Chapter 89: Nagato's Eyes
"Brother, why are you so sure Nagato will betray us?" Black Zetsu still couldn't understand. Until now, Nagato had been flawless—utterly devoted to capturing the Tailed Beasts.
Renji slowly turned his head, his expression unreadable. 'Once Nagato gets hit with Naruto's 'Talk-no-Jutsu' and pulls a Rinne Rebirth, Zetsu will finally understand.' The poor fool had no idea how terrifying Naruto's greatest weapon truly was.
Down in the crater below, Pain and Naruto were already locked in their inevitable philosophical clash—laying the groundwork for persuasion. Watching them, Renji said quietly, "Keep watching. The Nine-Tails isn't sealed yet. Anything can happen."
Black Zetsu nodded, still puzzled. But deep down, he trusted his brother more than Nagato himself.
Then it happened. As Naruto lay pinned to the ground, a fragile figure appeared—Hyūga Hinata.
Renji's mouth twitched. 'And there it is.' Predictably, Hinata charged forward… only to be brutally struck down. Seeing her fall, Naruto snapped.
Renji sighed in disdain. 'If you're going to attack, finish it. Leaving her alive? Now he'll lose control completely and turn into a beast. Amateur.'
'If it were him, he would've transformed Hinata on the spot—forced Naruto to face her, kill her himself, and watch the light fade from her eyes. Nagato is still too soft.'
The sky exploded with black and red chakra. The Nine-Tails' fury surged upward, flooding the battlefield with pure malice. In the next instant, Pain's turn to suffer arrived.
Their battle blurred beyond comprehension, their movements shattering the limits of human perception. Space itself twisted as they clashed—each impact reshaping the earth. From the ruins of Konoha to the mountains beyond, the shockwaves echoed for miles.
Naruto's tails grew—six, seven, eight. Even Pain's Chibaku Tensei crumbled under the monster's rage. 'Nagato really is too weak.'
The Nine-Tails' killing intent pierced the heavens. The sphere shattered, and the fox's colossal form began to take shape—its size rivaling the original beast. Naruto's will had been completely devoured.
Inside the seal, darkness churned. Naruto's body sank slowly into the black water when massive hands reached up from below, seizing him.
A deep, hoarse voice whispered in his ear. "Tear it open… unleash our power. Accept it, and make them pay. Remember your friends—your Kakashi-sensei. Don't you want revenge?"
The words cut straight into Naruto's heart. "They're waiting for you… waiting for vengeance."
His eyes dulled. Mechanical. He lifted his hands toward the massive red gate before him. The sealing talisman glowed faintly in warning.
Behind it, the Nine-Tails' burning eyes gleamed like twin suns. "Unseal it… accept me… avenge them all, Naruto…"
His fingertips brushed the paper charm—
—and a warm hand caught his wrist.
Light flared in Naruto's eyes.
He looked up to see spiky blond hair, calm blue eyes, and a gentle smile that melted the darkness.
"D–Dad…" The word trembled in his throat—unspoken, yet heard all the same.
Naruto stared in disbelief at Minato Namikaze, afraid he'd vanish if he blinked. "Why… why are you here?" he stammered.
Minato smiled, his eyes filled with warmth. "You've really grown, Naruto. Whenever you try to tear off the seal, I appear in your consciousness."
He sighed softly. "Honestly, I hoped this moment would never come. But… I also wanted to see you like this—grown up."
Naruto's brow furrowed. Something about his father's tone felt off, as if this were the first time they'd met. But before he could question it, the words spilled out, raw and trembling.
"Why did you seal the Nine-Tails inside me? Because of this fox, I suffered so much!" His voice broke. "Everyone looked at me like I was a monster. Making friends was so hard… only Renji ever—"
His voice cracked. "I couldn't even protect him… It's all my fault. I trained for years, and still—I'm weak! I couldn't save anyone!"
For the first time, Naruto allowed himself to cry—really cry. Years of loneliness poured out in one uncontrollable wave.
"I'm sorry, Naruto," Minato whispered, his eyes gentle.
Minato pulled him into an embrace. "You've done so well… endured so much."
Naruto trembled, then straightened, wiping his face. "It's fine now. I can handle it."
He had long grown numb to the village's stares—he'd had Renji, Ero-sennin, Sasuke, Kakashi, Sakura…
But fate had stolen them all, one by one. Renji vanished. Jiraiya died. Sasuke left.
Naruto realized it was never about the Nine-Tails—it was his helplessness that tormented him.
"I sealed half of the Nine-Tails inside you because I believed you could one day master it," Minato said softly. "I never imagined it would make your life so hard. But still—you've become strong. Strong enough to make me proud."
Then his face hardened. "Sixteen years ago, during the Nine-Tails' attack, I discovered a secret. A masked man was controlling it." He pictured the swirling mask. "He's powerful—too powerful. I fear he'll strike again."
Naruto clenched his fists. "Konoha's already destroyed!" he shouted.
