Chapter 30

Just as Yahiko and Konan began their battles, the remaining three swordsmen turned their eyes turned to Nagato. The red-haired youth stood calmly facing the last three members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist: Fuguki Suikazan, Jūzō Biwa, and Ren Ataroshi. The air around Nagato began to shimmer with an otherworldly golden light, his Rinnegan eyes glowing with increasing intensity.

Fuguki, the massive wielder of Samehada, stepped forward, his eyes narrowing. "What kind of trick is this, boy? Do you think some fancy light show will save you from the wrath of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen?"

Nagato didn't respond. Instead, he closed his eyes, his hands coming together in a meditative pose. As the golden light grew brighter, enveloping his entire body, Nagato's mind drifted back to a day two years ago...

~Flashback No Jutsu~

As the sun was setting over Amegakure, the sky was painted in hues of orange and purple. In a secluded training ground on the outskirts of the village, Garp stood watching as Nagato practiced his techniques.

"Alright, brat." Garp called out, his voice gruff. "That's enough for now. Come here, I've got something important to tell you. Your body should be strong enough now."

Nagato, panting slightly from exertion, made his way over to his mentor. "What is it, Grandfather?"

Garp's expression turned serious, a rarity that immediately caught Nagato's attention. "It's about your Devil Fruit power. Now that your body has reached a decent level, you should be able to finally use some of it's true strength."

Nagato's eyes widened with interest. "What do you mean?"

Garp scratched his beard, a thoughtful look on his face. "Well, an old friend of mine, Sengoku, once told me something interesting about the Human-Human Fruit, Model: Buddha. He said that the fruit had different forms, with it depending on the user to unlock them. It could potentially incarnate multiple Buddhas before the user reaches full enlightenment."

"Multiple Buddhas?" Nagato echoed, his mind racing with the possibilities.

Garp nodded. "That's right. Sengoku himself only managed to unlock the Wisdom of the Buddha alongside the initail stage in his lifetime. But there are apparently two others, each with their own unique powers and attributes."

Nagato's brow furrowed in concentration. "How do I unlock these other forms?"

"That's the tricky part, kid." Garp replied. "It requires deep meditation and either a profound understanding of Buddhist principles or of yourself. You need to look within yourself, to find the essence of these Buddhas in your own soul. Sengoku fasted for two weeks to reach his state"

Nagato nodded, determination setting in. "I understand, Grandfather. What should I do?"

Garp gestured to a flat rock nearby as he picked his nose. "Sit there and meditate. Clear your mind of all distractions. Focus on the nothing and wait until you feel something resonate with you. Let your consciousness expand beyond the confines of your physical form, or something like that."

As Nagato settled into a meditative pose, Garp added, "Remember, brat. This isn't about power for power's sake. It's about understanding the true nature of existence, about transcending the limitations of the self. Don't force it. Let it come naturally."

Nagato closed his eyes, his breathing slowing as he sank into deep meditation. Hours passed, the sun setting and rising again, but Nagato remained motionless, lost in the depths of his consciousness.

Thoughts flew through his mind at the speed of light.

'I want to protect Amegakure. I want to become a Symbol of Hope. I want to bring peace to the Shinobi World. I want to protect my family... I want to protect my family? 

I WANT TO PROTECT MY FAMILY!!'

Just as Garp was beginning to worry, a soft golden light began to emanate from Nagato's body. The air around him seemed to ripple and distort, as if reality itself was bending to his will.

Suddenly, Nagato's eyes snapped open, but they were no longer the concentric circles of the Rinnegan. Instead, they were a warm, compassionate brown, filled with an understanding that seemed to transcend mortal comprehension.

"Grandfather." Nagato spoke, his voice echoing throughout the air as if carried by an unseen cave. "I have found it. The Buddha Avalokiteshvara. I am now the Embodiment of Compassion."

Garp's eyes widened in awe. "Avalokiteshvara? The Bodhisattva of Compassion? Kid, do you realize what this means?"

'This brat... He just achieved at his age what took Sengoku years of preparation. Incredible! I thought it would take years until he was able to finish it.'

