Chapter 40: Meeting Nagato

AN: Hey guys, just want to say thanks to everyone who has been supportive of my story so far and it means a lot! I'll keep working at it and hope that you all continue to enjoy the journey! :) Kudos to you all!

Chapter 40

Naruto stood atop the head of the large toad Gamabunta next to Gamaken and Gamahiro in his new Sage clothes already in Sage Mode as he glowered at the five Pains.

"The odds seem to be against us this time." Deva Pain commented as he stared at the seven shinobi in front of him who all exuded an aura of power. "With Deva Pain's power not returning for a while we'll have to make do with our summons." Deva Pain continued speaking to himself. Animal Pain weaved the signs for the summoning and said, "Summoning Jutsu!"

Poof Poof Poof Poof Poof Poof!

Six white clouds of smoke appeared in the vicinity before clearing away and in their place was a giant drill-beaked bird, a multi-headed dog, a snake-tailed chameleon, a giant ox, a giant rhino, and a giant crustacean.

"Tsk. Go!" Tsunade shouted fiercely.

FWISH!

At that moment the battle began. EEEEAAAAARRRR! The loud sound of egg bombs could be heard dropping from the sky as the drill-beaked bird flew overhead. Before they could fall down too far Hiruzen weaved the signs of Rat, Tiger, Dog, Ox, Hare, Tiger and said, "Fire Style Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" Multiple balls of fire shot out towards the sky intercepting the egg bombs causing them to explode in the air. Before the giant rhino, giant ox, and giant crustacean could get near anyone, Gamabunta, Gamaken, and Gamahiro intercepted them keeping them at bay. The giant chameleon swallowed Deva Pain before turning invisible.

So, he's trying to hide and buy some time for Deva's power to return I mentally noted.

Boom Boom Boom.

I quickly jumped to the left, to the right, and the left one more time while advancing forward dodging the missiles launched from Asura Pain.

Fwish!

Sasuke stealthily appeared behind Preta Pain and swung his sword at its head only for it to duck and successfully dodge. Just as it was about to counter and strike Sasuke, Naruto appeared in front of it and kicked with his right leg. Preta Pain successfully crossed its arms and blocked, but due to Naruto's enhanced Sage energy his kick was strong enough to send Preta Pain flying through the air. A Shadow Clone of Naruto's fell from the sky with a Rasengan aimed at the Preta Pain disoriented in the air, however, Preta Pain successfully absorbed the Rasengan's energy.

"Eh? This one can absorb Ninjutsu-dattebayo?" Clone Naruto exclaimed in surprise. Naraka Pain struck out with its fist killing Naruto's Shadow Clone at this instant.

Just as the multi-headed dog was about to take a bite out of Tsunade she threw a right uppercut and easily sent the dog flying into the air for a few hundred feet. I quickly placed my hand on the back of Kimimaro's head and shared my senses with him allowing him to sense the whereabouts of the invisible chameleon. Kimimaro weaved the signs of Monkey, Snake and said, "Dance of the Weeding Cage Jutsu!" Large, strong, and flexible bones erupted beneath the invisible chameleon and ensnared it without letting go forcing it out of its invisible state.

Deva Pain was immediately shocked as he stared at Izaya who had his hands placed on Kimimaro's head. "So he's a skilled sensory type shinobi." Deva Pain commented to himself. Kimimaro stuck out his palms and said, "Dance of the Honey Locust Spear!" The chameleon opened its mouth releasing Deva Pain just as two large white and sharp bones shot out at high speeds and killed it causing it to disappear in a puff of smoke. Naruto continued to engage Preta Pain in a fight of Taijutsu as Sasuke prevented Animal Pain and Naraka Pain from interfering and Kakashi kept Asura Pain at bay.

"Maro, go help Lord Fifth take down that dog that keeps multiplying." I said.

