Chapter 3
"It wasn't Nagato who awakened the Rinnegan… it was Uchiha Madara!?"
Konan's voice trembled. Her entire worldview shook.
Naruto nodded. "And the Madara I'm talking about isn't the masked man you know. He only claimed to be Madara. He lied to you."
Konan's lips tightened. "One of you claims to be Madara, and now you're saying Madara is someone else? You're both liars. Why should I believe either of you?"
Naruto scratched his head, sighing. "This is going to be tough…"
He started tapping his fingers against the stone table unconsciously—his left hand, as always.
In the previous timeline, Naruto had lost his right arm during his final battle with Sasuke. Though he'd received a prosthetic, he'd become left-handed out of habit. That habit had followed him back through time, etched into his very soul.
He closed his eyes briefly, trying to recall something—anything—that could break through to her. The memories were distant, but eventually, he found what he needed.
"Oh right," he said, his tone casual but deliberate. "You once made preparations to take out the masked Madara. You planned to ambush him with… what was it? Six hundred billion explosive tags?"
Konan froze.
Her breath hitched.
No one—not even Nagato—had ever known that.
"How do you know that…?" she whispered, eyes wide with disbelief.
"No one knew. No one!" Her voice rose. "Did you read my mind? Did you use genjutsu on me!?"
Naruto raised both hands. "Hey, relax. I'm terrible at genjutsu. Without help from the Yamanaka clan, there's no way I could ever read your thoughts."
The truth was, he had learned about it in his past life—during the Fourth Great Ninja War. When he'd extracted the Ten Tails from Obito, he had briefly witnessed fragments of Obito's memories… including Konan's failed assassination attempt with those six hundred billion explosive tags.
He smiled, gently, hoping to calm her.
"Look," he said, "I'm not trying to mess with you. But maybe this proves I'm not just talking nonsense. Doesn't it at least make you curious?"
Konan's heartbeat thundered in her ears. She tried to keep her composure, her cold exterior slowly slipping back into place.
"Even if you know that secret," she said quietly, "it still doesn't prove your story about Madara."
Naruto nodded. "You're right. Whether you believe me or not… that's your call. But before you decide, can you just hear me out?"
He had struck a nerve—and now, the opening was there.
After a long moment, Konan relented. "Fine. I'll listen."
Naruto straightened up.
"It started a long time ago," he began. "Back when Madara lost to Hashirama Senju. Even in defeat, he stole part of Hashirama's power. That combination—Uchiha and Senju—was the key to unlocking the Rinnegan. It's the final evolution of the Sharingan. But by the time he awakened it, Madara was old and dying. He didn't have the strength to carry out his plans."
Konan said nothing, listening with wary eyes.
"So… he transplanted the eyes into a child. That child was Nagato. He was chosen because he had Senju blood… more specifically, he was from the Uzumaki clan. Red hair, like my mother, Kushina Uzumaki. The perfect vessel."
Naruto's voice hardened.
"Madara intended to use Nagato as a backup plan. The Rinne Rebirth jutsu—Nagato's ultimate power—was designed to bring Madara back to life. That was the real goal. So no… Nagato didn't awaken those eyes on his own. He was being used."
Konan's face was unreadable, but her breath had gone shallow.
Naruto continued.
"And now… Madara's dead. His real body is gone. But before that happened, he passed his plans to someone else."
"Who?" Konan asked.
Naruto looked her straight in the eye. "Uchiha Obito."
Her heart stopped.
"He's the masked man you know. Everyone thought he died during the Third Ninja War, at the Kannabi Bridge… but Madara saved him. Manipulated him. Trained him. And once Obito was ready, he used Nagato to push forward the Eye of the Moon Plan."
Konan took a step back.
He even knew about the Eye of the Moon Plan…
Could it really be true?
No. She refused to believe it. The ideals they had poured their lives into… were they really just lies crafted by a dead man?
Naruto saw the storm in her eyes. It hurt to see it.
But he hadn't even mentioned the worst part.
The one name more dangerous than either of them.
Black Zetsu.
But not yet. One truth at a time.
"Konan-senpai," Naruto said quietly, "I know it's hard to accept. I really do. But the sooner you face the truth, the sooner we can stop this cycle."
