Hanzō had left.
Kai’s breathing was slightly labored.
Fighting Hanzō at his peak had been anything but easy.
To defend against the Sharingan’s genjutsu, Hanzō had maintained a considerable distance from Kai throughout the entire battle.
That made it difficult for Kai’s current long-range Kamui to lock onto him precisely.
He could only rely on Susanoo to wield the Kamui Shuriken.
The chakra consumption was enormous.
If he hadn’t had the support of Hashirama’s chakra, he would have collapsed from exhaustion long ago.
But this battle had also allowed Kai to confirm something even more important.
The potential of his pair of Mangekyō Sharingan was enormous!
His Second Form Susanoo had already allowed him to gain the upper hand against Hanzō, a man known as one of the strongest shinobi in the world.
And Hanzō hadn’t even used his full strength.
Had Kai really used his own full strength either?
“Who in this world could possibly force me to bring out the Third Form—Yatagarasu Susanoo?”
Whoosh!
Susanoo dissipated.
The rain that had been blocked by the massive chakra construct immediately began falling once more.
Behind him, Nagato stared at Kai with fervent admiration.
“It’s unbelievable…”
“You actually managed to injure Hanzō.”
Kai didn’t turn around.
He didn’t want Nagato to see the slight exhaustion on his face.
Maintaining an absolute air of mystery would make the next stage of his plan much easier.
“If you master the true power of the Rinnegan, you can do the same.”
“Perhaps you can even surpass what I accomplished.”
Kai’s voice was deep and measured.
“The true power of the Rinnegan?”
Nagato’s pupils trembled.
Kai raised his head toward the sky and spread his arms, allowing the rain to fall over him.
“Yes.”
“A wielder of the Rinnegan can do far more than summon the Gedo Statue.”
“You can also wield the powers of the Six Paths.”
“For example, earlier, you were occasionally able to repel attacks around you and absorb part of the power of ninjutsu.”
“All of those abilities belong to the realm of the Six Paths.”
“You need to grasp them precisely and learn to extend their applications deliberately.”
“Only then can you truly step into the domain of the Six Paths.”
Nagato raised a hand and touched his own eyes.
His expression was filled with longing.
“You understand my eyes even better than I do.”
“If only I had met you sooner…”
“Perhaps Yahiko and everyone else in the Akatsuki wouldn’t have died.”
Beside him, Konan lowered her pale blue eyes.
Her expression was filled with sorrow.
Kai remained silent.
Whether he had arrived earlier or later, the people who were destined to die would still have died.
Yahiko had to die.
Without Yahiko’s death, Nagato would never have experienced that unbearable pain.
The Rinnegan evolved from the Sharingan.
And the method of awakening its power was similar as well—
Extreme emotional trauma.
Still, Kai was secretly glad that he had arrived after Yahiko’s death.
At this point, Nagato was more sensitive, more helpless, and more desperate for power.
That would make him much easier to guide.
Nagato’s voice was filled with melancholy.
“My dream once was simply to protect Yahiko and Konan.”
“Later, as a member of the Akatsuki, I sincerely wanted to fulfill Yahiko’s dream.”
“To bring peace to this war-torn Hidden Rain Village…”
“And eventually, to the entire shinobi world.”
“Yahiko, Konan, and everyone in the Akatsuki truly believed in me.”
“But when I watched Yahiko die right before my eyes…”
“It’s not too late.”
“Yahiko can be resurrected.”
“And the shinobi world can still achieve peace.”
“All of it can be accomplished through your Rinnegan.”
At that moment, Kai finally dropped the bomb he had been saving.
“What… did you say?”
Nagato’s Rinnegan widened in disbelief.
Even Konan raised her head and stared at Kai.
Kai turned around and looked directly into Nagato’s eyes.
“The Outer Path of the Rinnegan possesses a power that can even transcend life and death.”
“Are you saying that’s really possible?”
Nagato almost seemed unable to breathe.
“Absolutely.”
“But it comes at the cost of the user’s life.”
Kai had no intention of hiding that fact.
Upon hearing the price, Konan’s expression darkened.
Nagato, however, reacted completely differently.
He was incredibly excited.
“Then can I use that power right now?”
It seemed he couldn’t wait to resurrect Yahiko.
Even if it meant sacrificing his own life.