Minato's expression softened with regret.
"Even so," Naruto said, his voice shaking, "I'll never forgive Pain!"
But Pain's words echoed in his mind: How can true peace be achieved?
Naruto clutched his head. "What should I do?"
Minato chuckled faintly. "Even I don't know. But you'll find it."
Naruto glared through his tears. "How could I find something even Ero-sennin and you couldn't?"
"Because I believe in you," Minato said simply. "You'll find it, Naruto."
His conviction lit a spark inside Naruto.
"My chakra's almost gone," Minato murmured, looking at his fading hand. "Before we disappear, I'll repair the seal—this will be the last time. From here on… it's your path alone."
He pressed his palm against Naruto's stomach. The seal flared with light.
As it mended, Minato faded away, leaving behind only the fading echo of his warmth.
The Nine-Tails' furious roar dissolved into silence.
...
Naruto landed on the scorched earth, his eyes locked on Pain.
"Take me to your real body!"
Pain paused, then sneered. "So you've found me... impressive. But it changes nothing."
Naruto's gaze didn't waver. "You can't be sure of that!"
He reentered Sage Mode, ripped one of Pain's black chakra rods free, and drove it into his own body. Agony tore through every nerve, but within that pain he sensed the faint pulse of the Rinnegan's chakra link. In that instant, he found Nagato's true location—and dashed toward it without hesitation.
...
Deep within the forest, among towering trees shrouded in mist, stood a massive paper tree—perfectly camouflaged among the natural trunks.
Before it, Naruto appeared in a blur.
Konan stiffened, instantly moving to shield Nagato.
"Stand down, Konan," Nagato said quietly. She hesitated, then obeyed.
Naruto looked at the gaunt red-haired man. The Rinnegan glowed faintly in his sunken eyes. "So you're the real Pain?"
Nagato's lips curled faintly. "Do you hate me?"
Naruto's fists clenched.
"Then seek your revenge," Nagato murmured. "If you can't find an answer, you'll only destroy yourself chasing peace."
Naruto's thoughts churned. Jiraiya's words resurfaced: 'A day will come when people understand each other.'
"He asked me to find the answer," Naruto whispered. "I thought it just meant he trusted me—but it was more than that."
Nagato's gaze didn't soften. "Do you think pretty words can erase hatred? Emotions aren't that cheap. Jiraiya's ideals died with him."
Then, quietly, he began to recount his story. The war. Yahiko. The pain that shaped him. When he finished, his hollow eyes met Naruto's. "Now… tell me your answer."
Naruto inhaled deeply. "I understand your pain… but I still resent you." His voice trembled but didn't break. "Even so, I'll believe in what Ero-sennin believed. That's my answer—I won't kill you."
Nagato stared at him. "As long as we live in this cursed world, peace is a fantasy."
"Then I'll break that curse," Naruto said. "When peace finally exists, I'll seize it."
Those were Nagato's own words—echoed back at him. The line Jiraiya once recorded in his book. The connection hit him like lightning. 'The protagonist of that story… was not me.'
He smiled faintly. "You're remarkable, Uzumaki Naruto. You remind me of who I used to be. Your path will lead somewhere mine never could."
His hands formed the familiar seals. "Alright… this time, I choose to believe you."
But before he could finish, a cold hand pressed against his head.
A mocking voice cut through the silence. "How touching. You're still moved by such empty words."
Faint light seeped through the cracks of the tower. Both Konan and Naruto turned.
A figure stood behind Nagato—long blue hair fluttering, heterochromatic eyes gleaming like jewels.
"The Pain you speak of is meaningless. So is your peace."
Renji's other hand plunged forward, ripping the Rinnegan from Nagato's skull. Blood splattered across the iron floor.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +5,000,000]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +5,000,000]
[Chakra (210,975,002 / 400,000,000)]
Naruto roared, "Give them back! Those eyes aren't yours!"
Only one person could do this—Hasumi Maki. His fury blazed like a storm.
Konan's eyes burned with rage.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +5,000,000]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +5,000,000]
[Chakra (215,975,002 / 400,000,000)]
"Heh… Nagato's eyes? Those Rinnegan were never his to begin with," Renji sneered, clutching them tightly.
In the next instant, Nagato and Konan's bodies warped—skin hardening, limbs twisting—merging into a grotesque abomination.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +5,000,000]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +5,000,000]
[Chakra (220,975,002 / 400,000,000)]
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +5,000,000]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +5,000,000]
[Chakra (225,975,002 / 400,000,000)]
"Uzumaki Naruto, champion of forgiveness," Renji mocked, stepping closer. "You were about to deliver another talk no jutsu, weren't you? Sorry for interrupting." His grin widened. "So tell me—can you forgive me for turning them into this?"
Black Zetsu watched from the shadows, eyes gleaming. 'Thankfully, Brother was smart enough to act first.'
'Otherwise, everything would have been ruined by those two naive fools.'
'Trusting the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki… pathetic.'
'They really were hopeless.'
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