66-70

Chapter 66: The Power of the Rinnegan

“Hm?”

A sudden, terrifying killing intent engulfed Pain.

“Watch out!”

Before Konan's shout could fully leave her lips, the ground beneath Pain erupted.

A massive snake clad in pitch-black armor burst forth, its gaping, menacing jaws aimed to devour both Pain and Konan in one strike.

“Shinra Tensei!”

Without hesitation, Pain spread his hands, unleashing a formidable repulsive force that sent both the giant snake and Hidan hurtling away.

Konan, meanwhile, had already prepared her defense. Using a ninjutsu technique, she conjured wings made of paper, lifting herself into the air to evade the attack.

From beneath Kaneki’s cloak, a crimson-scaled appendage slithered out, catching the airborne Hidan mid-flight.

“Even my chakra’s been disrupted, huh?”

The moment Kaneki caught him, he sensed the chaotic, disrupted chakra coursing through Hidan’s body. The cause was clear: the black rod embedded in him.

Gritting his teeth, Hidan yanked the black rod out of his body and snarled, “That bastard better pray I don’t catch him.”

As long as he could get Pain’s blood, Hidan vowed to make him suffer through Curse Technique: Death Controlling Possessed Blood.  

Pain, meanwhile, was sizing up the monstrous snake that had suddenly appeared. Its entire body was encased in an exoskeleton as hard as steel, and its head was adorned with a grotesque skeletal mask. A single crimson eye on the mask glowed ominously.

Hovering mid-air with her paper wings, Konan stared at the snake and speculated, “Is it a summoning beast?”

Pain shook his head. “I didn’t sense any summoning jutsu.”

As the two analyzed the situation, Kaneki wasted no time launching another attack.

The monstrous snake let out an ear-splitting roar and, despite its enormous size, moved with shocking speed, darting toward Pain and Konan like a bolt of lightning.

“A mysterious creature capable of using ninjutsu, huh?”

Pain’s Rinnegan, with its unparalleled insight, immediately discerned that the snake was using Earth Release techniques to reduce friction with the ground, thereby enhancing its speed.

“If this is all it can do, then I’m thoroughly disappointed.”

Pain’s voice was icy cold as he raised his hand again. A precisely aimed Shinra Tensei sent the massive snake flying once more, no match for his overwhelming power.

“What an annoying ability,” Kaneki muttered, adjusting his glasses.

He watched as Pain raised his hand yet again, this time targeting him directly.

“Banshō Ten’in.”

A terrifying gravitational force pulled Kaneki toward Pain. Six crimson-scaled appendages and a thick, spiked tail shot out from Kaneki’s body, anchoring themselves deep into the ground. But even this wasn’t enough to slow his approach.

Pain’s palm opened, and a long, black rod materialized, aimed directly at Kaneki’s heart.

At this speed, Kaneki’s heart was certain to be pierced.

But just as the impact seemed inevitable, a faint smile appeared on Kaneki’s otherwise emotionless face.

The ground beneath Pain’s feet cracked open, and a black-scaled, crimson-tinged centipede tail shot out from below.

Anchoring himself into the ground was merely a distraction—the real plan was to launch a surprise attack from underground.

Caught off guard, Pain had no choice but to use the Body Flicker Technique, disappearing from his original position in an instant.

Reappearing mid-air, Pain locked eyes with Kaneki, who squinted and said, “That’s the fastest Body Flicker Technique I’ve ever seen.”

With that, a pair of jet-black wings sprouted from Kaneki’s back. Adjusting his glasses once more, he said, “Let’s see how you handle this—Ninja Art: Feather Kill Dance.”

The black feathers, gleaming with a metallic sheen, shot out like a storm of deadly projectiles, enveloping Pain in mid-air.

“Pain…”

Konan prepared to intervene, but Pain raised a hand to stop her.

“If I can’t handle this alone, then our so-called dream is nothing more than a joke.”

With that, Pain raised both hands, and the incoming feathers stopped as if colliding with an invisible wall, deflecting harmlessly a meter away from him.

Kaneki, wary of Pain’s repulsive force, raised his fingers into a sword sign.

“Ninja Art: Twin Serpents’ Fang.”

The snake that had been sent flying earlier surged back into the air, joined by another that erupted from the ground. The two monstrous snakes attacked Pain from both sides.

From their skeletal masks, countless crimson-scaled appendages extended, forming a massive net that ensnared Pain in mid-air.

