Soon, Konan and Benimaru arrived at a large tree near the shores of Uzushiogakure. Without slowing down, Konan rushed toward it. The space around the trunk distorted slightly, revealing a hidden camouflage barrier, and she immediately stepped through.
Benimaru followed right behind her.
As soon as they stepped inside, Konan froze, her entire body going rigid. Before her lay Nagato.
No. This was now nothing more than Nagato's corpse.
His body had shriveled even further than before, and the vitality that had barely remained within him was completely gone. Most striking of all was his hair; the once-vibrant red had turned completely white.
Konan's body trembled. Slowly, she moved forward.
Step.Step.Step.
Each step felt heavier than the last. Perhaps some small part of her still hoped she was wrong. Perhaps there was still a chance, and Nagato was still breathing. With trembling hands, she knelt beside him and gently lifted his face.
For a moment, she held her breath. Then, her eyes widened.
The eye sockets were empty. The Rinnegan were gone.
Konan's hand froze as the final trace of hope within her shattered. She immediately understood what had happened. Nagato had used the forbidden technique of the Rinnegan—the technique that sacrificed the user's life to bring back the dead. The white hair, the shriveled body, the missing Rinnegan; everything pointed to the same conclusion. Nagato had used the Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique.
Beside her, Benimaru's expression also turned solemn as he quickly arrived at the same conclusion. Shanks had previously informed them about several abilities of the Rinnegan, and among them was the power to resurrect the dead. There was only one person important enough for masked man to force Nagato to revive: Madara Uchiha.
Damn it. Benimaru's eyes narrowed. Masked man must have gotten what he wanted. Nagato had been forced to use the technique, and Madara Uchiha had most likely been resurrected.
Konan remained kneeling beside Nagato's body, staring silently at the empty eye sockets. Benimaru looked at her for a moment before making his decision.
"I need to inform Onii-san immediately."
The next moment—whoosh!—his body disappeared. Using teleportation, he instantly left the hidden chamber.
Moments later, Benimaru appeared inside the Uzukage's office. Shanks was sitting calmly behind his desk, his eyes closed as he rested. Thankfully, due to his Uzumaki vitality, he had already recovered considerably from his previous exhaustion.
The moment Benimaru appeared, Shanks opened his eyes. Before he could say anything, Benimaru spoke.
"Onii-san, Madara might have been resurrected by now."
Shanks' eyes snapped fully open, and the relaxed atmosphere in the room instantly vanished. He looked directly at Benimaru, a slight frown appearing on his face.
"What do you mean Madara might have been resurrected?" he asked, clearly confused. "How do you know that?"
Benimaru replied, "Onii-san, I just saw Nagato—the one who attacked us. His body had completely aged into that of an old man. His hair had turned pure white, and his Rinnegan had been dug out and taken away by someone while we were fighting on the battlefield."
The moment Shanks heard this, he understood what had most likely happened: someone had controlled Nagato. And to control Nagato without either Benimaru or Konan noticing, there was only one plausible method—the curse that had been planted on Nagato's heart. Nagato must have been ordered to resurrect Madara. Unable to disobey due to the curse, he would have been forced to carry out the command.
As the forbidden technique consumed his life force, Nagato had likely exhausted everything he had to completely resurrect Madara Uchiha. Then, once Madara was revived, White Zetsu and Black Zetsu must have appeared to take the Rinnegan. As for their escape, the Mayfly Technique was the most likely answer, as it allowed them to move quickly while remaining almost impossible to detect. If they had used it immediately after obtaining the eyes, neither Konan nor Benimaru would have had a realistic chance of finding them.
In this tragic manner, Nagato had met his end.
After a few moments of thought, Shanks simply said, "Well, don't bother with it."
Benimaru looked at him.
"Go deal with the aftermath of the battle," Shanks said, leaning back slightly in his chair. "And there is no need to kill Konan."
Benimaru raised an eyebrow.
"If she wants to leave and promises that she won't interfere with Uzushio or attack us again, then let her go." For a brief moment, Shanks' gaze drifted toward the window, his voice remaining calm. "Those founding members of the Akatsuki have had miserable lives from the very beginning. They've spent most of their lives suffering." A faint sigh escaped him. "Let her be."
