Naruto's eyes burned like twin flames as he stared straight toward where Nagato stood.
"This is not a fantasy," he said firmly. "The road to change is never smooth. It will be blocked by those who benefit from the old system. It will be challenged by suspicion, fear, and short-sighted thinking."
"Relying on individual strength, or even the violence of a single organization, can never truly succeed. What we need is a long-term, complete system of rules, and that can only be built if everyone works together."
"Change will give birth to new hatred, I know that. But I am ready. Ready to carry it all. Ready to bear every consequence myself."
"I also know this goal cannot be achieved overnight. Hatred is powerful. It cannot be erased by a few words."
"But as long as we take the first step, the tide of the era will crush every last struggle of the old system."
"We will create a new constitution that transcends borders and villages, one that protects basic rights and shared security for everyone."
"We will build fair governance, just law enforcement, and mutual economic cooperation. We will prevent conflict, resolve disputes, and dissolve hatred through structure and law."
"This is the true foundation of understanding."
"This is the answer to peace that Jiraiya-sensei spent his life searching for. A world that no longer needs pain to teach lessons. A peace that is lasting and real."
"Nagato, face reality. The cycle of pain you created has already been broken."
"Join me. Use those eyes that have seen suffering to help shape a future filled with possibility. A future that truly belongs to the next era."
"Or would you rather cling to the hatred of the past and empty dreams of godhood, only to be swallowed by the waves of a new age?"
When Naruto finished, he extended his hand toward Nagato in the shadows.
"Make your choice, senior."
Konan and Nagato both froze.
For an instant, it felt as if Yahiko, long dead, was standing before them once more.
Nagato's breathing grew heavy.
Even Konan felt her heart stir at the world Naruto described.
Strictly speaking, they had always pursued peace.
They had simply chosen the wrong path.
Nagato slowly closed his eyes. With everything he had experienced, he would not blindly follow anyone based on a few passionate words.
Time passed in silence.
Naruto did not speak.
Konan waited quietly.
After a long while, Nagato opened his eyes. Determination shone within his Rinnegan.
"Then let me see whether the road you have chosen can truly lead to the peace you speak of."
"As your senior, and as a fellow seeker of peace, I have a duty to help you, Uzumaki Naruto. I hope your path is the right one."
A gentle smile appeared on Naruto's face.
"Welcome, Nagato. Welcome, Konan."
Konan stepped forward. This time, Naruto made no move to attack her.
She raised her hand, and countless sheets of paper gathered and folded, forming a vivid red flower.
"Let us witness the peace of the ninja world together."
"We will," Naruto replied seriously as he accepted the flower.
Then he looked at Nagato with concern.
"By the way, Nagato, your physical condition does not look good. You possess the Rinnegan. How did this happen?"
They were no longer enemies, but comrades with the same goal. Naruto naturally cared about his condition.
"When I was rescuing Konan, I fell into Hanzo's ambush. My legs were completely destroyed. I summoned the Demonic Statue to wipe out the attackers. This is the price for maintaining it," Nagato said with a quiet sigh.
"The Demonic Statue is the one that absorbs Tailed Beast chakra, right?" Naruto asked.
Nagato nodded.
"Then do you know its true identity?" Naruto asked seriously.
"True identity?" Nagato looked confused.
"As I thought, you have no idea what that thing really is," Naruto said quietly.
"What do you mean?" Nagato pressed.
"That statue is actually the body of the Ten-Tails."
"The Ten-Tails?" Nagato and Konan exchanged stunned looks. They had never heard of it.
"Yes. The Ten-Tails. To explain that, we have to go back to the era of the Sage of Six Paths," Naruto said, then told them everything he had learned from Kurama.
"Collect all nine Tailed Beasts and you can revive the Ten-Tails, even gain the Sage's power?" Nagato's expression turned grave.
He had known nothing about this.
His plan had only been to gather the beasts and use the statue as a forbidden weapon to threaten the world into peace.
"If you did not know about the Ten-Tails, then why did you know the statue could absorb their chakra?" Naruto asked.
"A man wearing a spiral mask told me," Nagato replied.
"Him?" Naruto's face darkened, killing intent flickering in his eyes.
"You know him?" Nagato asked.
"Yes. He is the one who caused the Nine-Tails incident, the one responsible for my parents' deaths, and one of the masterminds behind the Uchiha massacre."
Konan frowned.
"When the Akatsuki was first formed, he contacted us too. The one who spoke with him the most was Yahiko. But Yahiko refused to work with him and warned me to stay away from that man."
"Now that I think about it, if he is truly that calculating and powerful, then our fallout with Hanzo, and the ambush by Danzo and Hanzo, may also have been part of his scheme."
She had always been wary of him.
"Then it seems he used your hatred to further his Ten-Tails plan," Naruto said.
"So Yahiko's death… he was behind it too?" Nagato's voice trembled with fury.
"There is no direct proof, but he is ruthless and will use any means to achieve his goals. If he wanted to control you, the easiest way was to strip you of emotion, then manipulate you while you were consumed by hatred," Naruto said calmly.
Nagato clenched his teeth.
"Damn it… cough, cough!"
He suddenly coughed violently, pain surging through his chest, and blood spilled from his lips.
"Nagato!" Konan rushed to his side.
"I am fine," he said weakly. "Just poor circulation. It will pass."
Naruto stepped closer.
"Since we are now comrades, let me treat you."