"From the Uzumaki Clan?"
Simu carefully observed the man and woman dressed in red-clouded windbreakers. To his surprise, he couldn't find a single trace of grief on their faces over the loss of a comrade.
Combined with the mysterious figure who took Pain away after the explosion, as well as the black rods and Rinnegan on Nagato, Simu formed a bold hypothesis.
"I see. It seems that Pain was likely just one of your clones."
Hearing this, a rare flicker of astonishment flashed across Nagato's face, followed by a swift realization.
"Your powers of observation are very keen."
It was truly impressive that he could deduce the truth by combining the tiny expressions on his and Konan's faces with other details.
"You are correct. The one you just destroyed was merely a clone."
Nagato sat up straight, staring into Simu's eyes with his profound Rinnegan. "So, have you decided whether to join the Akatsuki yet?"
The corner of Simu's mouth curled into a faint smile. "For now... I haven't quite made up my mind."
He raised his hand. The mouthparts in his palm unleashed a terrifying tide of insects, which surged toward the wheelchair-bound Nagato like a spear.
Just as Konan was about to intervene, she saw Nagato already raising his palm.
"Almighty Push!"
That same terrifying repulsive force blasted Simu and his swarm of insects out of the cave without mercy!
A flash of killing intent crossed Konan's eyes as she said coldly, "Nagato, why don't we just—"
Nagato raised a hand slightly, stopping her suggestion.
"Don't worry. He only wanted to test if I, the original body, actually possessed that kind of power."
Having said that, Nagato's expression turned serious. "Furthermore, even if we did fight for real, we might not necessarily be able to kill him."
Konan frowned. She hadn't expected Nagato, with his Rinnegan, to hold this man in such high regard.
However, remembering the crazed believers, that horrific monster, and Simu who had recovered from all his injuries at some unknown point, she gradually accepted Nagato's judgment.
"Is the one before us... a clone?" Konan asked.
"Perhaps. Even my Rinnegan cannot see through everything."
Nagato did not give a definitive answer.
With an ordinary person, he could rely on the Rinnegan to observe chakra flow and soul fluctuations to determine if an enemy was a clone or the original body.
But Simu was different.
Whether it was the man before them now or the one before the mutation, his chakra, life energy, and soul fluctuations showed no flaws.
The powerful repulsive force caused Simu to plow a deep trench into the ground, snapping countless trees in his path.
"As expected, does the original body possess that power too? It seems it really is an ability of those eyes."
Simu slowly stood up at the end of the trench. The Koukaku covering his chest was riddled with dense cracks from the impact.
"What fascinating eyes."
He and Nagato locked eyes. Simu's gaze was filled with a thirst for truth; those light-purple eyes seemed to contain a vast sea of stars.
Nagato pushed his wheelchair out of the cave and asked Simu, "Finished testing? If so, perhaps we should discuss a partnership."
Nagato's tone was flat, as if the ones who had just been fighting to the death weren't the two of them, but someone else entirely.
Simu shook off the fragments of his Kagune and lightly adjusted his glasses. A cold glint flashed across the lenses.
"A partnership... that doesn't seem impossible."
The two men seemed to have forgotten the fierce battle from moments ago, beginning to discuss cooperation as calmly as friends.
Seeing that Simu was open to the idea, Nagato felt a secret sense of relief.
Even though he didn't believe he would perish at Simu's hands while possessing the Rinnegan, this man's strength was equally unfathomable.
At the very least, he saw no hope of victory until he pushed himself to his absolute limit.
Therefore, cooperation was his best choice for now.
The same was true for Simu. While he greatly coveted Nagato's Rinnegan, it was currently unrealistic to defeat Nagato using only a clone.
Furthermore, he didn't want to expose his true self. Who knew what kind of masterminds were still hiding in the shadows of this world?
Although Simu was a believer in Jashin, he was no fool like Hidan; he would never underestimate the people of this world.
Thus, obtaining intelligence and continuously analyzing the power systems of this world through cooperation was the most important task.
Besides, Simu was quite curious about Nagato's plan to capture the Tailed Beasts.
Both men were driven by their own interests and goals, and it was precisely because of these that they chose to sit down together.
"I need you to help me capture the Tailed Beasts and, when necessary, assist me in deterring attacks from the Great Nations."
Nagato stated his requirements first.
Simu raised an eyebrow. "Deterring Great Nations? That is no simple task."
Translated, Simu's words meant: I'll need more compensation.
Nagato naturally understood the subtext.
"As leverage, I can provide you with intelligence on the Five Great Shinobi Nations and the Tailed Beasts, as well as various rare Jutsus from the Shinobi World."
As the wielder of the Rinnegan, Nagato possessed all chakra natures, and his understanding of Jutsus far exceeded that of an ordinary Jonin.
To a normal person, these conditions were clearly a huge temptation.
But for Simu, it wasn't enough.
"In addition to intelligence and Jutsus, I need you to provide a portion of that summoned giant's body. Furthermore, I require a portion of every captured Tailed Beast for my research."
This was Simu's true intention for the cooperation.
The Gedo Mazo was Nagato's unique summon. As for the Tailed Beasts, they were the taboos of the great ninja villages; every Jinchuriki was heavily guarded.
Simu currently lacked intelligence on the villages and the Tailed Beasts. Capturing them himself carried too high a risk, but working with the Akatsuki changed everything.
Even if trouble arose, he could simply pin the blame on the Akatsuki.
And if the Akatsuki couldn't handle the heat, he could just let Lord Jashin take the fall.
None of it would have anything to do with him, Simu Kamizuki.
Faced with Simu's steep demands, Nagato didn't speak immediately. Instead, he asked faintly, "If I agree to Mr. Simu's requests, what can you provide for the Akatsuki in return?"
Simu curled his lips into a mysterious smile.
"Aren't you trying to capture the Tailed Beasts? What if I told you I have a way to trigger the Fourth Shinobi World War?"