Hanzo shouted urgently, "Minato, how dare you!"
Danzo also shouted at Minato, "Minato, don't! Only the power of the Rinnegan can deal with Uchiha Madara."
But Minato wasn't listening to anyone right now.
A mortal body simply cannot withstand the power of the Rinnegan. Seeing Nagato's skeletal state, it's clear even the Uzumaki Clan cannot master the eyes of the Sage of Six Paths.
If the Rinnegan were brought back to Konoha, his wife Kushina might become a sacrifice for it.
Minato would not allow that; the Rinnegan had to be completely destroyed.
But he... had finally arrived!
"What... do you intend to do with my eyes?!"
A cold voice suddenly joined the battlefield, followed by a sixty-meter-long giant cleaver falling from the sky, its tip aimed at Minato's position as he neared Nagato.
Danzo shouted, "Minato, get away!"
It was too late. With a single slash, a massive crack appeared across the high ground, splitting the battlefield in half.
Minato's fate was unknown.
Nagato timely controlled the Gedo Statue to protect himself, Konan, and Yahiko's corpse; otherwise, the shockwave from that single strike alone would have obliterated them.
But after doing all this, Nagato's aura was terrifyingly low. His head hung low, his hair turned white, and his lifeless long hair covered his two Rinnegan.
Burned out! Nagato was completely burned out!
Konan broke down: "Nagato—!"
At the critical moment, Hanzo used Body Flicker to dodge the slash of the giant Chakra blade. He stared blankly at the giant deep-blue figure next to the Gedo Statue.
"What on earth is that thing?"
A hundred-meter-tall deep-blue armored samurai stood tall, wearing a long-nosed Tengu mask, emitting a deep-blue Chakra halo all around, radiating intense pressure.
At that moment, everyone on the battlefield couldn't help but look at the deep-blue giant.
That day, humanity remembered the fear of being dominated by giants.
A figure in red armor stood within a square on the giant's Tengu mask, his eye sockets empty, with long flowing hair.
Seeing that figure, Danzo found it hard even to breathe.
Madara!
He had appeared after all!
Madara deactivated Susanoo, jumped down from the sky, and slowly walked toward Nagato.
"Nagato, in the blink of an eye, you've grown so much!"
The Gedo Statue actually moved without Nagato's control; it straightened up, no longer protecting Nagato.
It was as if Madara was the true master of the Gedo Statue!
Konan blocked the way in front of Nagato, looking at Madara with determination: "I won't let you near Nagato."
Madara raised his hand, about to kill Konan.
Ryou emerged from the ground and pulled Konan back.
He smiled awkwardly at Madara: "Sorry, Ancestor. This woman has no brains; I'll fix her right away."
Madara said impatiently: "Get lost."
"You got it!"
Ryou used Body Flicker to take Konan far away.
Black Zetsu had told Madara about Ryou's playboy nature; this kid would say he wanted ten girls whenever he went to a brothel.
This junior played so wildly, while Madara, of the grandfather generation, was still a virgin!
Could he tolerate this? No! He had to give him a harsh lesson!
On the other hand, Madara's plans for Tsunade had also somewhat fallen through.
People of the Uchiha Clan were very sincere in their feelings; such a playboy had never appeared before.
For this scumbag, if Madara didn't help him awaken the Sharingan, he would never awaken his Uchiha bloodline in his life.
Ryou took Konan far away from Madara.
Konan struggled hard to break free from Ryou's grip, pleading with him: "Ryou, I beg you, save Nagato. I'll do anything! From now on, I'm yours!"
Ryou pinched her face and spoke the truth: "Stupid. Even if I don't save Nagato, you're still mine."
Konan was furious and tried to bite Ryou's hand: "Uchiha Ryou, you despicable bastard!"
Ryou instantly performed Water Release: One Finger and Konan immediately lost all her strength and stopped struggling.
Ryou was most experienced in dealing with this kind of female Ninja; just go in with a Q, and she wouldn't be able to take it.
Madara approached Nagato. Looking at Nagato's white hair, he felt a bit sentimental.
Even the resilient life force of the Uzumaki Clan would be drained dry by the Rinnegan.
Madara suddenly grabbed Nagato's head, transferring Yang Release Chakra produced by Hashirama cells into Nagato's body.
