged at my golem with full force.

"Universal Pull!" the Deva Path used Banshō Ten'in on me.

I allowed him to draw me closer to the Preta Path, who was alongside the Human Path. His plan was not only to neutralize my chakra but also to extract my soul to obtain information.

"Sage Art: Super Big Ball Rasengan!"

My gaze fell on Jiraiya, who had also begun to act. A gigantic blue sphere obliterated the Animal Path.

"From this position, it will be easier to execute..." the thought flashed through my mind as a massive psionic energy burst from my eyes.

Nagato attempted to absorb this attack, thinking it was essentially ninjutsu. He clearly expected no harm and that everything would go as he planned. In response to Nagato's actions, a smirk appeared on my face.

"Too bad," I said as the absorption failed and the Preta Path literally vanished.

The destruction of the Preta Path was unexpected for Nagato, and Banshō Ten'in ceased momentarily. However, due to inertia, I was still flying toward the Human Path.

My eyes turned bright red, gleaming in the half-light of rainy Amegakure. The tomoe in my eyes began spinning with increasing speed, like whirlpools in a swift current. Slowly but surely, they merged, forming a new, more complex, and menacing pattern.

Every movement now seemed slowed down; every raindrop falling from the sky was vividly clear, as if suspended in the air. I could discern the tiniest details and nuances, perceiving the world entirely differently from everyone else.

And just as clearly, I saw Pain's body in all its details.

The moment before my body was captured by the Human Path, a skeletal Susanoo formed around me. A bony hand emerged from Susanoo's torso, grabbing Pain's body and crushing it instantly.

I then began using Susanoo to slice the Deva Path's body in half. However, Nagato understood perfectly what was about to happen and took countermeasures.

"Almighty Push!"

Encased in Susanoo, I was sent flying a few dozen meters. There was no significant damage since I was protected by Susanoo. Around the Deva Path, a perfectly shaped crater had formed.

The Deva Path raised its hand to initiate an attack. However, I acted faster.

Chakra rods, dark and smooth like onyx, pierced Yahiko's flesh, turning his body into Pain's obedient tool. These rods were not merely physical objects; they were vessels for transmitting and controlling chakra, allowing Nagato to manipulate Yahiko's body with astonishing precision. Each rod glistened in the dim light, reflecting its dark, ominous nature.

They penetrated deeply into the flesh, connecting with vital nerve nodes and organs, turning the body into a puppet entirely under Nagato's will. The rods served as antennas, transmitting commands through chakra, providing full control over every movement, every thought.

However, despite their power, these rods had one critical weakness: they were vulnerable to electromagnetic interference. I knew this was precisely where I could disrupt Nagato's control. Gathering all my strength, I focused on the rods, directing powerful electromagnetic waves that began to penetrate the metallic structures.

A moment. All it took was one moment to extract all the rods from Yahiko's body. Waves coursed along the metallic surfaces, causing them to vibrate and break apart. Nagato's influence vanished before my eyes, like a shadow dispelled by bright light. Yahiko's body, deprived of its power, fell to the ground like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

With Pain defeated, I turned my gaze to Jiraiya, who was currently engaged in battle with Konan. She had arrived at the moment the Deva Path used Banshō Ten'in. She thought Nagato wouldn't need assistance and decided to occupy Jiraiya.

"Ma! Pa!" Jiraiya exclaimed.

The elders from Mount Myōboku began to act without delay.

"Sage Art: Frog Call!"

The toads began their song, which reached its target—Konan. Under the influence of the toads' melody, she froze in place. Paralysis was just the first stage.

For the elders' technique to work, the opponent needed to hear the song. Konan had fulfilled the necessary conditions, allowing the toads to perform Mount Myōboku's genjutsu.

"Demonic Illusion: Toad Confrontation Chant!"

Konan found herself trapped in a genjutsu. It became clear to me what Jiraiya intended. The white-haired sage chose the difficult path; he decided to enlighten his student.

"I suppose all I can do is wait..." the thought crossed my mind.

—= Some Time Later =—

The powerful genjutsu from Mount Myōboku incapacitated Konan. After the technique ended, she lost consciousness. Jiraiya silently picked her up.

"That was quick," I said, looking at Jiraiya.

The Toad Sage appeared as if he had accomplished an incredibly challenging task. I would say that his dialogue with Konan did him good.