Within the crimson net, the two massive jaws closed in on Pain.

Even faced with such a deadly assault, Pain’s expression remained unchanged. Slowly, he opened his Rinnegan eyes wider, their violet glow piercing and mesmerizing.

“If that’s all you’ve got, then let me show you the power of a true…”

“God!”

“Shinra Tensei!”

Spreading his arms wide, Pain unleashed a blinding white light. A tidal wave of repulsive force surged outward, obliterating the crimson net and tearing it to shreds.

The two colossal snakes were consumed by the light, annihilated entirely.

This time, Pain was determined to showcase his might. His chakra surged without restraint, and the overwhelming repulsion seemed to destroy everything in its path.

The air compressed violently, the ground shattered, and even light itself seemed to distort.

Everything was reduced to nothingness.

The shockwave of the attack stretched for several kilometers, turning the entire town into rubble in an instant.

In the aftermath, Pain’s figure hovered majestically in the sky, his commanding gaze surveying the ruined landscape.

Amidst the devastation, a figure slowly rose from the debris.

“With power like that, not even their insane vitality could keep them alive, right?” White Zetsu muttered, glancing at the wreckage.

“Hmm. We came to recruit new members, but it turned into this mess.”

Black Zetsu shook his head, clearly regretting their failure to recruit Kaneki and Hidan. After all, capturing the tailed beasts would be too slow with only Pain.

“Hm?”

Pain, still suspended in the air, suddenly furrowed his brow.

At the edge of the ruins, Kaneki’s silhouette emerged, rising steadily to his feet.

“What… incredible power.”

His body was drenched in blood, his kagune completely shredded under the immense pressure.

On his back clung a withered insect—a new species he had recently created using Uzumaki clan genetics.

The Blood Sac Bug.

It could store a vast amount of life force, releasing it in emergencies.

Even with his kagune unleashed in full defense and the Blood Sac Bug replenishing his vitality, Kaneki’s body had sustained severe damage.

This alone was a testament to the sheer strength of his opponent.

(End of Chapter)  

Chapter 67: What Kind of Monsters Are in the Cult of the Evil God?

“This body can’t hold up any longer.”

Kaneki tested his condition. While he wasn’t completely lifeless yet, his body was far too damaged to fight effectively.

As for Hidan?

Even under the protection of numerous kagune, Kaneki was in this state. Hidan, on the other hand, had been smashed to the ground and left in an uncertain state of life or death.

Meanwhile, our dear Evil God was busy expending energy to snatch souls from the Shinigami.

Pain slowly walked toward Kaneki and, looking down at him, said, “Have you decided yet? Will you join the Akatsuki or not?”

“What a simple and brutal method of recruitment.”

Kaneki trembled as he raised his hand and gently pushed his glasses up.

Pain frowned slightly. A strong sense of foreboding surged through his mind.

Suddenly, countless black beetles erupted from Kaneki’s severely injured body. Like a terrifying tidal wave, the insect swarm blocked the rain and completely surrounded Pain!

Kaneki smiled faintly. “All for the sake of our Evil God!”

“Pain!”

From afar, Konan shouted anxiously.

The moment the black beetles appeared, Pain immediately used the Body Flicker Technique to escape the swarm, reappearing midair just outside its range.

But as he sensed something crawling on his clothing, his typically impassive face showed an expression of utter disgust.

“Damn it.”

Without hesitation, Pain tore off his red Akatsuki cloak adorned with clouds and hurled it away with all his strength.

The instant the cloak left his hand, the beetles attached to it swelled up, releasing chakra that transformed into a ferocious blaze, exploding violently!

*Boom!*

A massive fireball lit up the sky, evaporating every raindrop that dared to fall upon it.

The silhouette of Pain fell from the sky, his upper body scorched and bare. He landed on the ground in a disheveled state.

“Pain, are you alright?”

Konan flew over to Pain, her expression anxious as she examined his singed hair and burned skin.

Since the formation of the Akatsuki, this body representing the Deva Path had never suffered such serious injuries.

“I’m fine,” Pain replied coldly, narrowing his eyes. “That guy has already seen through the weakness of the Deva Path.”

Konan’s face turned grim.

Although the Deva Path possessed powerful gravitational and repulsive abilities, it had a significant flaw: the use of *Shinra Tensei* required a cooldown period of at least five seconds.

Furthermore, the stronger the Shinra Tensei, the longer the cooldown period. After unleashing a large-scale attack earlier to assert dominance, Pain needed at least five minutes to recover.

