To wield the Rinnegan was to preside over life and death itself.
The kunoichi my companions had defeated lay dead at my feet—her life force extracted by the Preta path and funnelled into my own Pathway system.
A deep breath slipped past my lips as my skin returned to its usual tone. While still pale, it was a far cry from the deathly white it had been before.
"Nagato!" Yahiko called, sprinting toward me.
"Your hair! It was—"
His speech cut off abruptly as the male body on ground next to me twitched.
"Save your questions," I said, holding up a hand. "I'll explain everything later. He'll wake up—"
"No! Don't leave me again!"
The young man I had brought back from the dead jerked upright—his hands fruitlessly grasping at the air in front of him.
His widened green eyes bulged frantically as he wheezed a breath.
"Welcome back to the world of the living," I said, gently reaching out to squeeze his shaking shoulder. "Whoever it was you saw up there… you'll see them again in time."
The older boy flinched away from my touch.
"Who… what—" he rasped. "Who are you?"
I met his gaze without blinking.
Given the severity of the trauma he had just endured, such a reaction was to be expected.
"My name is Nagato Uzumaki."
I slowly gestured at my back, without taking my eyes off him.
"They're Konan and Yahiko—my friends… we came here to rescue you."
"Rescue me?" he echoed, his eyes growing distant. "How? I… I died."
Clothes rustled behind me as his question lingered heavy in the air.
Luckily, my companions knew better than to speak up during such a tense moment.
"We defeated your captors, and I..."
I hesitated for a breath, before firming my resolve and brushing my hair to the sides—revealing the Rinnegan.
"I brought you back to life."
"You brought me—"
The words died in his throat as he froze.
"You defeated my—"
His head snapped to the side, his gaze falling to the cooling corpse beside him.
The sounds that ripped itself from his throat next was animalistic—a cacophony of gasps and cries.
I had never heard anything like it before.
His arms trembled as he reached toward the lifeless kunoichi.
"What is he doing?" Yahiko asked quietly.
Konan quickly shushed him.
Meanwhile, the boy had begun tracing the dead woman's features with his fingers.
He closed her glassy green eyes, and gently caressed her pale cheeks,
Tears gathered in his eyes he brushed against her red lips.
They fell quietly.
"I… I don't understand," I said, a faint crease cutting between my brows as I observed his inexplicable actions.
"She tormented you—she killed you! And now she's dead. Aren't you happy?"
My question remained unanswered as he reached for the cloth I had wrapped around her punctured neck.
The tears slowed as his fingers closed around the blood-soaked fabric.
"But I am happy," he said, his voice subdued. "I am so, so happy."
"Then why…"
I paused for a moment, searching for the right words.
"Why do you waste your tears on her?"
"You're right—she did torment me," he muttered, ignoring my question. "I even died because of her… I hate—hated her so much."
He unclasped his hands from the woman's thin neck and stared down at them silently.
"I don't know why I'm crying."
This was not going the way I thought it would.
Not at all.
I gently squeezed his shoulder, trying to draw his attention.
"What is your name?" I asked, casting a quick glance back at my friends.
Their eyes were wide.
"Tell us your story," I added. "Help us understand."
His eyes sharpened for the first time as they met mine.
He peered past me for a moment before nodding slowly.
"My name is Kuvar," he said. "I grew up in the capital of the Land of Earth. When I was six, my family moved to a remote village…"
My hand remained steady on Kuvar's shoulder as he shared the story of his life with us.
The confusion of a child moving from the big city to a small village.
How Iwagakure shinobi regularly swept their lands for bandits.
How those same shinobi began to appear less and less as they were drawn away by the war.
And finally—the day his life had ended.
"I was just a kid when I first saw her," he said. "I had recently turned twelve—but everyone always told me I looked younger."
A hollow smile twisted his lips as he stared down at the hands he had folded in his lips.
"She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. And—out of everyone in the village—she chose me. She'd spend time with me… compliment me… say that she lo—"
His speech cut off as his gaze turned vacant.
"One day, a group of shinobi came—not from Iwa. They wore strange masks." He bit down on his lower lip. "When they came for us… I told her that I would protect her… I really was such a stupid child."
