Elsewhere.
In Kusagakure's prison, Konan sat motionless in her cell, her eyes closed in thought.
Suddenly, she saw a small white slip of paper beside her burst into flame on its own.
"What's this?!" Startled, Konan snapped her eyes open.
"I want to see Uchiha Sora!" After a long while, she called out to the guard.
Before long, Uchiha Sora appeared in her cell.
Looking at Konan in her prison uniform, with shackles on her wrists and ankles, Uchiha Sora asked, "What happened? Why did you suddenly want to see me?"
Konan's gaze was cold, but a trace of sorrow crept into her voice. "Nagato is dead!"
Uchiha Sora gave a slight start.
"Nagato was the real person behind the Six Paths of Pain, a friend I've known since childhood, and the true leader behind the Akatsuki," Konan explained. "He was the true owner of the Rinnegan. The Six Paths of Pain were nothing but puppets."
Uchiha Sora waved a hand. "I know. I already sensed Nagato's existence when I fought the Six Paths of Pain."
"Is that so? You really do live up to your reputation, Uchiha Sora," Konan said with a sigh.
After a pause, she suddenly said, "Nagato is dead. That man must have done it!"
"That man? You mean the one wearing a mask?" Uchiha Sora asked, though he already knew the answer.
"That's right. The man who calls himself Madara Uchiha. It must have been him! Nagato's Rinnegan has probably already fallen into his hands!" Konan nodded.
Uchiha Sora frowned.
He had anticipated Nagato's death, because he knew Obito Uchiha would inevitably seek Nagato out to reclaim the Rinnegan. He had originally intended to find Nagato himself, but Nagato had remained hidden somewhere beyond his senses. He had not expected Obito Uchiha to beat him