By this point, Nagato had largely come to believe that he was destined to be the reincarnation of the Sage of Six Paths, and that his Rinnegan bore the mission of leading the entire shinobi world toward peace.
In the original story, this had also played a part in his immediate descent into darkness once Yahiko, the one close friend who could keep him in check, died.
Yahiko stared at Nagato in astonishment. Those words had almost completely overturned the image Nagato had always presented.
"Nagato? What are you saying?" He instinctively stepped forward, trying to take Nagato's arm. "Power can serve all kinds of purposes. Survival, protection, or, as Miss Tsukimi said..."
Nagato violently shook off Yahiko's hand, the fanaticism in his eyes growing more pronounced.
"Protection? That kind of weak protection is useless! Only power strong enough to intimidate everyone can keep our enemies from invading the Land of Rain again and end the pointless wars across the entire shinobi world! That is why my power exists! The power of the Rinnegan shouldn't be wasted on such trivial things!"
Looking at the unfamiliar, stubborn Nagato before him, Yahiko felt unease and confusion rise in his heart.
The Nagato of the past would never have spoken so contemptuously of protection.
Just then, Yūto, who had been watching all along, chuckled. "Oh? From the sound of it, Nagato, you seem utterly convinced that the power within those Rinnegan of yours is already enough to put you above everyone else, including us?"
Nagato stiffened. Although he gave no answer, he did not disagree, either. He believed his eyes had that potential!
Seeing Nagato's silent insistence, Yūto nodded. "I see. Not denying it means you agree."
Although the Rinnegan was an evolved form of the Mangekyō Sharingan, it also lost the Mangekyō's