Fortunately, Kaneki was already on the brink of death. All that remained was to eliminate the strange swarm of insects.

While Pain pondered, the massive insect swarm surged toward him.

Konan stepped forward, weaving hand signs.

*"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"*

A torrent of water erupted from Konan’s mouth, scattering the insect swarm.

Countless sheets of paper then flew into the air, folding into shurikens that spun rapidly, targeting Kaneki at the swarm’s center.

“As I thought,” Kaneki’s voice came from within the dispersing swarm. Though his body was battered beyond recognition, his tone remained calm, as if victory was already his.

“Your eyes aren’t without limitations. At the very least, you can’t use that terrifying power continuously.”

“If I’m not mistaken, the cooldown for smaller repulsive attacks is about 5–7 seconds. As for large-scale attacks? Three minutes? Five minutes? Or perhaps even ten?”

Despite the limited intelligence Kaneki had gathered during the fight, it was more than enough.

For the first time, Pain smiled, admiration evident in his gaze.

“Your strategic thinking is sharp. However, even if you’re correct, what can you do in your current, broken state to stop me?”

“Are you still refusing to surrender?”

Pain gripped his black rod tightly, exuding confidence.

“Join the Akatsuki and become our comrade!”

Kaneki barely moved his ruined body, forcing a grin. “Heh, let me guess. What makes you so confident in your victory?”

Glancing at his own grievously injured body, Kaneki’s tone didn’t change. “Is it this body, incapable of further combat?”

Seeing a flicker of unease on Pain’s face, Kaneki’s eyes glinted with mockery. Calmly, he said, “Sorry to disappoint you. As a devout follower of the Evil God, the most expendable thing is my own body.”

A crazed smile spread across Kaneki’s face as he plunged his hand into his chest and ruthlessly ripped out his still-beating heart, holding it aloft.

Each beat of the heart seemed like a drum pounding directly on Pain’s and Konan’s nerves.

“Is he insane?” Konan muttered in disbelief.

Even Pain, usually stoic, looked gravely serious.

He understood that someone like Kaneki would never commit suicide. If this wasn’t an act of self-destruction, then it could only mean he was preparing some bizarre technique.

Under their astonished gazes, Kaneki adjusted his glasses with his free hand and said calmly, “Allow me to show you what true evolution looks like.”

He crushed the heart in his hand.

With a terrifying explosion, Kaneki’s mouth opened, and a chant praising the Evil God resonated through the battlefield.

In the sacred hymn’s wake, the scattered villagers—some missing limbs, others reduced to mere fragments—rose from the rubble.

Regardless of their condition, the chant guided their souls, transforming them into shields and spears for the Evil God.

This was… *a covenant.*

Watching the mutilated bodies converge toward Kaneki with terrifying speed, even Pain, who claimed to be a god, felt a chill in his heart.

“What the hell is this Cult of the Evil God?”

A deep unease enveloped both Pain and Konan.

“Stop him!”

Regardless of whether Kaneki was alive or dead, they had to stop whatever he was trying to accomplish before it was too late.

Konan nodded, splitting into countless paper fragments that launched a fierce attack on Kaneki’s body.

Suddenly, a blood-red shadow appeared, intercepting the paper projectiles.

“Bastards, don’t forget about me!”

Hidan reappeared, brandishing his triple-bladed scythe, ready for battle!

(To be continued...)

Chapter 68: Clash of Monsters - Apostle of Desire vs. Gedo Statue

“Damn it.”

Konan squinted, controlling a torrent of paper sheets in a relentless assault on Hidan.

However, with his immortality as an advantage, the paper attacks were futile against him. Combined with his increasingly honed taijutsu, Konan found it impossible to bypass Hidan and interfere with Kaneki.

Whenever Hidan attempted to inflict more serious harm on Konan, her Paper Jutsu rendered his physical attacks ineffective. Against someone who had mastered the Paper Release secret technique, such attacks were pointless.

Coupled with her rare flying ability, the battle remained at an impasse.

“You old hag, come down here and fight like a real shinobi!”

Hidan shouted furiously. He’d hoped to eliminate both of them before Kaneki's resurrection to showcase his own strength. After all, it was about time Lord Hidan got the recognition he deserved and became the one in charge.

But this woman stubbornly refused to engage directly, relying instead on her paper wings to fight a hit-and-run battle.

