The one speaking was Pain.
Nagato, leaning on his cane, had his red hair still covering his eyes, obscuring his delicate face.
His eyes were tightly wrapped with special bandages, giving no chance for anyone to see them.
Of course, this didn't matter to Kimimaro, who already knew the truth.
Nagato was simply playing his own part in this self-made performance.
"Leader, it seems that Mr. Nagato's body has almost fully recovered."
"And it's all thanks to Mr. Kimimaro's treatment."
Pain didn't speak, but Nagato did.
Compared to the arrogance Pain usually displayed, Nagato was more humble.
This was his true nature.
But after all he had experienced, Nagato had no choice but to hide behind Pain's mask.
The mask of a changed personality, shaped by life's hardships, was undoubtedly draining on his emotions.
As his body slowly recovered, he seemed to rediscover a piece of his former self.
Of course, it was only a small piece.
"To recover to this extent, your physical resilience is much better than I imagined. Your strong constitution reminds me of someone I once saved. Though her chakra wasn't as vast as yours, her healing ability surpassed yours.
Her special constitution was also a type of Kekkei Genkai. You and she both have red hair; perhaps you both belong to that legendary clan."
"The legendary clan? Are you referring to the Uzumaki Clan, Mr. Kimimaro?" Nagato asked slowly.
"Yes. Years ago, the Uzumaki Clan suffered a great catastrophe, with countless deaths and injuries. Yet, many orphans survived, scattered across the ninja world. I assume Mr. Nagato is one of them, judging by your vivid red hair—the most obvious trait of the Uzumaki."
"I don't know if I am. I once lived in a happy little family in the Land of Rain. But one day, Leaf ninjas invaded my home and changed everything.
If it weren't for Pain and Konan, I'd probably be dead by now. So whether I am part of the Uzumaki Clan or not doesn't matter to me. What I know deeply is the pain war brings, and all I want is to create true peace with Pain and Konan."
Nagato's words were calm, as if he was just discussing something ordinary.
But the determination in his tone was unmistakable to anyone listening.
To Nagato, revenge wasn't the most important thing.
His vision was far broader than simple revenge.
"Mr. Nagato's aspirations are admirable. I look forward to seeing what kind of peace the leader can bring. Now, let's begin the final treatment."
Kimimaro ended the heavy topic and moved the process forward.
Nagato had no objections and nodded in agreement.
"I'll leave it to you, then."
"It's a small matter. This final treatment requires me to break your legs again, letting the nearly healed bones fracture. Then I'll remove the last bit of fire poison and stitch up all the wounds.
The whole process will take about fifteen minutes. Except for the pain during the fire poison removal, the rest shouldn't be too bad for you."
Kimimaro calmly explained the final procedure.
"Please, go ahead."
Nagato had been mentally prepared long ago.
"Alright."
Without hesitation, Kimimaro's blue chakra scalpel swiftly sliced down, cutting off Nagato's legs as he lay on the bed!
Nagato frowned but remained silent.
Konan, however, looked tense, clenching her fists.
Pain showed no expression, as if it had nothing to do with him.
Kimimaro's Byakugan-activated eyes surged with chakra, his focus entirely on Nagato's severed legs.
The black fire poison, visible under the Byakugan, had nowhere to hide.
The treatment began.
The fire poison left from Hanzō's Explosion Flame Array was incredibly stubborn.
Kimimaro had spent nearly a year prescribing medicine to suppress its movement.
Now, the time had finally come to extract it.
The bones in Kimimaro's hands turned a faint gold, and his scalpel moved like lightning, each cut precisely on Nagato's bones.
The Godly Hands Technique!
This technique could multiply the precision of his hands by hundreds, drastically increasing the surgery's success rate.
Suddenly, a wave of intense pain surged!
Nagato couldn't help but cry out.
"Aah!"
Konan gasped in shock.
Over the past two years of treatments, no matter how much pain Nagato endured, he had always held back.
But this time, he let out such a painful scream.
The level of pain was unimaginable.
"Nagato…"
Konan's heart was filled with anxiety, but she remained silent.
She was no longer at the age where she would scream out of fear.
