Chaos

After Naruto Tailed Beast Transformation Pain's Deva Path is fully capable of unleashing Chibaku Tensei, enough to seal the rampaging Eight-Tails Naruto.

But Nagato did not.

"I held back..." Neji reviewed the battle after Zetsu left.

Neji summoned a gentle breeze that instantly billowed his black robes. He stood atop the mountain, overlooking the entire battlefield.

The pillar of light from the Rinne Rebirth is fading, and amidst the ruins of Konoha, specks of Chakra are lighting up again—signs of the dead returning to life. Kakashi, Jiraiya, Sakura... and hundreds of other Konoha Ninja are returning from the dead.

Meanwhile, in the distance, Naruto was still in that cave, guarding Nagato's last breath.

"It's time to act," Neji whispered.

He Hand Seals, not ordinary Ninjutsu seals, but seals combining Wood Release and Senjutsu Mode. Natural Energy gathered from all directions, flowing into his body and then surging out from his palms, transforming into three clones identical to him.

It's not Shadow Clone, it's Wood Release Clone —a clone created using Wood Release Cells and Senjutsu Chakra. It's more durable, longer-lasting, and capable of independently performing complex tasks.

"Number One," Neji said to his first clone, "Go to Base Number Two, dispel the barrier, and tell Hiashi: The Eight-Tails Jinchuriki has been captured by Akatsuki, Sasuke Uchiha knows the truth about the massacre of his clan, has awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan, and is determined to take revenge on Konoha. I suggest Danzo handle Sasuke —remember, it must be Danzo."

The clone nodded. "Understood. Should we reveal the source of the information?"

"No." Neji paused. "Also, remind Hiashi that this information must be given to Tsunade alone. If Tsunade is unconscious, then tell Jiraiya."

"Yes."

"Number Two." Neji turned to his second clone. "Go to Base Three, replenish supplies, and reinforce the barrier. Mitarashi Anko needs to be protected for at least seven more days. Upgrade the barrier to S-rank to prevent any sensory interference."

"Clear."

"Number Three." Neji looked at the last clone. "Use my emergency contact method with Kabuto Yakushi to request a meeting. At the same time, search all possible locations where Kabuto might appear— Tanzaku Town, the former site of Otogakure, and the underground black market in the Land of Land of Rice Fields. Find him."

"Yes."

The three clones simultaneously Hand Seals, transforming into three beams of light that shot off in different directions.

Neji turned around and looked in the direction of the cave where Naruto was.

We can't get close now. Naruto is still in Sage Mode, his sensory abilities are greatly enhanced, and even with the barrier as cover, there's still a chance of being detected if he gets within a kilometer. Besides, Konan is there too—that Paper Angel, the woman who can lay down billions of Explosive Tag in the air, she's not someone to mess with.

He needs to wait.

After Naruto left, and after Konan left as well.

"But before that..." Neji took out a small scroll from his pocket and unfolded it. The scroll was drawn with a complex Sealing Jutsu, and in the center was a picture of a Crow — Shisui Uchiha Kotoamatsukami Crow, the ultimate Genjutsu that Itachi left for himself to use to reverse Sasuke's will at a critical moment.

Should we hand it over to Naruto now?

Neji hesitated.

According to the original work, this Crow should have appeared during the Fourth Shinobi World War when Naruto and Nagato encountered Itachi Uchiha and Killer B on their way to the battlefield. Itachi's Sharingan triggered Kotoamatsukami to "protect Konoha," which allowed him to stop the Impure World Reincarnation army. This can be considered a turning point in the Fourth Shinobi World War Shinobi World War.

But now the plot has gotten completely messed up.

The Eight-Tails was captured prematurely, Sasuke awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan ahead of time, and Nagato died prematurely. If he had also stopped Kabuto from cooperating with Obito and stopped the Impure World Reincarnation army, then Itachi Uchiha would never have been resurrected, and this Crow would never have been needed.

"Perhaps..." A cold glint flashed in Neji's eyes, "We can use it on Sasuke after he kills Danzo. That way, we can fulfill Itachi's last wish and ensure that Sasuke doesn't completely fall into darkness. Besides, it'll be more controllable if I use it."

