My Foolish Junior Brother

The same words and information could have completely different effects depending on who said them.

That was clear from Naruto's expression right now. The guy's brain wasn't much bigger than a walnut, and at this moment he both wanted to throw caution to the wind and fight Nagato to the death, and couldn't let go of his burning curiosity. He couldn't help widening his eyes and blurting out, "Th-this... How is this possible? How could someone like you know all this?"

What do you mean, someone like me? Nagato suppressed his displeasure and continued to spill the beans.

"Heh. These things aren't exactly secrets nobody knows! The fox behind you knows them perfectly well. Konoha's higher-ups know, including your teachers and master. Even the toads of Mount Myoboku know. You're the only one who doesn't!" At that, Nagato turned his head and asked the Nine Tails, "Isn't that right, Kurama?"

As if he and the Nine Tails were old friends!

The Nine Tails bared its teeth. For the first time in its life, it felt a little toothache coming on.

It really wanted to ask that redhead with the Rinnegan how he knew its name, but in the end it chose to keep quiet. It decided to find a chance to ask him later. Right now, the Nine Tails' mind was a little muddled, and it just wanted to be a quiet little fox.

To Naruto, the Nine Tails' reaction counted as confirmation.

Naruto's mouth fell open, and he looked as if he'd suddenly become an idiot. He glanced at Nagato, then at the Nine Tails. His jaw dropped farther and farther, and his throat bobbed as if he wanted to say something but didn't know what.

"Do you know the biggest difference between you and Sasuke?"

Nagato had gotten into a rather mischievous mood. He continued to poison Naruto's mind. "Actually, you and Sasuke are a lot alike. You've felt it too, haven't you? The two of you are practically like real brothers."

The name Sasuke made Naruto freeze again. The Nine Tails rolled its eyes, looking almost too human, and wondered if Nagato knew Naruto too well. He was bringing up all the things Naruto cared about most.

"Even your experiences are remarkably similar. But the two of you can't understand each other. Do you know why?"

Nagato's voice continued to ring in Naruto's ears, like a devil's whisper. Naruto instinctively wanted to refuse to listen, but couldn't resist his own yearning to hear more.

"Why?" Naruto panted, staring at Nagato as if he'd already forgotten that the redhead before him was his enemy.

"The reason is simple. Sasuke knows everything, while you know nothing." Nagato shook his head and continued, "Who are you, really? What kind of person are you? Who were your parents? How did they die? What does your name mean? Where is your clan?"

Sasuke had known the answers to all those questions from the start, so he became an avenger and joined my Akatsuki. You, on the other hand, knew nothing, which is why you've ended up like this—so miserable and lost."

As he spoke, Nagato let out a deeply theatrical sigh, as if he cared so much about Naruto's well-being.

The Nine Tails simply lay down, propped its chin up with a paw, and watched Nagato run his mouth, its fox face wearing an entertained expression.

This was too funny. This redhead was trying to play the expert and tempt its Jinchuriki right in front of it?

The Nine Tails had lived for so long and never seen anyone quite this ridiculous.

Naruto's mind had completely unraveled. His brain wasn't much bigger than a walnut to begin with, and Nagato had just shoved too much information into it at once. His thoughts were now a complete mess.

At this point in the original timeline, Naruto would have received trust and salvation from the Fourth Hokage. But now, the only one standing before him was Nagato, a transmigrator with a bellyful of schemes. He seemed to be telling Naruto some things, but only left him with even more questions.

"Do you hate me? Want to kill me? Want to know the answers to all your questions? Want to see the true face of the world?" Nagato smiled faintly, gleefully imitating the Fourth Hokage. He put one hand on his hip and rested the other on Naruto's yellow-haired head, speaking kindly. "My foolish junior brother, you're weak right now! Why are you so weak? Because the pain in your heart isn't deep enough."

"Suffer. Hate. Bear a grudge. Then, once you've seen through Konoha's truth, come find me in Akatsuki!"

Nagato had made up his mind. Since he couldn't get Naruto to show him how to grow stronger, he might as well influence Naruto's thinking and try to get him to join Akatsuki. That would make his other goal—bringing change to the Shinobi World—easier to achieve, wouldn't it?

More importantly, he could use this to test how the Sage of Six Paths felt about Naruto.

Would the Sage of Six Paths let Naruto's ideas change without interfering, or would he appear again at a critical moment to stop Naruto from "going dark"? Just thinking about it thrilled Nagato. He felt like he was causing trouble right under the nose of a mighty tiger—the Sage of Six Paths.

Watching Naruto sink into thought, Nagato delivered his final words with relish. "Now, as your senior, let me help you uncover Konoha's truth! Remember, the first truth about you is that you're nothing more than Konoha's Jinchuriki. Jinchuriki are also known as the Power of the Sacrifice. The name means you're nothing more than a sacrifice Konoha selected to offer to the Nine Tails!"

After saying this, Nagato paid no attention to Naruto's confused expression and left Naruto's inner world.

Nagato knew he didn't have much time left. If he didn't leave Konoha soon, a bowl-cut bastard named Might Guy would come and discuss the meaning of youth with him.

After all, he'd killed Guy's friend Kakashi not long ago. If the Guy Emperor heard the news, he'd surely rush over as fast as he could to greet Nagato with the most passionate youth imaginable.

So passionate that he'd go straight into Night Guy and kick him to death with his stinky feet.

"Konan, you can dispel your clone now." Asura Path, who had been "treasure hunting" in Konoha alongside Konan's Paper Clone, suddenly spoke.

He was carrying a huge paper bag as he and Konan's Paper Clone walked out of the Hokage Office. The two of them looked to have made quite a haul.

Konan's Paper Clone nodded at Asura Path's words, then scattered into sheets of paper and disappeared.

Nagato then summoned Asura Path with the Summoning Jutsu.

Taking the large paper bag from Asura Path and feeling its heavy weight, Nagato's mood lifted. He felt that he'd come away with a full haul this time. Konoha really was a great place. If he got the chance, he'd come back again...

In a cheerful mood, Nagato made another decision that was decidedly inhuman. He put the Byakugan Deva Path handed him into the paper bag, then pulled the First Hokage's necklace off Naruto's neck.

Without the slightest hesitation, Nagato formed Hand Seals at the same time as the Animal Path.

"Summoning Jutsu!" "Summoning Jutsu!"

After two loud bangs, Nagato and the Animal Path switched places, reappearing inside the Paper Tree.