Review Response:

ZaxIoI: I'd like to say for everyone that in these circumstances, it's important to remember Pain has killed a LOT of people in the story up till now; everyone in his attack on Konoha isn't revived like how it's happened before; Naruto, Kakashi, Shizune, and many others are out of the story. As for Momoshiki and Kinshiki, you'll just have to wait and see how they fit in, though as you can tell they're not actually involved in the plot yet. And don't worry about not speaking Engish so well, I understand you just fine :)

BlackDisciple: Don't worry, Karin won't have a significant role in this story haha, she just has some small uses here and there. And like I said to ZaxIoI, you'll just have to wait and see how they'll fit into the story, as they're not really in yet.

MrTicklesMMM: It really is just the end of Konoha isn't it, so many significant people are dead. Pain and Konan don't have much opposition from that side of the world anymore- or well we'll see.

MegaMindAuthor: Glad you've enjoyed everything so far! Like I said before I wouldn't allow Momoshiki and Kinshiki's appearance to dissuade you too much, it's just an early glimpse at them. The story isn't altered very much besides what you've probably guessed already, and I've come up with a very simple way for how they'll integrate themselves as villains and character challenges for our main cast.

XXX

Konan

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Madara stared for the smallest of moments, then sat down on one of the couches. Konan flicked her gaze to Nagato, who gave a small nod, licking his lips. He rolled himself over to them, moving between the couches.

"Why," Madara said simply.

"I... underestimated the Nine Tails," Nagato said hazardously.

Madara made a show of looking around, then settling the gaze of the single Sharingan through the mask towards Nagato's crippled form. "You lost the rest of the bodies, then. To a boy."

"He was nearing full tailed-beast form," Nagato snapped, and Konan compressed her lips. Stay calm, Nagato."I did everything I could to subdue to it, and it was costly. That's all."

She imagined Madara was smiling beneath his orange mask, and she suddenly disliked him. "You told me it would be no challenge. You certainly subdued the Six-Tails with little trouble. Was fighting a student of your former sensei that much of a challenge-?"

"What are you getting at," Nagato said again. "I will get new bodies to utilize to assist getting the Eight-"

"No, I think not." Madara stood up and moved towards the tongue of the statue's mouth, becoming murky with the background of rain.

Konan looked at Nagato, but he seemed equally puzzled. What could Madara mean? she wondered. Maybe he thinks Nagato is still tired from fighting Naruto. It's been a while since he saw Nagato himself and not through one of the Pain's; I should tell him he's not as weak as he looks.

"What are you thinking, then?" Nagato asked finally as the rain continued to pour.

"Don't bother getting new bodies to use, I mean. It would just be a waste of life."

Nagato swallowed. "I need them to... exercise my abilities. I'm not exactly mobile."

"Exactly." Madara turned around to face them. "I sincerely doubt any of the other Akatsuki could handle the Nine-Tails as you've stated; you are, undoubtedly, the most powerful Akatsuki member with the Rinnegan. But the Eight-Tails is not so powerful; the others will be able to handle it."

"Your services, therefore, are at an end."

Silence except for the rain. Konan blinked her lidded eyes, then felt the blue paper flower in her hair fall out and onto her lap, the shock was so much for her. No, he can't possibly mean-

Nagato exhaled heavily. "I don't think that that time has come yet," he said.

"But I think it has." Madara walked towards them, spreading his hands and speaking softer. "Most of Akatsuki is dead. The troublesome ones like Itachi and Hidan have conveniently been removed as we progress our plans. The unity required by the iron hand of Pain is not necessary. Your power, likewise, is no longer necessary with the capture of the Eight Tails possible with the core members we have left. It is time, Nagato."

Each sentence felt like a punch to the chest for her. Not just because of their outer meaning, but because it was logical. Nagato had, theoretically, served his purpose in the greater scheme of things.

His final actions were right around the corner.

But still Nagato shook his head, looking cross. "I am still needed to use the Gedo Statue's main power: the destruction of one of the Great Nations. You promised me I would be allowed to see our great plan in action before I did this final deed for you."

"You sound like a child," Madara said, sounding impatient for the first time. "'I promised you'- that does not sound like a God speaking."

"And you sound as if you are avoiding wanting to keep your word," Nagato said calmly. "Or maybe it's that you've realized that even though I look physically weak to you, you know that you yourself could still not kill me and claim my eyes for yourself?"

