Confession

Inside the airship, Nagato kept talking without pause, while Sangzhi's expression grew increasingly strange.

Hey, kid, you're walking a narrow road here. Don't you know that villains die from talking too much?

He wanted to remind Nagato to stop while he was ahead, but seeing Konan and Pakura listening so intently, he could only suppress the urge to speak. It couldn't be helped—Nagato was the leader, after all.

Nagato's lecture to Naruto continued.

"What you and I hope for is the same thing. We both want to achieve the peace Jiraiya-sensei spoke of. There is no difference between you and me. We both act for our own justice. What I did to Konoha is exactly the same as what you want to do to me. The pain of losing something precious is the same for everyone. You and I are both people who understand that pain."

"You act for your justice, and I act for mine. We are both ordinary people who carry out revenge in the name of justice. But if revenge can be called justice, then that justice will inevitably breed even more hatred, setting off a chain reaction of hatred."

"Living in this kind of environment, understanding the past and foreseeing the future, one comes to know that this is history."

"And from history, I have come to deeply understand one thing: humans are creatures who will absolutely never understand one another!"

"The ninja world is ruled by hatred. If it were you, how would you face that hatred in order to bring about peace?"

"I want to hear your answer."

Naruto looked deeply pained. He recalled the days he had spent training with the Pervy Sage. The Pervy Sage had once asked the same question, but he had not had an answer either. That was why