This infuriated Lord Hidan to no end.

“How childish,” Konan sneered outwardly but remained deeply concerned inside.

The ominous aura emanating from the pile of remains behind Hidan was growing stronger with each passing moment.

Despite her best efforts to annihilate the converging believers, no matter what kind of attacks she launched—even reducing them to mere piles of flesh—they would still crawl toward that man.

All they could do was watch helplessly as Kaneki’s form gradually expanded, transforming into a grotesque mountain of flesh.

Pain observed the scene calmly. Both he and Kaneki were waiting for the perfect opportunity to deliver a decisive blow.

After a horrifying buildup, the grotesque horror finally moved.

The massive mountain of flesh erupted with a dreadful aura. A distorted human face emerged at the top of the mound—it was Kaneki's face.

He slowly opened his mouth.

“Join the Master. Embrace glorious evolution!”

“Praise the holy hymn!”

In the next moment, thousands upon thousands of faces surfaced across the fleshy mass. All opened their mouths in unison, chanting the hymn of their master.

A cacophony of chaotic, overwhelming sound waves burst forth, reverberating through the heavens and the earth with the Master’s terrifying name.

In Konan’s view, the entire world began twisting violently again.

The sky turned blood-red, and the ground morphed into a monstrous maw as if preparing to devour her.

Konan found herself in an unprecedented crisis.

Fortunately, Pain pressed a hand lightly against her, channeling his chakra to dispel the genjutsu.

The distorted world in Konan’s eyes stilled. Regaining her senses, she asked with a lingering sense of dread, “What is this thing?”

“He fused the flesh and souls of all his followers to create an immensely powerful Yin-Yang Release construct.”

As the wielder of the Rinnegan, Pain was no stranger to Yin-Yang Release.

For this reason, he fully understood the horrifying power of the monstrosity before them.

“With that level of vitality, even my strongest Shinra Tensei might not be enough to kill it.”

Konan's pupils contracted slightly at Pain’s words.

No one understood the Rinnegan’s power better than her.

And now, even the Rinnegan couldn’t guarantee victory against this thing?

“Are you planning to use that move?”

Konan looked at Pain's stoic face and discerned his intent.

“Yes.”

Pain nodded slightly.

“My body has recovered enough.”

As the massive-scale genjutsu failed to work, the mountain of flesh slowly compressed into a giant sphere.

The apocalyptic aura condensed to its peak.

The surface of the sphere sprouted countless grotesque tendrils, densely packed and striking like a meteor shower toward Pain and Konan.

“Retreat!”

Konan grabbed Pain and swiftly retreated.

The stench-filled tendrils pierced the ground, shredding it effortlessly into fragments.

In mere seconds, the once-intact battlefield was reduced to lifeless debris, with only the monstrous sphere looming ominously in the distance.

This was the result of Kaneki ascending to LV3, utilizing enhanced mental strength to analyze the Uzumaki clan’s genetics.

By forming contracts with followers, their souls gradually fell into corruption, diminishing their bodies’ natural resistance to modification.

Then, using Uzumaki genes, RC cells, and Jūgo’s genetic structure, Kaneki transformed their bodies, granting them chaotic vitality. The process twisted them further into grotesque creatures.

Through his clones’ immense spiritual energy, the fallen souls were warped completely, culminating in the ultimate creation—

*The Apostle of Desire.*

Driven by insatiable desire, the Apostle relentlessly absorbed nature energy, entering a frenzied state that unleashed indiscriminate destruction.

Even Kaneki could only partially guide it with his powerful mental strength.

But for Kaneki, this limitation wasn’t a major flaw.

After all, both he and Hidan were essentially immortal. Indiscriminate attacks posed little threat to them.

Under the Apostle of Desire’s rampage, the land was left scarred and broken.

Even Hidan could only watch in curiosity, his small brain grappling with a big question:

“When did Kaneki manage to pull this off?”

Hundreds of tendrils flailed wildly, destroying everything in sight.

Finally, Pain made his decision. “Konan, leave now.”

“Understood.”

Without hesitation or sentiment, Konan spread her wings and left the battlefield instantly.

Thousands of distorted faces turned their gaze toward Pain and roared in unison, “Blasphemer! Die!”

The sheer force of their collective shout cracked the ground beneath Pain’s feet. Yet his face remained composed.

Raising his hands, he formed seals and pressed them to the ground.

“Summoning Jutsu!”