"What happened?" Yahiko asked as the other boy fell silent.
Kuvar's smile deepened as he chuckled.
The sound was as discordant as it grotesque.
Feet clattered against the floor as my friends flinched backward.
"What else?" he asked. "She did what she always does… She revealed her own mask—killed my family, and then smiled as she wrapped a collar around my neck."
For a moment, I was at a loss for words.
Knowing how the story would inevitably end had done nothing to prepare me for hearing it from the victim himself.
Just like her partner, that kunoichi had died too easily.
"That was four years ago," Kuvar continued, any hints of dark humour vanishing from his tone, as quickly as it had come.
"I was the only one she would never let them take… she said I was special. When I behaved, I was allowed into her room. Into her—"
He paused as his gaze shifted behind me.
"And when I did bad, she sent me to the Basement. No matter where we went… there was always a basement."
A tight knot formed in my throat as I kept on listening quietly.
I did not know what to say.
"She told me that we would stay here for a while—that we would have to stay low."
His voice hardened as he met my gaze.
"I ran as fast as I could the moment she fell asleep."
The surrounding landscape surfaced in my
mind.
It had taken us hours to reach this place—and we had chakra.
It was no wonder he had not succeed.
"As always, I was caught," he went on. "It wasn't much of a surprise. I had run away many times before, and she'd always catch me sooner or later."
His hands clenched around his knees.
"But this time, it wasn't her who hunted me down… It was one of her partners. That's the last thing I remember."
I pulled my hand away from his shoulder and wetted my lips.
I had originally intended to interrogate him—to make him tell us everything he knew about the organization in exchange for bringing him back to life.
I could no longer do that.
"Nagato Uzumaki," he said. "It's been a long time, so it took me a while to remember."
He voice rang with wonder as he stared into my eyes.
"In the capital, there is a story every child knows—the story of the Sage of Six Paths… those are his eyes, aren't they? That's how you brought me back to life. And that's how you kids killed Zara and her partner."
A soft gasp sounded from behind me.
Konan must have remembered my warning about what would happen if I was found out.
There was no need to worry.
"You're right," I admitted easily. "They're called the Rinnegan."
I lifted my chin slightly.
"I am the Sage's successor. And as such, I decided that you did not deserve to die."
My voice lowered as my gaze fell to the dead kunoichi.
"And that she no longer deserved to live."
Kuvar's breath hitched as his shoulders stiffened.
"The Sage's successor," he whispered.
Then his teeth clenched together tightly.
"Why… why are you here now?" he hissed. "There were so many of us—so many! Why did you save me, but not them?"
His words felt like a punch to the gut.
"I'm sorry, Kuvar," I said, hesitantly putting hand back on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry it took me so long to find you."
The anger drained from his features as he studied my expression.
"What do you want from me?" he asked quietly. "Why did you do this?"
"I don't want anything from you."
I pulled my hand back and shook my head.
"What you should be asking yourself instead, is what do you want. Where do you want to go? Tell me now—and I will do my best to make it happen."
"There is nowhere for me to go."
His shoulders dropped as he glanced around the room.
"I just want quiet… and peace. I want to leave this place."
Peace…
If only I could give him that.
"Not every child that was trapped here is gone," I said. "There were two others beside you. A boy and a girl."
I leaned back slightly, gathering my thoughts.
"The boy was stolen from his home village just yesterday. Its not far from here, so we'll return him first... If you want, I can take you there."
"Yes," Kuvar said, nodding just once. "Thank you."
I seeped my chakra into his coils and caught his unconscious body before it hit the ground.
"Nagato…" Konan whispered behind me.
I briefly closed my eyes, and then turned around to face my companions.
Tears were pooling at the corners of Konan's eyes, while Yahiko was visibly fighting to keep a hold of his shaking limbs.
I surged forward and wrapped them both in a tight hug.
"It is okay," I whispered. "I know."
Wet spot appeared on my shoulders as they both stopped suppressing their emotions.
While Kuvar's story was tragic—it was the knowledge that we had been too late to save the dozens of other children that was much harder to bear.
He was safe now, but their suffering would continue.
"He expected too much from you, Nagato," Konan said as she pulled herself from my embrace.
