The Feeling That I Could Still Make a Move

Inside the Paper Tree, after one last stubborn struggle, Nagato's original consciousness finally merged perfectly with Luo Xiao-Zuo's.

Although the original Nagato was gone, no one would forget the blood debt he had incurred in Konoha—or the blame he'd dumped on the new Nagato.

That blame was so dark and gleaming that it filled our protagonist's heart with "satisfaction."

"Great. I might become the protagonist who dies the fastest in history—and there won't be anyone else even close..."

After summoning the temporarily powerless, Sage-Mode Deva Path out of Konoha, Nagato muttered to himself.

In his view, transmigrating into someone like Nagato, a BOSS-level character, and starting off with the Uzumaki Clan's Sage Body and the only Rinnegan in the world—those two cheats—was about as high-spec as a transmigration could get.

Even Obito admitted that, after the Sage of Six Paths and Madara Uchiha, Nagato was the third Six Paths. In terms of talent, Nagato was second to none.

But no matter how high-spec the transmigration, you still needed the right timing, didn't you?

The timing now was downright terrible. It was like transmigrating into the world's richest man on the eve of the apocalypse—and that richest man had just arrogantly slapped the protagonist who'd gained superpowers.

So now came the part where he got humiliated after acting all high and mighty?

Nagato fell silent. He really wanted to know what was behind this feeling of weakness and helplessness throughout his body. And this feeling in his heart, like he'd only just transmigrated but was already about to get eliminated—what was that about? And what about the feeling that the original Nagato had had his fun, then left him with a heap of mess to clean up?

When their two consciousnesses finally merged, he inherited the original Nagato's wishes as well.

Their memories had become completely shared, so they truly understood and accepted each other.

"I never realized I'd failed so badly." After the original Nagato used Shinra Tensei and saw his own future in the merging of their consciousnesses, he sighed. "Can I trust you? I can let you take my place and take everything from me, but I hope you'll inherit Yahiko's and my dream and fulfill our long-cherished wish!"

Luo Xiao-Zuo was silent for a moment, then agreed. He hadn't disliked Nagato in the first place, and now that he'd gained everything Nagato had, inheriting his legacy was only natural. Besides, he knew exactly what Nagato wanted him to say:

"I'll protect Amegakure and bring true peace to the village."

"I'll destroy the Five Great Nations system and bring true change to the Shinobi World."

"I'll become a true god and seize supreme power."

"And here, now, I swear upon this soul: I'll unite this world and usher in an unprecedented era."

At Luo Xiao-Zuo's promise, Nagato smiled faintly and gave up resisting completely. Luo Xiao-Zuo's consciousness began to merge perfectly with Nagato's body, devouring his soul and becoming the new Nagato.

When it came to swearing on his soul, he'd been more decisive than anyone. But now that he was actually facing the problem, the new Nagato was a little lost. The first question was: what should he do now?

The double vision continued. Nagato looked at the surroundings inside the Paper Tree, then at the original Konan beside him, who was watching him with some confusion. Through Pain, he heard the voice of Konan's Paper Clone:

"I'll keep watching you from now on. The Paper Clone's served its purpose here."

Outside Konoha, the six Pain bodies had been restored and stood ready, like the finest weapons, prepared to carry out Nagato's every command at a moment's notice.

The convenience of controlling them with nothing but his consciousness made him itch to try something. It felt much better than playing games in his previous life.

As Nagato sensed the various abilities he'd given the Pain bodies, he couldn't help feeling that he was strong, that he still had moves left, that he could turn the tables.

He knew the guy on the other side was a total cheat and that he couldn't possibly kill him—and might even get killed off by the plot—but he couldn't just run away with his tail between his legs, could he?

How could he face anyone if he was such a coward? He still wanted to become a true god.

With that thought, Nagato spoke through Deva Path and stopped Konan's Paper Clone. "Don't dispel the Paper Clone yet. I have another task for you."

"What task?"

At his words, the sheets of paper that had already split off from the clone's body folded back over it, fitting together seamlessly.

"Go back to Konoha with Asura Path and take Kakashi's Sharingan."

