The heavy iron gate closed behind us, completely shutting out light and sound from the outside world.
This is the Akatsuki's most secret and vital chamber.
It was even more secluded than the room where they had just met Chiyo; the air seemed to freeze, with only the heavy heartbeats and breathing of the three of them echoing in the background.
Yahiko broke the suffocating silence first. He walked up to Nagato, not pressing him, but simply looking at him with those eyes that were always full of conviction and gentle strength.
He spoke very softly, afraid of disturbing his companion's chaotic thoughts.
" Nagato, look at me. Think carefully, about these eyes... in your earliest memories, is there anything unusual?"
Even the smallest fragment?
Is it really possible for a transplant to happen without leaving a trace?
Nagato leaned against the cold wall, slowly slid down to the ground, ran her hands through her orange hair, and pressed hard on her throbbing temples.
His Rinnegan stared unfocused at the ground, struggling to search through the dusty fragments of his memories.
"I don't know... Yahiko, I really don't know..."
Nagato's voice was filled with pain and confusion, even carrying a hint of a sob.
"That memory is too blurry... all that remains is the immense pain, hunger, cold... and... endless fear after losing my parents."
My eyes... it seems like it was around that moment... when I came to my senses, they were already like this...
I always thought... I thought that extreme sadness and anger changed them...
He suddenly raised his head, his Rinnegan rippled violently with self-doubt and struggle.
"If... if it is truly a transplant as Lord Chiyo says... then the power of the legend I have believed in all these years, the pain I have endured for this mission, and the path it has pointed to..."
Could it be... could it all have been a scam from beginning to end? Was I just... a chosen vessel?
This realization nearly broke him.
Konan glanced at Nagato, who seemed somewhat uneasy, then turned back and looked at Yahiko with a determined gaze.
"I know this is hard to accept, but... perhaps we should trust Lord Chiyo."
Seeing the gazes directed at her by both Yahiko and Nagato, Konan took a deep breath and continued.
"Thinking back, if it weren't for Lord Chiyo's timely appearance, we might have died in the ruins on that rainy night."
He gave us food, helped us, and didn't even ask us about our origins or secrets.
Later, the supplies and basic Ninjutsu Scroll he left behind gave us the means to survive and grow stronger.
He... he has no reason to suddenly deceive us with such an absurd lie after so many years. What good would that do him or Konoha?
Her words stirred up deep-seated memories.
That timely act of kindness was one of the few bright spots in their gloomy days.
Yahiko fell silent, a struggle appearing on his resolute face.
He trusted his comrades and remembered their kindness, but the current situation concerned Nagato's very foundation and even the Mirai of the entire Akatsuki, so he had to be cautious.
" Konan is right."
Yahiko finally spoke slowly, his voice low and deep.
" Lord Chiyo... the current Hokage's character, based on his past experiences, is indeed difficult for us to question."
but..."
He changed the subject, his gaze sharpening once more.
"The matter of the Rinnegan is too shocking to be easily concluded based solely on his account."
This concerns the Nagato.
He looked at Nagato, his tone becoming gentle yet firm once more.
" Nagato, what do you know about that ' Demonic Statue of the Outer Path '? What does it feel like to summon it? What do you have to give up?"
Upon hearing Nagato's body trembled almost imperceptibly, and a trace of fear flashed across her face, as if she were recalling something extremely painful.
He closed his eyes, his voice hoarse.
"I can feel it... it's deep in some space, and it has an... evil and enormous connection with my eyes."
Summoning it... requires unimaginable chakra. As for what to do with it, I have absolutely no idea. All I know is that it is extremely dangerous and contains destructive power.
To this day, Nagato has never considered actively summoning it.
Silence fell over the sealed room once more.
Seeing the serious expressions on her two companions' faces, Konan pursed her lips and proposed a compromise.
"Perhaps... we don't need to decide immediately whether to summon the golem."
We can go and ask Lord Chiyo first...
Are there other methods to prove this?
This proves that the Rinnegan... was not Nagato was born with.
Since he knows so many secrets, perhaps he has other evidence or means of obtaining it?
Yahiko's eyes lit up; this was indeed a more reliable method.
He looked at Nagato.
" Nagato, what do you think? Let's go see the Hokage again and ask him directly for the evidence."
If he can provide convincing evidence, we will proceed with our next steps. If not..."
Yahiko's gaze darkened.
"Then perhaps we need to reassess his intentions."
Nagato took a deep breath, trying to calm the surging chakra and chaotic emotions within him.