With a massive burst of chakra, the battlefield quaked as a humanoid statue with wooden textures emerged from the earth with a thunderous roar.

*“Gedo Statue!”*

A devastating shockwave erupted, leaving the two monsters staring each other down.

“These two are truly terrifying,” White Zetsu muttered, hiding in a crevice.

Black Zetsu squinted, focusing intently on the flesh sphere.

Who would have thought there was someone in the shinobi world on par with Nagato?

Pain clearly had no intention of prolonging the fight. Maintaining the Gedo Statue consumed immense chakra, so he needed to end it quickly.

Under his control, the Gedo Statue opened its mouth, unleashing a torrent of silvery chains that slithered toward the Apostle like serpents.

The Apostle wasn’t about to relent. Its countless tendrils flailed violently, clashing with the chains in a titanic battle.

(End of Chapter)  

Chapter 69: Explosion

"Such overwhelming power..."

Pain gazed solemnly at the rampaging monster before him with his pale purple Rinnegan and spoke calmly:

"But my distortion surpasses yours!"

He clasped his hands together, and countless chains spewing from the Gedo Statue’s mouth emitted a faint grayish-white glow.

A powerful sealing force erupted, momentarily suppressing the rampaging tentacles.

"Let me devour your twisted soul completely."

Pain controlled the Gedo Statue, its abyssal maw opening wide. A pale purple dragon shot out, sinking its fangs into the Apostle of Desire, who had been temporarily subdued by the sealing chains.

"Ahhhhhhh!!!"

Thousands of distorted faces on the Apostle of Desire's body contorted further, their agonized screams echoing across the battlefield like a scene from hell.

Within the sphere of the purple dragon's attack, the souls of the devoted followers rapidly separated from the Apostle’s flesh, dissolving like snowmen in the sun, and were absorbed entirely by the Gedo Statue.

"Ken Kaneki, if this is the extent of your power, then this is the end."

Pain, his voice calm, controlled the Gedo Statue as the purple dragon tore apart the souls from the Apostle of Desire bit by bit.

As the soul's dissolution continued, the Apostle's body began to crumble, and the glow of the sealing chains grew stronger.

Chunks of flesh fell to the ground, quickly rotting and emitting a putrid stench. Eventually, with one final wail, the Apostle dissolved into a pool of blood and vanished.

"As expected, though it possesses immense vitality, it is far too weak when it comes to the soul," Pain remarked.

Far away, another of Kaneki's bodies had appeared, observing the Apostle of Desire’s collapse without any trace of emotion on his face.

After all, it was merely an experimental subject, and he had gathered most of the data he needed.

It seemed he would now need to shift his research focus to the soul. His understanding and utilization of souls were still too rudimentary.

Kaneki adjusted his glasses as a black beetle landed on his hand, causing his brow to arch slightly.

"In that case, this experiment is over."

Raising his palm gently, Kaneki snapped his fingers.

The next second, the Apostle of Desire, who had been dissolving, suddenly froze. Then, the thousands of twisted faces on its body displayed blissful smiles.

"Praise be to my Lord!"

Thousands of voices erupted like thunder as the Apostle sang praises to its master once more.

Standing atop the Gedo Statue, Pain's pupils contracted sharply. A dreadful sense of danger enveloped him entirely.

Amidst the hymns, the massive sphere of flesh began to boil, its surface swelling irregularly into countless large bubbles.

And then—

"Boom!"

Before Pain’s disbelieving eyes, a blood-red light engulfed the land, obliterating everything in its path.

When the light faded, the battlefield resembled an apocalyptic wasteland. A massive hole pierced the clouds above, their edges dyed red, while the thick stench of blood permeated the air. The ground was covered with vile blood and rotting flesh.

As for Pain, it was impossible for him to have escaped unscathed from such a devastating explosion.

Even though he activated Shinra Tensei in time to shield himself, his body was heavily damaged, nearly unrecognizable. The Gedo Statue had vanished without a trace.

As the explosion’s aftermath dissipated, white spores sprouted around the area. Two figures—Black Zetsu and White Zetsu—emerged silently, shrouded in the protective embrace of a Venus flytrap.

Looking at Pain’s battered body, White Zetsu remarked indifferently, "Even at the cost of a clone, this was still Pain's victory."

While Ken Kaneki's monstrous creation was undeniably powerful, with a size and destructive capability rivaling that of a Tailed Beast, its weakness was equally apparent—it couldn’t withstand Pain’s soul-targeting attacks.

