They flashed through the trees and came to Nagato's tree hole.
Ryu sat on Nagato's machine and threw a Dango in his mouth.
Naruto looked at him and he gave Naruto a thumbs up, "Hinata's a-okay!" Naruto looked relieved and turned to Nagato asking for his story.
Nagato looked at Ryu, who yawned and looked at him.
He didn't even look scared this time and turned to Naruto, seeming to understand something as he started speaking.
His parents were killed by Konoha ninja in a war Konoha started.
Ryu had to interrupt, saying "Actually, that was a war Danzo started. But continue…"
Nagato ignored him as he continued speaking about his past. He finally said everything about how Jiraiya taught him and how his friends created Akatsuki to be a peaceful organization sort of like a negotiation mercenary group.
He talked about how his Rinnegan could change the world and their group was pretty good so they got big jobs, one day they got a job from Hanzo, but he betrayed them because he thought they would usurp his power and they were attacked by him and Danzo together.
Ryu just had to cut in again, saying "Hehe~ Nagato-chan. That was all Danzo again. Danzo approached Hanzo with the deal or annihilating your group. It had nothing to do with Hanzo. You were creating peace as you should but you were also stepping on the toes of warmongers who make money through war."
He looked at Nagato sarcastically, "A little puppet from the very start, your peace was an eye-sore, understand? That's why you guys were annihilated. You had big dreams and no strength."
Nagato looked at him and shouted "Then what were we supposed to do?! Watch as everyone died!?" Ryu curled his lips and replied "Nothing. You were supposed to do nothing. It's not your fault, you wanted peace, right?"
He shook his head and sighed "The only reason peace comes to be is that people don't dare have other thoughts. Danzo didn't like you and therefore killed your organization in the cradle…" he sighed again, adding "I really should've tortured that bastard before killing him…"
Nagato said in shock "You killed him?!"
Ryu looked at him and snorted with amusement, "Are you joking? I killed him, the Third Hokage, the elders and higher ups of Konoha, all their clans, and the hidden Root. All in one day." then he sighed, adding "I regret not sparing their clans, it wasn't very fair to them. But alas… Can't change the past. Now look at Konoha, it's stronger than ever before, no self sabotage, no infighting, no shitty old men fighting over Hokage…"
He sighed and swung his legs, "It's a wonderland~" Aino was already asleep, this conversation was a bit too heavy for the little angel.
Nagato looked at the ground in front of him, saying "Hm… Interesting." Naruto asked "And then? What happened?" Nagato nodded and continued his story with him summoning the Gedo Statue to kill everyone.
Ryu rolled his eyes and Nagato turned to him, asking "How would you achieve peace?"
Naruto looked at Ryu, who raised his brows, "Me?" the duo nodded and Konan was standing to the side, impassive.
Ryu rubbed his chin and said "Ah… Probably wouldn't?" Naruto and Nagato were stunned and Ryu continued "Peace actually doesn't exist so…" Nagato shouted "Impossible!" before coughing up blood as Konan held him with worry.
Ryu sighed and explained "You can't just make peace. Nagato-chan, your so-called peace is basically burning down a house with people in it and saying 'Hey look! We can build an orphanage here' or seeing people fighting over an apple and killing both sides, leaving the apple alone. Hey, you need people for peace, right?"
He rubbed his chin and continued "Your method of inciting fear for peace is alright, but after you die, who will listen to a corpse? Eventually everyone will fight again until someone else takes over. The strongest person has the right to talk about peace. That's what I don't think you understand."
He raised a finger and smiled, "First Hokage was the God of Shinobi, because of his existence there was peace and the establishment of ninja villages. But when he died, a war started right away. If you become God of Shinobi, when you die people will be celebrating on the streets to kill people. That's just the way the world works. Think about it like this. If there was no chakra, no ninjutsu, and the strongest human couldn't even punch a boulder without breaking his wrist, would there be war?"
Nagato replied instantly "Of course not."
