"Oh? Gaara was attacked?"
In the Land of Snow, Naruto also received news from Sunagakure. Fortunately, Gaara had successfully repelled the enemy and was not captured.
Naruto let out a quiet sigh of relief. If Gaara had been taken at this point, it would have been nothing short of his own failure.
Yet this incident also gave him new food for thought. With the attempt on Gaara having failed, the Akatsuki would inevitably shift their focus toward him.
After all, the One-Tail sealed within Gaara was critical.
To resurrect the Ten-Tails, the order of the Tailed Beasts mattered. The One-Tail was the very first absorbed by the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. Without it, even capturing the remaining beasts would be meaningless for the time being.
"It seems I need to set up a space–time teleportation marker near Gaara."
Naruto muttered to himself.
His thoughts quickly turned to the Akatsuki's next move. Tobi would never give up so easily—and more likely than not, he would push Nagato into taking action personally.
Nagato's combat strength was not something to be underestimated.
Naruto interlaced his fingers and rested his hands on the table. Then, suddenly, an idea surfaced in his mind—one that made his eyes brighten.
Nagato's ultimate goal in collecting the Tailed Beasts was world peace.
If Naruto could show him a genuine path toward peace, then perhaps Nagato could be turned to his side. After all, the Akatsuki was filled with exceptional individuals.
If even its leader could be brought over, then absorbing the entire organization might not be impossible.
The members of Akatsuki were gathered together for different reasons. As long as they shared the same objective, it didn't truly matter whom they followed.
Some were bound by Nagato's overwhelming power—but did Naruto lack strength?
Moreover, Nagato himself was an Uzumaki. That bloodline connection alone was enough to establish common ground. And Naruto's future research into revival techniques could not bypass the Rinnegan.
Wasn't Nagato's descent into his current state ultimately caused by Yahiko's death?
Even worse, Yahiko's body had been turned into the Deva Path of Pain.
With the body intact, half the conditions for revival were already met. In the ninja world, the boundary between life and death was far from absolute.
The Pure Land was under the authority of the Sage of Six Paths. For beings who had reached—or surpassed—that level, revival might not be an impossible feat.
Once this thought took root, Naruto found it difficult to suppress his excitement.
If Nagato could be persuaded… then perhaps even Black Zetsu, the true mastermind, was not beyond reach.
Black Zetsu's objective was to resurrect his mother.
Ōtsutsuki Kaguya's goal, in turn, was to resist the Ōtsutsuki Clan itself. It was for this purpose that White Zetsu had been created—an act that ultimately led to her sealing by her own son, the Sage of Six Paths.
And resisting the Ōtsutsuki Clan… was also Naruto's goal.
If Kaguya could be convinced, then his faction would gain a Six Paths–level combatant.
One must remember—there was still a "sixth" existence lurking in the shadows of the shinobi world, waiting until the Boruto era to emerge.
Naruto had a strong premonition.
The accumulation of these past few years was nearing a tipping point. Soon, he would break through to the Six Paths level—not by borrowing power, like the original Naruto had from the Sage of Six Paths, but through his own efforts.
Once he reached that realm, with his refined combat experience and diverse arsenal of techniques, he would not be defeated by Kaguya's rigid, outdated consciousness.
However, Naruto would never underestimate her.
Kaguya was a ruthless being—someone who had successfully ambushed Ōtsutsuki Isshiki.
Naruto would never release her without possessing the absolute strength needed to suppress her.
Otherwise, it would be nothing more than suicide.
Without equal power, how could an existence born of a single planet ever command the respect of a star-born Ōtsutsuki?
If it were him, he would never treat a group of ants as equals.
While Naruto was deep in thought, Tobi—having returned to the Akatsuki—was reporting the situation to Nagato.
"Uzumaki Naruto is a variable," Tobi said coldly. "His strength has already disrupted our plans. Even the One-Tail Jinchūriki has grown stronger by drawing deeper power from Shukaku. If this continues, forget about collecting the Tailed Beasts for world peace—we may not even be able to deal with the Jinchūriki themselves."
His voice echoed through the chamber, his fiery red robe swaying slightly.
"As things stand, we only need to eliminate Uzumaki Naruto. Once he falls, the Umbrella Organization will fall into chaos. The Five Great Nations will seize that opportunity to act—and then our chance will come."
At this moment, Nagato's true body was present.
The emaciated man sat silently in his wheelchair, his frame thin to the point of appearing skeletal. His hair had lost its luster, yet the concentric rings of the Rinnegan shone with an overwhelming pressure.
"He couldn't even deal with a One-Tail Jinchūriki," Nagato said, his voice tinged with displeasure. "Deidara is truly useless."
His brows furrowed.
"Why didn't you act?"
Tobi stiffened slightly, irritation flickering beneath his mask.
"I can't expose myself yet," he replied flatly. "If news spreads that I'm still alive, it will alert the Five Great Nations."
"We don't have time to hesitate," Tobi continued sharply. "The Nine-Tails Jinchūriki cannot be allowed to grow any further."
Before Nagato could respond, space twisted—and Tobi vanished as Kamui activated.
The room fell silent.
Nagato let out a low, disdainful chuckle.
"Does he really think he's Uchiha Madara?" Nagato sneered. "A cowardly, secretive schemer."
Konan, who had been standing quietly nearby, stepped behind him and gently placed her hands on his shoulders.
"Even if he isn't Uchiha Madara," she said softly, "he must be connected to him. He's likely a contingency Madara left behind."
"I know," Nagato replied calmly. "Uchiha Madara was never known to possess space–time ninjutsu. And with his pride, he would never hide himself so thoroughly."
Nagato's eyes narrowed.
"Since he wants to use us, there's no reason we can't use him in return."
His tone turned colder.
"But he's right about one thing. Uzumaki Naruto is a threat. His power is growing at a frightening pace."
Nagato slowly clenched his fist.
"But no matter how strong he becomes, a god is still a god."
An immense pressure radiated from him, filling the chamber and inspiring instinctive awe.
"I will deal with Uzumaki Naruto personally."
Konan's expression tightened.
"Nagato… your body—"
"Cough—cough…"
Nagato waved his hand dismissively, suppressing the blood in his throat.
"It's nothing. Just a Nine-Tails Jinchūriki."
His words echoed faintly within the confined space, leaving only the two of them standing there.
Konan sighed softly and said no more, though worry lingered in her eyes. She knew Nagato had already strayed far from their original ideals—and cooperating with the Masked Man was no different from playing with fire.
Her gaze shifted slightly.
Hidden within her sleeve, several Exploding Tags rested quietly.
If things truly spiraled out of control… then she would not hesitate.
After all, Nagato was her only family.
...
TN:
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