Nagato

"Are you okay with me using living people to make Human Puppets?" Sasori asked.

Hatake Ziyan looked at Sasori and said, "It feels a little cruel, but it's something you need, so I won't stop you. Of course, I hope you won't use innocent people to make Human Puppets in the future. The Third Shinobi World War is about to begin. You'll have plenty of corpses to make Human Puppets from then!"

Sasori nodded, then said, "Corpses will do for ordinary Human Puppets, but I need more powerful ones. You can't make those from corpses!"

"You can turn our enemies into Human Puppets. There's no need to show mercy to enemies, after all!" Hatake Ziyan said.

"All right, I agree! But I can't leave just yet! I still have things to finish here!" As Sasori spoke, a spurt of blood splashed across his face.

Watching this scene, Hatake Ziyan felt he had been far too merciful to Danzo. Perhaps he could add a little something extra!

Far away in Konoha, Danzo suddenly shuddered.

"That's fine. Someone will come pick you up once you're finished!" Hatake Ziyan said.

"Good!" Sasori said as he sealed the Third Kazekage, whom he had finished the preliminary work on, inside a Sealing Scroll.

Hatake Ziyan looked at the severed limbs scattered around and said, "Looks like you'll need a while to clean up. I'll be off!"

Hatake Ziyan turned and left. Sasori said nothing more and silently tidied up the things around him.

Hatake Ziyan had come to Sunagakure mainly to see how Sasori had managed to kill the Third Kazekage. After all, the Third Kazekage's Magnet Release naturally countered the Puppet Technique. Moreover, the Third Kazekage was in his prime, while Sasori had yet to mature. No matter how he looked at it, Sasori should not have been able to kill the Third Kazekage on his own.

Now he knew. It had been poison all along, and a kind that had never appeared before at that.

With his curiosity satisfied, Hatake Ziyan had no interest in staying any longer. Wind Hidden Village really was no place for anyone to live-the wind and sand were far too fierce.

Recruiting Sasori had merely been a spur-of-the-moment idea. Hatake Ziyan wanted to see just how strong Sasori could become if, with his help, he created Human Puppets from several of the Shinobi World's strongest fighters.

After all, Sasori could destroy a nation with a few hundred ordinary Human Puppets! What if all his Human Puppets were made from powerful fighters? Could they rival Impure World Reincarnation?

Of course, all of this was only Hatake Ziyan's speculation. Whether it could actually work would only become clear once the puppets were made.

After leaving Sunagakure, Hatake Ziyan headed straight for Amegakure, wanting to meet Yahiko, who could influence Nagato even after his death!

Hatake Ziyan traveled quickly. Once he reached the outskirts of Amegakure, one of his subordinates guided him, and he soon met Yahiko and his two companions.

"Hello! I'm Yahiko. May I ask what you wanted to see me about?" Yahiko asked with a smile.

Looking at Yahiko, Hatake Ziyan felt the boy shared some similarities with Minato Namikaze. He gave off the same warmth.

"Oh! I heard you founded an organization to protect the peace and well-being of the poor. I admire that, so I wanted to see it for myself!" Hatake Ziyan said, casually making up an excuse.

Just as Yahiko was about to reply, Nagato, who stood behind him, suddenly tugged at him, signaling that he wanted to speak to him privately.

Yahiko gave Hatake Ziyan an apologetic nod, indicating that his friend had something to tell him.

Hatake Ziyan waved a hand and said casually, "Go ahead. I'm in no hurry!"

After pulling Yahiko aside, Nagato told him quietly, "I can sense an enormous amount of chakra inside this man. He has many times more than our teacher. He's extremely dangerous. We'd be better off staying away from him."

Hearing Nagato's words, Yahiko turned to look at Hatake Ziyan. Although Nagato had spoken very quietly, Hatake Ziyan had heard him clearly and smiled at Yahiko.

After acknowledging Hatake Ziyan, Yahiko turned back to Nagato and said, "Do you think he has bad intentions? That he's here for your eyes?"

Nagato nodded and said, "I can't be sure, but we should still be careful!"

Yahiko thought for a moment, nodded, then walked over to Hatake Ziyan and asked, "Do you want Nagato's eyes?"

Nagato stumbled when he heard Yahiko's question. Right then, he really wanted to rush over and punch the fool.

Hatake Ziyan looked at Yahiko with a grin and said, "I'm not particularly interested in other people's eyes!"

Upon hearing that, Yahiko turned to Nagato and said, "Nagato, it's fine. He won't take your eyes!"

Nagato and Konan both covered their faces, feeling as though they had lost all hope.

Hatake Ziyan looked at the guileless Yahiko. Perhaps it was precisely his innocent nature that allowed him to win the trust of someone as guarded as Nagato.

Nagato stopped hiding behind Yahiko and stepped in front of him. Eyeing Hatake Ziyan warily, he said, "Tell us what you're really here for. Someone as powerful as you wouldn't appear here for no reason!"

Hatake Ziyan stared at Nagato's eyes for a while, then said, "Don't look at me like that. The Rinnegan may be powerful, but I don't consider it a threat. Forget you-even if the original owner of those eyes were using them, I could still kill him! So there's no need for you to be hostile toward me. If I wanted to kill you, it would be no different from crushing an ant!"

After speaking, Hatake Ziyan released his aura, letting the three of them feel it before immediately withdrawing it.

It lasted only a moment, but the backs of all three of their shirts were soaked with sweat!

Just then, the system's voice suddenly rang out in Hatake Ziyan's mind.

"Ding! Congratulations, host. You have triggered a choice!

Option one: disrupt Madara's plans, take Nagato's Rinnegan, and prevent Madara's resurrection. Reward: upgrade Madara's two Rinnegan!

Option two: leave the plot unchanged and allow Nagato to continue using the Rinnegan. Reward: Nine Turns Mysterious Technique (simplified version!)"

Hatake Ziyan stared at the reward for the second option, his eyes transfixed. The Nine Turns Mysterious Technique-isn't that the cultivation method of the Primordial World's Ancestral Witches? Supposedly, cultivating it to its ultimate level lets you attain sagehood through the physical body! Even a simplified version should have no trouble making the body immortal, right?

Who cares about an upgraded Rinnegan? So what if I had two Nine-Tomoe Rinnegan? Compared to the Nine Turns Mysterious Technique, they're trash!

System, option two!

"Ding! Congratulations, host. Your selection was successful. The reward has been issued!"

An enormous amount of information on the cultivation method immediately poured into Hatake Ziyan's mind. He closed his eyes and spent a while sorting through it.

Hatake Ziyan discovered that this simplified Nine Turns Mysterious Technique really was better suited to his current cultivation, and it was by no means weak. Completing all nine turns would be equivalent to fully mastering the third level of the complete Nine Turns Mysterious Technique-the Heavenly Immortal Realm of the Primordial World.