Then his eyes sharpened again. "Tell her that I gave her this chance. She had better cherish it."
Benimaru nodded. "I understand."
The next moment, he disappeared from the office with a quiet whoosh.
After Benimaru left, Shanks remained seated quietly, and the room fell silent once more. Madara's resurrection was undoubtedly troublesome, but there was little point in dwelling on it now. What had happened had happened. The only thing left to do was prepare for what came next.
Almost an hour later, the aftermath of the battle was still being managed. Benimaru was overseeing the battlefield against the Akatsuki, where the corpses of White Zetsus and Hashirama Cell-modified ninjas were scattered across the devastated landscape. Meanwhile, on the other battlefield, Erza and the others were handling the fallout of the conflict with Kirigakure.
At this time, Terumi Mei arrived at the Uzukage's office and was quickly granted entry. Walking inside, she came to a stop before Shanks. For a moment, she remained silent before speaking, her voice deeply respectful.
"Onii-sama... Today, I came to request that you please spare all the remaining Kirigakure shinobi." She lowered her head slightly, both sincerity and determination in her voice. "They will definitely not dare challenge Uzushiogakure again."
Shanks stood up from his chair and slowly walked toward the window. Looking outside, he said, "You know, Terumi, I have already given Kirigakure two chances." His voice was calm, but there was an unmistakable firmness behind it. "I am not some saint."
The room fell silent.
"They chose not to value those chances and instead repeatedly targeted Uzushio." Shanks folded his arms as he gazed out at the village. "My temper is not that fragile, but neither is my patience endless. If they dare lay their hands on Uzushio, then they must be prepared to pay the price."
As soon as Terumi Mei heard those words, her heart sank. The outcome she had feared most was unfolding before her eyes. She had worried that Shanks would refuse to spare Kirigakure, and from the sound of it, he truly had no intention of letting them off easily.
For a moment, she lowered her gaze. So this is it... Kirigakure cannot be saved after all.
Just as those dark thoughts crossed her mind, Shanks spoke again. "However..."
Terumi immediately looked up. Shanks turned around to face her directly.
"While I cannot allow Kirigakure to go unpunished if it continues to be ruled by people I do not trust, the situation changes if the person leading it is someone I do trust."
Terumi's eyes widened slightly.
Shanks continued, "If you have the courage and ability to lead Kirigakure—and I believe you do—then I am willing to give the village another chance. If you are willing to become the Fifth Mizukage and can convince the people of Kirigakure to accept your leadership, then I will spare the village. But if you cannot convince them, and they refuse to accept you as the Fifth Mizukage, then I will have no choice but to destroy them."
There was no threat in his tone; he was simply stating a fact. Shanks walked back toward his desk. "The only reason I am willing to consider this is because I trust you." His gaze softened slightly. "You are family. You are my sister-in-law."
A faint smile appeared on Shanks' face. "If you lead Kirigakure, then I believe you will lead it well. You will keep it in check, and perhaps you will finally fulfill the dream you have carried for so long: the dream of becoming Mizukage, and of freeing your people from the misery of the Bloody Mist era. Wasn't that your goal from the very beginning?"
Terumi fell silent as countless thoughts flashed through her mind—the suffering of Kirigakure, the innocent civilians, the shinobi who had died under the brutal Bloody Mist policies, and the future she had always hoped to create.
For several moments, neither of them spoke. Then, slowly, the hesitation in her eyes disappeared, replaced by a fierce conviction and a determination that had never been stronger.
Terumi straightened her posture and looked directly at Shanks. "I am willing," she said, her voice completely steady. "I am willing to become the Fifth Mizukage."
She then bowed respectfully. "Onii-sama, please give me this chance."
For a few seconds, Shanks simply looked at her before nodding, a faint smile gracing his features. "Very well. In that case, Kirigakure shall be spared."
The heavy tension that had filled the room finally evaporated. And with those words, the fate of Kirigakure was decided.