She knew that doing so wouldn't solve anything.
All it would do was vent her own emotions, which might in turn make Nagato worry about her.
So, there was no need.
She had grown into a mature adult who understood boundaries.
Kimimaro worked quickly, so Nagato's pain didn't last long.
Soon, all the black fire poison was completely removed, leaving only the stitching to be done.
Now came Kimimaro's real specialty.
Thread Seam Suturing!
His hands released transparent chakra threads, and sewing needles formed at the ends of the threads.
The needles swiftly wove through Nagato's severed legs, perfectly reconnecting the blood vessels, nerves, muscles, and even the bones.
After completing the process, Kimimaro pulled the threads tight!
Under the chakra threads' seamless stitching, Nagato's severed legs were once again whole.
With one final touch of Kimimaro's hand, even the last of the stitch marks disappeared.
"Phew…"
Kimimaro let out a deep breath, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
This series of highly complex operations had taken quite a bit out of him.
But with his current physical condition, the exhaustion would completely fade after just a few breaths.
"Mr. Nagato, the surgery was a success. You can try your legs now."
Hearing this, Konan finally let out a sigh of relief.
Nagato rose from the bed and instinctively reached for his cane, but Kimimaro stopped him.
"I don't think you'll need that anymore."
Taking Kimimaro's words to heart, Nagato took a deep breath.
He shakily stepped down from the bed.
At first, he was a bit unsteady.
But his remarkable ability to adapt quickly helped him regain his former speed.
He began to walk.
Then, he started to run.
His pace quickened, until he kicked at the wall.
*Bang!*
A large hole appeared in the wall.
Power, restored!
His legs were now completely healed.
They were just as good as they were before the explosion.
No, they were even healthier.
"Nagato, you're really healed!"
Konan was visibly excited.
Nagato looked down at his legs, feeling as if it were all a dream.
"Yes, I'm truly healed."
He muttered softly, unsure whether he was dreaming or awake.
"It seems the results are quite satisfactory. Congratulations, Mr. Nagato."
Kimimaro's words pulled him from his dreamlike state.
"Thank you, Mr. Kimimaro."
"It was nothing. But judging by your appearance, it seems that the terrifying power you've been suppressing is starting to stir."
Kimimaro appeared to be hinting at something.
Nagato said nothing, but Pain spoke up instead: "Thank you for your hard work, Kimimaro. You may now head to the Land of Lightning to capture the Two-Tails jinchūriki."
"Leader, though people say one should 'kill the donkey once the grinding is done,' you're being a bit too obvious about wanting me gone, aren't you?"
Kimimaro couldn't help but make a joke.
"Time is of the essence; we can't afford delays. Deidara and Sasori are already on their way to the Hidden Sand Village. They should arrive by tomorrow at the latest. Once that's done, we'll begin sealing the One-Tail. I want to seal the Two-Tails as soon as possible after that."
"Alright, I'll leave now. But remember, Leader, you owe me one."
Kimimaro smiled faintly and left with Suigetsu.
"Are your legs really healed?"
Once they were gone, Konan asked Nagato with concern.
"Yes, they're fully healed. Kimimaro's methods are truly remarkable. But I find him even more unsettling now."
"Unsettling? Why? He healed your legs, so shouldn't he be considered a friend?"
Konan didn't understand.
"I originally thought that during the final stage of treating my legs, he would plant something inside them to gain control if we ever fell out. But he didn't."
"Doesn't that show he has no intention of betraying us?"
"That's one way to look at it. But there's another possibility."
"What possibility?"
"That he isn't afraid of turning against us—he's confident he can defeat us."
"Nagato, maybe you're overthinking it. Kimimaro doesn't even know you're Pain's true body."
Nagato shook his head.
"That's not how I feel. Because of the treatment for my legs, I've had too many encounters with him. Even though the bandages block the Rinnegan's eye power from leaking and prevent the Byakugan from detecting it, Kimimaro is smart. I think he's already figured it out."
"This..."
Konan furrowed her brows for a moment, then said, "Even if that's the case, we have no reason to fear him. Your body has fully recovered, and even if he has other plans, in the face of overwhelming power, everything is futile."
