"Nagato, the others have already reported back. The Iwa and Kumo ninja have agreed to the alliance conditions. With two major villages involved, plus Konoha and the Sand Federation exerting significant pressure on the small village, they accepted the alliance."
Konan, in charge of external relations, quickly updated Nagato on the other villages' status. The plan was progressing unusually smoothly; the Iwa and Kumo ninja barely resisted, and the alliance was quickly confirmed, with the small village handling most of the communication.
There was only one problem: both major villages demanded that Amegakure gather information on the Third Tsuchikage and Fourth Raikage. They had sent envoys to the Sand Federation, but were completely refused—ejected before they could even state their request.
"Good, Konan. Before the next war arrives, try to bring the Iron Country's samurai into the fold, but only under the leadership of the Akatsuki."
"The game ends here, Nagato."
A deep, commanding voice sounded. Nagato and Konan tensed, turning toward the wide-open gate.
They were at the highest point of Amegakure's center. Normally, no one dared come near this tower—not even within 500 meters. It was Amegakure's strictest prohibition.
"Who's there?"
At the gate, a figure stood with arms crossed, wearing ancient-looking armor. His eyes glinted red faintly.
"Sharingan… Uchiha," Konan said coldly, raising her hands as dozens of paper shuriken appeared around her. "From the Sand Federation? Intruding here without permission—you should know the consequences."
Aside from the masked person claiming to be Uchiha Madara from Akatsuki, only the Uchiha clan existed in the Sand Federation.
As soon as Konan finished speaking, her paper shuriken shot toward Uchiha Madara. Though made of paper, the Hard Paper Technique gave them metallic-like durability, and she had embedded explosive tags within them.
The paper shuriken reached Madara instantly, detonating in a series of explosions with fire and smoke.
"Killed him?" Konan frowned, thinking it seemed too easy—but why didn't the Uchiha even dodge?
"If I were that easy to kill, then you could truly claim to be gods of this world."
The voice sounded again. As the smoke cleared, Konan and Nagato saw Uchiha Madara encased in blue chakra bones. The explosions had not harmed him in the slightest.
"Susanoo? Seems you're a clan member with the Mangekyo Sharingan. But under my eyes, even the strongest Sharingan is useless."
Nagato slowly stood. He could now fight with his true body, and compared to Six Paths Pain, his original body, fused with all Outer Path techniques, was even stronger.
"Ha ha ha."
Madara laughed upon seeing Nagato, then his Mangekyo Sharingan transformed into a pale purple Rinnegan. Forming a hand seal, he addressed Nagato: "Nagato, you've used my eyes for so long, became leader of Amegakure, and even considered yourself a god. For an ordinary Uzumaki, that must have been quite the experience. Now, it's time for you to return them to me!"
Rinnegan!?
Konan and Nagato were shocked. Another Rinnegan appeared? How could this be?
Before Konan could react further, Madara activated the seal inside Nagato. Combining a seal on the heart with the Rinnegan, half of Nagato's body was quickly covered in black matter!
"Nagato, what's happening?"
Konan asked, alarmed. She saw that Nagato seemed to have lost control of his body. The spreading black matter controlled him—and it was all Madara's doing.
Indeed, just as he had said: the Rinnegan did not belong to Nagato. He was nearly fully under control.
Paper Technique!
Unsure how to save Nagato, Konan could only strike at Madara.
She condensed countless paper sheets behind her, forming angelic wings. Then countless shuriken and explosive tags transformed and shot toward Madara.
"Paper Technique, disguising as an angel? Enough to fool civilians," White Zetsu had briefed Madara on Konan's techniques and personality. He understood her well.
At this level, even his Susanoo could withstand it. She posed no threat.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Continuous explosions destroyed the tower almost instantly. The deafening blasts alerted Amegakure shinobi within several kilometers, who, realizing the sound came from the gods and angel's dwelling, cautiously approached—but no closer than one kilometer, fearing for their lives.
