Chapter 209: Kakuzu vs. Nagato

Uchiha Obito—did he fall into darkness for the sake of the ninja world, or for himself? Kakuzu had pondered this question before.

If Kakashi and Nohara Rin had switched places—if Obito had personally witnessed Rin thrusting a kunai into Kakashi's heart—would the outcome have changed? In that moment, Obito would still have cried, still have raged, still have awakened his eyes. He would still have sworn to create a world where Kakashi could exist.

Grief-stricken, Obito had taken Rin away.

Ten months later, Uchiha Kakashi was born.

If Obito still chose darkness despite knowing it was a trap, then his decision became even more questionable. Rin was just an ordinary ninja. Even if this scheme had never occurred, her status as a shinobi meant she would always be walking the line between life and death. The battlefield was unforgiving, different from someone like Nagato, who had been deceived despite his pure heart.

And if Rin were to die again—what would Obito do then? Create yet another new world?

In the end, Kakuzu couldn't quite understand Obito's ideology. But at least Obito's descent into darkness was something familiar, something Kakuzu could use to his advantage.

With that, his time in Konohagakure was about done. But there was still one last thing he needed to take care of.

...

At the Senju Shrine.

Tsunade had long since become numb to death. She had thought she would never cry again. But this time, she couldn't hold back her tears.

Holding Uzumaki Mito's hand against her cheek, she wept uncontrollably. This was her last remaining family, and now she was losing her too.

At the end of her life, there was no sorrow, no pain on Mito's face. Instead, she wore a serene smile of acceptance.

"Kakuzu, sometimes, I truly envy you," Mito murmured, a distant look in her eyes.

She and Kakuzu were from the same era, yet their circumstances had become so vastly different.

"Mito-sama, rest assured," Kakuzu said, gazing out toward the edge of the village. "If Konohagakure faces a crisis in the future, I won't just stand by and watch. After all... my journey in this world began here."

Memories of the past stirred something in him, and a rare smile played on Kakuzu's lips.

Mito closed her eyes, her smile lingering. There was nothing left for her to regret. It was time for her to follow Hashirama.

"Let's begin."

At her words, Sarutobi Hiruzen glanced to the side. The newly appointed Fourth Hokage, Hatake Sakumo, stepped forward and bowed deeply.

"Mito-sama, forgive us."

With a wave of his hand, the sealing squad moved into position.

Meanwhile, Namikaze Minato stood beside Uzumaki Kushina, gently comforting her.

Her vibrant red hair, the symbol of the Uzumaki clan, glowed in the dim light.

"Child, from here on, it's up to you…"

Kushina took a deep breath, steeling herself. She would bear this responsibility.

...

Two weeks later, Kakuzu returned to the Land of Dragons with Tsunade.

The Great Ninja War had mostly settled, though some regions remained unstable.

"Kakuzu-sama! It's been a long time!"

A warm, cheerful voice greeted them. Yahiko had arrived in the Land of Dragons, accompanied by Konan.

Seeing them, Nagato's face lit up, and he quickly brought them to meet Kakuzu.

"How is Amegakure?" Kakuzu asked.

"Rest assured, Kakuzu-sama," Yahiko said confidently. "I've stabilized the village. The economy is recovering, and our people are regaining hope."

After delivering his report, he turned to Nagato with a teasing grin.

"But I must say, Kakuzu-sama—have you been mistreating Nagato? He looks like he's lost weight!"

Nagato groaned. "Come on, Yahiko, don't say weird things. I've been doing just fine here."

"Hahaha! Just kidding, don't take it so seriously." Yahiko's laughter was as carefree as ever. But others quickly joined in.

"Heh, actually, Yahiko's got a point," Kisame chuckled, resting Samehada on his shoulder. "Nagato has been burning through chakra like crazy, training with me every day. No wonder he's getting thinner."

"Exactly! And it's not just training—this guy keeps dragging me into taijutsu battles that last for days!" Hidan complained, dark circles under his eyes. "And when I ask for just a drop of blood for my rituals, he won't even spare that! You people from Amegakure are way too stingy."

Yahiko turned to Nagato, surprised. "Wait… you've been training with them?"

He wasn't weak himself, but from his chakra perception alone, he could tell that both Kisame and Hidan were incredibly strong. One had chakra reserves close to a tailed beast, and the other was practically immortal. Yet even they couldn't handle Nagato?

"Nagato… just how strong have you become?"

Releasing his grip on Nagato's shoulder, Yahiko's expression shifted from playful to serious.

As Nagato's closest friend and leader, he had no jealousy over Nagato surpassing him. But he hadn't expected it to happen so quickly.

"Nagato… show me. Show me the true power of your Rinnegan."

"Yahiko, I…" Nagato hesitated, uncomfortable with the idea of fighting Yahiko.

But Yahiko's determined expression made it clear—this wasn't just a casual request.

"Yahiko, step back. I'll handle this."

"Kakuzu-sama, but—"

Kakuzu had already stepped forward, placing a hand on Yahiko's shoulder.

"As a leader, it's fine to be competitive, but you need to know when to assess the situation. If you were Nagato's enemy, you'd already be lying on the ground. Do you understand?"

Yahiko was still a bit stunned, seemingly unable to process Kakuzu's words. Before he could respond, Konan had already stepped in, pulling him away. Kisame and Hidan also moved aside on their own, clearing a large space for Kakuzu and Nagato.

Nagato no longer declined the challenge—he, too, wanted to see how strong he had truly become.

"Kakuzu-sama, I've recently gained some new insights into the Rinnegan. If I make any mistakes, I hope you'll guide me."

"Just go all out. Don't waste the effort Kisame and Hidan have put into training with you all this time."

"I understand!"

Nagato took several steps back, putting some distance between himself and Kakuzu. He formed a hand seal, his Rinnegan shimmering with an enigmatic light.

"The power of the Rinnegan can be categorized into six paths. Kakuzu-sama, be careful."

...\

In the vast open space, Nagato began demonstrating the abilities of the Six Paths one by one.

Deva Path—both offensive and defensive, it governed Shinra Tensei.

Asura Path—focused on long-range attacks and mechanical augmentations.

Human Path—controlled the souls of the living.

Animal Path—allowed for summoning various creatures from another dimension.

Preta Path—absorbed chakra, similar to Dark Release but not entirely the same.

Naraka Path—held dominion over the underworld.

...\

"Not bad," Kakuzu remarked. "You still haven't unlocked the full potential of the Rinnegan, but you've already grasped quite a bit."

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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