Ryu grinned, making a buzzer sound, "Wrong. There's technology, swords, guns. Eventually someone will make a bomb strong enough to blow up a country. Then another country will make it and another and then the rest. Then what will happen? World war again. Then when everything is settled, the strongest country will appear and the others will be scared of them until a bad leader is in charge or someone makes a bigger and better bomb."
Ryu chuckled "Maybe a bomb that you can shoot from your country to another country in an instant. Then war will start again. This is Humans. No matter who it is or where it is, even in a world without Chakra or ninja, there will always be war. So sure! I can stop all wars, force peace, but when I die, my descendants will be killed and hunted, my home will be destroyed, everyone I know will be killed, etc."
He paused and tapped his chin, muttering "Although! If you take over the world and destroy the concept of Ninja villages, creating one massive country where you rule like a dictator, forcing people into peace and forcefully creating a system where they all have to work together for monetary benefits while simultaneously getting more and more tyrannical so that they are forced to join hands and revolt together to kill you, it could work."
He gestured and explained "Because they would have to face a bigger enemy and band together, but by then the different country system will be long gone and there will only be one country. This would turn war into infighting instead. But nobody would go too far because they are tied together for money."
He smiled at the duo and finished, "But I'm not a business guy so…"
Nagato and Naruto swallowed, looking at Ryu strangely…
Naruto looked at Nagato and said "I know where you're coming from. Yet, I still can't forgive you. I still hate you for what you've done." Nagato nodded but Naruto continued, "But… Pervy Sage trusted me with his dreams and aspirations. So I'm going to trust in what he believed in. That's my answer. And that's why, I'm not going to kill you."
Nagato froze and looked at Naruto with a shocked look on his face, Naruto quoted Jiraiya's book and Nagato looked shaken.
Finally, Naruto gave Nagato the invincible never failing Talk No Jutsu!
Even Ryu felt goosebumps, looking at Naruto in awe.
He really wanted to study this jutsu!
Nagato was so moved, he went to use the Reincarnation Jutsu. Ryu stopped him and said "Relax. Nobody died. Hinata is alive and you were too weak to kill any of them. You will die for no reason if you use that…"
Nagato looked at him and Ryu suddenly smiled "Congratulations, puppet-chan. Perhaps in this way, you'll no longer have any strings on you." he took out a Senzu bean, his eyes narrowing as he continued "I can tell you one crucial piece of information but I want Konan."
Konan was stunned and Nagato frowned, "What?" Ryu curled his lips and said "Another Elite Jonin or Pseudo Kage level powerhouse is good for Konoha. Yes, I'm recruiting you."
Konan froze and Nagato looked at the bean, Ryu threw it in Nagato's mouth and his shriveled body suddenly plumped up, looking like a normal human again!
He was dumbfounded and stepped out of the machine in shock "My.. My legs!"
Ryu smiled happily, Nagato looked at him and asked "What do you want?" Ryu touched his nose and grinned "I can't save people just cus?" Nagato stared at him silently and Ryu coughed "You're Uzumaki Clan anyway. I bet you didn't know that. Also, your information… Do you want to trade?"
Nagato frowned and said "I hope you won't take advantage of Konan…" Konan shouted "Nagato!" angrily, but he ignored her.
Ryu grinned, "Your eyes… They don't belong to you." Nagato froze up and Ryu added another piece, "Very soon. Someone will come for them. Someone you can't possibly beat…"
He opened his mouth but closed it, squinting slightly and chuckling as he said "I have a new deal for you. You and Konan quit being homicidal maniacs and come to Konoha together. You become Anbu and work for me. I take care of your eye problem and let you see peace with your own eyes, how about it?"
Nagato hesitated and looked at Ryu with a frown.
Naruto smiled and put his fist forward, smiling "Come on, Nagato-senpai. I'll show you my undying will! I promise I'll bring peace to this world, my own way!" Nagato looked at Naruto before finally sighing "I agree."
Ryu's eyes lit up and he chuckled, saying "Alright! Cool! Let's go!" as he grabbed Nagato's shirt, holding Aino in his other arm and disappearing.
Naruto and Konan left with him and disappeared.
A while later