The Gedo Statue’s Chakra Dragon, which could absorb both the soul and chakra of its enemies, was the Apostle of Desire's natural nemesis.

Of course, this vulnerability applied specifically to the Gedo Statue.

Any other shinobi attempting to attack the Apostle’s soul would likely be devoured instantly by the countless twisted spirits within it.

"Although we achieved victory, this result isn't what we wanted," Black Zetsu said, dissatisfied.

His goal had been to strengthen the Akatsuki's forces, hastening the realization of his plans. Instead, they had failed to recruit a new member and lost a clone in the process.

In contrast to Black Zetsu’s measured concerns, White Zetsu remained carefree.

"Whatever. Nagato can repair Pain anyway, so it doesn’t matter."

Black Zetsu could only reply flatly, "Fine. Let’s go. Bring Pain’s body with us."

"Got it."

After Black and White Zetsu departed, Hidan emerged from the sea of blood.

"Damn Kaneki! Pulling these ridiculous stunts without giving me a heads-up."

By now, Hidan was well-accustomed to clawing his way out of pools of blood.

Explosions? Dying from them was nothing new to him.

After all, Kaneki had experimented extensively to test the limits of Hidan’s immortality.

The conclusion? As long as the Evil God remained alive, Hidan was effectively indestructible. The only way to deal with him would be to chop him into thousands of pieces and scatter them across the world—preferably into the latrines of every nation.

As for where Kaneki had gone?

Hidan didn’t even bother worrying.

Even if Kaneki were cut into a thousand pieces and stuffed into those same latrines, that guy would definitely survive.

"What a bastard!"

---

Several kilometers away, in a secluded cave, Konan stood tensely before a man with red hair. Behind her sat a wheelchair-bound figure, also with red hair.

What stood out most were his deep Rinnegan eyes and the several black rods embedded in his body.

Konan was on guard against none other than Ken Kaneki, who had tracked them down after the explosion using his insects.

Observing the black rods in the man’s body, Kaneki immediately made a connection.

Adjusting his glasses slightly, he narrowed his eyes and remarked, "So, this is the legendary Rinnegan, said to be possessed only by the Sage of Six Paths. And that guy called Pain had those black rods, too."

Kaneki didn’t believe such legendary eyes had become commonplace. Combined with the black rods that could interfere with chakra, he had every reason to believe there was a special connection between this man and Pain.

The red-haired man, despite his curiosity about why Kaneki appeared so relaxed—like someone who had just rolled out of bed—forced himself to suppress his thoughts. He introduced himself:

"Hello. My name is Nagato. Uzumaki Nagato."

(Chapter End)

*Chapter 70: The Fourth Great Ninja War*

"From the Uzumaki clan, huh?"

Kaneki carefully observed the man and woman in front of him, both wearing crimson cloaks adorned with black clouds. Strangely, he couldn't detect any signs of sadness on their faces despite the loss of a comrade.

Adding to the mystery was the enigmatic figure who had retrieved Pain after the explosion, coupled with the black rods and Rinnegan on Nagato. Kaneki formed a daring hypothesis.

"I see. It seems that Pain was merely one of your puppets."

Nagato's face briefly flashed with surprise at the statement but quickly adjusted his expression, seemingly piecing things together.

"You’re quite perceptive."

To deduce the truth by analyzing the subtle expressions on his and Konan’s faces, combined with other details, was truly impressive.

"You're right. What you just destroyed was nothing more than a puppet."

Nagato straightened his posture and locked eyes with Kaneki using his profound Rinnegan. "So, have you decided to join the Akatsuki yet?"

Kaneki smirked faintly. "I haven't made up my mind just yet."

He raised his hand, and from his palm emerged a terrifying swarm of insects that coalesced into a spear, hurtling toward Nagato in his wheelchair.

Just as Konan prepared to intervene, Nagato raised his hand.

"Shinra Tensei!"

The devastating repulsive force blasted Kaneki, along with his swarm of insects, unceremoniously out of the cave.

Konan's expression darkened with a hint of killing intent. She spoke coldly, "Nagato, why don’t we just eliminate him?"

Nagato raised his hand slightly to stop her.

"Relax. He’s just testing me to see if I, the main body, possess the true strength."

Then, his expression turned serious. "Besides, even if we did fight, we might not be able to kill him."

Konan frowned. She hadn't expected Nagato, with his Rinnegan, to hold such high regard for this man.