Nagato nodded, a serene smile on his face. "I do, Grandfather. I can feel it. I have the power to manifest, to sense and manipulate emotions, to heal and cleanse, to transform and protect. And... I can turn off the Rinnegan, but it somehow drains my Chakra."

'He can control Madara's Rinnegan??!?'

As if to demonstrate, Nagato blinked, with him showing the Rjinnegan first, afterwhich his eyes returned to their normal state. Garp let out a low whistle. "That's incredible, Nagato. Just be careful not to hurt yourself with your power if you can't control it yet."

Nagato stood, the golden light fading but a new aura of serenity surrounded him. "I understand, Grandfather. I won't misuse this power. I'll use it to protect, to bring peace to this world of endless conflict. And I want to protect you too!"

Garp nodded, a proud smile on his face as he rested his arm around his grandson while the other bonked the boy on his head and knocking him out of his serene state. "That's my boy, Nagato. I'm proud of you! But you're a hundred years too early too early to protect me!"

~Flashback No Jutsu End~

Back in the present, Nagato opened his eyes, meeting the wary gazes of the three swordsmen before him. His lips moved, uttering a sacred mantra:

"Om Mani Padme Hum."

The golden light surrounding him intensified, becoming almost blinding. When it faded, Nagato had transformed.

He now stood taller, his body radiating an otherworldly presence. His skin had taken on a golden hue, and behind him, the spectral image of a thousand arms fanned out like a peacock's tail. Each hand held a different symbolic object - lotus flowers, wheels, vases, and more. His face was serene, compassionate, yet filled with an immense, unknowable power.

Fuguki took an involuntary step back just by sensing the immense Chakra coming from him, Samehada writhing agitatedly on his back. "What... what are you?"

Nagato's voice, when he spoke, seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. "I am the embodiment of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. I have come to end this cycle of violence and bring enlightenment to those lost in darkness."

Jūzō, his grip tightening on Kubikiribōchō, was the first to recover from the shock. "Enlightenment? Don't make me laugh. The only thing you'll be bringing is your own death!"

He charged forward, the massive executioner's blade whistling through the air. But as it was about to make contact with Nagato, one of the thousand spectral arms moved, catching the blade between two fingers as if it were made of paper.

Jūzō's eyes widened in disbelief. He tried to pull the sword back, but it wouldn't budge. "Impossible!"

Nagato's serene expression never wavered. "Violence begets only more violence. Let go of your hatred, and you will find peace."

With a gentle flick of the spectral fingers, Kubikiribōchō was sent flying, embedding itself deep into a nearby boulder.

Ren Ataroshi, seeing his comrade disarmed so easily, decided to attack from a distance.

"Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu!"

A massive water dragon formed from the ever-present rain, roaring as it hurtled towards Nagato.

But before the jutsu could make contact, several of Nagato's spectral hands moved in perfect unison, forming seals faster than the eye could follow.

The dragon suddenly stopped before it could hit Nagato and swirled into what seemed like a dolphin, with Nagato rubbing it on the head.

"What!! How?" Ren questioned upon seeing his Jutsu be taken control of.

Nagato's voice was calm, almost soothing. "All things are interconnected. The water, the earth, the very air we breathe - they are all one. When you understand this truth, all things become possible."

Fuguki, realizing that standard tactics wouldn't work, decided to unleash Samehada's full power. "Enough of this nonsense! Samehada, feast on his chakra!"

The sentient sword unwrapped itself, its scales bristling as it sensed the enormous chakra emanating from Nagato. But as Fuguki swung the blade, aiming to drain Nagato's energy, something unexpected happened.

Instead of absorbing chakra, Samehada began to tremble. Cracks appeared along its surface, light pouring out from within. Fuguki's eyes widened in panic. "What's happening? Samehada!"

Nagato's gaze was filled with compassion, even as Samehada continued to crack and splinter. "Your sword hungers endlessly, never satisfied. But true fulfillment comes not from consuming, but from giving. Let me show you."

With a gesture, a wave of golden energy flowed from Nagato into Samehada. The sword's trembling intensified, and then, with a sound like shattering glass, it burst apart. From within the broken scales emerged a creature of pure chakra, vaguely shark-like in appearance.