Your resolve is admirable, Nagato.
I truly respect it.
But unfortunately…
Whether it’s Kishimoto’s original story or my own story, you’re destined for a tragic ending.
Kai stared deeply at him.
“You can.”
“Then—”
Kai interrupted him.
“But think about it.”
“Yahiko comes back to life, while you die.”
“Would he really be able to accept such a sacrifice?”
“Yahiko and everyone in the Akatsuki have placed their hopes in you—the reincarnation of the Sage of Six Paths, the wielder of the Rinnegan.”
“If you leave this world, who will fulfill Yahiko’s ideals?”
“The time to resurrect Yahiko is absolutely not now.”
“You should at least wait until you’ve fulfilled Yahiko’s wish.”
“Only then should you decide for yourself whether it is time to bring him back.”
Nagato suddenly looked as though he had awakened from a dream.
“That’s right.”
“You’re right!”
“Then…”
“How can I bring peace to the shinobi world?”
The groundwork had been laid.
Kai finally moved on to the main point.
“First, you need to master the Six Paths techniques of the Rinnegan.”
“They will allow you to stand virtually undefeated.”
“Once you’ve mastered them, rebuild the Akatsuki.”
“Then gather and make use of the power of the Tailed Beasts.”
“The Tailed Beasts?”
Nagato was surprised.
“You mean those enormous chakra beasts from legend?”
“I know there are nine Tailed Beasts in the world.”
“And Konoha possesses the strongest one—the Nine-Tails!”
Kai continued smoothly.
“Yes.”
“The nine Tailed Beasts were originally one entity.”
“Before his death, the Sage of Six Paths divided its power into nine separate beings.”
“He hoped that someone in future generations would learn to control that power and use it to bring peace to the world.”
“You are the reincarnation of the Sage.”
“You possess the Rinnegan.”
“From the moment you were born, you carried this responsibility.”
“I am.”
“Please, tell me everything!”
Nagato answered without hesitation.
Behind his mask, the corners of Kai’s mouth curled into a faint smile.
“Come with me.”
“I’ll tell all of you everything about this world.”
Whoosh!
A Kamui vortex appeared.
Nagato and Konan were sucked into the swirling space.
Several days later.
Outside the Hidden Rain Village.
Atop a towering structure, Nagato stood inside a chakra transmission apparatus.
Black rods covered his back.
Creaaak…
The metal door opened.
Konan walked inside.
She was wearing the Akatsuki’s black cloak patterned with red clouds.
A black lip piercing had been added beneath her pale lips.
Walking beside her was an imposing, brown-haired man with a cold and emotionless expression.
He was also wearing an Akatsuki cloak.
Black rods protruded from his nose and ears.
He was Deva Path Pain.
His former identity was…
Yahiko.
“Who would have thought I’d be able to stand beside Yahiko and fight together with him once again.”
“Mr. Kai, this is all thanks to you.”
Nagato looked toward the shadows nearby.
Kai stood up from within them and draped a black cloak over his body.
“It’s nothing.”
“This arrangement makes up for your lack of mobility while also protecting the safety of your true body.”
“Now, I should leave.”
“Mr. Kai!”
“I will forever recognize you as the true leader behind the Akatsuki!”
Nagato spoke fervently toward Kai’s departing figure.
“Hmm.”
Kai’s footsteps paused for a moment.
He gave only a faint response before continuing onward.
After watching Kai leave, Nagato turned toward Deva Path Pain.
“The public leader of the Akatsuki will always be you, Yahiko.”
Konan asked,
“What should we do next?”
Deva Path Pain answered:
“We’ll follow Mr. Kai’s suggestion.”
“First, recruit missing-nin from every nation.”
“Regardless of their background or past.”
“We will only care about their strength.”
“Then we’ll restructure the Akatsuki into an international mercenary organization.”
“We’ll accumulate wealth and power.”
“When the time is right, we’ll begin collecting the Tailed Beasts.”
BOOOOOOM!
Thunder rumbled within the oppressive clouds.
It was as though the heavens themselves were mourning.
Kai stood beneath the rain and looked back toward the Hidden Rain Village.
He murmured to himself:
“This little country that cries all year long…”
“It’s the perfect place for darkness to take root.”
“Today…”
“Pain is born.”
Add to Collection.
Send some Power Stones.