Recalling the fanatical followers earlier, the terrifying creature, and Kaneki's inexplicable recovery from his injuries, Konan silently began to agree with Nagato's assessment.

"Is this a puppet, too?" Konan asked.

"Perhaps. Even my Rinnegan cannot see through everything."

Nagato's response was not entirely confident.

Ordinary individuals could be easily discerned through chakra observation and soul fluctuations with the Rinnegan, determining whether they were real or clones.

But Kaneki was different.

Whether it was this version of him or the one from before his transformation, Kaneki's chakra, life energy, and soul fluctuations revealed no discernible clues.

The overwhelming force created a deep trench in the ground as Kaneki was blasted out of the cave, breaking countless trees in the process.

"So even the main body possesses such power? It must be those eyes."

Kaneki slowly stood up at the end of the trench. The armor covering his chest had developed numerous cracks from the impact.

"Fascinating eyes indeed."

He locked gazes with Nagato, his own eyes brimming with a thirst for truth. Nagato’s pale purple eyes seemed to contain the vastness of the cosmos.

Nagato wheeled himself out of the cave, asking Kaneki, "Are you done testing me? If so, perhaps we should discuss cooperation."

Nagato's tone was calm, as if the intense battle moments ago had been fought by someone else entirely.

Kaneki brushed the shards of armor off his body and adjusted his glasses, which gleamed coldly.

"Cooperation? It’s not entirely out of the question."

The two seemed to have put their clash behind them and began discussing collaboration as if they were long-time acquaintances.

Noticing Kaneki’s interest in cooperation, Nagato silently breathed a sigh of relief.

Though he didn’t believe that even with his Rinnegan, Kaneki could take his life, Nagato also recognized the immense depth of Kaneki’s power.

At least until he gave it his all, he couldn’t see a clear path to victory.

Thus, cooperation was his best option.

The same applied to Kaneki. Although he greatly coveted Nagato’s Rinnegan, defeating him with just a puppet was unrealistic at the moment.

And Kaneki had no intention of exposing his true self. Who knew what other hidden masterminds existed in this world?

Unlike the reckless Hidan, Kaneki was a cautious follower of Jashin and would never underestimate the people of this world.

For now, gathering intelligence on this world and further analyzing its power system through collaboration with the Akatsuki was the most logical course of action.

Besides, Kaneki was also quite intrigued by Nagato's plan to capture the tailed beasts.

Both men harbored their own interests and goals. Ironically, it was these very goals that compelled them to sit down and talk.

"I need your help to capture the tailed beasts and, if necessary, to hold off certain attacks from the great nations," Nagato stated his terms for the partnership.

Kaneki raised an eyebrow. "Taking on the great nations? That’s no small task."

In other words: This will cost you.  

Nagato understood the implication.

"As payment, I can provide intelligence on the five great nations and the tailed beasts, as well as access to various rare jutsu in the ninja world."

As the wielder of the Rinnegan, Nagato possessed chakra of all elements and an understanding of jutsu far surpassing that of most Jonin.

For the average person, these conditions were an irresistible offer.

But for Kaneki, it wasn’t enough.

"In addition to the intelligence and jutsu, I also need access to part of the Gedo Statue’s body. Moreover, I require a portion of each tailed beast you capture for my research."

This was Kaneki's true aim.

The Gedo Statue was unique to Nagato, and the tailed beasts were forbidden treasures of the ninja villages, each protected by substantial forces.

Since Kaneki lacked sufficient intelligence and resources to capture the tailed beasts himself, teaming up with the Akatsuki was a logical choice.

After all, if anything went wrong, the Akatsuki could take the blame.

And if even the Akatsuki couldn’t handle the fallout, Kaneki could always shift responsibility onto Jashin-sama.

Either way, it had nothing to do with him, Kaneki Kazuki.

Faced with Kaneki’s audacious demands, Nagato didn’t immediately respond. Instead, he asked with a calm demeanor, "If I agree to your terms, Kaneki-san, what can you offer the Akatsuki in return?"

Kaneki smiled enigmatically.

"Aren’t you trying to capture the tailed beasts? What if I told you I had a way to trigger the Fourth Great Ninja War?"

---

*Author’s Note:* This Nagato is still young and hasn’t reached the peak of his strength seen in the original series. This setup is part of an alternate storyline, with the creation of the Deva Path puppet being recent. Praise Jashin!

(Chapter Ends)