"Who did this? Get him over here!" Hétián roared again. He had every reason to be furious. The Second Shinobi World War was almost over, and rewards were sure to be handed out afterward. That was why he was still taking missions at a time like this. He was just a little short of earning enough merit to return to the village after the war and secure a better position. Only with a higher position could he get better resources for training. If he didn't work harder, in a few years he might never have another chance to reach Kage Level. That was the main reason he had worked so hard during this war.
Although the squad he led was practically wiped out, just as that man had said earlier, the losses would be acceptable if he could take the Rinnegan back with him. But if it came out that his squad had attacked civilians, his merit wouldn't suffer much and his position might not change much, either. Still, it would mean he'd have to work in the shadows from then on—either in Kirigakure's Anbu or somewhere similar. In any case, he could forget about openly earning people's respect.
As for Hétián, becoming Mizukage was probably out of the question now, so he had to settle for less. He still wanted to grow stronger, but he also wanted to create a good environment for his descendants. For a ninja, a good start could make all the difference in strength, and it was up to him to secure that start.
Given Hétián's abilities, surviving his first encounter with the Rinnegan was no small feat. He had plenty of people to take the brunt of the attack for him, and he had saved a few people, too. The few surviving ninjas were mostly those he had rescued. Nagato's current lack of strength had certainly played a part, but Hétián had survived this long on his own merits. Just look at Jiraiya, one of the Sannin. Hadn't he paid with his life just to learn the Rinnegan's abilities? And all he'd discovered was that its wielder had no true body. Back then, Nagato's abilities had been divided among six bodies. The Nagato of today wielded all the Rinnegan's powers in one body, and that was far more than simply adding together the six abilities.
The power of the Rinnegan in a single body was at least ten times stronger than when divided among six. If Nagato hadn't used the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path during that later battle to save Konan and Yahiko, despite not being strong enough to handle it, his lower body wouldn't have been crippled. Who knew how things might have ended otherwise?
This showed just how terrifying the Rinnegan was. The Second Shinobi World War was nearing its end, and every Jōnin who had survived on the battlefield was formidable. The ninjas a Jōnin could still take on missions weren't just Special Jōnin; they were at least elite Chunin. Yet Nagato and the other two had nearly wiped them all out, and the survivors were all injured.
From what Ye Wuji had seen upon reaching the battlefield, along with the Mist Ninja corpses lying on the ground, it was clear that most had died at the hands of the Rinnegan. Konan and Yahiko were stronger than ordinary ninjas of their rank, but they were still weaker than these battlefield-hardened elites. In fact, if they hadn't been holding Nagato back, he could have wiped out all the Mist Ninja at the start. Unfortunately, by the time they had their guard up, the fight had already reached this point.
Seeing that his subordinate still hadn't responded, Hétián shouted, "What are you waiting for? Go!"
"Sir, he's already dead. They killed him at the start of the fight. It was Neiliang, the man who just fell over here." Hearing Hétián's roar, the subordinate hurried to explain.
When Hétián heard that the one who had caused the trouble was dead, all the anger he'd been holding in had nowhere to go. His face flushed red. He took two deep breaths before saying, "If he's already dead, then leave it at that for now."
"Sir..." Seeing Hétián's expression after hearing the man was dead, the subordinate continued. "It's not really fair to say we attacked them. The main thing was that Neiliang—no, actually, Lord Shangben and Lord Caobu saw that dog and wanted to kill it to make hot-dog soup for everyone, so they could get their strength back. They sent Neiliang to kill it, but who knew the dog had an owner? And that's how things ended up like this." As he spoke, the ninja pointed at the dog in Konan's arms.
"What did you say? This all happened because of that dog?" Hétián's expression darkened.
"Not exactly. Neiliang thought it was just an ordinary dog, so he threw a shuriken at it, meaning to kill it. But the girl suddenly ran out to protect the dog. The shuriken missed the dog and hit her instead. When the girl was hurt, that Rinnegan freak suddenly rushed out, and then the fight started. Lord Shangben was ambushed by that Rinnegan freak, too. By the time you got back, sir, there was no stopping it."
"That explains it. When that dog ran over just now, Caobu attacked it. Was he trying to vent his anger? I didn't expect it would only make them angrier, and that's why he ended up on the ground."
"Yes. The dog had disappeared at first, then suddenly ran back just now. Lord Caobu might have attacked it to draw their attention away, but who could've guessed those three freaks would risk their lives to protect it? They managed to hurt them, but it looks like Lord Caobu went down, too."
"Don't make it sound so noble. I can't believe so many elites from Kirigakure ended up lying here because of an ordinary dog. Still, it wasn't a total loss. If we hadn't fought them, who would've guessed that the Rinnegan, the supreme dōjutsu, was hidden in a place this remote?" Hétián seemed to have recovered. His expression was perfectly calm as he spoke.