He nodded, his voice still hoarse, but with a hint of decisiveness.
"...Okay. Let's go find out. I need to know...the truth."
After reaching an agreement, the three of them composed themselves and returned to the guest room where Chiyo and the other two were temporarily resting.
After knocking and entering, Konan, as the representative, stepped forward, bowed slightly, looked directly into Chiyo's calm and unwavering eyes, and spoke.
" Lord Chiyo, I apologize for bothering you again."
The news you brought is truly shocking, concerning the very foundation of Nagato's destiny.
It's not that we don't believe you, but regarding the Rinnegan... do you have any other... evidence?
Could this provide more direct proof that Nagato wasn't born with those eyes?
After all, the idea of transplantation was simply... difficult for him to accept immediately.
Her tone was earnest, with a hint of barely perceptible nervousness.
Chiyo's gaze swept over the three people with different expressions, finally settling on Nagato's Rinnegan, which was filled with struggle and inquiry.
He showed no impatience at all because of the other party's questioning; instead, he nodded understandingly.
"Your caution is justified."
Chiyo's voice was steady and powerful.
"Such an important matter should not be based solely on my word. The evidence... certainly exists."
The three of them were instantly captivated, listening intently with bated breath.
"In my Konoha, beneath the main hall of the Uchiha Clan's Naka Shrine Main Hall, there is a secret ancient Stone Tablet."
Chiyo spoke slowly, his voice seemingly carrying the echoes of history.
"It is said that the Stone Tablet was left by the Sage of Six Paths, and was written in a special Secret Script script that ordinary people cannot decipher at all."
The key to unlocking its secrets lies in the Sharingan, the more advanced Mangekyō Sharingan, and even... the Rinnegan.
" The Stone Tablet not only records the origin of chakra and the mysteries of Ninshu, but also clearly describes the true origin and conditions for unlocking the Rinnegan."
Chiyo's gaze deepened.
"It is clearly written above that the Rinnegan is not something that can be naturally born from Kekkei Genkai. It is a product of the combination of Indra's and Asura's Chakra, which generates the Six Paths Power."
He was born with the Rinnegan...
Unless it's the reincarnation of the Sage of Six Paths himself, it's absolutely impossible.
Nagato, you can see for yourself and interpret it with your own eyes.
The truth recorded there will tell you the answer.
The Stone Tablet left by the Sage of Six Paths?
What is the true origin of the Rinnegan?
Does it require the Rinnegan to decipher?
These messages, one after another, struck the three of them like heavy blows.
Yahiko and Konan looked at Nagato, only to see his pupils tremble, clearly deeply shocked by the keywords "left behind by the Sage of Six Paths " and "deciphering the Rinnegan ".
If such a Stone Tablet truly exists, then its authority is virtually beyond question!
" Uchiha... the Stone Tablet at the Shrine..."
Nagato muttered to himself, a complex light flickering in his Rinnegan.
There was doubt, there was fear, but more than anything, there was an urgent desire to verify.
Yahiko took a deep breath, exchanged a glance with Nagato and Konan, and saw the determination in each other's eyes.
He turned to Chiyo and said solemnly.
" Chiyo, we are willing to go to Konoha and see that Stone Tablet with our own eyes!"
Chiyo nodded.
"Yes. But this matter concerns the life and death of Madara Uchiha and the safety of the Shinobi World. We must act quickly and decisively, and we must not let any information leak out, lest any complications arise."
The conventional route is too slow and too easy to be detected.
His gaze shifted to Obito beside him.
" Obito."
Obito immediately understood, stepped forward, and instantly activated his right Mangekyō Sharingan, with strange patterns slowly rotating.
"Gentlemen, relax and do not resist."
Chiyo said to Yahiko and the other two.
The space around Yahiko, Nagato, Konan began to distort violently the next moment.
They only felt a blur before their eyes, and their bodies were pulled by a powerful suction force, instantly spinning them out of the original room.
They fell into a strange, gray space filled with cubic pillars— the Kamui Space.
Almost simultaneously, Chiyo placed his hand on Minato's shoulder, and a vast amount of chakra surged into Minato's body like a flood.
Minato grunted, feeling his senses amplified to an unprecedented degree, allowing him to pinpoint the Flying Thunder God mark, which normally required precise perception to locate.
At this moment, it was as clear and bright as a torch in the darkness, and the coordinates throughout the Land of Fire and even Konoha were all under our control!
Let's go!
Chiyo spoke in a low voice.
