The untouchable existence in Nagato's eyes was naturally Yunchuan Hyuga, who dwelled deep within Hanzo's soul, and this scene did not surprise him. With Nagato's mental state already close to collapse from the Outer Path Statue and the Rinnegan, even after being subjected to Yakushi Kabuto's Impure World Reincarnation, he was still weak. Entering this place made him nothing more than prey on a board.
Here, Yunchuan Hyuga was the master of all things and the only law of this space. He withdrew his gaze, as if he had seen an old object with brief interest only to find it poorly made. His expression returned to indifference.
"Whether you die or he dies makes no difference." His eyes were lowered, and his voice was low and slow, rough like stone grinding. "For the sake of those eyes, I will spare you once, but there will be no next time."
Nagato pulled himself out of fear and suddenly raised his head, his expression dark. He stared at the figure on the corpse mountain and said, "Why is it for the sake of these eyes and not for me?" These Rinnegan were clearly his, and he was born to lead the world to peace as a god.
Almost the instant the words fell, Nagato saw the corner of that mouth lift slightly. It was not a smile, but a faint trace of contempt and annoyance. A single sound escaped.
"Hm."
That one syllable carried no meaning, yet it was more frightening than any words. Yunchuan Hyuga finally raised his eyes, and the deep blue pupils moved like currents beneath a calm sea. In that moment, Nagato lost all courage.
Yunchuan Hyuga once again reproduced the full pressure of the Tenseigan. Under that gaze from above, Nagato felt an unfamiliar sense of smallness from the depths of his soul, sharp enough to hurt. It was not the look of a human at another human, nor the cold look of a god at mortals, but more like looking at an object.
The gaze was no longer an examination, but a fixation. Nagato felt that his form, soul, thoughts, and even his existence were completely seen through and pinned in place. He could not move or resist.
"Who do you think you are?" Yunchuan Hyuga said, his voice cold and heavy, filled with impatience. "You are nothing more than a low container meant to carry those eyes." He continued, "Without eyes that do not belong to you, you would be nothing but a weak ant."
As the words ended, Yunchuan Hyuga raised his arm and extended a finger. Nagato's soul froze as that finger pointed at his face and slid lightly. A silent force struck, and his right arm separated from his shoulder, broken by a Lie cut.
It was not over. Yunchuan Hyuga made another light motion. His left leg separated from his body.
More Lie marks appeared across Nagato's spirit body. His limbs and torso separated yet floated in midair, making him look like a dismantled puppet. Pale white particles drifted from the broken edges.
"Ah!" The pain from the soul was more terrifying than any Kunai. Muscles, skin, bone, and even thought felt torn apart, forcing a shrill scream from Nagato. The hoarse voice that reached him seemed to carry a hint of pleasure, fed by his fear and cries.
"Treasure the rest of your hard-won life," he said softly. "Stepping over ants without crushing them takes control." He added, "Remember this. If you enter here again, no matter whose piece you are, you will be crushed."
As the words faded, the entire space seemed to come alive. The shadows in the mist surged forward, and the sea of blood beneath his feet began to churn. Nagato's shattered soul was roughly seized, wrapped by countless Root invisible chains, and dragged away.
Only a few seconds had passed in the real world.
In Konan's eyes, most of Hanzo's soul had already been torn away, and he was about to become an empty shell. Victory seemed to be firmly in Pain's grasp.
But at that moment, Deva Path, Asura Path, and Human Path suddenly froze in place.
The soul extraction by Human Path came to a sudden halt, and the hand pressed against Hanzo's head began to spasm violently. Heavy thuds followed as all three figures crashed to the ground like birds with broken wings.
"Pain!"
Konan, who had been silent all this time, felt her pupils shrink in shock. Without hesitation, she spread the paper wings on her back, sending countless sheets to wrap around Deva Path, Asura Path, and Human Path.
Taking advantage of the moment when Hanzo's spirit had not fully stabilized inside his body, she swept up the three bodies and flew away from Amegakure without looking back. More clearly than anyone, Konan knew that this sudden state of Pain could only mean something had gone wrong with Nagato's real body.
Was it Zetsu? Or was it Madara?
As expected, those two ill-intentioned figures had never been trustworthy. Neither Hanzo nor Amegakure mattered to her anymore, and she did not believe Hanzo alone could push Pain this far. Her only thought was to reach Nagato immediately.
"Hah… damn it!"
Hanzo was forcibly dragged back from the edge of having his soul torn out, gasping for breath as he staggered. Fear and the disbelief of survival still lingered in his eyes.
He struggled to his feet, pressed a hand to his head, shook it hard, and glared into the distance with anger. "Trying to run?"
Just as he was about to give chase, a voice reached his ears.
"Don't rush."
Hanzo looked up and saw Yunchuan Hyuga standing atop the salamander's head. Yunchuan Hyuga glanced after the departing Konan, then looked down at Hanzo with a faint smile.
"Let me tell you first what they went through," he said. "Then it will be your turn to make a choice."
At the same time, more than ten kilometers away from Amegakure, there was a cave sealed by layers of rock.
If anyone tried to touch the stone, they would notice how strange its texture felt. It was Konan's Divine Paper Emissary, paper transformed and disguised into solid matter that even the Sharingan could not detect.
Deep in the dark and damp cave, Nagato stood inside a crude wooden device, so thin he looked like little more than a skeleton. Countless Black Rods were embedded deep in his back.
On the other side, a spiral-patterned White Zetsu called "Tobi" sat cross-legged on the ground. "Ah, honestly, Madara Uchiha only knows how to order people around. What danger could Nagato possibly be in?"
It swayed back and forth, muttering to itself in boredom. "Come to think of it, are White Zetsu plants or people? If plants, why can't they decompose poop? If people, why can't they poop? Hmm…"
While Tobi's thoughts wandered off in all directions, a sharp hum filled the air.
Nagato opened his eyes, and his deep Rinnegan widened abruptly. A violent mental shock, unlike anything before, surged through the Chakra link connected to Human Path via the Black Rods.
It poured into his soul like a breached flood.
"Gahhh!"
The scream echoed through the entire cave, making even Tobi shudder and jump to its feet as it turned toward Nagato. His gaunt face twisted in unbearable pain, and his body shook uncontrollably as his head snapped back.
The pain felt like it was tearing his soul apart. It was sudden and far beyond imagination.