"Mn." Kimimaro nodded and dashed off. Hiruzen continued keeping the egg bombs away. Kakashi quickly disengaged from Asura Pain and arrived by Sasuke's side at this moment and struck out with his Raikiri at Naraka Pain's head. Just as Naraka Pain ducked to dodge Sasuke activated his Chidori Spear successfully piercing through Naraka Pain's head. Animal Pain used this opportunity to strike out at Sasuke with a black receiver spear only for me to fly next to Kakashi who was by Sasuke in that moment and deflected the black receiver with a special kunai of mine and marked the falling Naraka Pain.

Good thing I gave Kakashi a special kunai in the hospital I mentally noted. Well, Sasuke could have easily avoided this strike either way.

Sasuke immediately stabbed towards the head of Animal Pain with his sword when Deva Pain finally said, "Almighty Push!" At that moment Sasuke, Kakashi, and I were pushed away from Naraka and Animal Pain flying more than 30 feet back through the air before we all managed to safely land back on the ground.

SWOOSH!

More than 30 missiles came flying out from the back of Asura Pain towards us. Sasuke placed his hand in the Tiger sign and said, "Fire Style Art of the Dragon Flame Jutsu!" Several large flames in the shape of a dragon's head shot out at the missiles causing them to explode midair and causing a plume of smoke. I created a Shadow Clone as Kakashi activated his Raikiri and said, "Raikiri Lightning Hound!" A stream of electricity shot out from his hand and into the shape of a lightning hound as it ran towards the Asura Pain. At this moment Preta Pain was able to disengage from Naruto and jump in front of Asura Pain absorbing Kakashi's technique. Naruto activated his Rasenshuriken and threw it at Deva Pain, Asura Pain, and Preta Pain. Since Preta Pain was already absorbing Kakashi's technique in one direction it couldn't turn in time so Deva Pain stuck out its hand and said, "Almighty Push!" He successfully dispelled Naruto's Rasenshuriken, however, at this moment my clone said, "Taiyougan!" A dense golden sphere of energy rotated in its right hand as it placed its left hand on Sasuke's shoulder teleporting them. They both appeared beside the fallen Naraka Pain in that moment which was near Deva Pain. Sasuke automatically channeled his Chidori into his sword and swung at Deva Pain who jumped back to dodge.

Clone Izaya threw a special kunai by Asura Pain's feet and instantly flew next to him. As Animal Pain and Preta Pain acted to intercept my clone, its body exploded using the Shadow Clone Explosion Jutsu blowing up Animal, Preta, and Asura Pain causing severe damage to all three. My real body then stuck out my hands beneath Asura Pain's ankles and pulled him into the ground with the Earth Style HeadHunter Jutsu. Deva Pain just dodged a swing of Sasuke's Chidori enhanced sword when he said, "Almighty Push!" Once again Sasuke was forced back all the way towards Naruto. Just as Sasuke landed he stared at Deva Pain and said, "Amaterasu!" Deva Pain was instantly lit ablaze by black flames without being able to dispel the flames for another five seconds. Sasuke used this chance to throw his Chidori enhanced sword, however Deva Pain managed to dodge it just in time.

Before Asura Pain could break free from underground I struck its head with my Taiyogan turning him into ashes. At this point Gamabunta, Gamaken, and Gamahiro had successfully killed the crustacean, the rhino, and the ox. All that was left was Deva Pain, Preta Pain, Animal Pain, the multi-headed dog, and the flying bird. Deva Pain's power finally returned as he pushed the Amaterasu flames off of his body.

"HEYA!" Tsunade shouted as she swung the leg of the now six headed dog and flung it into the wall of the crater. Kimimaro quickly formed the signs of Snake, Ox, Rat, Monkey, Tiger and said, "Skeletal Cage Death Trap Jutsu!" The multi-headed dog was captured and surrounded on all four sides including the top of the cage by thick bone-wall structures with thick and sharp bones protruding from the walls. The walls slowly continued to close in together crushing and maiming the dog without anywhere for it to escape. It was soon instantly crushed and ripped to pieces causing it to disappear in a puff of smoke. Kakashi at this point had disappeared as his hands struck out beneath Preta Pain's ankles and pulled it into the ground as he also used the Earth Style HeadHunter Jutsu. As Animal Pain wanted to assist freeing Preta Pain, Naruto arrived before it and struck Animal Pain with a Rasengan sending it flying far into the wall of the crater.