Minato's eyes narrowed, and he raised his hands, one grabbing Chiyo and the other grabbing Obito.
The Flying Thunder God Jutsu has been activated to its fullest potential!
The three figures blurred instantly, tearing through space at a speed far exceeding normal limits, and making a series of super long-distance jumps and teleports towards Konoha!
Each flash covered a distance that would take an ordinary ninja hours to traverse.
In less than ten minutes, after several long-distance Flying Thunder God jumps, Minato, along with Chiyo and Obito, finally appeared in Konoha at a hidden Flying Thunder God marker.
Minato's face paled slightly. Even with the unfathomable chakra support of Chiyo, the continuous Flying Thunder God to its limit was an immense burden on him.
Chiyo remained calm and spoke directly.
"Go to Naka Shrine."
Without pausing for a moment, the three of them vanished in Body Flicker.
They appeared directly deep within the Uchiha Compound, inside the heavily guarded Naka Shrine Main Hall.
The ancient Shrine was solemn and dignified, with a faint scent of incense permeating the air.
Chiyo formed several hand seals, and the ground quietly slid open, revealing stone steps leading underground.
This was arranged by Chiyo beforehand.
" Obito," Chiyo said in a deep voice.
Obito, Obito nearby, immediately understood and focused his right eye again.
Inside the Kamui Space, Yahiko and his two companions, who were observing this alternate dimension with astonishment and uncertainty, suddenly felt the space distort again. The next second, they were "spit out" and found themselves standing on solid ground.
After a slight dizziness, the three quickly regained their balance and cautiously looked around.
What comes into view is an underground chamber filled with ancient Uchiha style.
The air was cool, and the walls were engraved with family Gunbai resembling round fans.
In the center of the secret chamber, a simple, huge Stone Tablet, exuding an aura of vicissitudes, stands quietly.
The surface of the Stone Tablet was covered with strange, undecipherable characters, emanating a mysterious and ancient aura.
"This is... the underground area of Naka Shrine?"
Konan asked softly, her gaze fixed on the Stone Tablet.
Yahiko and Nagato were the same, especially Nagato. The moment his Rinnegan came into contact with the Stone Tablet, it involuntarily fluctuated violently, and a sense of resonance from the depths of his Dōryoku arose spontaneously!
"That's it."
Chiyo's voice echoed in the secret room, breaking the silence.
" Nagato, look with your own eyes. The answer is right there."
Nagato took a deep breath and, under the tense and expectant gazes of Yahiko and Konan, walked step by step toward the Stone Tablet that seemed to contain a thousand-year-old secret.
He slowly raised his head, focusing his double-waved Rinnegan at the mysterious characters.
The next moment, those words that were like cryptic texts to Yahiko and Konan began to ripple, recombine, and radiate meaning in Nagato's Rinnegan vision!
The ancient Secret Script seemed to come alive, transforming into a torrent of information that flooded directly into Nagato's mind!
Regarding the origin of the world...
Regarding chakra...
Regarding the Sage of Six Paths brothers...
The true nature of the Sharingan and Rinnegan...
And... about that ultimate Genjutsu that envelops the world— Infinite Tsukuyomi!
The vast, real, and undeniable history and truth, like the most surging tide, instantly washed away Nagato's last shred of hope and doubt!
His body trembled violently, his face turned ashen, and he staggered backward, barely able to stand.
" Nagato!"
Yahiko and Konan rushed forward to help him up.
Nagato abruptly raised his head, his Rinnegan filled with unprecedented shock, pain, anger, and... complete enlightenment.
He looked at Yahiko and Konan, his voice hoarse and cracked from the extreme emotional impact.
"It's true... it's all true!!"
" The Stone Tablet... clearly states... Rinnegan..."
It's a product of the combined power of Indra and Asura; ordinary ninjas don't possess any innate Rinnegan!"
" The Rinnegan something you can't be born with."
It seems that everything is true.
The person behind that probably really saw me as a vessel!
And that ' Moon's Eye ' project... Infinite Tsukuyomi... it's all real!!"
The final truth, like a final verdict, fell with a resounding crash.
Yahiko and Konan supported the nearly exhausted Nagato. Looking at the pained expression on their companion's face, a mixture of collapse and lucidity, they finally understood—every word Chiyo Uchiha had said was a cruel truth.
Inside the sealed room, only Nagato's painful and suppressed breathing remained, along with the pervasive, suffocating, and chilling truth.
Seeing this, Chiyo was not in a hurry.
He gestured to Obito and Minato Namikaze with his eyes, then silently left.