"Nagato, don't go down the wrong path again."
"You already know your thinking is flawed. Come back to Konoha with me—I'll make sure you and Yahiko receive justice."
Jiraiya's voice trembled slightly with conviction. Deep inside, he knew he wasn't a match for Nagato—not anymore. Once upon a time, he had fought Pain's Six Paths with everything he had, only managing to destroy three. But now, with Nagato at his full strength, directly controlling all six bodies and wielding the full power of the Rinnegan—there was no contest.
"Justice?"
Nagato's lips curled into a faint smile as he shook his head. His experiences within the exam dimension had changed him. The brutal battles, especially the duel with the old man and his cane, had taught him that power wasn't everything. Wit and perspective mattered too. He had learned to laugh, even amidst chaos.
He knew that Orochimaru's lackey, Kabuto, had perfected resurrection. The exam dimension proved resurrection was real—Kisame had come back. Yahiko's revival wasn't a dream anymore.
So why did he need Konoha's justice?
There was no need for more talk. He had learned a hard truth from Uzumaki Naruto during the First Question of the Ninja World Exam: if you weren't Naruto himself, no amount of talking no jutsu could surpass raw, calculated force.
Capture. Bind. Convince later.
Just as he moved to launch his strike, Uchiha Obito—bound by his own Kamui-hair—sensed a disturbance. His Mangekyō twisted unnaturally.
Ripples of space cracked open.
Two figures burst out.
One dressed in vibrant green. The other, silver-haired and masked.
Nagato's eyes narrowed.
Kisame's expression twisted.
Hatake Kakashi.
Maito Gai.
They'd gambled on Kamui—targeting its distortion point from the exam feed's endpoint. It worked. Their presence was like thunder.
Now, alongside Jiraiya, the three stood in a tight, determined triangle.
"I don't have much chakra left. I can only take two with Kamui," Kakashi said hoarsely. His hands trembled. He still hadn't mastered the technique fully.
Jiraiya stepped forward—but Gai blocked him.
"Take Jiraiya-sama and Obito. Their intel is worth everything. I'll hold the line."
Jiraiya looked at Gai. The man wasn't hesitating. The Will of Fire blazed in his heart.
"Understood," he said, voice heavy. "We'll leave this to you, Gai. Kakashi, go."
Kakashi hesitated. Guilt gnawed at him. If he hadn't asked Gai to come, he wouldn't have to watch him stay behind.
"Don't look so down," Jiraiya said. "This is Gai's choice."
Tears trickled down his face.
Obito, still restrained, said nothing. The Akatsuki stared.
Why hadn't Nagato stopped them?
He had the power.
Why let them escape?
The idea that he was sparing them was ludicrous. The Akatsuki—terrifying, merciless—was not led by a pacifist.
And yet…
Gai turned to the Akatsuki.
"So, you're the ones causing chaos."
He could feel the weight of their malice. It reminded him of his father's final stand against the Seven Swordsmen.
He had inherited that courage.
"Then let me show you the fury of the Blue Beast of Konoha!"
Green chakra exploded from his body.
The Third Gate opened—Life. Power flowed.
"...Seventh Shock!"
As his energy surged, Nagato's voice cut in.
"Wait. Maito Gai. You've opened the Eight Gates?"
Gai froze. His chakra stuttered.
How did Nagato know?
He turned—and saw it.
A crow. A Sharingan. Red and spinning. Genjutsu.
"Tch—!"
He tried to disperse it, but too late.
The ground beneath him convulsed.
"Chibaku Tensei!"
"Chibaku Tensei!"
Nagato and Tendo Pain acted as one.
The Akatsuki recoiled in shock.
This wasn't just strategy.
This was domination.
The number one sealing jutsu in the ninja world—and it had ambushed the Blue Beast before he reached the Eighth Gate.
Kisame was stunned.
He watched the massive stone sphere form—Gai sealed inside.
Nagato hovered it like it weighed nothing.
Larger. Denser. More intense than what he once used on Naruto.
Improved.
He tapped the sphere.
"You all saw it. Maito Gai—ranked #1 in the Arrogance List. Eight Gates—#1 in Martial Arts Techniques."
He turned, smirking.
"So why fight fair?"
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