"That was for Jiraiya-sensei you bastard-dattebayo!" Naruto said in anguish and gritted teeth. Kakashi killed Preta Pain by piercing its head with his Raikiri. With the assistance of Gamabunta, Gamaken, and Gamahiro in forcing the bird out of the sky, Hiruzen quickly made short work of it and turned it into nothing but a roasted piece of chicken before it disappeared in a puff of smoke. It was at this moment that Deva Pain furrowed his brow at the unexpected turn of events.

He dashed far away from everyone with his hands closed together. "Even though I'm this far away from my main body, I'm still strong enough to use this technique at this distance." Deva Pain whispered to himself.

I knew instantly what he was about to do but I was too far away and he wasn't marked with my Flying Thunder God Seal. At that moment Deva Pain raised his hands in the air and said, "Catastrophic Planetary Devastation!"

ZWIIING!

A small black ball of gravitational mass floated into the air and pulled everything in the surroundings into the air with it.

"Shit! We don't have time to set up the barrier and his technique messed up the places I put my markers." I cursed. Everyone was instantly shocked as we were all being pulled towards the core of the technique. I placed a marker down on the rock I was on and continued to fly to the location of everyone who had a special kunai or marker of mine. Tsunade, Hiruzen, Kakashi, and Kimimaro, I teleported them all to a safe place outside the range of the technique as I tried to think of what to do. They couldn't do anything but watch on as all the buildings and the village as a whole rose up into the air completely devastating the village. I also flew to Hanabi at this moment.

"Izaya?! What's going on? What kind of Jutsu is this?" She asked in panic as everything and everyone around her was pulled into the air. Without much time to explain I simply gave her a comforting smile and teleported her away. Unfortunately the village was too large and had too many people, even if I tried I wouldn't get to all of them in time. Gamabunta and Naruto's other summons deactivated their summoning so as to escape from the technique. I returned to the marker I set earlier and turned to a panicked and shocked Naruto and Sasuke. I quickly racked my brain for the answer trying not to let the stress of the situation get to me. Then it hit me.

RIght! In the past it took Itachi, Killer Bee, and Naruto using three super powerful long ranged techniques to stop this. "Naruto! Sasuke! Listen to me. No questions we don't have time, do as I say. Naruto, activate your Sage Mode and use your Rasenshuriken. Don't worry about the aim. Sasuke, I heard from Itachi about a power that comes with the Mangekyou called Susanoo. Focus on your ocular powers and see if you can use that technique." I then placed my hands in front of me as I channelled as much chakra as I could into creating a large golden sphere of energy, the Taiyougan. "Together we are going to launch our most powerful long ranged Jutsu into the center of the gravitational pull and try to generate a force great enough to cancel the technique."

Naruto gritted his teeth as he channelled his Sage energy into a large Rasenshuriken and Sasuke struggled to focus as blood seeped down both his eyes as the body of a purple Susanoo surrounded his body.

"Now fire!" I said as Naruto unleashed his Rasenshuriken, I released my Great Taiyougan, and Sasuke unleashed his Susanoo's Yasaka Magatama attack. As the three long ranged techniques collided with the core a loud ZWING and BOOM was heard followed by a bright white light and explosion. Deva Pain widened his eyes in shock as he witnessed his technique being stopped. A powerful wind generated from the force of the impact spreading out everywhere as Sasuke, Naruto, and I were blown away. A giant plume of smoke and debris clouded the area as building parts and people fell from the sky. With my senses I found Deva Pain's body and incapacitated him.

Not too far in the distance was the actual Nagato who was having a hard time breathing as he frowned. Konan stood beside him noticing that the situation didn't seem that good.

"It appears I have failed." Nagato said dejectedly as he huffed and panted.

"Nagato…" Konan said with a soft whisper and worry.