The tower's explosions intensified. Tens or hundreds of explosive tags detonated simultaneously. Even Madara's first-stage Susanoo was severely damaged.
"Similar to Tobirama Senju's summoning explosive tags? Not bad. Even in the Warring States era, you might survive alone. But compared to Uchiha power, still lacking."
Madara's words barely finished when his Susanoo suddenly grew bones, forming a more than ten-meter-tall half-giant, then muscles and armor covered the skeleton.
Even defensively, it was now many times stronger than before.
Konan bit her lip. Using thousands of explosive tags barely dented Susanoo before; now she'd need tens of times that to have a chance.
But Nagato was nearing his limit.
"What's wrong? Giving up?"
Madara asked, laughing lightly. He had not seriously engaged with the two yet; using full strength on these children would be beneath his reputation.
Nagato's resistance was a joke. Though physically improved, the dual control of the Rinnegan and the heart seal limited him. Any resistance was only because Madara held back.
"Damn it!"
Konan formed hand seals, ready to summon more explosive tags via Paper Technique.
Madara shook his head in disappointment. "At this level, you can't save Nagato. Fine. Enough delay; it's becoming boring. Nagato, I gave you these eyes. Now, return them."
Yata no Magatama!
Susanoo folded its hands, producing seven or eight chakra magatama, instantly shooting toward Konan. Alert, she used Paper Technique to create a substitution and avoid the attack.
But Madara's combat experience, combined with his Sharingan, detected her new position in the next moment.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
A massive wall of flames swept toward Konan's paper substitution. Without stopping it, she would be seriously burned.
Her paper wings launched countless paper shuriken mixed with hundreds of explosive tags, attempting to blast the flames apart.
Boom!
Hundreds of tags detonated in the Great Fire, sending seven or eight-meter-high waves of fire outward, consuming the village center in a nearly unstoppable blaze.
The flames spread quickly. Within minutes, they affected people several kilometers away.
During an instant when the explosive tags detonated against the fire, Madara controlled Susanoo, forming a long blade, striking Konan.
Thud!
To dodge the flames, Konan momentarily neglected Madara and was struck, flying over 200 meters into a building. She spat blood and lost consciousness.
Madara's combat experience and power far surpassed hers. Even her Paper Technique posed no threat.
"Abandon futile resistance, Nagato. Your power and will are like a child's. Decades without accomplishment, playing at lofty ideals. Peace is not something you can achieve."
Madara then strengthened the seal's power. As he slightly exerted himself, Nagato could no longer resist; the seal instantly took control of his body.
Under Madara's control, Nagato slowly formed hand seals.
Finally, after the last seal, Nagato involuntarily spoke: "Rinne Tensei!"
With the Rinnegan's power activated, Madara felt the Yin-Yang Release acting on his body. Sensation returned, cracks in the Edo Tensei body disappeared, and powerful chakra erupted, collapsing several surrounding buildings.
"This is my body, fully resurrected! Young, vigorous, alive! Ha ha ha!"
As the Rinnegan in the Edo Tensei fractured, Madara calmed, instantly teleporting next to Nagato.
"Still breathing, Uzumaki? Your clan is resilient, but not for long."
Noticing Nagato's state, Madara removed the Rinnegan from his body and placed it in his own.
"Now complete… not quite, a little more."
Seeing the Six Paths Yin power pattern in his palm, he commanded White Zetsu: "Find Senju Hashirama's location. Likely still in the Land of Fire. I'll go myself."
Madara then left Amegakure. Once he departed, White Zetsu patted the near-death Nagato, sighed, and said: "Sorry, boss. You were fake from the start. Farewell."
White Zetsu then vanished underground, leaving the village.
Shortly after, a dark spatial portal opened above Amegakure. Hyuga Mirai emerged, surveying the devastation below.
"Fast work."
(End of chapter)