The morning sun rose, casting its golden light over the hidden hideout, but Nawaki remained a broken figure—his spirit shattered, his soul still lost in the abyss of betrayal. His physical wounds had been sealed by Nagato—though Nagato was no medical expert, sealing a missing limb was a simple enough task. The entire leg was gone, making the process even easier. Konan and Yahiko already knew Nawaki's true identity and the grim fate that had befallen him—the truth laid bare before them.
Nawaki sat in silence, his mind a storm of confusion and pain, struggling to piece together his shattered thoughts. After what felt like an eternity, he finally spoke, his voice hollow.
"So… why did you save me?"
Nagato, standing before him with his Rinnegan gleaming, answered without hesitation.
"Join us. Together, we will change the world—bring peace to every corner of it, to every suffering soul."
Nawaki clenched his fists, his loyalty to Konoha warring with the reality of his betrayal.
"But I can't… I can't betray Konoha."
Konan, sharp-eyed and ever perceptive, cut in.
"They betrayed you. Don't you understand what happened?"
Among the three, Konan was the most analytical—her mind honed by years of study and practice. Even Nagato, with his knowledge of the future, sometimes found himself outmatched by her intellect.
Nawaki frowned, still clinging to denial.
"What do you mean? It was just Danzo, wasn't it? He's the one who wanted me dead."
"Stubborn fool," Konan said, her tone firm but not unkind. "You're a Senju. Your grandfather was the First Hokage—the God of Shinobi himself. Their legacy is untouchable. The village elders feared another prodigy rising in your clan, someone who could challenge their authority. They had to eliminate you."
Nagato nodded, reinforcing her words.
"You're living proof of their treachery. And what about Kato Dan? A mere civilian ninja. But if he married Tsunade, their children would carry the Senju name—direct descendants of Hashirama. The elders couldn't allow that."
Nawaki's hands trembled.
"But I never wanted to be Hokage! I never sought power!"
"They didn't care," Nagato countered. "Title or not, your bloodline gives you power. That alone made you a threat. You'd become an elder—shaping decisions just by your heritage. Hiruzen, Danzo—they were Tobirama's students. They couldn't risk you opposing them."
The weight of the truth pressed down on Nawaki, his resolve crumbling.
Nagato delivered the final blow.
"And what about Tsunade? They won't kill her—she's Hiruzen's prized student. But her lovers? Easy targets. As long as she never bears a child, the Senju line ends with her."
A cold, sickening realization struck Nawaki. His sister—alone, grieving, her heart broken again and again by unseen hands.
"I need to think about it," he whispered, his voice raw. "If I join… you have to protect my sister. Promise me."
Nagato's lips curled into a faint smirk.
"Don't worry. Once she sees Konoha's corruption for herself, she'll leave willingly. And when she does, I'll let her teach medical jutsu in our future academy. She'll have the school she always wanted."
A flicker of hope ignited in Nawaki's chest. Tsunade had dreamed of a medical school—a dream Hiruzen had crushed. Maybe this was her chance. Maybe this was his chance to make things right.
But still… he needed time to think.
Giving Nawaki time, Nagato retreated to his private lab—a dimly lit chamber filled with scrolls and sealing arrays. From within his cloak, he withdrew a crystal necklace—Hashirama's relic, pulsing with latent power. When he had saved Nawaki, he had discreetly knocked it loose, ensuring it fell into his possession.
This necklace once restrained the Nine-Tails. Even Naruto, in his full berserk state, couldn't shatter it easily. Its power was no joke.
"Chain Resonance Jutsu," Nagato intoned, his voice echoing in the silent room.
A star-shaped seal flared to life on his forehead, glowing an eerie violet. Nine diamond-shaped marks followed, spreading across his face like a celestial map, thin lines of chakra connecting them. More symbols emerged along his arms, chest, and legs, weaving into an intricate, glowing network.
Then, from the central star, nine spectral chains erupted—piercing the necklace like serpents striking prey. The crystal trembled violently as its energy was siphoned away, draining into Nagato's body. Inside his seal, Hashirama's dried, withered heart twitched—then pulsed, revitalized, its color shifting from ashen gray to a deep, living crimson.
The necklace shattered, crumbling into dust.
"It's done."
He activated the Samsara Seal. Instantly, vitality surged through him—his chakra reserves swelling beyond their limits, the constant strain of the Rinnegan vanishing as if it had never existed.
"Perfect. Now, Hashirama's sage energy will reshape my body, reforging it into something greater."
The Pursuit of Edo Tensei
With his body now harmonizing with Hashirama's power, Nagato turned to his next project: the forbidden reanimation jutsu, Edo Tensei. He was no Orochimaru—his talent lay in sealing, not genetic experimentation—but the Uzumaki clan's mastery of fuinjutsu gave him an edge. With the Void Tome's knowledge, he could refine the technique beyond even Orochimaru's twisted achievements.
Days blurred into weeks. Weeks into months.
Nagato barely slept, barely ate. Yet, thanks to Hashirama's boundless chakra, fatigue never touched him.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Nagato exhaled—a slow, satisfied smile spreading across his face.
"Success."