As Nagato poured out his anger and chakra, the terrifying giant figure resembling a demon finally ceased its movements, dissipating into a thick cloud of smoke. Nagato, drained both physically and mentally, fainted.
"What a terrifying power..."
With this remark, the air at the edge of the battlefield suddenly began to twist and spin at high speed. Then, a figure wearing a tiger-stripe mask and a black coat appeared out of nowhere.
Beside him, a green Venus flytrap, towering to the height of a person, rapidly grew. Its two jagged leaves opened, revealing a humanoid black figure.
"This is the Rinnegan. To be honest, the power it unleashed when it was on Lord Madara was far greater than this kid's."
The speaker was Black Zetsu, who at the moment was meticulously playing the role of a servant to Uchiha Madara. The person wearing the tiger-stripe mask was, of course, Uchiha Obito, who had disappeared from the battlefield in the Land of Earth, now appearing once again as Uchiha Madara.
They had come this time to guide Nagato, who possessed the Rinnegan, onto the path that Madara had destined for him.
"Although there was a bit of a hiccup, overall the result is acceptable."
Under the mask, Obito commented indifferently.
Due to Rin's death, his values had become twisted, and now, all he cared about was following Madara's plan to create a world with Rin in it.
Black Zetsu slightly nodded but added, "However, we must still be cautious of Danzo Shimura. We can't afford any unexpected complications."
Upon hearing this, Obito immediately laughed disdainfully.
"Danzo Shimura? He's nothing more than a scared rat, just like Hanzō, conquered by fate and hiding in the sewers."
Obito's tone was filled with disdain toward both Hanzō and Danzo.
Black Zetsu looked at Obito with a somewhat complex gaze, his mouth moved but ultimately remained silent.
Perhaps fearing Black Zetsu's lack of confidence, Obito added, "Don't worry. Danzo is just a radical faction in Konoha. Even if he influences Nagato and the others, it will only make them more radical."
"Perhaps we can even use Danzo to infiltrate Konoha through his reach!"
Obito's words were full of ambition.
Believing himself to have 'awakened,' he was full of confidence in his abilities and firmly believed the path he was taking was the correct one.
At that moment, a white humanoid figure, the exact opposite of Black Zetsu, emerged from the earth, speaking in an incredibly cheerful tone. "Hello, Danzo and the Root members are coming this way!"
"Why don't we just kill him now to avoid future trouble?"
Black Zetsu suggested after some thought.
However, this proposal was immediately rejected by Obito.
"Black Zetsu, now is not the best time for us to reveal ourselves."
He gave Black Zetsu a dissatisfied look, then slightly raised his chin and confidently said, "Don't worry. Everything is under my control."
Black Zetsu sighed inwardly but didn't say much, simply replying, "I hope so."
By the time Danzo, along with Tatsuma and other Root members, arrived at the scene, Obito and Black Zetsu had already disappeared from their hidden positions.
Having read the original work, Danzo had of course guessed that Obito and Black Zetsu had been watching and guiding Nagato's growth all along. However, he also knew that Obito would never reveal himself at this time.
After all, Konoha now was not the same as it had been in the original. The Third Great Ninja War had not yet fully ended, and the Yellow Flash had made a name for himself, while the Three Ninjas were still in the village. Plus, there was Sarutobi Hiruzen, though aged, still retaining considerable strength.
If something were to happen to him, the Konoha Advisor, in the Land of Rain, Obito would inevitably face a terrible investigation and pursuit.
Although Obito might be safe because of his [Kamui], such intense scrutiny would definitely affect his future plans.
However, with the elite forces of Root around him and his own quietly improving strength, self-preservation shouldn't be a problem.
In any case, when Danzo arrived at the location, only Nagato was lying on the ground.
When Nagato woke up again, it was two days later.
The moment he opened his eyes, a calm and steady face came into view. The scarred jawline and the wrinkles on the face spoke of the person's composure over endless years.
"You're awake?"
Danzo's expression shifted, showing a hint of joy.
If he had been a calm and towering mountain before, now his smile was like the warm sunlight in winter, reassuring and peaceful.
"Don't worry, your companions are all safe. Konan is fine, Yahiko is receiving treatment, and his life is not in danger."
It seemed the other person could sense his inner turmoil and directly addressed the issue that weighed on his mind the most.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Nagato's emotions were soon replaced with doubt. "May I ask who you are?"
"My name is Danzo Shimura."
"You're Lord Danzo?"
Nagato's tone finally fluctuated, but then he remembered the Root ninjas who had tragically died before his eyes. His mood quickly plummeted again, like a rollercoaster ride.
"I'm sorry, Lord Danzo. If we hadn't been so stubborn..."
He lowered his head like a child who had done something wrong.
"It's alright."
Danzo patted his shoulder and comforted him. "Hikaru was a ninja who believed in his ideals. It was because he saw the future in you that he chose to make the ultimate sacrifice. I don't think he would blame you."
"Mm."
Nagato nodded as he gradually calmed down.
Danzo didn't continue comforting him.
He knew that Nagato's current emotions weren't just because of the death of a Root ninja, but because of the collapse of his values.
Nagato had once believed he could change the world with kindness.
But now, he realized that blindly pursuing "good" only led those he cared about into an endless abyss.
Including Yahiko and Konan!
So Danzo left. Before he left, he said these words.
"Nagato, go see more of this world. Meet more people, experience more things, and keep thinking. Only then will you find the true..."
"…Path to redemption."
These words seemed to give Nagato some insight.
"The true... path to redemption?"
After leaving the hospital room, Danzo looked at the system panel, and a smile unconsciously appeared on his face.
"Detected Nagato's gratitude, Golden Skill Points +1, received skill pack [Six Paths of Pain : Preta Path]."
Blinded by the golden light, Danzo suppressed his urge to laugh and muttered repeatedly:
"The path to redemption lies within it!"