[My body has no strength…]
[I can't breathe…]
[It hurts… everything hurts… Am I going to die?]
The cold lake swallowed Nagato's body as he sank deeper and deeper, pushed down by the heavy pressure. His limbs drifted without strength, and bubbles escaped from his lips one by one.
His consciousness dimmed. His eyelids twitched twice but refused to stay open.
In the darkness of his mind, memories—sharp, painful, and warm—rose like flickering lanterns.
Time slowed… unbearably so.
"Oh? Canned food."
"It doesn't matter what it is… I'm starving. Just eat."
"Let's check somewhere else after this. Maybe we can find more."
Voices echoing from the living room.
Nagato forced his eyes open and saw two faces—familiar, warm, safe.
Dad.
Mom.
"Run. Now."
He followed closely behind his parents, trembling, heading toward the back door—toward life.
Just a few meters.
So close.
Yet those few meters felt like an entire world away… like a distance that fate itself refused to let them cross.
Clang.
His elbow hit something.
The gray-blue ceramic jar rolled. Nagato stared at it falling in slow motion, heart twisting—
Please don't let it break… please… please…
CRASH!
The sound shattered everything.
His parents turned with horror in their eyes.
The two shinobi outside immediately stopped talking and rushed in with kunai drawn.
"Who's there!?"
Nagato's father grabbed one shinobi's wrist, twisting, and shouted:
"RUN!"
"Nagato—run!!"
His mother pushed him behind her, shielding him with her own body.
pfft
pfft
Warm red splattered.
The world tilted.
Rain fell—cold, heavy, merciless.
"That red-haired brat."
"Use this kunai. Kill Yahiko."
"If you do, I'll let you and that woman live."
The kunai landed at Nagato's feet with a dull metallic ring.
"Nagato…"
"Don't do it. Nagato! Leave me and run!"
"Let me do it… you two go!"
"Hurry up."
"Do it."
"Nagato!"
puff!!!
Kunai tearing flesh.
Color drained from the world.
Sound disappeared too—like the planet itself fell silent.
Hanzo's voice, Yahiko's determination, Konan's screams—
all torn away in an instant.
Only one thing echoed inside his heart:
His vows.
His stupid, naïve vows…
"I was just trying to protect those two."
"No matter how painful it is."
And Yahiko's voice still hovered in the air.
"Nagato… do you have a dream?"
"I won't die in a place like this."
"I want to conquer the world!"
"Konan… he'll be the bridge to peace."
"And I'll be the pillar supporting that bridge."
"The world is crying… holding its pain."
"I hated this country that only cried—but now, I just want to save it."
"Maybe because I worry for this crybaby who's just like me."
Something burned on his shoulder.
Blood.
Why… so much blood?
"Konan… Nagato… live."
"If it's you… you can…"
Yahiko collapsed.
[What can I do for sure? Save the world? Create peace?]
[What value is there in saving this twisted world when YOU are gone?!]
"Summoning: Demonic Statue of the Outer Path!"
A hundred chakra rods pierced Nagato's back.
[It hurts… it hurts!]
[My body… my heart… everything hurts!!]
"Accept pain."
"Understand pain."
"Only those who know pain can understand peace!"
"Let the world… feel PAIN!"
[After Yahiko died… I met "Madara"—Obito.]
[I led Akatsuki through war after war, taking missions that spread suffering everywhere.]
[It wasn't for money. It was my hatred toward this world.]
[Until that day… Konan brought back news from the Chunin Exams.]
[My Rinnegan wasn't mine. I was a pawn.]
[But I also learned of another man—Uchiha Hikaru.]
[Hikaru… a man who pursues peace just like Yahiko.]
[Smarter… colder… stronger… someone who can play the Five Great Nations in the palm of his hand.]
[Even I couldn't defeat him.]
[He holds power beyond mine… and methods Yahiko never had.]
[Yet the dream in his heart… is the same.]
[If it's him… Akatsuki will be safe. Peace… finally has a future.]
[Now, Yahiko… I can finally come see you.]
Nagato forced his eyes open, wanting to look at the world one last time.
He saw a blurry figure—Yahiko?
He reached out instinctively.
"Yahiko…"
But the hand that grabbed him was strong, annoyed, very much alive.
"No, seriously, why are you like this? Holding on just to look cool? Idiot."
Nagato blinked.
It wasn't Yahiko.
It was Uchiha Hikaru.
Hikaru's irritated voice sounded strangely familiar and warm—
just like Yahiko teasing him in the past.
Even though Hikaru's way of talking was worse than Yahiko's…
Nagato felt the same warmth beneath it.
Somewhere deep inside, something awakened—
the Uzumaki clan's Kagura Mind Eye.
He felt everything.
Hikaru pulling him up with both annoyance and concern (｡•́︿•̀｡)
Konan's guilty but relieved emotions.
Kakuzu's shock.
Deidara thinking only about explosions.
Sasori thinking only of puppets.
Biwa Juzo thinking only of summoning beasts.
Hidan thinking only of… sandwiches.
Why summoning beasts? What's wrong with this guy's brain?
"Hey, don't die," Hikaru said coldly. "If you die, who the hell is going to work for me?"
Nagato stared at him.
[Konan… Yahiko… peace hasn't come yet.]
[But since I'm alive…]
[I'll keep going.]
[The bridge to peace won't be you. Won't be me.]
[It's him.]
Hikaru raised an eyebrow, sensing emotions but not thoughts through his dragon-vein chakra.
How does this guy go from wanting to die to suddenly being all inspired…?
Is his brain okay? Middle-school syndrome?
Except me, obviously. ( •̀ ω •́ )✧
"Hurry up," Hikaru said. "You look like hell. We're dragging you back to Konoha. If you end up crippled, who's going to lead my Akatsuki team!?"
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