Fuguki stumbled back, his prized weapon now floating serenely beside Nagato. "H-how? Samehada has been bound to this blade for generations!"

Nagato smiled gently. "Nothing is truly bound. All beings seek freedom, seek enlightenment. I have merely helped Samehada find its true nature."

Seeing their strongest weapon neutralized so easily, the remaining swordsmen exchanged wary glances. Jūzō, having retrieved Kubikiribōchō, raised the blade defensively. "What do we do now? This... this isn't a normal opponent."

Ren's grip on Shibuki tightened. "We fight. It's what we were trained for, what we've lived for. We are the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. We don't surrender!"

With a collective roar, the three swordsmen charged, each of them holding kunai that were glinting in the rain-soaked battlefield. But Nagato remained motionless, his expression one of infinite patience and understanding.

As the swordsmen closed in, the spectral arms behind Nagato began to move. They flowed like water, faster than thought, each movement precise and purposeful. In a matter of seconds, Jūzō, Ren, and Fuguki found themselves disarmed,as they could barely move.

But Nagato didn't stop there. The arms continued to move, striking pressure points and chakra nodes with pinpoint accuracy. The swordsmen found their bodies going numb, their chakra flow disrupted.

As they collapsed to their knees, unable to move, Nagato approached them. His eyes, filled with boundless compassion, met each of theirs in turn.

"Your pain, your anger, your fear - I feel it all." he said softly. "You have lived lives of violence, believing it to be your only path. But it is not too late to change, to find a better way."

Fuguki, struggling against the paralysis, managed to spit out, "We don't want your pity or your preaching! Finish it, if you have the guts!"

A sad smile crossed Nagato's face. "It is not pity I offer, but understanding. And as for finishing this..." He raised his hands, the spectral arms behind him mirroring the movement. "I cannot take life in this form, at least, not directly. The Buddha Avalokiteshvara is the embodiment of compassion, after all. But I can give you a chance to reflect on your choices, to find a new path."

Before the swordsmen could respond, they felt themselves being lifted into the air. Higher and higher they rose, until the battlefield below was just a distant patchwork of green and grey.

They could feel their ability to use Chakra being severed by the hands, with it somehow making them feel as if they could no longer even call upon the energy.

"May you find enlightenment on your journey." Nagato's voice reached them, carried on the wind. "And may you choose a better path when you return to earth."

With a final gesture, Nagato sent the three swordsmen flying, their forms quickly disappearing over the horizon.

As the golden light faded and Nagato returned to his normal form, he could barely stand. Yahiko and Konan approached, their eyes wide with awe.

"That was... incredible." Yahiko breathed, a grin spreading across his face. "You've really mastered that Buddha form, huh?"

Konan nodded in agreement, but her brow was furrowed with concern. "Are you alright, Nagato? That transformation seemed to take a lot out of you."

Nagato smiled tiredly at his friends. "I'm fine, just a bit drained. That form... it's powerful, but it requires a great deal of spiritual and physical energy to maintain."

As they surveyed the battlefield, now eerily quiet after the intense fight, Yahiko's eyes fell on the discarded swords of the Seven Swordsmen. "Hey, what should we do with these? Seems a waste to just leave them here."

Nagato considered for a moment, then smiled. "Why don't we take them back with us? I'm sure Kaya would love to study them. She's been making great progress with her fuinjutsu, after all."

Konan nodded in agreement. "That's a great idea. It'll be a nice surprise for her."

The three then stored the blades, after which they headed back to Amegakure.

"You guys think Gramps will beat us back to the Village?" Yahiko asked.

""Most likely/Yes."" Konan and Nagato both stated, with Yahiko pouting since he had betted Kaya that he would beat the old man back.

"Well, I have a bet to win! Let's go!!" Yahiko said as he placed his hands on them both, with them being enveloped by lightning and disappearing, all the while the remaining Villagers thanked them deeply.

[Author's Corner: Hey guys, brief note today.

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How strong do you guys think Loki is?]