Lie Yang did not deny it.
"It was me."
His voice traveled along the chakra link between the Black Rods and the ring, reaching Nagato's mind directly.
Deep within Amegakure's tower, Nagato jerked his head up.
His Rinnegan widened abruptly. He scanned his surroundings, but saw only the dim room, cold walls, and Konan beside him, her expression suddenly alarmed.
"Who's there?"
Nagato kept his voice extremely low.
No one answered.
Yet that voice did not fade. Instead, it lingered deep within his consciousness like a brand.
"Nagato."
"Are you looking for me?"
The mocking voice rang out again.
Nagato's body went rigid.
He quickly formed hand seals, spreading his senses outward and blanketing the entire tower with chakra. He carefully searched the walls, floor, ceiling, and even every patch of shadow, but found no intruder.
Konan went pale and raised a hand to point at Nagato's eyes.
"Nagato, your eyes..."
Nagato immediately gathered water.
Moisture condensed into a mirror of water in midair.
A moment later, his breath stopped.
The Rinnegan reflected in the mirror were still those pale purple, rippled eyes, but deep within them, a black speck had appeared without his noticing.
The speck slowly writhed.
It elongated like a living creature, splitting into tiny black serpentine bodies.
A snake's head crawled along the edge of his pupil before finally stopping in the center of the Rinnegan, meeting Nagato's gaze through the water mirror.
Nagato's pupils contracted sharply.
Konan instinctively took half a step back.
"What is that?"
The black snake flicked out its slender tongue.
Lie Yang's figure slowly emerged in the depths of the Rinnegan.
A Linen Kimono, geta, long black hair, and a face so calm it bordered on indifference.
He seemed to stand in boundless darkness, taking shape through Nagato's vision.
Though he