Inside the tower of Amegakure--
Nagato's slender body was embedded in the mechanical device, his purple Rinnegan reflecting the crimson figure in the Heavenly Screen. Gate of Death Might Guy's Chakra erupted like a blood storm, even forcing Six Paths Madara back, a sight that caused a slight fluctuation to appear on his originally indifferent face.
(The Eight Gates Released Formation...)
(Taijutsu that allows one to briefly step into the "realm of gods" at the cost of their life...)
He had always believed that, in this Shinobi World, no one but himself, the "god," possessed the power to change the world. The powerful figures playing before the Heavenly Screen — the Impure World Reincarnation Madara Uchiha, the future Naruto and Sasuke —were either already dead or had not yet grown up.
(But this Might Guy in front of me...)
(This is a real threat that exists now!)
Konan stood by the window, paper butterflies fluttering silently between her fingertips. Her brows were furrowed, and her voice was unusually grave.
"Our intelligence network is still not comprehensive enough... Konoha actually has a ninja of this caliber hidden away."
"Does anyone know if the other Four Great Shinobi Villages also have similar trump cards?"
Nagato tapped the armrest lightly with his fingertips, and the mechanical device emitted a faint hum.
"Increase the investigation efforts." His voice was cold and hoarse. "Although he and that Masked Man are not trustworthy... they still have some use for us at the moment."
Konan nodded slightly, but the worry in her eyes remained. "If Might Guy is still alive, our plan to attack Konoha..."
Nagato's Rinnegan narrowed slightly.
(Why didn't he appear when I attacked Konoha in the first video?)
(Was I not in the village at the time... or...?)
"There's no need to worry too much," he said slowly. "The Eight Gates Released Formation is a suicidal move; using it once will kill you. Compared to this..."
The ripples of the Rinnegan suddenly contracted, and its gaze pierced through the rain, as if looking towards the distant Konoha.
"What I'm more concerned about is why the Heavenly Screen specifically chose to display these 'futures'."
(Is it a warning? A prophecy? Or... some kind of intervention?)
Konan's paper butterflies suddenly froze. "You mean... something is controlling the Heavenly Screen to play these things?"
Nagato did not answer, but the coldness in his eyes intensified.
The two fell silent and continued watching the content displayed on the Heavenly Screen.
Nagato's Rinnegan gazed at the crimson figure in the Heavenly Screen, but his thoughts had already drifted back to the distant past.
(The Second Shinobi World War...)
Memories flood back like a tide--
Two Jonin from Konoha broke into their home, leaving the parents lying in pools of blood...
Unconsciously, he activated the Rinnegan and killed the intruder...
Wandering, hunger, despair... until meeting Konan Yahiko...
In that time, the Land of Rain was ravaged by war, with corpses strewn across the land. The three homeless children huddled in the ruins, barely surviving by stealing.
(That day... the battle between Hanzō and the Konoha Sannin...)
The exploding Kunai falling from the sky, the roar of the explosions, and the three powerful figures in the distance— Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade.
(We thought... that as long as we became stronger, we could change this country...)
Jiraiya took them in, taught them Ninjutsu, and gave them hope. Three years later, he left, entrusting their dream of peace to them.
(Yahiko...)
Nagato's fingertips trembled slightly.
The founding of Akatsuki, Yahiko's ideals, the followers... At that time, they believed that peace could be achieved without resorting to extreme force.
(Until... Danzo's conspiracy and Hanzō's deception...)
The most painful scene in my memory resurfaced—
Hanzō held a knife to Konan's throat, forcing Nagato to kill Yahiko...
Yahiko charged at the Kunai without hesitation...
Blood stained the rain...
(At that moment... I understood...)
Anger, despair, hatred—the roar of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path echoed through the valley, Hanzō's subordinates turned into skeletons amidst screams.
(True understanding simply doesn't exist in this world...)
From then on, I embarked on a different path.
(Pain... Only pain can make humanity remember the preciousness of peace...)
The birth of the Six Paths of Pain, the dominance of Amegakure, and the collaboration with the Masked Man who called himself "Madara Uchiha" (Obito)... Akatsuki underwent a complete transformation, changing from a mercenary organization into an evil organization composed of S-rank missing-nin.
Konan Nagato's silence, Konan asked softly, "What's wrong?"