Instantly, Nagato regained a bit of life. He slowly opened his eyes and saw a man in red armor with empty eye sockets.
Seeing those abyss-like empty sockets, Nagato understood everything.
"...So that's how it is. The Rinnegan were yours all along! So... I'm not special at all!"
Nagato suddenly felt a sense of relief. He was someone with little self-confidence, even timid.
When Jiraiya told Nagato his eyes were the Rinnegan, that he was the reincarnation of the Sage of Six Paths and the child of prophecy who would bring change to the Ninja World.
Nagato's heart wasn't filled with joy, but with a desire to escape.
How could someone like him carry such a great ambition as changing the Ninja World?
From the very beginning, I was a cowardly person.
Madara placed his hand over Nagato's eye sockets and said, "No, Nagato, you are special. You were the best vessel for the Rinnegan to be placed in."
The Rinnegan needs the host's Chakra for maintenance; otherwise, it would be ruined.
At that time, Madara's aged body was simply insufficient to maintain the Rinnegan, so he had White Zetsu search the entire world for a host.
The host for the Rinnegan should ideally be someone with a massive amount of Chakra and a resilient life force.
The Senju Clan, the Uchiha Clan, the Hyuga Clan... Madara finally settled on the clansmen of Uzumaki Mito. Only the Uzumaki Clan's massive Chakra and resilient life force were suitable for maintaining the Rinnegan.
Although the Land of Whirlpools was destroyed, there were still many Uzumaki descendants scattered across the Ninja World.
There was another important reason Nagato was chosen as the Rinnegan host.
Nagato had six types of Chakra natures; this wasn't a gift from the Rinnegan, but because Nagato originally had Six Elemental Affinities.
Even without the Rinnegan, Nagato's talent as a Ninja would have led him to be trained as a Kage in any major hidden village.
It could be said that it was inevitable for Nagato to have the Rinnegan transplanted by Madara.
Nagato thanked Madara: "...Thank you for being willing to acknowledge me!"
"..."
Madara remained silent, then removed the Rinnegan from Nagato's eye sockets. Nagato didn't stop him, nor could he; he was at death's door.
Nagato could no longer see anything; his world was pitch black.
Madara slowly activated Yin-Yang Release and placed the Rinnegan into his own eye sockets.
Nagato finally asked: "...Master Jiraiya said the host of the Rinnegan is the one who can bring change to the Ninja World. Will you be the one to resolve all the conflicts in this world?"
The goal of the Akatsuki was to resolve all conflicts in the world, yet they were destroyed by conflict.
Yahiko didn't commit suicide; he died because of the conflict inherent in human nature.
Madara installed his left eye, then looked at Nagato's empty eye sockets—total darkness, yet still searching for light.
Even a single glimmer would make him ecstatic.
Madara slowly installed his right eye: "In this world, things don't always go as you wish. The longer you live, the more you realize..."
"Reality is filled only with helplessness, pain, and emptiness. In this world, wherever there is light, there will always be shadows."
With the right Rinnegan installed, Madara... lacked nothing now.
Madara thought the day he regained his sight would be clear, but the Land of Rain is a country that cries forever.
Madara's Rinnegan reflected the gloomy weather of the Land of Rain, the corpses on the battlefield, and the curse of the Ninja World.
"I will create a world without conflict, a world where everyone's wishes come true, a world of Genjutsu."
Madara looked at Nagato: "In that world, my brothers wouldn't have to go to the battlefield so young; they could grow up safely, marry, and have children."
"Nagato, perhaps in that world, your companions can be resurrected to accompany you through the rest of your journey."
"...Is that so?"
Nagato slowly lowered his head: "...What a beautiful world. I truly hope your wish comes true, to create a world without conflict."
Madara looked at Nagato, then pressed his hand onto his head, transferring Wood Release Chakra into Nagato's body.
Nagato's life force, which was like a tiny flame, suddenly flared up.
Nagato felt his life being saved and asked in confusion: "Why?"
Madara said: "Consider it a reward for maintaining the Rinnegan for me all these years! Come with me to create that beautiful world!"
Ryou suddenly appeared before Madara: "Ancestor, let me do it, let me do it."
"Hanzo and Danzo are about to escape. Ancestor, quickly catch up to them and make them all die, die, die!"