C712 Not Yours…

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As the rain continued to fall, drenching the battlefield with a steady downpour, Peter's words seemed to hang in the air, their weight settling over Nagato and his comrades like a thick fog.

"I want your eyes."

For a moment, Nagato simply stood there, his body rigid with disbelief. His hands instinctively moved to his face, fingers brushing over his Rinnegan, as if trying to confirm that his eyes were still there. He stared at Peter, searching for any hint of deception in his expression. Could he possibly be serious?

Yahiko and Konan were quick to react, both stepping forward to shield Nagato. Yahiko positioned himself directly in front of his friend, his posture defensive, while Konan's sharp eyes darted between Peter and Madara. Their bodies were tense, ready to spring into action at any moment.

Yahiko was the first to speak, his voice wary and filled with suspicion. "What do you mean, you want his eyes?" he asked, his tone hardening. "You saved us, but now you're asking for something like that? Why?"

Peter remained calm, holding his hands up in a non-threatening manner, his voice steady and reassuring. "Relax," he said smoothly, his tone casual as though this was a simple conversation between friends. "I don't mean I'm going to take them out of his head or anything. Well… I might, but I'd rather not do things that way."

Yahiko's eyes narrowed further at Peter's words, his suspicion deepening. "That's not exactly comforting."

Konan, her face a mask of controlled worry, stood just behind Yahiko, her gaze locked onto Peter. She, too, didn't know what to make of this man anymore. First, he saved her, healed her injuries, and now he was making outrageous claims about Nagato's Rinnegan.

Nagato, for his part, remained frozen in place, his mind racing as he tried to process what was happening. Why did this stranger want his Rinnegan? What was the real reason behind this sudden demand?

Peter, sensing their rising tension, took a deep breath and decided it was time to explain. "Look," he began, his voice measured and calm. "Nagato's Rinnegan… it doesn't actually belong to him."

The three of them stared at Peter as though he had just sprouted a second head. The disbelief was palpable, and it was clear that none of them bought his explanation. Nagato's grip on his own face tightened, his mind rejecting the idea immediately. "What are you talking about?" Nagato demanded, his voice tinged with frustration. "These are my eyes! They've always been mine!"

Yahiko nodded in agreement, his eyes flashing with defiance. "You expect us to believe that nonsense? That the Rinnegan isn't his? Come on!"

Peter remained unflinching, his calm demeanor never faltering. "It's true," he insisted, though he knew they wouldn't believe him at face value. "But you don't have to take my word for it."

At that moment, Madara, who had been standing quietly off to the side, stepped forward, his presence commanding and imposing. His gaze locked onto Nagato, his crimson Sharingan spinning lazily as he spoke.

"You can't use those eyes, can you?" Madara asked, his voice cold and cutting.

Nagato flinched visibly, the question striking him like a physical blow. His Rinnegan eyes—though they glowed with power—had always felt distant, foreign even. He had never fully been able to access their true potential, no matter how hard he tried.

The others noticed Nagato's reaction. They knew he couldn't use his eyes—at least not yet—but concern still lingered. Yahiko quickly turned to his friend. "Nagato? You okay?"

Madara continued, his voice low but steady. "The reason you can't use those eyes… is because they don't belong to you. They never did."

While Nagato had the potential to unlock the ability to use the Rinnegan, he hadn't done so yet, giving Peter and Madara some leverage in bartering for them.

Nagato's heart pounded in his chest as Madara's words echoed in his mind. "What are you saying?" he whispered, his voice barely audible over the sound of the rain.

Madara's gaze hardened. "Those eyes belong to me," he said simply, his tone matter-of-fact. "I gave them to you when you were still a child, long before you knew what power they held. But now… it's time I took them back."

Yahiko's eyes widened in disbelief. "What are you talking about?" he asked, his voice rising in anger. "You're saying that Nagato's Rinnegan is yours? That's absurd!"

Konan, too, was incredulous. "You expect us to believe that story? Anyone could make up something like that to steal his eyes."

Nagato's hands trembled slightly as they hovered near his face, his heart torn between disbelief and the gnawing feeling that there was some truth to Madara's words. He had always struggled to use the full power of his Rinnegan, but he had always assumed that it was because he wasn't ready—because he wasn't strong enough yet.

But now… the seeds of doubt had been planted.

Peter, watching the interaction closely, took a step forward, his expression still calm but his voice more serious now. "I know this sounds crazy," he admitted. "But it's the truth. He's not lying about this. And the sooner you accept that, the sooner we can move forward."

