"Boss Nagato... Tobi... feels so weak..." Tobi's voice was as faint as a mosquito's hum. His body had shriveled completely, clinging so tightly to Nagato that he had almost become one with him.
Nagato glanced down. There was no trace of disgust in his eyes, only a barely perceptible hint of gratitude. "Thank you, Tobi," he said softly. It was the first time he had offered such heartfelt thanks to this clownish White Zetsu.
Under Obito Uchiha's gaze, Nagato slowly raised his hand. The black Chakra Receiver Rods in his back could no longer withstand this newborn power. They cracked under the strain, fractures spreading rapidly across them before they shattered into countless fragments and fell away. The wheelchair beneath him let out a mournful creak, then collapsed into a heap of scrap metal.
Nagato's feet touched the ground.
A long-forgotten sense of solid footing rose through his soles. He could feel the earth's resilient pulse, could feel gravity's hold on his body. He, Nagato, was finally standing on his own two feet again!
He did not pause to savor this power. Instead, he swept his hand sharply and summoned a cold corpse before him. It was Deva Path Pain-Yahiko's body.
Nagato reached out and gently brushed his fingers over Yahiko's unfocused eyes, slowly closing them. He gazed at Yahiko's peaceful face. There was no longer any pain in his eyes, only an unbreakable resolve.
"Yahiko... Konan..." Nagato's voice was low and powerful, carrying an unquestionable authority. "I will never let either of you come to harm again. I will use this power, now firmly in my own hands, to protect you and fulfill our shared dream!"
He snapped his head up, his burning gaze piercing through the window toward the distant horizon. "This world has no need for false