Konan listened, dumbfounded, to Nagato's entire plan. She truly couldn't understand why the once-gentle Nagato had changed so much.
But when she thought of Yahiko's dream—and realized that Nagato was now her only remaining companion—somehow, a sense of calm washed over her.
Nagato was doing this for Yahiko's vision. Yahiko's dream had always been to achieve peace, and she and Nagato were still alive for that very reason—to help him realize it. Now that Nagato had found a path toward that peace, what more could she do except support him and Yahiko with all her strength, just as she always had?
Konan suddenly felt clarity. Why bother pondering what was right or wrong? From the beginning, all she had ever wanted was to stand beside her comrades.
If her companions believed this was the path to peace, then she would give everything she had to help them reach it. Nothing else mattered.
With that thought, the shock and confusion on her face gradually faded, replaced by firm determination.
"I understand now," she said. "From now on, leave Akatsuki to Yahiko and me. Nagato, you stay behind the scenes. I will certainly work with you to fulfill Yahiko's dream!"
...
Time passed—one month later.
During that month, the Deva Path Pain traveled across every corner of the Land of Rain, collecting five new corpses.
Interestingly, these five people were the real-life prototypes of the five travelers encountered by the fictional protagonist Naruto in Jiraiya's novel The Tale of the Gutsy Shinobi.
Nagato found and killed them, then turned their bodies into the remaining five Paths of Pain.
Thus, the Six Paths of Pain were born.
In the deepest part of the Akatsuki base, Konan looked nervously at the pale-faced Nagato.
"Nagato, are you sure you're okay? Creating five new Pains all at once must have drained you terribly. Won't this hurt your body?"
Nagato waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry. I know my limits. Look at me—I'm in much better shape than when I first awakened the Rinnegan, right?"
Still worried, Konan said softly, "Even so, you need to be careful. After today, don't use the other five Pains too often. Just using Yahiko's body should be enough."
Hearing her words, Nagato smiled faintly, feeling a rare warmth in his otherwise frozen heart.
"Don't worry, I will. I know my condition better than anyone. I won't die yet—not before I see it with my own eyes, the day you, Yahiko, and I finally witness peace."
Then, Nagato's expression hardened, his voice growing fierce.
"I've waited so long for this day. Yahiko, watch closely from above. I'm going to take revenge for you. No, I should say, you can personally take your revenge!"
With that, Nagato suddenly formed a hand seal with both hands and shouted:
"Six Paths of Pain, Rise!"
With that command, his body visibly thinned as though life itself was being drained from him—but thanks to the regenerative power of Hashirama's cells, he managed to remain stable.
The once-lifeless corpses, impaled with black chakra rods, suddenly opened their eyes—each one now gleaming with the same Rinnegan pattern as Nagato's. Under his control, they slowly rose to their feet.
The Six Paths of Pain… had arrived.
Nagato smiled faintly and turned to Konan. "Watch closely," he said. "Watch our revenge unfold. Watch Hanzo's annihilation."
Konan nodded silently and followed behind the Deva Path as they left the depths of Akatsuki's base.
This time, they had only one purpose—to kill Hanzo.
Pushing open the doors of the Akatsuki hideout, the Deva Path spoke coldly—
"Konan," said Nagato's voice through the Deva Path, calm but cold. "You just watch from above. Let me show you the true power of the Six Paths of Pain."
Konan obediently nodded. Unfolding her paper wings, she took flight and soared high into the sky.
On the ground below, the Six Paths of Pain moved as one, heading straight toward Hanzō's residence.
At that very moment, Hanzō was sitting comfortably inside his residence, drinking sake. Having eliminated Akatsuki—the group he had once considered his greatest threat—he had grown careless and arrogant. He no longer bothered with the affairs of the Land of Rain, spending his days drinking and indulging in pleasure.
Hanzō took another swig of his sake and was about to call for more when one of his subordinates burst into the room, stumbling and shouting in panic.
"Lord Hanzō! Something terrible has happened!"
Drunk and irritated, Hanzō glared at the man, then hurled his sake cup straight at his head.
"What nonsense are you spouting? What could possibly go wrong in Amegakure? Under my leadership—the leadership of Hanzō the Salamander—this village only gets stronger!"
Even with blood trickling down his face, the subordinate dared not wipe it away. Trembling, he stammered,
"L-Lord Hanzō, there are six intruders outside! We've never seen shinobi like them before—they're monsters! They're cutting through our guards at an incredible speed! The defenses can't hold them off!"
"Nani!?"
Hearing this, half of Hanzo's drunkenness vanished. He hurriedly tried to get up and reach for the sickle hanging on the wall.
Just then, a loud boom came from outside.
The wall of Hanzo's room was violently blasted open, creating a large hole. The burning flames outside and the screams of Amegakure shinobi poured in unabated.
Hearing these sounds, Hanzo became even more furious. Gripping his sickle, he shouted:
"I'd like to see which scoundrels have the nerve to cause trouble here!"
As he shouted, a figure stepped through the smoke and debris.
"You've fallen faster than I imagined," said the newcomer coldly. "It's only been a little over a month, and you've already become this pathetic."
Hanzō was ready to curse back—but when he saw the man's face, he froze. Cold sweat streamed down his forehead.
"Y-You're… Yahiko? No—that's impossible! You died! You died by your comrades' hands!"
The Deva Path (Yahiko's body) smiled chillingly.
"That's right. Thanks to you. So now… I've come to return the favor."
He raised a hand.
"As repayment, allow me to send you… to hell."
"You think I'll let you!?" Hanzō roared, lunging forward with his sickle. "Dead or alive, I'll kill you again myself!"
But as he charged, the Deva Path's expression didn't waver.
"Shinra Tensei (Almighty Push)!"
A surge of overwhelming repulsive force blasted outward. Hanzō was hurled backward at terrifying speed, slamming into the wall with a sickening crack. Blood poured from his mouth as disbelief filled his eyes.
"Impossible…! That power… and your eyes—those are…!"
The Deva Path looked down at him coldly.
"You call yourself a demigod? You're not worthy to rule this village. From today onward, it will be ruled by a true god."
"Don't even dream about it! Body Flicker Technique!"
But before Hanzō could vanish, the Deva Path's voice echoed again—icy and absolute.
"It's useless. Banshō Ten'in (Universal Pull)."
An irresistible pull yanked Hanzō forward, straight into the Deva Path's grasp. A black rod pierced through his chest.
The so-called "Demigod of Amegakure," Hanzō of the Salamander—was dead.