The silence again, and Konan tensed. Madara's hands dropped to his sides, and she readied herself to throw herself before Nagato in case the Uchiha attacked, to prove him wrong-

"That would indeed be a problem of mine," Madara said with surprising honesty, and she shook her head. Nothing he does will ever make sense to me. First Tobi, then threats. He's worse than Yahiko ever was. "I merely want you to acknowledge that this time is approaching. You have known from the moment I conceived with you the purpose of Akatsuki and yourself than your life was not to be permanent to the end of our goal."

"And that thought has never drifted from my mind," Nagato replied, his back arched to look straighter, taller. "Did you believe I would attempt to steal the plan for myself? I have never wavered from the agreement we made."

Madara chuckled. "As honorable as ever. Very well; you will remain alive for the demonstration. But after, you will give yourself for the Eye of the Moon. Am I understood?"

Nagato exhaled again. "Yes."

"Wonderful." Madara clasped his hands together, looked over at Konan. "Don't look so pale, dear Konan. I'm not stealing your dear deity today. You can both relax. The Eight-Tails will be in our possession soon: and then we will have peace."

XXX

Nagato

XXX

He watched as Madara threw himself into the rain, disappearing with his Space-Time Ninjustu. Still, he focused his chakra out into the rain, using it sense for his presence. But no, Madara Uchiha was doing whatever it was he did in his spare time; scheming, perhaps, for new ways to indeed steal Nagato's eyes. Madara was slippery at best, but even snakes had their uses in this plot.

"For a moment, I thought he would attack you here and now," Konan said, leaning deeper into the confines of the couch, relaxing with Madara gone. "He's always struck me as having a hidden agenda."

"I've suspected the same." Nagato slouched in his confines, feeling his bones move in his skeletal frame. "However, he remains a crucial aspect in our plans, and thus nothing can be done to eliminate him at this time. We will have to respect each other for now... and I have no intention of submitting myself to his end goal."

Konan crossed her legs. "I had forgotten that... that was something still in the plan."

"Because it'll never happen," Nagato said snidely. He rolled himself over to the mouth that Madara had exited out of, then tentatively stretched a hand out to feel the rain falling. Beautiful. "Madara may have conceived the Eye of the Moon, but he cannot carry it out himself. I am necessary, though he would convey to us that we are the expandable ones." He curled his fist, capturing some of the rain in his naked fist. "Once he explains to me the exact process of the tailed beast weapon, I will prove him mistaken."

She came up behind him. "You plan to utilize Pain again?"

Nagato sighed. "Yes. You know that I cannot do much in this form. Most of the talk back there was to keep Madara at bay, not to actually ward him off. Without the Paths... I am quite vulnerable."

"I would never let him harm you."

He smiled, gave her a side long glance. She looked back determinedly, much like she would've done before that Day. "I know. But I would still like to protect myself." He exposed himself fully to the rain, the water falling and rolling off his skin and his container. He again focused his chakra out into the rain, and through it he felt the thousands of bodies living in the nation. Young, old, strong, weak. Normally he would have had a procedure for choosing the best bodies for himself, but times were short. He had full faith in Akatsuki's remnant; he doubted the Eight-Tails would require much time to be taken.

Through the chakra, he felt a chunin practicing in his home, his determination like a miniature sun in the cold rain. "Put your hand on me," he breathed to Konan, and he felt her warm touch upon his pale shoulder, her robe getting damp with the rain.

"Him?" she asked for clarification, as he finished feeding his intent.

"Yes, the first. He will be honored to have been my first choice."

"Anyone else?" she said it lightly, but he detected the undertone immediately, and ignored it. He felt through the rain, and saw another young man, this one a retired shinobi due to critical injuries through his arm. Pain radiated through it as he hoed a wheat field, through him, filling Nagato with a bitter taste in his mouth.

"Him. The Naraka Path will restore his arm. I will amplify his Pain to be worthy of serving me."

Again she noted his placement, and Nagato chose three more, two women and one more man. Five Pains...

"Who are you choosing as the Sixth?" she asked quietly. "The Deva Path."

The Rinnegan pulsed painfully; a tear was beginning to form in Yahiko had been. Who now lied abandoned, his body probably stowed away somewhere in the remaining civilization of the Leaf Village. He wanted to retrieve it... but to re-use it as the main Pain? He had failed Yahiko twice now, did he deserve to work in his image still?

He stiffened and the Rinnegan calmed. "I certainly won't allow it to remain in the hands of our enemy," he stated. "I will use the other Pain's to recover it... and I will decide what to do then."

Konan nodded but didn't move away from him yet. "Yahiko would want to be apart of us still," she murmured. "What happened in the Leaf was unavoidable-"

"I will make my own choices, Konan. Now go, bring to me... my Pain."