The coffin descended, and the ones who stepped out of it were none other than Kumogakure's Kinkaku and Ginkaku brothers!
Time rewound to ten days ago, the day Nagato and Sasori set off for the desert of the Land of Wind!
Nagato found Orochimaru and told him his plan.
At first, Orochimaru strongly opposed the plan.
"Nagato-kun, I understand how you feel, but the cost is too great. With an Uzumaki Clan body, the depletion of life force will ultimately affect your chakra."
"In other words, what you lose will not merely be your lifespan, but also a considerable portion of your strength."
"If immortality is also one of your goals, then what you will lose is the strength to pursue immortality."
"Most importantly... as far as I know, there is no way to replenish life force other than transplanting Hashirama Cells!"
"Orochimaru, it seems I've reached a blind spot in your knowledge. There is a way to replenish life force besides transplanting Hashirama Cells."
Orochimaru's interest was piqued. "Oh? I'd love to hear it!"
"That is... using the Preta Path to absorb Tailed Beast chakra!"
This method had been personally proven by Edo Tensei Nagato in the original story.
When Nagato was revived through Impure World Reincarnation, he was in the state he had been left in after using the Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique and exhausting his life force... emaciated and white-haired.
But... after merely using the Preta Path to absorb Killer B's Version Two Eight-Tails cloak, he returned to full health!
This showed that Tailed Beast chakra was special; it could even replenish life force!
As for why Tailed Beast chakra could replenish life force... Nagato had no definite answer, but he suspected it was related to Tailed Beast chakra being an essential component of the Divine