He resealed the scroll and put it back in his pocket.

Their gaze returned to the distance.

Now, all we need to do is wait.

Inside the cave, the stench of blood was being replaced by a faint, sandalwood-like Chakra scent. It was the lingering aroma of the Reincarnation Heavenly Life Technique, a scent intertwined with life and death.

Konan knelt beside Nagato's body, her paper wings drooping limply behind her. She had stopped crying, but tears still flowed silently, falling drop by drop onto Nagato's withered face.

Nagato were closed, his expression calm, as if he were asleep. The Chakra channels connecting his chest to the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path had all broken and were scattered around him like dead snakes. His body was rapidly withering and decaying— the Reincarnation Heavenly Life Technique had exhausted not only his life force but also the last vestiges of vitality in his body.

"Nagato..." Konan called softly, her fingers tracing his sunken cheeks.

Naruto stood at the cave entrance, his Sage Mode long since deactivated. He looked at Konan, at Nagato, at the cave filled with sorrow and regret, and his heart clenched painfully.

"Konan Sister Konan," he said, his voice a little hoarse, "Nagato Brother Nagato asked me to take good care of you. Let's... take Nagato back to Konoha together, okay?"

Konan raised her head.

Her eyes were red and swollen, but her gaze was clear. She looked at Naruto, at that face that resembled Yahiko's, at those eyes that were exactly like Yahiko's, eyes that always believed in the light.

"Naruto, thank you," Konan said, her voice soft but firm. "But there are some things I still need to do."

"But Nagato has already left!" Naruto stepped forward and said urgently, "Are you still going back to Akatsuki? Come back to Konoha with me, I'll take good care of you! Tsunade, the Pervy Sage, Kakashi-sensei will all welcome you!"

Konan looked at Naruto, a warm feeling welling up inside her. This child, who had just experienced a life-or-death battle and witnessed so much death, could still so sincerely want to protect someone who had just been an enemy. But things were never as simple as Naruto thought.

And she has things she must do.

"Naruto," Konan said softly, "I have something I'd like to ask you for help with."

"What is it? I'll do it even if it costs me my life!" Naruto immediately straightened his back.

"Bring me Yahiko's body," Konan said. "That's Pain, the Pain Deva Path."

Naruto was stunned.

Yahiko's corpse... Deva Path?

He remembered the orange-haired man standing in the middle of the ruins, destroying everything with a wave of his hand; he remembered those cold Rinnegan; he remembered the iron rod that pierced Sakura's chest at the end. Was that Yahiko? Was he Nagato and Konan's most important comrade?

But then Naruto thought about it again and understood.

If Nagato could use Yahiko's body as the Deva Path, it must be because... he didn't want Yahiko to leave. Even if it was just a corpse, even if it was just a puppet, he wanted Yahiko to stay by his side and witness the peaceful world that the three of them had once dreamed of.

"I'll go now," Naruto said, turning to leave.

"Wait," Konan called out to him, "When you see Jiraiya- Nagato... say sorry for Nagato."

Naruto, with his back to Konan and Nagato, stiffened for a moment. Then he nodded heavily:

"Um."

He burst out of the cave and ran as fast as he could towards Konoha.

Jiraiya sat on the ground, blankly touching his neck. There should have been a fatal wound there, a broken neck bone, the chill of death. But now, there was nothing. His skin was intact, his breathing was smooth, and his heart was beating strongly.

He looked up and saw Kakashi sitting not far away, also touching his forehead, which should have been pierced by the iron rod but was now completely unharmed.

"What is this...?" Jiraiya murmured.

"It should be a kind of resurrection Ninjutsu." A voice came from everyone's minds.

"Naruto defeated Pain, and then used the iron rod to find the person behind him." The voice paused for a moment, "Soon afterward, beams of green light entered all the dead people, and then everyone was resurrected."

Jiraiya was stunned.

Naruto? Resurrected?

He recalled that final moment when Deva Path grabbed his neck and twisted it forcefully. The excruciating pain of his neck bones breaking, the suffocating feeling of being deprived of breath, the despair of his consciousness sinking into darkness.

Then... light.