"No, you're underestimating Kimimaro's strength. Based on the chakra I felt from him this time during my Rain Tiger at Will Technique, he's no longer the same as before. Even with the ability to walk again, I can't be certain of victory."
"Has he grown that much?"
Konan was shocked.
Nagato seemed deep in thought.
"Don't worry, not being certain of victory doesn't mean I'll lose. Actually, this isn't entirely a bad thing for us. From the current situation, Kimimaro's strength is beneficial to us.
We have no idea how strong that masked man really is. Having another powerful ally is a good thing.
Though I can't see through Kimimaro's intentions, the fact that he's helping us like this probably isn't to create a powerful opponent for himself. The situation is still optimistic. Our top priority right now is to collect the Tailed Beasts.
Now that my body is fully recovered, the Gedo Statue can unleash even more terrifying power. Once we gather all nine Tailed Beasts, no one will be able to stop me from bringing peace to the world!"
As Nagato spoke, his red hair loosened, revealing those Rinnegan eyes that could shock the world.
The powerful eye power radiated out, far beyond what the inferior replicas of the Deva Path Pain could compare to.
Meanwhile, Kimimaro, who had already left Amegakure, suddenly stopped and looked toward the distant tower.
"Boss, what are you looking at?"
"Nothing. I'm just getting more excited about the future."
Kimimaro said softly, then looked away.
"The future? You mean capturing the Two-Tails Jinchuriki? I was actually going to ask you about that, boss. Can I go in first alone? If I can't handle it, then you can step in."
"You itching for a fight? Want the Two-Tails' claws to scratch you?"
Kimimaro laughed.
"Of course not. I've been training for so long, getting beaten by you every day. I just want to find someone to fight at full strength and stretch my muscles. It'll help me regain some confidence too."
"Trying to regain confidence by fighting the Two-Tails Jinchuriki? That's an interesting idea. Fine, since you're asking, I'll let you have it. Actually, I fought this Two-Tails Jinchuriki once before."
"Huh? Really? You never mentioned that, boss. When was this? How did it turn out? Did you beat the Two-Tails Jinchuriki back then?"
Suigetsu's curiosity was burning again.
"I'll tell you later. Right now, we need to find the way to the Land of Wind."
"The Land of Wind? Shouldn't we be heading to the Land of Lightning? Why are we going to the Land of Wind?"
Suigetsu asked, puzzled.
"Of course, we're going to join the fun. The Land of Rain is so close to the Land of Wind; wouldn't it be a shame if I didn't check it out?"
"But if we head over now, even at top speed, won't we be too late? By the time we get there, Deidara and Sasori-senpai will have already captured the One-Tail Jinchuriki. Do you think they'll fail? Are we rushing to save them?"
"Of course not. Although Deidara and Sasori aren't the strongest members of the Akatsuki, taking on a small village like Sunagakure is no problem.
Besides, Sasori is from Sunagakure and knows the village well. He also has an informant inside. There's no reason they should fail.
And I'm not going to capture the One-Tail, so there's no need to rush."
"Huh? Then why are we going?"
"To watch a show. A grand rescue of the Kazekage."
Meanwhile, after two years of peace, Konoha Village welcomed a familiar yet unfamiliar face.
"Konoha, I, Naruto Uzumaki, am back!"
The grown-up boy once again stepped into the village he had long been away from.
The innocent smile on his face hadn't faded with time.
He was still the boy who loved to experiment with the Sexy Jutsu.
Elsewhere, beneath a waterfall in Otogakure, two figures sat cross-legged on the massive boulder washed by the current.
The enormous flow of water crashed down on them, but it had no effect.
"Chidori Stream!"
With a low shout, the black-haired, red-eyed boy summoned blue lightning, forming a shield that parted the waterfall.
The water scattered without touching him.
In the next moment, the black-haired, white-eyed boy nearby also moved.
"Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!"
The terrifying chakra turned into a palm strike that blasted the waterfall apart!
For a brief moment, the water stopped flowing before resuming its cascade.
The boys, through rigorous training, had gained new strength.
(End of Chapter)