At this point I had picked up a black receiver and using my senses I managed to pinpoint the exact location where Nagato was.

"Eh? It appears I've been discovered." Nagato said.

I turned to look at the devastated state of the village and found Naruto kneeling on the ground not far away from me. "Naruto, follow me. We're going to go meet the real Pain."

"Eh? The real Pain isn't one of these guys?" Naruto said in confusion and frustration. I shook my head and replied, "No. Let's go." I disappeared as Naruto followed suit. Tsunade, Kakashi, Hiruzen, Hanabi, and Kimimaro just stood at the edge of the forest as they all took in the event that just unfolded before them in silence. They snapped out of their dazed state soon after as they rushed into the tattered state of the village trying to save as many people as they could. Sasuke was blown far back towards the stone faces from the earlier explosion that was created as he attempted to catch his breath whilst clutching his eyes.

Swish Swish!

Naruto and I arrived by a tall tree in the forest soon after.

"So this is where the real Pain is?" Naruto inquired.

"Mn." I nodded. As we got to the base of the tree Naruto started probing it noticing it was made out of paper instead of being an actual tree.

"Naruto." I said.

"What is it?" Naruto said clearly holding back his rage and murderous intent.

"Don't be brash. The reason I asked you to come with me was so we can talk to Pain." I replied. Naruto widened his eyes in surprise and anger.

"Talk? Talk! After everything he's done?! If it wasn't for Granny Chiyo Gaara would have died long ago! If it wasn't for Pain the village wouldn't have to suffer. If it wasn't for Pain then Jiraiya-sensei!...Jiraiya-sensei wouldn't have had to die." Naruto said in anguish. We both stood there in a momentary silence before I said, "Let's go in first. Perhaps you'll understand when we meet Pain face to face. There's no point fighting against someone who's so frail and weak already."

Naruto furrowed his brow in confusion. We both ripped a hole and walked in as Konan quickly ran to stand in front of Nagato.

"Wait. Konan. Step back." Nagato said.

"Nagato?" Konan inquired.

"It's fine." Nagato said as Konan stepped aside whilst Naruto and I walked forward and stopping a few meters away. We both looked and saw a frail looking man who was skinny to the bones and was hooked up to a machine with black receivers sticking out of his back.

"So you're Pain's true form. You're the one who killed Jiraiya-sensei." Naruto said as he stared in a frown.

"Jiraiya-sensei...So you are Uzumaki Naruto. The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and also a student of Jiraiya-sensei." Nagato commented.

Naruto furrowed his brow as he said, "Jiraiya-sensei? How dare you say Jiraiya-sensei!"

Nagato looked on indifferently and said, "Jiraiya also taught me Jutsu. He was my teacher. You could say that I am your senior apprentice under the same teacher. Jiraiya-sensei wished for peace."

Naruto gritted his teeth as he said angrily, "Peace? You killed Jiraiya-sensei! Now you attacked the Leaf? You call that peace?"

"Do you hate me? Do you wish to exact vengeance upon me?" Nagato said as he stared down at Naruto. He then turned to look at me and said, "As for you. You are a skilled shinobi. I don't believe we are acquainted."

"I am Karasuma Izaya. You must be Nagato." I said and then turned to Konan and said, "You must be Konan."

With a surprised look Nagato said, "You know who we are?"

I nodded my head and replied, "I heard it from Lord Fukasaku, the toad who fought Pain alongside Jiraiya. He told us everything that he knew. From there Tsunade recalled the story herself and filled in the gaps. It's not hard to guess who the two of you are."

"I see. Indeed we are who you say." Nagato replied. Nagato returned his attention to Naruto as he said, "What's the matter? I am in front of you now. The one who killed our master. Do you seek revenge? You can obtain it. Why do you hesitate?"

I turned to look at Naruto who gritted his teeth and clenched his fist as he stared at Nagato's nearly lifeless form.

"Why? Why did you do it? What the hell are you after?" Naruto asked in anguish. Nagato paused in a moment of silence before he answered, "My goal is to do what Jiraiya-sensei could not. I'll bring forth peace and justice."