"She is my student," Jiraiya said. "I might even say she's like a daughter to me. Despite the years that have passed... I know her well."

"I hope you'll resolve the issue with Nagato just as swiftly."

Jiraiya merely smiled. Without another word, he stood beside me. I placed my hand on his shoulder and transported us to where Nagato was currently located.

Jiraiya's student looked extremely frail, as if he were on the brink of death. Giant chakra rods were implanted into his back, writhing from his body like black, sinister tendrils. Nagato had lost the ability to move and was confined to a specialized machine that sustained his life and enabled control over the Paths of Pain.

His arms were submerged in canisters filled with a liquid that bubbled softly in the dim light. Nagato's body was housed within a wooden chamber resembling a sarcophagus, from which numerous tubes and wires protruded, connecting to his emaciated, almost skeletal figure. Eyes that were once full of determination and fire now appeared dull and lifeless, hidden beneath thick strands of red hair that fell over his face.

Each breath was labored; a raspy sound emerged, as if air passed through shards lodged in his throat. Nagato looked exhausted and emaciated, his skin pale and gray, giving him the appearance of a ghost trapped in a body that had long since depleted its resources. His thin, bony hands trembled, and every muscle seemed stretched to the limit, like a taut string ready to snap at any moment.

"Long time no see... Nagato," Jiraiya said, looking at his student with pain in his eyes.

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Chương 65: Chapter 65

"Long time no see, Jiraiya-sensei," Nagato said once he ensured that Konan was safe.

The toads on Jiraiya's shoulders gazed at Nagato with sadness in their eyes. The elders, due to their position, couldn't ignore what had happened to Jiraiya's pupil.

Judging by Nagato's look, the red-haired man had no doubt that Jiraiya wouldn't kill Konan. The disciple, however, was ready to act decisively.

"What are you waiting for?" Nagato asked. "You both came here to kill me. So why drag this out?"

"If we wanted to kill you, I would have used something more than just a wooden golem," I said.

Nagato turned his gaze toward me, and at that moment, the pattern in my eyes mirrored his. Rinnegan met Rinnegan. Now I no longer hid the power of my chakra.

The red-haired man's eyes widened in shock. He realized that my words were not just empty sounds.

"Then what do you want?" Nagato finally asked, regaining his composure.

"I want to talk to you, Nagato," Jiraiya said, his voice calm but tinged with sorrow. "To understand what happened. Why did my student, who wanted more than anything to bring peace to these lands, turn into Pain?"

Nagato's gaze was heavy and empty at the same time, reflecting the depth of his pain and disappointment. It was the look of someone who had been through too much, who had lost faith in his ideals and found solace only in cruelty.

His eyes, hidden behind strands of red hair, seemed like two bottomless chasms filled with grief and anger. In each, a merciless resolve flickered, remaining unshakable despite his emaciated state. Those eyes, which had seen so much suffering and cruelty, were now a pitiless reflection of the world he believed in.

The metallic notes in his gaze grew stronger, making his expression even harsher and more unyielding. In every movement of his eyes, one could feel an inexorable force and determination, as if he were ready to pierce anyone who dared oppose him with his will. There was something inhuman in that gaze—something that had turned Nagato into Pain.

"What makes you think I ever stopped thinking about bringing peace to these lands?" the disciple asked his teacher.

Jiraiya's eyes widened at Nagato's words.

"Are you saying that by kidnapping jinchūriki and creating chaos all over the world, you're bringing about the desired peace?!" Jiraiya shouted.

"These are necessary steps to achieve true peace!" Nagato replied with unwavering conviction.

"And how exactly would you bring peace?!"

Nagato was irritated not only by the question itself but also by the tone the white-haired sage used.

"By using the tailed beasts," Nagato said. "When people know pain, they will unite under one flag..."

—= Some time later =—

Nagato began telling us about his highly dubious plan to create an incredibly powerful weapon capable of changing the world. His voice was quiet and steady, but every word carried an insatiable thirst for justice mixed with deep pain.

"I am going to create a weapon that will be the embodiment of destruction," Nagato said, his eyes gleaming with cold fire. "This power will bring true peace to the world."

Jiraiya frowned as he listened to his former student.

"Do you truly believe that through such destruction you can create peace?!"

"Exactly," Nagato replied, his gaze becoming even colder. "People will never understand the value of peace until they experience the full pain of war. Only through suffering can true understanding and unity be achieved."

