At that thought, Obito Uchiha fixed his gaze on Nagato, his expression resolute, and continued.
"You need to think about how dangerous this has always been. What if something happens to Yahiko one day?"
Those last words struck Nagato's nerves like a sledgehammer.
An image of Yahiko covered in blood flashed through Nagato's mind. Pain stabbed through his heart, and the chaotic Chakra around him grew even more violent.
Nagato roared, and the Chakra around him whipped wildly through the air, slashing like countless Chakra Blades.
Even Obito took two steps back. Space-Time Ninjutsu might let him avoid the blades for a moment, but he could not keep dodging them.
Just then, Yahiko rushed up with a large group of people. His expression turned grave when he saw Nagato amid the swirling Chakra.
Yahiko glanced at Obito Uchiha standing to one side, his face darkening, but he had no time to deal with him now.
"Nagato, calm down!" he shouted. "It's me, Yahiko! I'm here! Don't listen to his nonsense!"
Nagato looked toward Yahiko, his eyes full of sorrow. "Yahiko, I won't let you get hurt. I never will."
The grief and resolve in Nagato's eyes left Yahiko's thoughts in a tangle. What had that man said to him to make him like this?
But now was clearly no time to find out.
"I'm right here, Nagato," Yahiko said, panic in his voice. "I'm fine. Calm down. Nothing's going to happen to me!"
As Nagato looked at Yahiko, the energy around him began to settle, little by little.
That was clearly not what Obito wanted to see.
From the side, he pressed on. "Has he really never been hurt all this time? Never suffered terribly? Have you truly protected him?"
At Obito Uchiha's words, memories began flashing through Nagato's mind.