Wow, thanks everyone for the reviews, favorites and follows. That means a lot. Right now I'm writing this and listening to R.E.M., and seeing how this story has achieved far beyond what I expected, all I can do is thank you all for this. Also, I've realized somethings I did wrong... as the speech scenes. While most of them are just fine, I'll try to make a better job... also, I shall try from now on to have a better view of Nagato's (and not only his) personality and thoughts. I mean, I'm not trying to do this a complex thing at all, but Nagato is a very deep character and it would be such a shame if I wasted this trait of him.
Thanks everyone. Oh yeah, and happy new year (again).
Warning: as of 12 June, 2022, this chapter has been edited. No content of the story was changed, I've only altered a few words and corrected grammar errors. If you still find something wrong with the grammar, please point it out so that I can correct it. Chapter 6 has been entirely rewritten — if you have read it prior to the aforementioned date, I'd recommend you to read it again.
"Maybe... But I'll be." As he said that, Hades moved both of his arms. White magical chains left his fingertips and went straight towards Nagato, whose body was suddenly surrounded by a cloud of smoke, leaving only a log behind. Before the older mage even knew, a powerful roundhouse kick to his back sent him flying forward. Hades' chains sticked to the ground in order to allow the old man to recover, but as he did so a giant smoke cloud spawned an even giant-er panda just above his head. 'What...'
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"
'What the hell is going on?' No ordinary shinobi or mage could hope to survive a fight against the Rinnegan, and Hades knew that. But he was no ordinary mage either, and that alone allowed him to move fast enough to avoid being crushed under the panda's weight. His hands moved once more, each one positioned to mimic a gun: index and middle fingers pointed out, thumbs up. This time Nagato was the fortunate one, since his Giant Panda's body was big enough to shield him from the massive barrage of magical bullets fired by the master of Grimoire Heart.
Unknown to the old man, however, Nagato could see through the panda's eyes. The body of the animal suddenly hardened; the bullets, now unable to pierce through its skin, were easily deflected as they continued to hit the summoned creature while the giant beast tackled Hades, who was forced to interrupt his attack in order to avoid being crushed by the monster's sheer strength. From the corner of his single eye, Hades saw a red blur coming and didn't waste. He crossed his arms just in time to block a kick from Nagato, and the white chains instantly popped into existence again, each one getting hold on one of Nagato's ankles.
"Not even the power of the Rinnegan can stand up to me. When I have it, I'll be able to bring him back... the One Magic... I can see it already, I just can..." The old man's words were followed by a merciless, nonstop smashing of the Rinnegan bearer against nearby objects, most of them stone walls and pillars. As his body was swung around like a chainball, two words came up to Nagato's mind. Shinra Tensei. There was it again. Hades suddenly saw himself getting pushed backwards by an invisible force, but unlike the kids he was prepared to react; his feet left a deep trail on the stone floor as the man slipped through it, but to his credit they never once left ground level. An arrogant smirk showed up on his face, but Hades realised too late that he'd committed a mistake as the chains were still wrapped on Nagato's ankles. Hades's single eye widened, but he didn't have enough time to react as Nagato's body came flying. The old man tried to dodge it, but the giant panda got in his way and prevented him from dodging it.
Both Ultear and Zancrow watched in utter disbelief as a flying kick struck their master right in the chest. Hades staggered and tried to keep balance, but a punch to his face forced the old man against a stone wall. "Can you hear me now?"
Hades knew his magical power was high, higher than most could even dream of. But as realisation occurred to him that this boy was having so much ease to keep up with him, the old man didn't bother to hide his anger. "I don't want to hear it!" His arm moved and he punched Nagato in the face, but his foe's skin was like a piece of iron. Another kick hit Hades' stomach and the dark wizard tried to step back — only to find himself against the wall. "... You..." He could almost feel the kids' eyes on him right now. The thought of getting humiliated like that... "Just die! KATSU!"
Nagato's Rinnegan could see the powerful energy wave quickly gathering around his body. Gakidō. Whatever this technique was it never came to be, however, as the redhead absorbed the power before any harm could be done. Another punch sent Hades' body through the stone wall he'd collided with previously, but this time Nagato didn't allow him time to recover. Banshō Ten'in.
'How is that possible...' Hades felt himself being pulled towards Nagato, then another punch connected to his face and sent him flying back again. I must kill him, therefore holding back would be unwise... but I cannot risk destroying his Rinnegan... which means I cannot use Grimoire Law... As Hades hit another wall, a very powerful beam of darkness magic left his mouth, but it suddenly stopped just as it was about to hit Nagato's chest. "Shinra Tensei" This time that power was stronger than before. Having absorbed a lot of the old man's powerful magical energy, Nagato could easily put enough power behind this Shinra Tensei to push back the magic beam and send Hades through several stone walls.