Then Hétián ignored his subordinates and turned to Nagato and the others. "I've gotten the gist of what happened. They were certainly in the wrong, but you killed so many of our people. We can't just let that go, or I won't be able to answer for it. You've run out of chakra, haven't you? Don't say I didn't give you a chance. If you surrender now, I'll guarantee your safety. All you have to do is come with us, and I'll let your two companions go.
"You fought so hard because you wanted to save them, didn't you? As for you, don't worry. I'll report your situation to my superiors. What they decide is beyond my control, but I can guarantee your safety for now. With the Rinnegan, I don't think my superiors would do anything to you unless they were shortsighted. At the very least, they'll keep you alive. You understand what I'm saying, right? So, what's your decision, Rinnegan freak?" Hétián had wanted to kill them outright and take the Rinnegan, but he feared they would fight back desperately. Besides, bringing back the Rinnegan's living wielder had to be worth more than bringing back the eyes alone.
Nagato hadn't said anything yet when Yahiko protested, "No! They just want Nagato's Rinnegan. Don't believe him. The moment they capture you, they'll dig your eyes out."
"Exactly. They're definitely up to no good. Maybe they'll kill us as soon as you stop resisting," Konan added.
Nagato fell silent, deep in thought. Seeing this, Hétián thought there might still be a chance. "Don't worry about them. I won't kill you or restrain you. Just agree to come with us, and we'll leave immediately. Since I've already decided not to kill you, why would I bother killing them? Their threat is nothing compared to the Rinnegan."
Nagato thought it over, then said, "All right. But you have to treat their injuries first and let them leave. Only then will I agree to go with you. How about it?"
Before Hétián could respond, a voice came from behind them. "No. You're all coming with us. Otherwise, none of you are leaving."
Everyone looked toward the voice. The ninja who had been lying on the ground earlier had gotten to his feet, though someone beside him still had to support him.
"Caobu, you're awake. Don't talk. Your injuries are serious. Get some rest," Hétián said with concern, though his brows twitched almost imperceptibly when he saw who had spoken.
"Senior Hétián, you're being too cautious. They're clearly spent now. There's no need to compromise. But it seems you still don't know enough about the Rinnegan. They say these are the eyes of the Sage of Six Paths. If our Kirigakure gets them, the Land of Water can destroy the other four nations and unite the Shinobi World. How could we pass up such a golden opportunity? Don't worry about my life. As long as we get the Rinnegan, I say we should kill them now and take it back to the village. This isn't just our Kirigakure's business, either. If another village discovers it, we'll be in trouble. Those of us who stay behind can buy you some time, Senior Hétián." Caobu spoke with righteous conviction, his eyes blazing with fervor.
"I knew it," Hétián thought, frowning again. Caobu was a fanatic for Kirigakure, always dreaming of Kirigakure uniting the Shinobi World. The problem was, things weren't that simple. Hétián had seen the Rinnegan's combat power firsthand, but even the Sage of Six Paths himself hadn't united the Shinobi World, had he? Hétián didn't believe that a pair of eyes said to have been left behind by him could accomplish it.
As far as Hétián was concerned, the most they could hope for was to put the Land of Water at the top of the Five Great Nations. He didn't have such grand ambitions as destroying the other four nations.
Hétián cautiously glanced at Nagato and the others again and saw that their mood had shifted. It looked like all his efforts had been wasted. That idiot Caobu—though there were plenty of idiots like him among the Mist Ninja these days.
"Senior Hétián, if you're afraid of those eyes, let me lead the charge. As long as you bring the Rinnegan back to the village, I'll die without regret. Take the Rinnegan!" As he spoke, Caobu tossed a few pills into his mouth.
Seeing what Caobu was doing, Hétián shouted, "Caobu, don't—" But Caobu had already rapidly formed several hand seals and called out, "Water Release: Water Clone Technique!" Four identical Caobus appeared beside him, then charged at Nagato and the others.
Nagato couldn't tell whether the figures charging toward them were clones or the original. Konan, behind him, had already lost the ability to move, and Yahiko seemed to be in much the same condition. So Nagato had no intention of dodging. He couldn't dodge, either. If he failed to stop them, Yahiko and Konan behind him would be in trouble.
Nagato tightened his grip on the kunai and stared intently at the four figures charging toward him, while keeping a close eye on Hétián at the same time.
Seeing that Caobu had already attacked, Hétián took a deep breath and quickly found a place to hide. He was a Jōnin, after all. He might have seemed indecisive before, but the moment the battle began, he adjusted his mindset and coordinated with his comrade.
Before you continue