After a long slumber, Nagato slowly opened his eyes. The dim room lit faintly by chakra conduits reflected in his gaze—now calm, wise, and resolute.
For the first time in a while, his mind was clear. Plans, reforms, and philosophies surged within. He now had both vision and power—the perfect moment to reshape the ninja world.
But…
Nagato let out a quiet sigh.
His body—frail and emaciated—was still a prison. His reach in the world depended on the Six Paths of Pain, vessels of his will. Yet their limited range was a chain on his ambitions.
Inconvenient. Restrictive. Weak.
Just then, Konan entered the chamber without a word, holding a small green vial.
"Nagato, I've brought your medicine."
Before he could object, she uncorked the bottle, gently opened his mouth, and poured it in. It was cool, almost sweet. He blinked.
The Water of Life.
The viewers in the examination space leaned forward. Could this be the angel's exclusive reward? What did it do?
Strength? Healing? Immortality?
Moments later, Nagato's body convulsed slightly. The coolness spread throughout his veins like liquid starlight. Then came the itch—a crawling, gnawing feeling as if ants chewed every inch of his body.
Konan's gaze turned to worry as Nagato's frame expanded, lean muscles regenerating, strengthening, and ripping out the dozens of black chakra rods once embedded into his back. Without their link, all the Pains simultaneously collapsed.
And then, like a miracle in motion, Nagato reached forward, gripping the edge of his wheelchair, and—
Stood up.
Unsteady, trembling… but standing.
"I… I've recovered?"
He looked down in awe at his own legs, flexing them, confirming what seemed impossible. Even his overdrawn chakra system had healed.
It was no less than divine.
The exam space's exit activated with a flash: a swirling door of white mist. The test had concluded.
Nagato reached for a fallen black rod, bent it like rubber, and coiled it into a makeshift bracelet. The moment he wore it, his fallen Pains stirred, awakening anew.
They rushed forward in formation, and Nagato, now standing tall, let the wind whip his red Akatsuki cloak as he strode through the portal.
Outside, the Akatsuki stood in a semicircle. Their god had returned.
"Moonstep."
The members moved like shadows, flanking the exit in synchronized motion.
Orochimaru exited with a grim expression, followed by a silent Zetsu and the cautious Jiraiya. The thick mist cleared behind them.
From it, Obito emerged—face hidden beneath a fresh cloak, urgency in every step.
"Zetsu!" Obito roared midair.
A massive wooden spike formed in his hand, aimed directly at Black Zetsu.
But Hei Zetsu only chuckled.
"Wood Release? You think you earned that?"
Suddenly, Obito's body locked, and he plummeted to the ground. He looked down in horror as a familiar shape—White Zetsu—bulged out from his skin.
Nagato raised an eyebrow, but before anything could happen, Jiraiya flashed forward.
"Ninjutsu: Lion's Mane Technique!"
His elongated white hair lashed forward, binding both Obito and White Zetsu. A clean save.
But Akatsuki had already moved.
They formed a tighter ring around the five in the center: Jiraiya, Orochimaru, Itachi, Obito, and Zetsu.
Tension crackled like thunder.
Nagato's voice broke the silence. Soft yet commanding.
> "If I were your enemy, you'd all be dead."
The tone was strange. Calm. Almost… compassionate.
> "Killing can't resolve conflict. War doesn't bring peace. And ninjutsu… is the primary productive force."
He turned to Zetsu.
> "Leave the ring, Zetsu. I'll spare you."
Even Hei Zetsu was stunned. Was Nagato afraid of Madara?
He hesitated but eventually removed the Xuanwu Ring from his finger and tossed it. After one last glare at Obito and Nagato's Rinnegan, he phased underground, disappearing with a legion of White Zetsu.
Nagato looked at Orochimaru.
> "Put your ring back on. From now on, help me rebuild the world. The past is forgiven."
Orochimaru, slightly amused, slipped the empty ring onto his left little finger. Without a word, he moved beside Hidan, eyeing his Akatsuki cloak.
> "Feiduan-san, might I have that cloak?"
Feiduan clutched it tightly.
> "You bastard, I just got this!"
Nagato paid no mind. His eyes moved to Uchiha Itachi.
In silence, Itachi lifted his Suzaku ring, stepped into the formation, and said nothing. His message was clear.
He was in.
Nagato's lips curled into a faint smile.
> "Jiraiya… I can't let you leave. Not yet."
Nagato entered the ring.
> "I will capture you. Not to kill—but to teach. To show you my path."
His eyes glinted with purpose.
> "You will become my student again."
And so would the rest of Akatsuki.
Every lesson would end with a study report.
Painful realizations. Slow understanding. Growth through philosophy.
Just like how Nagato himself was transformed.
From the gift in his reward.