"You couldn't have saved the others… he should not have blamed you just because you have the Rinnegan."
"She's right!" Yahiko added, his voice returning to its usual strength. "You said it yourself—none of us were ready for this before."
"That doesn't matter," I replied, shaking my head. "In his eyes, I'm a shinobi. And not only that—I'm also the successor to a god."
A faint smile pulled my lips upward into a shallow crescent.
"I told you before, didn't I? The legacy attached to these eyes… it is more than I can currently handle."
Yahiko's lips parted as he breathed out deeply.
"That… sucks."
"It does," I agreed. "However, there is a silver lining."
My expression brightened gradually as I met their eyes.
"The Basement wasn't the only thing I saw in the shinobi's memory."
The corners of my mouth lifted farther up.
"How would you two like to give their treasury a through inspection? It would be shame to leave everything they've so carefully gathered laying around here—unguarded. Don't you think?"
—————-
Konan was tired.
So very tired.
"Are you ready?" Nagato asked, watching them both carefully.
His purple eyes studied them as if he expected them to break at any moment.
His lack of faith stung.
What hurt even more, was that his concern may even be warranted.
"I will summon the girl first," he continued. "I did my best to avoid those memories… but I fear she experienced treatment similar to the one Kuvar was forced to endure."
The moment Nagato turned his back to them, Konan's expression fell.
She cast Yahiko a sidelong glance.
His jaw was clenched as he pushed his own scroll filled bag against the cave wall.
Nagato had told them that those scrolls were filled with treasure.
He had called them sealing scrolls—and then explained that they were made by a shinobi who practiced Fuinjutsu.
"We're ready," Yahiko said, stepping up to her side. "Summon her."
Nagato's crimson hair swayed as he nodded.
Heralded by dark pink flames, the demonic head of King Yama rose from the ground—blocking the cave exit.
The young woman that emerged from the creature's gaping mouth was unrecognizable from the distraught girl that had cried herself hoarse in Konan's arms just hours ago.
Her formerly decrepit form had filled out, firm muscles coiling beneath spotless clothes.
"You put me under a genjutsu," the woman accused as she strode toward them.
Her pale blue eyes burned like cold flames.
"The same one that Bastard loved to use."
"I did," Nagatos said. "I did not want you to stay in there any longer than you had to."
While Konan could not see his expression, he sounded far calmer than she would have been when faced with the older girl's scorching stare.
The woman paused as she cast a glance around the cave.
"Where did you take me?"
Her expression froze as her eyes fell on Konan.
"...It's you," she whispered.
"It is," Konan answered, stepping forward to stand beside Nagato. "We're in a cave a short distance away from the nearest civilian village."
She hesitated for a moment, gathering her courage.
"We wanted to speak with you."
Konan quickly stilled as the blonde woman reached out to touch her face—caressing her cheek as if she was holding onto something immeasurably precious.
"What do you want to know?" the woman asked.
"What is your name?" Nagato asked. "What happened to you?"
She ignored his question and instead peered past them—her gaze settling on Yahiko.
"You're the boy who tore apart the bars to my cell," she said, a soft smile tugging at her lip. "Thank you."
"That—" Yahiko cleared his throat as he stepped forward to join them. "I mean… You're welcome."
"My name," the woman continued, staring down her nose at Nagato, "is Callisto Yamanaka. Of the Yamanaka clan. Genin of Konohagakure. Member of team 5. Student of Akame Ishisoka."
Her voice darkened as her expression hardened.
"And if you put me under that Genjutsu again… I will kill you."
"… I understand."
Nagatos nodded slowly, his purple gaze veiled behind a curtain of red hair.
"My apologies… I did not mean to upset you."
"You're from Konoha!" Yahiko called, his voice tinged with disbelief.
"I am."
"Then how did you get caught? You're a shinobi!"
"I didn't get 'caught'" she shot back an enraged frown contorting her refined features. "I was tricked—and then captured."
Her glare shifted to Nagato.
"You want to know what happened to me?" she asked. "Fine, I'll tell you! My team and I were out on a mission. That Bastard took the form of my Sensei. I let down my guard. And he trapped me in a genjutsu that knocked me out."