Nagato slowly shook his head, a complex light flickering in his Rinnegan.
"It's nothing... I was just thinking about some things from the past."
"While the Heavenly Screen revealed my presence, it also gave us a glimpse of future threats."
"As long as we speed up the capture of the Tailed Beasts and complete the plan before the Five Great Nations fully unite..."
His Rinnegan contracted slightly, and the phantom of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path seemed to emerge deep within his pupils.
Pain... will truly change this world.
Konan nodded, the paper butterfly coalescing into the shape of Kunai in her hand. "I will have Zetsu increase intelligence gathering, especially regarding Konoha's hidden forces."
Nagato gazed at the rain outside the window and whispered, "And... that Masked Man."
(He concealed too much... including Six Paths Madara's true plan...)
(But he can't die yet.)
A base somewhere in the Land of Rain--
Black Zetsu's pupils were fixed on the Heavenly Screen, his sinister face trembling with twisted excitement.
Six Paths Madara floated in the air, his white robes fluttering, and nine Truth-Seeking Orb orbited him like planets—that was the ultimate form of his millennia-long plan, the perfect vessel for the resurrection of his mother, Otsutsuki Kaguya!
(Madara's Six Paths Mode... the plan is going smoothly as expected!)
(Dear Mother, please wait a little longer...)
(Soon, you will be freed from the seal!)
However, his elation subsided after only a few seconds—he recalled the phantom of the Sage of Six Paths from the previous video, his aged yet majestic voice echoing in his mind:
"A way to break free from the Infinite Tsukuyomi..."
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!!"
Black Zetsu's fingertips pierced deep into the rock wall, his dark Chakra corroding the surrounding stones like venom.
(Hagoromo... you damned, unfilial son!)
(Dead for over a thousand years, and still trying to hinder my plans!)
His thoughts churned wildly, recalling the plans laid out over a thousand years—
Inducing Indra and Asura to turn against each other...
To sow discord between the Uchiha and Senju...
Manipulating Madara Uchiha to extremes...
Every war, every massacre, was a meticulously planned script, all for the purpose of regrouping Chakra and reviving Kaguya!
(But now... the Heavenly Screen might expose everything!)
Black Zetsu then turned his anger on the incompetent bounty hunters.
(A bounty of one hundred million taels!)
(Those useless bunch couldn't even kill two brats!)
What's even more infuriating is that Naruto Uzumaki not only didn't die, but instead grew stronger and stronger thanks to the "spoilers" shown in the Heavenly Screen and his battles against bounty hunters and missing-nin in the wild! Those battle scenes that were shown practically became that kid's training guide!
(The reincarnations of Indra and Asura...)
(Hagoromo, is this your backup plan?!)
Black Zetsu's lips curled into a ferocious grin, revealing sharp teeth.
(But you think... this will stop me?)
(Your children... are destined to kill each other!)
Black Zetsu's mind raced, his viscous body writhing in the shadows.
(The plan must be accelerated...)
(Before Naruto and Sasuke truly matured...)
He suddenly gave a sinister laugh.
(Since bounty hunters can't be relied on...)
(Then let "Xiao" do it herself!)
White Zetsu emerged from underground, grinning as he asked, "Should we notify Obito?"
"No." Black Zetsu's voice echoed like the abyss, "Obito's been acting strange lately; he's probably suspicious of something."
"But Nagato... that self-proclaimed god-like fool, can be used again."
His plan gradually became clear--
One could induce Nagato to capture the Nine-Tails prematurely: by using the sense of crisis created by the content of the Heavenly Screen, Pain could personally take down the current Nine-Tails brat. Alternatively, by spreading rumors, Sasuke to believe that Naruto is an obstacle to revenge.
(As for Madara's resurrection...)
(Once the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path absorbs the Nine-Tails, the Rinne Rebirth can be activated at any time!)
A sense of Black Zetsu surged towards the phantom of the Sage of Six Paths in the Heavenly Screen, and a thousand years of hatred boiled over at this moment.
(Hagoromo...)
(Do you think you can rest easy just by hiding in Pure Land?)
(I'll make you watch as your descendants destroy the world they're protecting!)
He looked up at the contents of the Heavenly Screen and uttered a hoarse curse:
"Mother... don't worry, I will never fail!"