The Heaven-Earth Bridge Rendezvous

"Mm. I couldn't sleep."

Konan's profile was calm, but Nagato could read an inexplicable sorrow in it.

She still hadn't emerged from the pain of Yahiko's death...

Nagato sighed inwardly, and the distracting thoughts in his mind finally settled.

There was no moonlit romance. He and Konan were missing-nin without a home, drifting through foreign lands.

They did not even have a place they could call home.

First make a living, then make love.

"I couldn't sleep either." He walked over to Konan. "Today's fight with Sasori made me realize a major weakness in Pain. Help me improve it."

Konan looked at him, and her eyes immediately lit up.

The two of them squared off in the courtyard.

"When Sasori attacked with his real body, my first reaction was to use the Deva Path's power to repel him. But then I realized that Pain had locked away the Deva Path's abilities."

"As the number of Pain bodies increases, the more of my own abilities will be locked away as well."

Konan lowered her eyes in thought. "Could it be that you're worrying too much? If the Six Paths of Pain are completed, then in my view, they'll be completely invincible."

Nagato smiled. "Pain's strength lies in its secrecy, but there are no secrets that can stay hidden forever. The ninja world is full of capable people, and secrets will eventually be exposed. That's why preparing for the worst is especially important."

Konan nodded deeply in agreement. "That's true. Nagato, you've become so farsighted."

"Then how can Pain's power return to the original body?"

Nagato said, "It's actually simple. Just interrupt the transmission. Pain will become puppets incapable of moving, but..."

"If we only rely on that, the very purpose of this technique called Pain will be greatly diminished."

"So my idea is to find a way for the original body and Pain to coexist."

"This... sounds difficult." Konan pondered. "It's like looking to the right while watching the left at the same time. No matter how I think about it, it doesn't seem realistic."

Her words gave Nagato a sudden jolt of inspiration.

When Naruto had trained in Senjutsu in the original story, Sage Fukasaku had said the same thing.

Naruto had then been inspired to create a method of using Shadow Clones to gather Senjutsu Chakra.

"If a clone were responsible for transmitting chakra to Pain, would my original body's abilities remain unrestricted?"

Nagato immediately tried to use a Shadow Clone.

But he discovered that while using the Six Paths of Pain, Shadow Clones could not be used.

"That path is cut off right away."

"As expected, Naruto's method can't be copied."

"I can only find a method that suits me."

He looked up at Konan.

"Attack me first. Maybe I'll get some inspiration during the fight..."

Konan raised her hands to form seals, and her body began to undergo Paper Transformation...

Nagato darted and weaved, fully focused on evading Konan's attacks. His body and mind entered a state of tranquil clarity.

The principle behind the Pain Technique was signal transmission.

Using cellphone signals as an analogy, it was like the "original body" turning on "hotspot sharing," while the Six Paths of Pain were terminals connected to that hotspot network!

No matter what... there was no way to guarantee traffic on both ends at the same time.

Still no good... I have absolutely no clue.

"Rustle, rustle!"

At that moment, Nagato watched the layers upon layers of paper before him split and rejoin, yet their assault never ceased!

A flash of inspiration suddenly crossed his mind!

"Ah... why do I have to insist on guaranteeing traffic on both ends? As long as, at the moment it's needed, I direct the traffic where it needs to go, wouldn't that be enough?!"

In communications terminology, that was what was called... "Breakpoint Resumption"!

"Nagato, watch out!"

Overjoyed by his discovery, he forgot to evade the attack and was slashed across the cheek by a paper shuriken...

Nagato did not care in the slightest. He was as happy as a child. "I've got it, Konan! I've got it!"

"Huh?"

Nagato explained his idea to Konan.

"In other words, when the original body needs it, you only interrupt the chakra being transmitted to Pain for an instant and use it for the original body, then immediately send it back to Pain. You can do that? It's amazing that you came up with it, Nagato..."

"Konan, I was actually inspired by your Paper Shikigami Technique."

"Was that so?"

"Ah, that's right. That's the principle, but putting it into practice won't be easy. It'll take a great deal of training."

"Once I completely master this 'Breakpoint Resumption' technique, my original body and Pain will no longer conflict!"

Konan walked toward him.

"Konan..."

"Don't move."

She stood before Nagato, reached out, and placed a bandage over his cut cheek...

The cool touch of her palm instantly sent a shiver through Nagato.

Konan withdrew her hand, her orange eyes fixed unblinking on Nagato. "No matter how important the discovery, you can't get so excited that you lose focus in battle. And after getting hurt, the first thing you should do isn't share your insights. It's treat the wound."

"Ah... you're right. You're right about everything!"

"Why is your face red?"

"Maybe... maybe it's because of the hot spring!"

"That was an hour ago."

"This is... the aftereffect kicking in..."

"You're really strange, Nagato." Konan pursed her lips in a smile. "Still, it's my first time seeing you like this. It feels a little new."

"Uh." How should he put it? Nagato felt a little lightheaded.

"Alright, it's late. Let's go back and sleep. We'll leave first thing tomorrow morning for the Heaven-Earth Bridge in Hidden Grass Village."

Nagato raised a hand to his cheek and watched Konan's graceful silhouette from behind.

Even knowing... that it held no special meaning beyond friendship.

The sight of her smiling at me with pursed lips for the first time still left me completely intoxicated.

Tonight... I probably won't be able to sleep.

Three days later, at the Heaven-Earth Bridge in Hidden Grass Village.

Nagato and Konan watched Sasori walk out of the woods.

"Sasori, you're really punctual. You said three days, and it's exactly three days."

"I said I don't like making people wait, and I don't like waiting for people."

Sasori said seriously, "When I entered the Land of Grass, I released the Brain-Control Sand seal in his brain. He should be here soon. Will you wait here with me, or hide somewhere first?"

Nagato pondered inwardly: The situation is still unclear. There's only one thing I can be certain of—if Orochimaru wants to escape, no one can stop him. Better play it safe...

"Sasori, meet Kabuto alone. I'll wait in hiding for an opportunity."

"You'd better keep a close eye on things. Otherwise, I might not be able to resist killing Orochimaru first."

Nagato and Konan retreated into the woods and watched from afar.

As the wind stirred the grass, ripples spread across the water beneath the Heaven-Earth Bridge...

Then... a young man slowly approached from the other side of the bridge, with short silver-gray hair and black-rimmed glasses on an innocent-looking face.

Konan remarked, "So that's Yakushi Kabuto? It's hard to imagine he once worked for Danzo as a spy traveling between different countries."

Nagato smiled. "As they say, you can't judge a person by their appearance."

Yakushi Kabuto stopped before Sasori and dropped to one knee. "Lord Sasori, sorry to keep you waiting..."

Sasori slowly stepped forward. "Orochimaru didn't discover you, did he?"

"Don't worry, everything..."

Kabuto, head lowered, caught sight of the dark figure before him. A vicious smile suddenly curled across his lips. "...went exactly as Lord Orochimaru expected!"

The Chakra Scalpel hidden behind him slashed at Sasori before him...