Konan's Paper Clone wasn't strong, but she could fly. Asura Path was powerful, but against Naruto's Sage Mode, he'd shatter with a single hit.

Nagato decided to send the two of them together to handle something else.

"The Sharingan?"

Konan's Paper Clone blinked in confusion, as if asking what use that thing could possibly be.

Well, he couldn't blame the woman for being spoiled. He himself had never cared about the Sharingan before. After killing Kakashi, he hadn't even bothered to gouge it out.

"It's a space-time Mangekyou eye. We might be able to use it later."

After that brief explanation, Nagato controlled Asura Path and launched Animal Path back into Konoha like a cannonball.

Konan liked to waste money buying Explosive Tags, but she was very obedient. Her Paper Clone obediently followed Asura Path to where Kakashi lay, ready to gouge out his eyeball.

Come to think of it, Nagato found it pretty incredible. He'd just dropped such a huge Shinra Tensei on Konoha that the village had nearly been flattened, yet Kakashi's body had come through unscathed? It had to be called a miracle.

"Here he comes."

Not long after Asura Path and Konan's Paper Clone returned to Konoha, the immense Chakra that had been lingering in the village suddenly seemed to react. It raced toward Nagato at incredible speed.

"Did Sage Mode let him sense my location?"

Nagato guessed. Judging by the scale of the Chakra coming toward him, it could only be his adorable junior, Naruto Uzumaki.

The Rinnegan was a higher-level Sharingan, so being able to see Chakra and its colors was perfectly normal.

Through the Pain bodies' eyes, Nagato could see that the Chakra inside Naruto was completely different from an ordinary person's. It was a riot of colors, like a rainbow—flashy to the extreme.

Each color represented a different kind of Chakra, more or less another cheat Naruto had. There was his own, the Nine Tails', his parents', and even his past life's—plus Itachi Uchiha's and Shisui Uchiha's.

He had way too many. He was a shameless cheater, plain and simple.

Didn't carrying around that many cheats make him feel guilty?

Obviously not, so Nagato couldn't be bothered to ask.

"Fast!"

Naruto came charging toward them with his cheat enabled. With battle about to begin, Nagato focused his consciousness on the Pain bodies.

Deva Path's pupils contracted slightly as he watched Naruto rush toward him. Two Sage Toads crouched on the scroll behind Naruto, and Nagato was ready to show off his moves at any moment.

Naruto sprinted across the ground, covering more than ten meters in a single bound. The moment he spotted the four Pain bodies outside the village, he shouted, "Pain! I'm going to settle this with you!"

He was the very picture of a man seeing his sworn enemy, eyes blazing with hatred and ready to fight to the death.

It was a little frightening.

"Ah, ah..." Deva Path nodded expressionlessly and greeted Naruto, whom he was meeting for the first time. "So you're Naruto? You poor kid. You've been bewitched by a demon! I'm your senior!"

Naruto: ...

After a moment's hesitation, Naruto's face twisted with fury and his eyes widened. Without a word, he began forming a Rasengan.

He didn't want to hear anything Deva Path had to say. He only wanted to avenge Konoha and plaster Deva Path's face with a Rasengan. But just as the Rasengan was about to hit Deva Path, he heard a loud "Boom!" by his ear.

At the same time, Animal Path's voice rang out from inside Konoha. "Summoning Jutsu!" To Naruto's dismay, all four Pain bodies in front of him vanished in an instant.

"Surprised? I know Summoning Jutsu..."

As he left, Deva Path even tossed Naruto that parting line.

Naruto: ...

Fuming, Naruto stood there in a daze for several seconds, nearly bursting with anger. Gritting his teeth, he used his sensory ability to find Deva Path again. Then he spun around and raced after him, hot on his heels back into Konoha.

With Animal Path clapping his hands, all five Pain bodies appeared together in the village, which had been transformed into "Konoha Square." They had barely shown up when a shout rang out from nearby.

Tsunade Senju appeared in front of the Pain bodies, seething with fury. In exactly the same tone Naruto had just used, she shouted the very same words.

Now this was what it felt like to be a villain everyone wanted to beat up!