Warm light surged from some distant place, enveloping his body, repairing broken bones, reconnecting severed nerves, and rekindling the extinguished flame of life.

When he opened his eyes again, he was lying here, surrounded by resurrected Konoha Ninja, the ruins of a calamity, and... the dawn of a new beginning.

"Naruto..." Jiraiya's voice choked with emotion, "In the end... did he manage to persuade Nagato?"

"Ah." Kakashi stood up, walked to Jiraiya's side, and extended a hand. "I think so. Naruto, the number one ninja in terms of unpredictability, succeeded in his own way."

Jiraiya grasped Kakashi's hand and was pulled up. The two looked around—

Sakura was crying tears of joy as she hugged a medical team member who had just crawled out of the rubble; Shikamaru was supporting the injured Choji, his face showing a rare moment of ease; Ino was searching for her parents in the crowd, and when she found them, she rushed over and hugged them tightly; even the usually aloof Shino Aburame had a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth behind his sunglasses when he saw his clansmen revived.

Konoha is still alive.

Although it was reduced to ruins, although so many people died (and were resurrected), and although it will take a long time to rebuild, Konoha is still alive. The Will of Fire has not been extinguished.

Just then, a figure descended from the sky.

"Pervy Sage! Kakashi-sensei! Sakura!"

Naruto landed in front of them, his face still streaked with tears, but his eyes were bright. He rushed over Jiraiya tightly.

"Naruto ..." Jiraiya froze, then laughed, hugging him tightly. "You did a great job, kid."

"I'm sorry..." Naruto said, choking back tears, "I couldn't save the Pervy Sage... If it weren't for Nagato sacrificing his life to use the Reincarnation Heavenly Life Technique..."

"No, you saved him." Jiraiya patted his back. "You saved Konoha, you saved everyone. Including me."

Naruto released Jiraiya and looked at Kakashi: "Kakashi-sensei, you..."

"It's nothing." Kakashi touched his brow. "He's alive again."

"Where's Sakura?" Naruto turned to look for her.

"I'm here." Sakura walked over, her face still stained with blood, but her smile was bright. "Naruto, thank you."

Naruto looked at Sakura, recalling the moment she shielded him from the iron rod and was pierced through, and his nose stung with tears again. "Sakura, I'm sorry... I was too weak, I couldn't protect you..."

"Don't talk nonsense." Sakura gently tapped his head with her fist. "You're the hero who saved Konoha."

Naruto wiped away his tears and took a deep breath. "Oh, right, I have something to take care of. I need to take away Deva Path — Yahiko's body. Konan is still waiting."

Jiraiya and Kakashi exchanged a glance, both understanding.

"Go," Jiraiya said, "Come back soon for me."

Naruto nodded, ran into the ruins, and found Deva Path's body. He carefully picked up the body, turned to look at the others:

"I'll be back soon!"

Then it transformed into a beam of light once more and shot into the distance.

Inside the cave, Konan had already prepared Nagato's remains.

This is the scene that Naruto saw when he rushed in carrying Deva Path's corpse.

Konan knelt beside Nagato, her back as thin as a sheet of paper, as if she could be blown away by the wind at any moment.

"Konan Sister Konan..." Naruto said softly, "Yahiko ...I brought him back."

Konan turned around and saw Deva Path in Naruto's arms. She stood up, walked to Naruto, and reached out to take Yahiko's body. It was very light, so light that it didn't seem like the body of an adult man, so light that it was like... it was really just an empty shell.

She placed the Deva Path next to Nagato, so that the two could lie side by side.

Then she knelt down and looked at two familiar yet unfamiliar faces.

Yahiko's face, having been transformed into the Deva Path, was expressionless for years, making it appear somewhat stiff. But at this moment, in Konan's eyes, he seemed to have transformed back into that sunny, always smiling, orange-haired boy who spoke of changing the world.

Nagato's face was withered and sunken, but his expression was serene. It was as if he had finally laid down all his burdens, could finally be freed from endless pain and obsession, and could finally go to see Yahiko, whom he had been waiting for.

"Yahiko, Nagato ..." Konan said softly, her voice trembling, "I'll take you... home."

Naruto stood to the side, watching this scene, and tears welled up in his eyes again.