Her finger brushed against her temple as she bit down on her trembling lower lip.
"The next thing I knew—I was in a cage and couldn't use my chakra. Are you happy now?"
"No… I'm not happy," Nagato said as he stepped forward, bridging the distance Callisto had created between them.
"I don't think I've ever been this angry in my entire life"
He paused and took a deep breath.
"But this isn't about me."
Callisto retreated backward again as her expression flashed with uncertainty.
"What do you want from me?"
Konan's breath caught in her throat as the same question rang from her memories, posed by a different voice.
She was just like Kuvar.
"We don't want anything," Konan said. "We just want to help you."
"Oh, you sweet, sweet girl," Callisto whispered, slowly shaking her head. "Someone like me can't be helped."
A mournful smile touched her lips as she looked to the side.
"What that Bastard did to me… it cannot be undone."
Her hand drifted to the side of her neck.
"It will stay with me forever."
"But what if it didn't?" Nagato asked suddenly. "What if there was a way for you to forget? To forget all of it."
"That's impossible," Callisto retorted, her brows drawing together. "That's not how memories work. Even with the most powerful mind techniques, echoes always remain."
"Every rule has an exception."
He raised his hand—and another body exited King Yama.
It was Kuvar.
Callisto—who had jumped to the side the moment Nagato raised his hand—flinched as she met the boy's green eyes.
"What is the meaning of this?" she exclaimed. "You died! That Bastard killed you!"
Her hands shook as her shoulders stiffened.
"He complained all night about how he had search the land to find his bitch of a partner a replacement toy."
A toy?
"Calm down, Callisto!" Kuvar called. "Don't you see who we're in the presence of?"
"What are you—"
The Konoha kunoichi froze as she looked back at Nagato.
He had brushed his hair to the side, revealing the Rinnegan.
"That is… you are—"
She fell silent.
"Kuvar. Callisto," Nagato began, staring at them intensely. "What happened to you is horrific. It shouldn't have happened—but it did. I can't change that."
His gaze sharpened as his chest rose with a breath.
"But what I can do, is erase any evidence of it. Your tormentors are dead. Their base is destroyed. Your bodies have been cleansed and renewed… All that remains are the scars left on your minds."
He slowly extended his hand.
"You know what my eyes are. You know what they can do… Take my hand, and I will take your pain away. You will leave from here as the person you were before—not who you are now. I can make that happen."
Konan's pulse quickened as her eyes widened.
But the last time he used that Path—
"No!" Yahiko shouted as he stepped forward and gripped Nagato's shoulder tightly.
"You can't! Don't you remember what happened the last time you used that Path?"
Nagato gently pulled the other boy's hand away.
"I appreciate the concern, Yahiko. I really do, but please don't interfere anymore. I can do this."
A faint smile curved his lips as his gaze met hers.
"Trust me."
Konan's hands clenched as she pushed down the words that threatened to spill from her lips.
He could not do this.
Not again.
"What happens to you if we say yes?" Kuvar asked slowly. "What happened 'last time'?"
"Once you say yes, I will use one of my Six Paths to take your memories—from the moment you were captured up until this very moment," Nagato answered. "Every indignity you suffered. All of your suffering. All the pain you were forced to endure."
His chin lifted as his voice firmed.
"I will carry it for you."
"No," Kuvar said.
"…No?"
"I will not allow you—"
"Will you really be able to take them all?" Callisto asked as she stepped forward. "There won't be any echoes? Nothing that will return with time—or be shaken loose by a mind technique?"
"I will take them all."
Tears welled up in her pale blue eyes as she came to a stop before him.
Her lips trembled as she reached for Nagato's hand.
"I am so sorry."
Konan's fingers tightened around the fabric of her sleeves as their skin touched.
The woman fell to the floor, and King Yama sank back into the floor.
A choked scream tore itself from Nagato's throat as he spun away from them.
He staggered forward and pressed a trembling hand against the jagged wall.
"Konan…" Yahiko whispered, shooting her a glance.
"Yes." She nodded. "He can't do this alone."
Before they could take a single step toward their shaking friend, a heavy pressure descended on their shoulders.
She could not move a muscle.
"Nagato… stop!" Yahiko forced out between gritted teeth.
