Inside a cell, Nagato, who had lost both eyes, was being held as a dangerous prisoner.
Dangerous though they called him, without his Rinnegan and with his legs crippled, he could hardly be considered a threat. Moreover, as one of the last survivors of the Uzumaki Clan, he had actually been treated reasonably well these past few days. At least he had barely been interrogated.
Just then, the cell door creaked open. Shingetsu stood before him and, without beating around the bush, asked:
"Nagato, are you willing to come with us?"
Only then did Nagato raise his head, his expression stirring.
In the Shinobi World Shingetsu came from, the Land of Whirlpools had not fallen, the Uzumaki Clan had never been massacred, and every war had been crushed before it could begin.
Even though Nagato had no memories of either the Land of Whirlpools or the Uzumaki Clan, he still longed for such a place.
After a long silence, Nagato slowly shook his head and said hoarsely:
"This is where I belong."
Though Nagato and Konan hated this Shinobi World, they could not sever all the ties that bound them to it.
If they simply walked away, Yahiko's sacrifice, the collapse of the Akatsuki, and the deaths of their comrades would all lose their weight and meaning.
"Understood."
Shingetsu nodded. She did not try to force Nagato to change his mind and turned to leave.
But then she suddenly stopped and offered another suggestion:
"Go say goodbye to your clan."
This time, Nagato did not refuse.
Soon, with Konan supporting him, Nagato reached the edge of the village and "looked" toward the Uzumaki clan members preparing to leave with Shingetsu.
The red-haired clan members were gathered in a lively crowd, carrying all sorts of bags over their shoulders. Their faces