"Just give up already! Die now, so that your death may bring forth a new age of magic!" Saying Hades was angry right now would be the understatement of the century. He wasn't angry, he was furious. Magic energy gathered around his body in such large amounts they made the entire Galuna Island tremble beneath the power wielded by Hades. The master moved his arms and created purple magic formulas in the air, five circles at Nagato's left, five at his right, three under and three above him. Like before, Nagato could see perfectly just how powerful this attacks and Hades truly were — the old man no doubt would've been powerful enough to replace some members of the Akatsuki, which to be honest unnerved Nagato to an extent. He was not sure how powerful were the warriors of this era, though Makarov did seem quite capable. Was it safe to leave that old man alive? "Amaterasu Formula 300"
The giant explosion that came after created such a powerful shockwave it could easily be felt all the way from Galuna Island to Hargeon, shattering the glass of windows and lamps everywhere between them and producing huge waves in the sea between them. Ultear and Zancrow both fell to the ground, thanking the gods that attack was only focused on the red haired man. Hades fell to his knees. It has been a long time since someone managed to keep up with me. But now it's over. As the dust cloud slowly vanished, Nagato's corpse laid down in the center of a crater. His body wasn't destroyed... I hope the Rinnegan is intact...
"You should give up" Hades' eyes widened as a very familiar voice came from behind him. The Nagato lying down inside the crater suddenly vanished in a smoke cloud. 'What is happening?' Before the old man could react to it, a hand grasped his head. "Trying to make me give up." Ningendō.
Ultear and Zancrow both managed to get up just in time to see Hades fall to the ground. Nagato stood there with one outstretched arm and a glowing, blue human-shaped... body?... something... in his hand. That's impossible... master Hades is... They both thought in shock. The man's gaze didn't leave their master's deceased body. ... Dead?
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Nagato knew this wouldn't be the first time he killed someone with Human Path. In truth, perhaps saying it was the hundredth time wouldn't be an overstatement. But he had never felt this way before, this... regretful?... about it. It had been such a long time since he last cared about taking someone's life. But right now, as Hades' soul glowed in his hand, the only thing Nagato had to do was release it and the old man would be gone for good. Memories of the last few seconds flashed through his mind.
Once again, his Rinnegan allowed the redhead to see the massive amounts of magical power gathering around himself. But this time it was too much... and Nagato knew there was no way in hell for him alone to absorb so much energy, so quickly. But luckily for him, he wasn't alone: a single handsign was all he need for a Shadow Clone to appear just in time. Together they were able to drain the explosion as it started.
As the dust vanished, the former Akatsuki had his clone toss him over Hades's head as he used the Transformation Technique to turn into a rock, then lie down in the center of the crater to pretend he'd been defeated. Of course, had the old man kept his guard on he probably would've been able to realise something was odd, but the moment Hades let it down he'd already lost. That's just how it works when you're fighting a shinobi.
His thoughts were suddenly interrupted when, through his Giant Panda's shared vision, Nagato caught Zancrow and Ultear coming at him. Banshō Ten'in. Nagato moved his free hand just in time. Ultear's body was tossed against Zancrow's, but the boy managed to avoid her and attack Nagato with a fire-covered punch. Gakidō. If his chakra wasn't full after absorbing that spell of Hades, now it certainly was. Shuradō. The blonde boy's eyes went wide open as his neck was effortlessly grabbed and his magic power taken away from him. Thanks to his panda — again —, Nagato caught Ultear coming from the other side. A robotic arm detached from Nagato's shoulder, grabbing the girl mid air as she tried to jump towards him.
"What the...?" She struggled, but couldn't get out of his grasp as her magic was also slowly drained. Her eyes widened even more than Zancrow's, but there wasn't much she could do. Right now, all three members of Grimoire Heart were at Nagato's mercy. She tried to use her magic, but it was useless. She couldn't gather enough energy due to the drain. Is... Is he going to kill me? I... I am going to die...
Meanwhile, despite that small fight against the kids, Nagato wasn't really there. He was lost in his own thoughts, desperate to find a way of seeing through this mess. Wasn't he different from what he used to be? So far that's what he thought, but right now the ninja could not think straight. Should I kill them? It would be all so easy to create just another arm with Asura Path, turn it into a canon or another weapon and kill them, yet this time was different from so many because he did not want to do that. How can I bring peace... make up for everything... killing children. Then he remembered his talk with Naruto.
"I've told you my story, just as you asked." Nagato's voice echoed. He had just finished telling Naruto the story of his life, of how he'd grown in a land devastated by war and conflict, of how pain had forced him to grow up and realise peace as preached by Jiraiya was just wishful thinking. Of how only pain, and the fear of it, would be able to end all wars. "Now let's hear your response."
At first, no one said anything. Naruto slowly pulled a book out of his pocket. Judging from its cover, it was very old — but also very familiar. The Rinnegan bearer was not able to recognise it immediately, but he was sure he'd seen that book before, long ago. Only then the blonde spoke up.
