Health, freedom from dependence on the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path to sustain his life, perhaps even the awakening of deeper power... Nagato had yearned for all of these through countless days and nights, yet knew they were wishes almost impossible to fulfill.
Yet the sweeter the temptation, the more Nagato's wariness washed over him like ice water.
His relationship with this mysterious Masked Man who called himself "Madara Uchiha" had never been a partnership built on "shared ideals" or "mutual trust."
On the surface, they were using each other.
Madara had provided the ideas of "the Rinnegan's true power" and "making the world feel pain to achieve peace," along with some support and intelligence during the Akatsuki's early days.
Meanwhile, Nagato, under the identity of Pain, acted as the incarnation of a "god," recruiting members into the Akatsuki, collecting tailed beasts, and creating pain to carry out the preliminary steps of the "Eye of the Moon Plan."
But Nagato had never truly trusted "Madara."
This man concealed his identity, kept his goals obscure, and always appeared at critical moments to exert his influence. His true intentions remained shrouded in mist.
Those Rinnegan brought more than power. They also brought keen perception.
He could vaguely sense that behind "Madara's" seemingly selfless assistance and grand plans lurked some cold, personal, perhaps even dangerous scheme.
More importantly, Nagato was not without precautions.
The rain that fell regularly over the Land of Rain was more than a demonstration of his control over the weather. It was an extension of his senses-the Rain Tiger at Will Technique!
This powerful sensory ninjutsu not only covered the entire Land of Rain, monitoring any unauthorized intruders, but also served another important purpose, hidden from outsiders: sensing, locating, and monitoring "Madara"!
Whenever "Madara" used that bizarre spatial