"We want to help," Konan added, fighting to keep herself upright. "You promised to let us help."
"I know… I know," Nagato muttered.
Stone cracked beneath his fingers as his knees quivered.
"But this is not what I taught you Ninshu for—don't test me on this."
His back shivered violently.
"And if sparing you from this means you'll leave me for good… then I will accept your decision."
Konan's eyes misted as she ceased her struggle to advance forward.
"Excuse me."
A confused voice rang out from behind her.
"What is going on here? Where am I?"
The pressure on her shoulder disappeared instantly.
"It is good to finally meet you, miss!" Nagato pivoted, a bright smile on his face.
In all their time together, Konan had never once seen him smile like that.
"Sorry for intruding in your cave!" he continued. "We just really needed a place to stay for the night."
He walked forward, his eyes once again covered behind a layer of red hair.
"I hope you don't mind."
"My cave?" Callisto repeated, arching an eyebrow. "I don't remember owning a cave, though."
Her lips pursed as she glanced around their surroundings.
"You all look like a bunch of civilians… how the hell did I end up here?"
Her voice rose slightly as she stared at the motionless Kuvar.
"You! Where are we? I'm supposed to be on a mission out in some remote Fire Nation village."
A quiet shudder traveled up Konan's spine.
She really doesn't remember.
There was no recognition in Callisto's eyes as their gazes met.
Not even a hint.
"And what's up with these clothes?" Callisto muttered as she peered down at her body. "What an insane growth spurt… I thought this only happened to the Akimichi?"
"We're in the Land of Rain," Kuvar answered hesitantly. "I'm told that at shinobi speeds, the Land of Fire is only a few days' travel away."
Callisto flinched backward, her jaw falling open.
"The Land of Rain!" she shouted. "That backwater?"
She dragged her hand across her face as she groaned loudly.
"Sensei is going to kill me."
She flashed them a quick smile and whipped around.
"Sorry, kids—I need to run."
"Wait!" Nagato called abruptly. "Don't forget this."
He picked up one of the heavy bags they had taken from the Base.
One of the three filled with treasures.
"We found this next to you while you were sleeping."
Callisto's glossy blonde hair fell to the side as she tilted her head.
"Thanks little man," she snorted, easily accepting the gift as she ruffled Nagato's hair.
"What's your name?"
A bright grin stretched her face as she inspected the contents of the bag.
"… My name is Nagato Uzumaki."
"You're a good boy, Nagato."
She turned around and walked toward the cave exit
"My name is Callisto Yamanaka. Feel free to visit me if you're ever in Konoha. I'll definitely pay you back!"
She waved at them over her shoulder, before jumping outside with a burst of chakra.
The unnatural smile vanished from Nagato's face as he watched the woman disappear into the rain.
"My answer is still no," Kuvar said.
Ngatao groaned.
"You're thinking about it too hard," he said, rounding on the older boy. "I'm offering you salvation! You saw what just happened—why are you still resisting?"
"Of course I saw it," Kuvar retorted, shaking his head. "That is why I'm refusing… I wanted you to save us—not whatever the hell that was."
Konan's grip on her sleeve loosened as she exhaled quietly.
While she was not exactly sure what Nagato had just put himself through, she knew without a doubt that she never wanted to see him like that again.
Not ever.
"Suit yourself!" Nagato scoffed. "Better get used to that pain then. I will not ask again."
"I already am," Kuvar huffed, smiling faintly. "But even if you did ask again, my answer would not change. This pain is mine to bear—and mine alone."
"Nagato… you… are you alright?" Yahiko asked as he took a hesitant step toward their friend.
"I am!" Nagato replied. "I just… need some time. Alright?"
He breathed out deeply as he glanced at Kuvar and lifted his arm.
"Are you still coming to that village with us?"
"Yes."
"Good."
A moment later, a young boy emerged from King Yama's gaping maw.
"Didn't I tell you?" Nagato asked,a soft smile spread across his face.
"The next time you open your eyes, everything will be alright."
He extended his hand toward the grinning child.
"Let's get you home."
Konan chest tightened as she studied her friend carefully.
His smile was the same as it was before—but his hands had stopped trembling.