"Frankly, that's a lousy idea," I said.

Nagato and Jiraiya looked at me. While righteous anger was beginning to flare in Nagato's eyes, Jiraiya sighed with relief.

"Such a viewpoint will only create broken people who will continue the cycle of endless wars."

"And how would you achieve peace, then?" Nagato asked sarcastically. "What would you propose?!"

He had already dismissed Jiraiya's method as impossible and didn't even want to hear it. However, deep down, Nagato also understood that his own method was a dead end, which is why he wanted to hear a different point of view.

"I have an idea..." At that moment, a plan flashed in my mind—one that another genius had implemented, capable of uniting people around a common goal. "And the situation surrounding this planet will greatly help."

—= Some time later =—

"Thank you, Reed. Without your involvement, I probably wouldn't have been able to resolve this issue as you did."

The plan I proposed to Nagato involved presenting a common threat to all shinobi. But this threat had to be different from the one Nagato could present with his weapon. This threat could be the kin of the Sage of Six Paths' mother.

The essence of the plan was for the first five generations of shinobi to face this looming threat. This would force them to unite, and over time, people accustomed to this unity would have no significant reasons to split apart.

"You can thank me after it's all over," I said, focusing on the Flying Thunder God mark in Konoha.

In an instant, we found ourselves in familiar surroundings for Jiraiya.

"See you soon," I said before disappearing in a flash of the Flying Thunder God.

I needed to finish one more task of paramount importance.

I appeared before the Gedo Mazo, a giant humanoid entity of earthy color. Its decaying body formed a cloak-like appearance, and spike-like protrusions were visible on its back. The nine eyes, usually hidden by a blindfold, were now exposed—each one a dark void, except for one that glowed light blue during the sealing of the tailed beasts. The statue's wrists and ankles were shackled with chains, and in its mouth was a scroll secured by two ropes extending from the blindfold along both sides of its head.

Nagato, having agreed to our cooperation, allowed me to interact with the statue without any obstacles. I approached the Gedo Mazo, feeling the powerful aura emanating from this ancient artifact. Shadows from the surrounding candles danced on the walls, creating an atmosphere of ancient mystery.

I felt Nagato's gaze nearby. He was ensuring I precisely fulfilled the terms of our deal. Nearby was what remained of Black Zetsu—a formless entity that served as one of the guarantees of my words.

"It's time to begin..."

I reached out to the statue, feeling my fingers touch the cold stone. Interacting with such a powerful entity required caution and precision. Using my abilities, I began analyzing the statue's structure, trying to understand its nature and functions. Electromagnetic waves I emitted permeated the statue, returning information about its composition and energy flows.

After obtaining the necessary data, I proceeded to do what I had come here for. The Rinnegan contained all the necessary seals, and my hands had already formed the seals required to extract the tailed beasts from the statue.

Having extracted the bijuu from the Gedo Mazo, I quickly established a rapport with them. This was facilitated by the fact that each bijuu had previously been confined within the statue and was thus more inclined to cooperate.

To be frank, the remaining bijuu agreed for quite different reasons. Those under Iwagakure's control consented because of their extremely unpleasant experiences with their jinchūriki. On the other hand, the bijuu from Kumogakure agreed out of sorrow for their jinchūriki, with whom both the cat and the bull-octopus had good relationships.

After obtaining their chakra, I temporarily sent each of them into Kamui. The dimension proved capable of containing the bijuu's power. Meanwhile, I proceeded to carry out the most crucial part of my plan.

All the chakra I had gathered from the bijuu began to stir.

Throughout this time, I hadn't been mindlessly collecting each bijuu's chakra; I was also analyzing its structure. After two days, following the acquisition of Kurama's chakra, I succeeded in understanding how he was composed.

And it was thanks to this understanding that I could transfer a portion of my life force into the bijuu's chakra to create a full-fledged Juubi.

"Let's create our own Juubi..." the thought flashed through my mind as an immense portion of my life energy and psionic energy began to flow into the Gedo Mazo.

The statue's eyes began to open. Using the Rinnegan, I clearly observed how the statue began to change. The protrusions on its back rapidly grew. With each metamorphosis, the rate at which it absorbed my life energy increased. The bijuu's chakra began to merge into one.

"RAARGH!!!"