Naruto scowled and shouted, "Justice? Peace? You nearly killed Gaara! You killed Jiraiya-sensei! You attack the village! Don't you dare spew out such bullshit after everything you did!"

Nagato looked at Naruto for a few moments before saying, "Then tell me what your goal is."

"I'll stop the Akatsuki and bring peace to the world of shinobi!" Naruto responded quickly.

"I see. That is a splendid goal. That is at the height of justice. Then what about my family? And my friends? Or my village? Does Konoha alone have the right to proclaim peace and justice? After causing the very destruction to my village?" Nagato responded.

"What do you mean?" Naruto said with a frown.

"The Fire Country and Konoha grew too large. To protect their own interests they warred with other Great Nations and in doing so, securing their own gains was necessary. If they didn't then their nation and villages would be in famine. However, it was our small nation and villages that became the battleground. Time and again our country was invaded and left in tatters and ruins. We suffered through wars that were not of our own choosing many times until finally, the Great Nations stabilized. All the while our tiny country was only left with pain and ruin in this world. We aim for the same thing. We wish to bring forth the peace that Jiraiya-sensei spoke of. We are no different from each other. We are simply driven by our own sense of justice. The pain of loss is the same for all of us. You and I have both suffered a similar pain. You fight for your justice. And I for mine. We are ordinary humans, driven to seek vengeance in the name of justice. However, if there is justice in vengeance, then justice will breed only more vengeance. And trigger a cycle of hatred. To create peace, how will you face this hatred? What is your answer?" Nagato said.

For the first time, Naruto felt a sense of loss. He wanted to hate this person in front of him that killed Gaara once. That killed his master Jiraiya-sensei. That attacked the village and left it in ruins. Even though he wanted to hate this person, and even though he was sure he hated this person still, he felt that he could understand some of his pain. Just as he came to understand the loneliness of Sasuke and Gaara. He looked to the ground as he thought about it. He thought about peace. How he would bring peace. Naruto had a complicated look on his face as he softly said, "I...don't know."

Nagato looked at Naruto for a moment in silence before saying, "I created Akatsuki for the very purpose of breaking this cycle of hatred. I can stop it. To do that however I need the power of the Nine-Tails. By using the power of all the Tailed-Beasts I will create a weapon untold times stronger than ever before. Strong enough to destroy an entire country in an instant. I will make true pain known to the world. Deter fighting with fear of that pain, and lead the world to stability and peace."

Naruto widened his eyes at that moment and said, "But...A peace like that is just a lie!"

"Humans aren't that intelligent. There's no other way of creating peace. After awhile that pain will go away after decades have passed. Its deterrence will be degraded, and man will war once more. At that time they will themselves use this all powerful weapon I've created and reaffirm true pain. And so a short period of peace will be born again. To create short these periods of peace through pain that interrupts the endless cycle of hatred… that is my dream." Nagato replied.

At this moment I let out a heavy sigh which prompted Nagato and Konan to turn and look at me. Naruto as well. I turned to look at Naruto and said, "Naruto. Tell me, do you wish to kill Nagato now that you've seen him?"

He clenched his fist and gritted his teeth. "I-...There's no way I can forgive him!" Naruto said without directly giving an answer, however he couldn't move from his spot as he just stared complicatedly at this weak and frail looking man.

I remained silent for a moment before saying, "Naruto. Nagato. You both were student's under Jiraiya. Nagato. You learnt from Jiraiya that pain can cause people to become closer. Even strangers can become closer by knowing a similar pain than comrades who have known each other for years. Naruto. You learnt from Jiraiya of what happiness is and felt like. You learnt that one should never give up no matter how difficult the path you walk. You both are students of Jiraiya's yet you learnt two very different principles from him. You two are not so different from each other. Nagato, you think you have found an answer for what peace could be. Naruto, you have yet to find your own answer for what peace is. I have spent my own fair share thinking about what peace is and how to obtain it. Peace is not easy to obtain and I do not believe that the peace you speak of is obtainable at all Nagato."