"No. No!" she snapped. "This doesn't add up. You've lived in Konoha all your life. You were only ever gone during your training with Jiraiya. There's no way you'd know all this."
Naruto sighed. There was no more dodging the truth.
He stood, walked over, and untied her ropes.
Then he held out his left fist.
"Touch fists with me," he said. "I'll show you everything."
Konan hesitated. But then she saw it—the pain, the certainty, the desperate hope burning in his eyes.
With a slow breath, she reached out and placed her palm against his fist.
At once, the world shifted.
Images poured into her mind—visions of war, death, love, and loss. Naruto's memories. His soul. His truth.
When it ended, Konan gasped for air, her eyes wide, hands trembling.
"This… This is…"
"It's all true," Naruto said. "I came back from the end. My body died, but my soul was pulled here—by a time-traveling relic from the Ōtsutsuki clan. That alone shows how powerless we really are. We can't protect this world without something more."
He looked at her, heart bare.
"I came back to change everything. To stop them. But I need power. Real power. And I'm willing to do anything to get it."
Konan stared at him, stunned. Memories can't lie. Not when they come straight from the heart.
"What are you planning?"
Naruto answered without hesitation. "I'm going to collect the secret techniques and Kekkei Genkai from every major village. Then I'll gather all the Tailed Beasts. Fuse their power. Become strong enough to fight those monsters."
Konan's voice was soft, but firm. "Those secrets are the foundation of each village. And the Tailed Beasts… they're the balance keeping the Five Great Nations from going to war. If you do this, you'll be their enemy."
Naruto smiled, but it was heavy. "Exactly. No one will believe me. That's why I have to go against the world to save it. There's only one person who'd believe me without question… and I don't want to drag her into this yet."
He looked down.
"And that's why I had to defect. As long as I wear the Konoha headband, every step I take puts them at risk. I can't let that happen."
He looked up, eyes sincere. "Konan-senpai… Now that you know everything… do you understand why I had to do it?"
She was silent for a long moment.
"Where is Nagato's body?"
"Come with me."
Naruto turned, and the stone door to the chamber rumbled open. Inside, two coffins stood side by side.
Konan walked forward, slowly. In the first coffin, Nagato lay peacefully. His body was intact, though his Rinnegan were gone.
In the second… was Yahiko.
Her eyes widened. Her hand trembled.
"You even brought back… him…"
Naruto nodded. "Yahiko meant everything to you. I thought… maybe this would bring you some peace."
Konan knelt down and gently touched Yahiko's face.
"He wasn't just my comrade," she whispered. "He was my love…"
Naruto smiled softly. "Then only someone as handsome as him could be worthy of Konan-senpai."
She looked up at him.
And for the first time in a long while… she smiled. A real, warm, grateful smile.
Outside, the forest was still.
The cave lay hidden in a corner of the Fire Country, shielded by layers of chakra and enchantment.
But Konan still frowned as she scanned the trees. "This is too close to Konoha. They'll be searching for you."
"Sage Mode lets me sense movement from miles away," Naruto said. "They won't catch me. Not easily."
He touched the bandages over his left eye. "And I'll stay here until I've adjusted to the Rinnegan…"
"Where's the right one?"
"I put it away for now. I heard that transplanting both at once is risky, so I'll ease into it. So far, I haven't felt anything strange."
Konan turned to him. "If you can't go back to Konoha… where will you go?"
"The world is big," Naruto said. "There's always somewhere to go. Anywhere but home."
She was quiet for a long moment.
"…Come with me," she said finally. "To Amegakure."
Naruto blinked. "You… what?"
She turned toward him, her voice steady.
"This plan of yours… it's too dangerous to do alone. You've inherited Nagato's will. And his eyes. I have no reason not to help you. I'll lend you the strength of Amegakure. I'll be your ally."
Naruto stared at her, overwhelmed.
So many things he wanted to say—but in the end, it all became just four words.
"…Thank you, Konan-senpai."
She turned her gaze skyward.
"When do you leave?"
Naruto's eyes darkened.
"Soon. But first… there's someone I need to see."
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