"You may be right. Truth is... I think the same way you do" He started slowly, and his words did indeed surprise Nagato, who was expecting a fiercer opposition to his ideals.
"I see." It was wall the leader of the Akatsuki said in response, still awaiting for him to continue. Nagato himself wasn't sure why, but he wanted to hear that boy's answer.
"But even if I understand you now, that doesn't change... how I feel." The jinchūriki went on, and both the way he was talking and trembling denounced the anger, the hatred building inside his heart. Just as the red haired man thought, that vicious cycle of hatred was impossible to break, and would continue to exist until the end of time. "There's no way that I can forgive you. I still hate you."
Nagato stared at him for a while. He knew Naruto could kill him. Konan was there, and no doubt she would try to protect him even if he told her to leave and save herself. She was strong, but the leader of the Akatsuki knew it didn't matter, she wouldn't be able to defeat that boy. But Nagato, despite knowing he was about to die, was not afraid.
"Then you want to settle things with me." He said simply.
"I do..." Naruto responded. Nagato was about to say something else, but was then interrupted by what the jinchūriki said next.
"But Pervy Sage believed in me and wanted me to continue his quest." Just as it looked Naruto was going to proceed with killing them, the blonde's next words surprised both him and Konan. Many times Nagato heard of peace and kindness, but not even once before he'd met someone who proved with action those things actually existed in this world of shinobi. The Hidden Leaf ninja had a determined expression on as he started speaking with such conviction it shook Nagato to his core. His words echoed through the fake paper tree created by Konan, and no one dared to interrupt that boy, not out of fear, but out of interest in what they were going to hear. "And for those reasons... I choose to believe in him and to follow what he taught me. So that's it, that is my answer. That's why... I'm not gonna kill you guys."
Those memories... So that was the peace Jiraiya believed in? Perhaps that's why I am here. Perhaps... Nagato noticed both Ultear and Zancrow's scared faces. The two of them were pale and trembling. As Nagato struggled with his own conflicting thoughts, he looked again at Hades's soul in his hand. Ultear closed her eyes as the brightness reached it's peak. What was this man going to do? You give me a vision of a future that chose a different path from the one I've walked. I think I shall believe in you after all... Uzumaki Naruto. This time, his own words echoed in his mind. Konan... It's alright. All I'm going to do is make a new choice. Even though I had all but given up hope. That's when he made his choice. This time, his life was going to be different. This time he was going to prove through action that peace is to be achieved in a peaceful way. That's why... I'm not gonna kill you guys.
However, there was still something useful for Nagato in that soul. Focusing on Hades's psyche, he tried to gather information on how the hell did he know what the Rinnegan was. The answer frustrated Nagato an extent and confused him to a much greater degree. All he found was myth and legend. Something about a war long ago, which the redhead assumed was refering to the way things were before the Sage of Six Paths. But in this tale the Rinnegan was not wielded by a hero, it was the weapon of a villain who wanted to achieve godhood and trap the world in eternal servitude. Two brothers fought and defeated him, putting an end to the war and bringing forth a new age of peace between all nations, which eventually made the system of old obsolete. The Rinnegan was the eye of God, and he who wielded it would be able to ascend to the next stage of human evolution and either restore the old world, or change it even more drastically.
Only one word occurred to Nagato as he absorbed that from Hades: 'bullshit'. He knew his eyes made him no god, and now he was actually happy for that. This Hades fellow was seeking a way to improve the world, to help it. In a sense, he was just as misguided as Nagato himself used to be.
Both Ultear and Zancrow fell to the ground as Nagato released them. Once again looking at Hades's corpse, the Rinnegan bearer crouched and slowly inserted back the old man's soul. His body immediately gained colour again, but he didn't wake up. For the first time, Nagato looked directly at Ultear as the girl tried to get up. "I've made a decision... looks like I won't kill you." His glare then changed to Zancrow, who was also having a hard time to get back on foot. "Take your master with you and go away. Don't look for me again"
Before they could give him an answer, the redhead vanished. Did I do the right thing? Nagato still didn't know the answer for that question, but for the first time he could feel like he had done something good. Something he was truly happy about doing — unlike when he killed people and tried to convince himself that was justified by his ultimate goal of bringing about peace and justice to the world. Because you're a good man. I can feel that, and I'm sure that's why you were given another chance. He remembered Makarov's words. "Jiraiya, Naruto... Wherever you two are, maybe there's still hope for me after all."
It took me some time to write the battle scene because I had to watch and read Nagato's and Hades's fights in order to not make a mistake. Maybe it wasn't a very nice thing having Nagato kick Grimoire Heart asses with that much ease, as long as he is a very powerful character, but that's how I feel a fight between he and Hades would play out. As I said, from now own I'll have major focus on Nagato's personality and mind (and other major characters), and his actual goal in this world. He's not here just to walk around and be amazing (he does that as a consequence though, he's just that awesome). Thanks everyone, see ya around!