Naruto, Nagato, and Konan just looked on at me wondering what I was saying.

"What do you mean." Nagato said.

I just stared back at all of them for a moment in silence as I recalled my past life that tried to fight for a peace that I now understand was probably unobtainable. "World peace. It is a nice assumption to think that something like that might occur, but Nagato, the cruel reality is that there is no such thing as world peace. It is because we are human. Humans have flaws. Humans have desires and emotions. They hate and they love. You think that bringing pain to the world will help you obtain peace? But what will pain really bring you. It will bring you a momentary sense of understanding. When we all know the same pain, we can begin to understand each other. That is true. However, that is but a momentary solace. For every generation or two, as you said, you would have to perform the same feat over and over and over again. The reason? Because it is also in peace that pain is forgotten. When pain is forgotten does that mean we must kill others again? Even kill the innocent all because you wish for each successive generation to know pain? Then this is no different than another cycle that you are creating and deluding yourself that this is a path to peace.

Once the cycle becomes the norm, people will despise it. They will adapt to it. It will birth another Pain like you. They will try to stop your cycle that you thought was the answer to stop the original cycle. If this is the solution that you think plausible, then you should just erase the world. Can you do that? Wipe out all existences that have ever walked the face of this Earth. Do that, and you no longer have to worry about how to bring about peace. The peace you think you are bringing is no peace at all. You will bring this era back into the age of the warring states when there was no village and no shinobi system. It was an age of the First Hokage Hashirama Senju. In those days people fought no matter how old or how young you were. That is the age you will bring about by your way of peace Nagato. You truly wish for children at the age of 5 to know what war and murder is?

You think that you can control the monopoly of war? Foolish. You think that the world will run just because you say run? You think it will turn when you say turn? You could not even save your own members of the Akatsuki. Instead you discard them for your own use just so you can advance your own selfish motives. How will you save the world and bring about peace in this way? Fear will not work. People will eventually adapt to fear. Hatred will not work. People will eventually acclimate to hatred. Love will not work. Not everyone will agree with your same kind of love. Do not underestimate humanity's potential to evolve and adapt. Your great Tailed-Beast weapon will not work.

One day it will fall into the hands of a tyrant who will abuse its power for his own selfish motives, not for maintaining this peace you speak of. You turn to pain because pain is all that you know now. I ask you, do you think you are the only one in this world who had to witness their friends or family or loved ones die right in front of them? Do you think you have the right to judge everyone in the world for the things they have done and the things they have yet to do? Somewhere, someplace, on this Earth, there are people who are living happy and peaceful lives. This is unfair and I apologize, but you just happened to be born and raised in the wrong place and at the wrong time.

You have the right to be angry. You have the right to despise those who cause wars. You have the right to want to do something and change the world. But if your way of changing the world is to just inflict pain even to those who had no hand in the sufferings of the world, then you are no longer someone who has the right to try and change the world, because now, you are the exact same as those who have done those terrible acts. This is just throwing a tantrum and venting your frustrations and anger and emotions as you seek to justify your actions by calling it a way to bring peace. Don't think that just because you have the Rinnegan that it entitles you to be some sort of chosen one.

Did the Rinnegan give you the powers to foresee the future? You said it yourself, you are just a man. You are not God. You are a man who knows incredible pain. But don't think that just because you suffer in pain means you have the right to have others suffer with you. I heard that you had another member amongst you and Konan called Yahiko. You used his body as your way of communicating to others and his body was the main body for Pain. You tried to immortalize him like this and refused to accept the truth. In this action you didn't even have the decency to let his body rest in peace.