"Konan Sister Konan," he said, choking back tears, "Are you really not coming back to Konoha with me? The Pervy Sage will take care of you like a father..."

Konan turned her head and looked at Naruto. Her eyes were red and swollen, but she forced herself to control her emotions.

"Naruto, on behalf of Nagato and Yahiko, I thank you," she said, each word spoken slowly and deliberately. "I hope you remember your promise to Nagato. Find that path, the path to world peace."

Naruto nodded vigorously. "I will! I will definitely find it!"

Looking at him, Konan seemed to see a shadow of Yahiko in a daze—the same blond hair (although Yahiko's was orange), the same blue eyes, and the same eyes that believed in the light.

"Yahiko..." she murmured unconsciously.

"Konan Sister Konan?" Naruto called softly.

This sound pulled Konan back to reality. She blinked; the boy before her was still Naruto, not Yahiko. But the warmth, the determination, the belief in the future—it was the same.

"Naruto," Konan concluded, "the Nine-Tails within you is the most unique of the Nine Tailed Beasts. It possesses the most immense Chakra, the deepest malice, but also... the purest power. Try to understand it, try to master its power. Only then will you have the strength to walk the path you desire."

Naruto was stunned. "Understand... the Nine-Tails?"

"Hmm." Konan stood up, her paper wings unfurling behind her. "Hatred breeds hatred, understanding is the only way to resolve it. This is Nagato last lesson Nagato learned. I hope you don't wait until you've lost everything to understand."

She walked to the bodies of Nagato and Yahiko, and Hand Seals. Countless white papers poured out from her body, wrapping the two corpses and forming a huge paper coffin.

"Goodbye, Naruto." Konan picked up the paper coffin, its paper wings flapping as it slowly rose into the air. "Take care."

"Konan Sister Konan!" Naruto rushed forward, but Konan had already flown out of the cave and headed northeast—towards Amegakure (Amegakure).

In the morning light, her silhouette grew smaller and smaller until it became a white dot and disappeared into the horizon.

Naruto stood at the cave entrance, gazing for a long time in the direction she had disappeared.

Until a gust of wind blew, ruffling his blond hair and drying the tear stains on his face.

He took a deep breath, turned around, and walked towards Konoha.

It's time to go back.

There are still many things to do, many people to meet, and many things to say.

There are still many promises to be kept.

High on the mountain, Neji watched Konan fly away carrying the paper coffin, watched Naruto leave the cave, and watched the hidden cave finally become empty.

He waited for ten minutes to confirm that there were no Chakra fluctuations around him before dispelling the concealment barrier and arriving at the cave entrance in Body Flicker Technique.

Through Byakugan, the interior structure of the cave was clearly visible. There was a pool of blood on the ground— Nagato's. There were also some scattered fragments of Chakra channels, and... a few strands of red hair.

Neji entered the cave, squatted down, and took out a small sealing scroll.

He carefully collected Nagato's blood sample, hair sample, and a small piece of shed skin.

Finally, he looked into the depths of the cave, where there was a specially made machine that Nagato used to connect with the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. The machine had stopped operating, but faint fluctuations of Nagato's Chakra still lingered on it.

Neji placed his hand on the machine's surface, activated his Petrifying Touch, and then destroyed the machine with a single punch.

After doing all this, he checked the cave again to make sure he hadn't missed anything of value, then turned and left.

When we emerged from the cave, the morning light had already fully illuminated the earth.

Neji looked up towards Konoha, where a new dawn was just beginning.

And he must continue to move forward in the shadows.

For freedom, for breaking Caged Bird, for that future that must be realized.

He Hand Seals, his body transformed into a blur, and disappeared into the depths of the forest.

Three clones have been dispatched, backup plans have been laid out, and intelligence has been transmitted.

Next, he would keep an eye on Konan finding Nagato's burial place, then return to report to Obito, and incidentally, make it seem as if he had discovered the 600 million explosive tags Konan had prepared, thus gaining Obito's trust.

The storm in the Shinobi World continues.

And he, Neji Hyuga, the "sake" of the Akatsuki, will weave his own web of destiny in the eye of the storm.