As soon as the absorption of my energy ceased, the statue roared, and the gravitational environment around us altered. Chunks of rock began to rise into the air as if pulled by an invisible force.

"Success..." the thought crossed my mind, and a satisfied grin appeared on my face.

The once humanoid figure of the Gedo Mazo began to transform at an incredible speed. Its body changed as if under the influence of an unseen power, and soon the Juubi stood before me.

The Juubi possessed a grotesque, spherical body with long arms and clawed fingers. It had no legs, and its wide mouth was lined with several rows of sharp teeth, giving it an even more terrifying appearance. A single spike protruded from its chin, resembling a deadly weapon. Dark veins, reminiscent of plant tendrils, spread across its body like giant roots enveloping its horrifying form. The Juubi's tails, their ends resembling plant buds, unfurled, giving it an even more dreadful and imposing look.

"So this is what you are, Juubi," I whispered, feeling the incredible power emanating from it. Every particle of its essence radiated a force capable of destroying entire worlds.

The Juubi roared, and the air around us trembled. It seemed as if nature itself feared its presence. Gravitational distortions intensified, and the chunks of rock instantly plummeted to the ground, as if the strings pulling them had been severed.

"RAAARGH!!!"

"Let's not scare the inhabitants," I said before sealing the Juubi within myself.

The moment the Juubi settled inside me, a metamorphosis began within my body. Thanks to my control over all internal processes, I could easily direct them as needed and avoid potential problems.

My body began to change before my eyes. My hair turned white, acquiring a silvery hue, and my skin became pale, almost translucent. The Juubi's energy enveloped me, and the chakra formed black attire with matching pants, boots, and gloves. Over this appeared a white mantle, bearing the Rinnegan and nine magatama on the back, and six magatama on the chest. A horn-like protrusion grew on my forehead, resembling a protector, giving me the appearance of an ancient warrior.

"Interesting..."

My clothing was entirely composed of chakra. Specifically, this attire was essentially the bijuu chakra cloak, which, due to the density of the Juubi's chakra, was remarkably substantial.

Behind me floated ten Truth-Seeking Orbs—black spheres that represent the pinnacle of the fusion of all five elements. The orbs contain the power of all five nature transformations, surpassing Kekkei Genkai and Kekkei Tota. The combination of various natural properties within these spheres generates a multitude of effects.

Each Truth-Seeking Orb can instantly turn anything it touches into dust, similar to Dust Release. These spheres, imbued with Yin–Yang Release, can neutralize any ninjutsu they come into contact with, rendering them impervious.

In their normal form, the Truth-Seeking Orbs can be used as high-speed projectiles, instantly expanded to enormous sizes, or employed to heal injuries.

By concentrating, I managed to dispel this attire. Now I was back in my usual clothes. My hair, which had been silvery, returned to its chestnut color, and my skin regained its familiar tone. The Truth-Seeking Orbs remained behind me.

In an instant, the chakra cloak reappeared without any issues. I needed to test some of the abilities I had acquired.

—= Some time later =—

In a very short period, I managed to comprehend the enhancements I had undergone after becoming the Juubi's jinchūriki.

"Now this is interesting..." the thought crossed my mind as I began training with Amenominaka.

From my memories, Kaguya and the others referred to this ability as the means to traverse different dimensions.

The third eye that had appeared on my forehead was successfully opened.

"I see..." I thought as I understood the true nature of this ability.

Amenominaka encompassed the star system where this planet was located and allowed for shortcuts to each planet. This was why Kamui could synchronize with this ability, as the Kamui dimension existed in a truly different realm.

This ability turned out to be quite energy-consuming; if not for my enhanced body, I would have to wait for recovery after six transitions.

Compared to my native solar system, the one in this universe wasn't particularly teeming with life. Apart from the shinobi planet and its moon, all the remaining planets were lifeless.

A black portal opened before me, leading to the Moon, where the descendants of Hamura resided, along with something that greatly interested me.

My arrival on the Moon went unnoticed because, at that moment, only Toneri remained there, as the main and branch families had annihilated each other.

"That power," an old voice echoed.

Ha, I had completely forgotten about them.

"Pleasure to meet you, Hamura," I said, looking at the spectral form of the Sage's brother.

"Who are you?" he asked me.

"My name is Reed Richards," I smirked. "Scientist, superhero, businessman, teacher, and recently, the jinchūriki of the Juubi."

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