The old, weak, sick, and disabled duo had a change in personnel. Since Itachi hadn't died, it wasn't him and Nagato this time. Instead, accompanying Nagato was Konan, the White Tiger of the Akatsuki, and the two supported each other as they walked.
Naruto came across them and stopped in his tracks.
"You two, how did you also..."
Clearly, Naruto didn't know Nagato and Konan had died. Meihui hadn't even told him where Nagato had gone in the end.
"Oh, it's you, Naruto. Looks like you've gotten stronger." Nagato looked at Naruto with a hint of pride. His junior fellow disciple had grown considerably stronger.
"You... weren't you two... how did you end up like this..."
"I'm sorry, Naruto. We were no match for that man. We used every trump card we had, but we still couldn't take him down with us."
"Then... who exactly was he?"
Nagato shook his head.
"We don't know either. All we know is that he called himself Madara Uchiha. He's the true leader behind the Akatsuki."
Naruto's face filled with disbelief. It seemed he'd still been thinking about things far too simply.
Naruto was about to ask something else when Konan launched an attack.
"Dance of the Shikigami."
Paper spears shot toward Naruto, but how could attacks at that speed possibly touch him in Nine-Tails Chakra Mode?
He dodged them easily, only for Nagato's attack to follow right on their heels.
"Shinra Tensei."
Naruto hadn't expected Nagato to launch a surprise attack. Caught off guard, he was sent flying.
Seeing Naruto at a disadvantage, Killer B hurried over to help. Things might have been fine if he'd stayed out of it, but his intervention only made matters worse.
It was just like Killer B. The moment he charged in, he handed Nagato an opening.