Tell me Nagato. If pain brings about peace, then have you found peace in yourself? You have experienced so much pain, but I can tell that you have yet to even make peace with yourself. If you cannot even make peace with yourself, how do you expect the rest of the world to make peace with itself? There is a reason why we are shinobi. It is because no matter how painful our lives may be or become, we endure. We endure and continue to forge ahead. No matter how much hatred we must face, we face it nonetheless. Why? Because we must. It is our duty and it is our right. It is human nature to hate. To love. To fear. To hurt. To want. To need. To live. This is how humanity lives. This is how shinobi live, and through all of this pain, the world still moves on. We endure, and we continue forward.

There is only one true peace in this world. And that is the peace that we can bring to ourselves. World peace? Just a vague concept. Everyone has their own world Nagato. Naruto. Konan. A world is just a term for the things that you value and hold dear to yourself. When you lose those things you lose your world. Don't go trying to force your world onto others. I understand Jiraiya's sentiment for wanting world peace. But more than anything, I believe that he just wanted everyone to live their own lives happily. Jiraiya was an eccentric person. He roamed the world looking for the answer to peace, but he did it his own way with a smile on his face. I believe that Jiraiya made peace with himself and because of that he wanted others to find peace with themselves as well. Jiraiya wanted others to be able to find the same peace with themselves as he did for himself. I don't claim to have an answer to all the questions, but this is the answer that I have come to understand after thinking about what the world is, and what peace is after experiencing the things I have experienced, and from learning the teachings of history and those around me."

We all stood there in a moment of silence. After awhile Naruto deactivated his Sage Mode and Nagato relaxed his body.

"I see...You said that your name was Izaya...Even though you were not a student of Jiraiya-sensei...Perhaps you were the one who understood the things Jiraiya-sensei wanted to teach the most...Indeed. My world has shattered long ago. Unable to save my best friend Yahiko. War brings death, wounds, and pain to both sides. There's nothing harder than accepting the death of a loved one. And we convince ourselves that they cannot die. Especially in your generation who do not know war. You look for meaning in death. But there is only pain and hatred, which you do not understand, that consumes you. People die like trash. An everlasting hatred accompanied by pain that cannot be healed. That is war. This is what you young ones must go against. Whether the path I had chosen was right or wrong...I think... I will choose a different choice this time. Perhaps in the very end, I can find peace within myself." Nagato said as he formed the sign of Ram and Snake saying, "Gedo Art of Rinne Rebirth!" His hair slowly began turning to white.

"Nagato!" Konan exclaimed in shock.

Nagato coughed up some blood as he said, "It's okay Konan. For the lives that I had killed in Konoha. There is still time for me to save them. I will choose to believe in a different path. Jiraiya-sensei wrote two books. The first was flawless like Jiraiya-sensei. The second was a failure like me. Naruto, you are the third book. As your senior apprentice disciple I couldn't do anything for anyone. I will choose to believe in your story as one that will not end in failure like mine. Whilst you do not yet have an answer for your peace, there is still time for you. However, I no longer have such time. Izaya. Being in your presence and speaking to you made me feel like I was a child once again speaking to Jiraiya-sensei all those years ago. I shall entrust the rest to you both. Naruto...I know you cannot forgive me for what I have done...I hope that you will walk a different path than my own…"

It wasn't long after that those who did die during the attack on Konoha were revived as Nagato slowly closed his eyes forever. Before anyone could do or say anything the entire paper tree exploded.

BOOM BOOM BOOM!

I quickly formed the sign of Rat, Dog, Tiger and said, "Wood Style Wood Dome Jutsu!" Thick branches of wood quickly enveloped and enclosed around Naruto and I as the entire place exploded.

"What the hell is happening-dattebayo?!" Naruto exclaimed in shock.

"I don't know?" I replied in confusion.

After a few seconds of the explosion going off everything finally quieted down. I undid my Wood Dome Jutsu only to see that our surroundings were completely destroyed with both Nagato and Konan gone.

"What the hell was that?" Naruto asked.

I just stared at our surroundings also befuddled before I quickly turned my head to our 10 o'clock direction as I sensed a figure atop the tree.

"You." I said as I frowned. Naruto also turned to look in that direction when I said that and frowned.

"Yo. Uzumaki Naruto. Karasuma Izaya." Tobi said.