In the dim light of an underground cavern, White Zetsu knelt on one knee, reporting the latest intelligence to Madara Uchiha.
"Madara-sama, Tobi sent back new intel."
Madara's voice was low and commanding.
"Speak."
White Zetsu recalled the information he'd received and began relaying it:
"The war in Amegakure is still raging.
All four nations are tangled in conflict now.
According to reports, combined casualties from the four great villages have already exceeded five thousand."
At this, Madara let out a cold snort.
"Hashirama…
You once told me we'd end the chaos of this world together.
That you'd bring lasting peace to the shinobi world."
"And what happened?
You've barely been dead a few years, and wars even more brutal than the Warring States Era have already broken out twice."
"Reality has proven your ideals to be a failure.
In the end, it's only my Eye of the Moon Plan that can bring true peace."
Behind him, Black Zetsu, hidden in the shadows, stirred slightly at Madara's words.
Perhaps he, too, felt a dark joy.
Damn… After thousands of years of scheming, I finally found an Indra reincarnation I can fully control. Not easy, huh?
Black Zetsu mused silently to himself.
Madara continued, his gaze sharp.
"What's the current situation?"
White Zetsu replied promptly:
"Amegakure has declared war on the three great villages.
For a time, Hanzō of the Salamander even had them on the run.
They've started calling him 'the Demigod' now."
Madara let out another dismissive snort.
His presence suddenly intensified, filling the cave with suffocating pressure.
"Hmph.
So now any random fool can be called a Demigod just because Hashirama and I are gone?
A bunch of mongrels daring to bear that title… What a joke."
White Zetsu bowed his head, his voice cautious.
"You're right, Madara-sama.
He's paying the price for that arrogance.
Konoha's Hoshiyomi Gekkō, along with Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya, worked together and dealt Hanzō a humiliating defeat.
He retreated in disgrace."
Afraid Madara might become irritable over the matter, Black Zetsu quickly slithered forward, donning the role of sycophant to smooth things over.
"Madara-sama speaks the truth.
How could someone like Hanzō call himself a Demigod?
It's nothing more than a monkey becoming king in a forest without tigers."
Madara was visibly pleased by the flattery.
He snorted lightly, reining in his aura.
"Enough about that.
What about Nagato?"
White Zetsu chuckled softly before continuing:
"Funny enough, Nagato's situation ties right back to Hanzō."
"Because of Hanzō's retreat, Nagato's parents were accidentally killed by Konoha shinobi.
And that incident led to Nagato awakening the Rinnegan."
"Tobi sent back this intel mainly to ask you—should we bring Nagato back now so you can personally guide him?"
Of course, "guidance" was just a polite way of saying indoctrination.
Upon hearing this, Madara's lips curled into a smile.
The Rinnegan's awakening was perhaps the most crucial piece of his Eye of the Moon Plan.
Madara was counting on Nagato to use the Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique to resurrect him one day, so he could personally launch the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
But when White Zetsu mentioned bringing Nagato back for guidance, Madara hesitated.
He fell silent, pondering for a long time before finally replying:
"No. Don't let him meet me yet."
"What he's gone through so far isn't enough.
He needs to experience true despair before he'll have the will and courage to destroy this world."
"Tell Tobi to let Nagato stay in Amegakure.
And don't give him any help.
I want him to see the darkness of this world with his own eyes."
Meanwhile…
When Nagato finally stirred awake, he wasn't sure how much time had passed.
His head throbbed as he slowly sat up from the floor.
The thunderstorm was over.
Sunlight streamed through a large hole in the wall, falling upon the corpses of his parents—and the two Konoha shinobi.
Nagato looked down at his own hands, his expression confused.
I'm still alive?
He couldn't remember exactly what had happened after his parents died.
Why were those Konoha shinobi dead?
He had no answer.
He stared at his parents' cold, lifeless bodies.
His lips parted slightly, but no tears came.
His mind was blank—except for one thing:
His mother's final words, whispered in his ear before she died:
"Stay alive."
Murmuring those words again, Nagato's eyes finally grew misty.
He wiped his face, picked up his small bag, and began walking toward the horizon.
The Konoha shinobi had come from the south.
If he wanted to avoid more encounters, he should go north.
Repeating his mother's last words like a mantra, Nagato set his sights north and pressed on.
...
The sky darkened again.
A cold drizzle began to fall, soaking him through.
The icy rain gnawed at his already empty stomach, making his hunger even worse.
As he trudged past a shallow pit, his foot slipped.
He stumbled hard to the ground.
His body was too weak—he could barely stand, let alone walk.
His vision blurred, his consciousness fading.
But just then, he felt something wet licking his face.
Opening his eyes, he saw a small, scruffy dog with tawny fur gently licking his cheek.
"Thank you…
If it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't have woken up."
Nagato managed a faint smile, his trembling hand reaching out to stroke the little dog's head.
The dog, sensing no threat, wagged its tail and leaned closer, acting playfully affectionate.
Nagato carefully picked up the dog and whispered:
"You don't have a family either, do you?
From now on, let's live together, okay?"
The dog tilted its head in confusion but then barked twice, as if to respond.
Nagato laughed softly.
"I'll take that as a yes.
Since we're going to live together, I should give you a name."
"You're so small…
Let's call you Chibi."
The dog barked again, wagging its tail.
Inside a small cave, Nagato hugged Chibi tightly, whispering:
"Sorry…
Even if you stick with me, I can't give you anything right now.
I don't have any food."
Hearing Chibi whimper quietly, Nagato hesitated for a moment, then resolved:
"Let's walk a bit farther.
Maybe we'll meet someone kind enough to share."
But ideals are always more beautiful than reality.
Nagato knocked on every door he could find, but no one was willing to give him even a scrap of food.
His legs felt as heavy as lead.
The rain, once cold, now felt almost warm compared to the hollow ache in his stomach.
Finally, he collapsed.
Even Chibi's frantic barking couldn't stop his vision from fading into blackness.
Am I going to die?
Just as the thought crossed his mind, a hand reached into his blurred field of vision.
A gentle voice spoke:
"Here—eat this."
Whether it was the food or the voice, Nagato couldn't tell.
But somehow, a sliver of strength returned to his body.
He looked up with great effort—and saw a blue-haired girl, holding an oiled paper umbrella, smiling at him.
At that moment, Nagato's mind filled with a single thought:
If the angels from Mom's bedtime stories really exist,
they must look just like this.
The girl spoke softly:
"Come on, eat up.
After you're done, I'll take you to meet Yahiko."
She reached out her hand, gently helping him up.
Nagato's voice trembled.
"Th-thank you…
Um… What's your name?"
Her smile was warm.
"No need to thank me.
Just call me Konan."