"Can your body handle such a powerful Shinra Tensei?" Kawasaki asked, his first concern being Nagato's physical condition.
He couldn't help but worry. As mighty as the Deva Path appeared on the outside, Nagato himself was as frail as paper, looking as if he could collapse at any moment.
Nagato gave a slight nod. "There is no need to worry. I spent a long time recovering beforehand and followed your advice to build up my chakra before using the technique. It didn't affect me much."
He then informed Kawasaki that he had successfully tested the repeater mode, confirming that it could drastically extend the transmission range, albeit with a slight delay.
"With this jutsu on the battlefield, victory will be within our grasp."
"Obito also appeared on the Land of Water's battlefield," Kawasaki continued, sharing more intelligence on Obito. He mentioned how Obito had forcibly recruited Kakuzu and had intended to deal with Kawasaki's clone.
This proved that Nagato and Konan's worries were not unfounded. They absolutely could not let Nagato's real body fall into Obito's hands.
"I didn't expect him to escape," Nagato said, shaking his head. "No matter. Now that we know about Kakuzu, he poses little threat. Obito's actions mean he has already decided to make a move against me."
"I've decided. I'm going to integrate the Hashirama Cells."
With the organization now shattered by Kawasaki's efforts, it was the perfect time to go into hiding. Obito's movements had not yet been widely noticed. For Konan and Nagato, disappearing was a necessity.
Hearing Nagato's words, Kawasaki understood that he wanted to use this opportunity to completely shed his frail body.
Kawasaki didn't try to dissuade him. Instead, he asked, "Do you two want to revive Yahiko?"
Konan and Nagato's eyes widened. "Kawasaki, what do you mean by that?" Konan pressed urgently.
"I obtained a secret jutsu in the Hidden Sand Village called the One's Own Life Reincarnation," Kawasaki told her. "It allows the user to transfer their life force into a target."
"I know Nagato's Rinne Rebirth can revive the dead, but Nagato himself would lose his life in the process. With the One's Own Life Reincarnation, we can replenish Nagato's life force after he revives Yahiko."
Excitement was plain on Nagato's face. "Kawasaki, is what you're saying true?"
"Of course, it's true," Kawasaki replied. "When have I ever lied to you? All you need to do is perform the Rinne Rebirth, and I will find a way to restore the life force you lose."
"Alright! Konan, we can bring Yahiko back!"
The reason Nagato hadn't revived Yahiko before was that he hadn't yet mastered Rinne Rebirth when Yahiko first died. By the time he was capable, it required trading his own life. Nagato wasn't afraid of death, but he knew that even if he revived Yahiko, it wouldn't change the state of the world. The smaller nations would still live under the oppression of the great powers, peace would remain a distant dream, and their ideals would be for naught.
Therefore, Nagato dedicated his entire being to the cause of peace. It was only after Kawasaki's arrival shattered everything that Nagato resolved to keep his life to fight against the conspirator, "Madara." Now, with the chance to revive Yahiko without dying himself, Nagato was overcome with emotion.
Konan was just as overjoyed as Nagato, but after the initial wave of happiness, her brow slowly began to furrow.
"Nagato," she said slowly, "I'm afraid we'll have to postpone the plan to revive Yahiko."
The joy vanished from Nagato's face. "Why?"
Kawasaki was also confused as to why Konan would object to reviving Yahiko immediately.
Konan explained with a frown, "We've studied the Hashirama Cell solution. It requires immense ocular power to suppress and stabilize. If you use the Rinne Rebirth, your ocular power will be greatly depleted, making the integration of the Hashirama Cells extremely likely to fail."
Kawasaki and Nagato came to a sudden realization. While the One's Own Life Reincarnation could replenish life force, the Rinnegan's ocular power could not be restored instantly. And that power was the key to integrating the Hashirama Cells. The process wasn't a simple injection; it was a long, gradual fusion that required the Rinnegan's power to maintain control and stability throughout.
Nagato shook his head. "It just means waiting a little longer for my ocular power to recover. Compared to Yahiko's life, that's a worthy price to pay."
Konan's face was etched with worry. "Obito and Zetsu are definitely searching for us everywhere. Every day you delay integrating the cells is another day of danger."
Nagato shook his head again, his tone firm. "My mind is made up, Konan. Don't try to persuade me."
Konan opened her mouth to speak, but in the end, no words came out.
Standing to the side, Kawasaki already understood. After his deep conversations with Nagato, the divine-like ideology Nagato once held was completely gone. Now, the Deva Path's appearance was merely a facade. Nagato was no longer the man who made decisions unilaterally, so his reason for refusing Konan was obvious.
Nagato had previously feared failing the integration or being secretly killed by Obito, which was why he had sought out Kawasaki to entrust him with his final wishes. Now that he had a chance to revive Yahiko directly, even if something happened to him, Konan wouldn't be left alone in this world.
Nagato was now treading on thin ice with every step. He would rather take on more risk if it meant leaving Konan with some form of security. This was likely the sincerest form of friendship.
Having been by Nagato's side for so many years, Konan naturally had a good idea of what was on his mind. That was why she didn't want him to take the risk, even for a precious opportunity like reviving Yahiko.
Seeing that the two had stopped arguing, Kawasaki asked, "So, where will we do this?"
Nagato's decision was final, so Konan stopped trying to dissuade him and began to consider a suitable location.
"Why don't you come to Konoha?" Kawasaki suggested. "It will be very safe within our Uchiha territory."
But Nagato shook his head in refusal. "No. If we choose Konoha, and Obito has a way to control my Rinnegan, it could lead to catastrophic casualties for the village."
Kawasaki was reminded of the consequences when the Deva Path fought the Tailed Beasts in Konoha. Nagato had a point; there was no guarantee that Obito or Black Zetsu couldn't control him. You could never be too careful. If Nagato were to unleash a Shinra Tensei from their base, all of Kawasaki's hard work over the years would be for nothing.
"Then let's do it in the Land of Whirlpools," Kawasaki suddenly proposed.
Konan asked, puzzled, "Why the Land of Whirlpools?"
Kawasaki smiled. "No particular reason. It just came to mind. It's a place where you're not likely to be discovered."
Nagato agreed with Kawasaki's assessment. "Alright, the Land of Whirlpools it is."
Kawasaki had wanted to bring Orochimaru along, but it was clear that Nagato and Konan wouldn't trust a man who had once vowed to eliminate them. Besides, Orochimaru was stretched thin as it was, so Kawasaki had to abandon the idea.
Afterward, Kawasaki and Nagato agreed on a time and broke their connection.
...
Back in Konoha, the Third Hokage had been working hard to boost Orochimaru's reputation recently. After all, many of Konoha's elite ninja had been forced to retire from active duty due to crippling injuries.
Once the Third Hokage made Orochimaru's cloning technology public, many people came seeking his help. The Third was swamped with work, but in the process, he managed to reclaim a great deal of his prestige. Promoting Orochimaru to the forefront was a move that had paid off.
The Third Hokage was quite satisfied with how things were turning out.
However, news from the Land of Water's battlefield—that the powerful reinforcements hired by the Hidden Mist had annihilated three thousand Hidden Cloud ninja and forced their army to retreat—struck him like a lead pipe.
A war that seemed poised to engulf the entire shinobi world... had ended so quickly?