Nagato's heart pounded as the realization began to sink in. Could it really be true? Could these eyes—the Rinnegan, the eyes of the Sage of Six Paths—truly not belong to him?

Peter stood silently as he observed the doubt and disbelief still etched into the faces of Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato. Despite his explanations and Madara's revelation, it was clear that the trio didn't fully trust his words. Their skepticism lingered in the air, thick and palpable.

Realizing that words alone wouldn't be enough to convince them, Peter shrugged casually, his voice calm and unbothered. "Look, it doesn't matter if you believe us or not," he said with a nonchalant wave of his hand. "The point is, I'm willing to make a trade. Anything you ask for in exchange for the Rinnegan. I'll even give Nagato some new eyes so he won't be blind for the rest of his life."

Yahiko's eyes narrowed at the offer, suspicion clear in his expression. He stepped forward, his tone firm as he responded. "Nagato's Rinnegan are the eyes of the Sage of Six Paths. Even if he can't fully use them right now, what could you possibly offer that would be equal to something like that?"

Konan nodded in agreement, standing at Yahiko's side. "We don't want to fight you, but we can't agree to this." Her voice was calm but resolute, and it was clear that they were preparing themselves for a confrontation if it came to that.

Both Yahiko and Konan turned toward Nagato, silently encouraging him to stand his ground. Despite their gratitude for Peter's earlier help, they couldn't give away such powerful eyes, not even in exchange for a promise. The stakes were simply too high.

But Nagato, standing silently behind his two friends, didn't seem as resolute. Unlike Yahiko and Konan, he couldn't ignore the overwhelming power he had just witnessed. Peter had taken down Hanzo—one of the most feared shinobi in the world—with ease. They had feared ever facing Hanzo, believing he was untouchable, and yet Peter had tossed him aside like he was nothing.

Nagato's gaze lingered on Peter, and as the rain continued to pour, he swallowed his pride and spoke, his voice low but firm. "You said anything, right?"

Yahiko and Konan turned toward him, their eyes wide with alarm.

"Wait—Nagato—" Yahiko began, his voice filled with concern, but Nagato cut him off, shaking his head.

"Think about it, Yahiko," Nagato said, his voice tinged with a mix of exhaustion and acceptance. "We can't fight him. You saw what he did to Hanzo… He could kill us all if he wanted to." He turned to Peter, his eyes resolute. "If this is the only way to protect our dream, then so be it."

Both Yahiko and Konan looked at Nagato with disbelief, their hearts sinking as they realized where this was headed. Konan stepped forward, her hand reaching out to Nagato. "You don't have to do this, Nagato. We'll protect you."

But Nagato shook his head again, more firmly this time. "No," he said softly, his voice steady. "This is the only way."

Yahiko and Konan remained silent, though the unease in their eyes was clear. Their mission—their goal of bringing peace to Amegakure—was everything to them. It was why they had formed the Akatsuki in the first place. The Rinnegan, while a powerful weapon, wasn't what they had fought for. It wasn't what truly mattered.

Nagato turned his gaze back to Peter, his decision made. "As citizens of Amegakure, we've suffered through countless wars. We were orphaned by the Second Shinobi World War. Yahiko, Konan, and I created the Akatsuki to bring peace to our home—to stop Amegakure from constantly being caught in the crossfire of the Great Shinobi Countries."

His words were filled with a quiet determination as he looked Peter directly in the eyes. "If you can bring peace to my country… if you can fulfill the dream that we've spent our entire lives fighting for, then I won't need the Rinnegan anymore. My goal will be accomplished, and I can live a normal, happy life with my friends—without the burden of war or violence hanging over us."

Yahiko and Konan were touched by Nagato's words, their expressions softening as they realized what he was willing to sacrifice for their dream. Though it pained them, they couldn't deny the sincerity in his voice.

Peter smiled as he heard Nagato's request. It wasn't about power or greed—Nagato's wish was simple, and it aligned with Peter's own ideals in a way. "You know what? I like you," Peter said with a grin. "You've got a good heart."

He nodded, his smile widening as he looked at Nagato with approval. "Alright. I'll do it. I'll bring peace to Amegakure. You have my word."

Nagato exhaled a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, his heart lightening slightly as he heard Peter's agreement. Yahiko and Konan, though still wary, exchanged a look of quiet, skeptical hope.

For the first time in a long while, there was a glimmer of hope for their future—a future without war. As long as Peter held up his end of the bargain, of course.

But either way, the deal was made.

A/N: 1800 words :)

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