"I understand..." Nagato nodded, then proposed, "So, tell everyone that I died and you killed me. Additionally, claim that Konan betrayed me and started following you as a follower!"
"Is this really your plan, after everything you've discovered?" Naruto questioned, "You don't have any doubts."
"Yes, I've decided. And no, I don't have any doubts," Nagato affirmed, shaking his head, "Konan's supposed betrayal and her closeness to you will put me at ease. It is my wish that my great friend finds some moments of peace and can live a happier life." His gaze met Konan's.
Konan was moved by Nagato's words but responded, "No, Nagato. I want to continue..."
Nagato interrupted her, "Konan, listen to me one more time. This is the best way to bring peace to the ninja world. You saw it for yourself, didn't you? Naruto is the symbol of peace I've always sought. His strength and determination have already been revealed to us, and as for what made me change so rapidly... You could say he showed me the complete truth. For now, that's all you need to know."
Konan was hesitant. An internal struggle seemed to be taking place within her. Her gaze alternated between Nagato and Naruto, her expressions conveying a mix of emotions: loyalty, hesitation, fear, and hope. She struggled to process Nagato's words, his request. Finally, with a deep breath, she lowered her head in a silent nod of agreement, surrendering to her old friend's wish.
Before Nagato departed, Naruto threw a small object toward him, saying, "Take this, it will help you break free from that control and regain your original form."
Nagato accepted the item without question. The main Pain opened it and looked inside, seeing some orbs of light and a piece of paper. With a final gesture, Nagato had Pain close the package and bid farewell to Naruto and Konan.
Instead of immediately leaving with Naruto, Konan stayed and watched Nagato walk away, conflicting emotions evident in her gaze.
On the other hand, Naruto patiently waited, pondering how to explain the situation when he returned to the village, especially considering the lack of concrete evidence of Nagato's death... Well, not entirely absent, as he had brought along the bald Pain's body.
As for Nagato's main body, he could come up with an excuse, claiming that the attack he used was so powerful that it left nothing behind...
"That's it," Naruto murmured to himself.
"Huh?" Konan turned to him, intrigued.
Naruto explained his plan, "When we return, we'll say that you were a double agent for Ero-Sennin... For Jiraiya, and that you took this opportunity to join me after we 'defeated' Nagato. As for Nagato's remains, I'll create an attack large enough to form a crater in this location and destroy everything in sight."
Konan looked at Naruto with a skeptical expression but decided to trust him, albeit reluctantly.
Naruto didn't say much, he just warned, "Don't resist." Then, he summoned that blue-celestial-toned wind to lift them up. Quickly, they were a kilometer above the ground, gliding in the air as if defying gravity.
Then, Naruto and one of his clones began shaping a form in their hands, reminiscent of the well-known Rasenshuriken.
"Wind Style and Fire Style: Rasenshuriken!" Naruto's voice reverberated in the empty sky.
A terrifying and deafening sound of high-speed rotating wind and fire filled the air, a result of the fusion of two of the most powerful chakra natures. The entire atmosphere vibrated with the intensity of the released energy.
With a firm motion, Naruto hurled the Rasenshuriken toward the ground. The attack tore through the air, leaving a trail of burning energy in its path until it collided violently with the earth.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The impact triggered a catastrophic chain reaction. The ground shook violently as if the very Earth was convulsing. A shockwave spread out, disintegrating everything in its path and drastically altering the landscape. Where there was once an open field, now lay a gigantic crater - so vast and deep that an entire village could be built inside it. Smoke and dust rose to the sky, forming a thick curtain that obscured the view of the scene of destruction.
"Oh, my God!" Konan exclaimed, feeling her heart pound like a drum in her chest. She looked at the enormous crater with wide eyes. "Wow, simply wow!"
It was an unbelievable spectacle.
She could no longer deny it, Naruto's words now carried real weight. No, it was much more than she could have imagined. Even if Nagato gathered all his strength, she knew he wouldn't be able to cause such a level of destruction.
The devastated area was even larger than the Leaf Village, and the depth of the hole surpassed Konoha's walls.
It was an abyss of meters deep, so dark that the more you looked down, the more darkness seemed to swallow everything.
Nagato, even at a safe distance, stopped to look back and contemplate the result. Upon seeing a mushroom-shaped cloud of smoke rising to the heavens, he couldn't help but burst into a loud, hysterical laugh.
Next, Nagato had one of the Pains restore the female Pain. Then, he threw her into the distance and had them dematerialize. Repeating this process, he distanced himself until he reached a cave. There, he opened the pouch and read the note Naruto had given him. His eyes sparkled with excitement, and without hesitation, he began devouring the red and purple orbs at a frenetic pace.
Several hours passed until he finally managed to break free from the Gedo statue, returning to his youthful and healthy form.
Discarding his Akatsuki attire, Nagato used the Supreme Transformation Jutsu, altering both his appearance and that of the Pains. Then, he exited the cave, even changing the signature of his chakra...
A few hours earlier, Naruto concluded that the scenario was convincing enough and carefully outlined his plan with Konan. She would be presented as an undercover agent planted by Jiraiya in the Akatsuki.
On their way back, they crossed paths with Kakashi and other ninjas, likely drawn by the colossal explosion.
"Naruto," Kakashi said, interrupting his agile movements through the trees.
Naruto, who was flying with Konan, descended and stood in front of his sensei. Kakashi displayed a mixture of curiosity and caution upon seeing Konan by Naruto's side.
"Kakashi-sensei," Naruto greeted him. "It's all over. Nagato... he's dead."
"Where is his body?" Kakashi asked, his gaze shifting between Naruto and Konan. "And who is she?"
Naruto proceeded to explain the situation. He told Kakashi that Konan had been an undercover agent planted by Jiraiya in the Akatsuki and that she had now decided to join him, Naruto. As for the origin of her undercover position, Naruto explained that she was one of Jiraiya's disciples. So, when things started to seem strange in the Akatsuki, she contacted Jiraiya and began working secretly for him.
"It's not that I doubt you, Naruto, but I still need to gather evidence," Kakashi said.
"I understand," Naruto replied, nodding in understanding. "We can go there, and then you'll see that I'm telling the truth."
"Alright," Kakashi agreed, followed by the ninjas accompanying him. They followed Naruto and Konan toward the site of the disaster.
It didn't take them long to arrive.
"Oh, my God!"
The majority's reaction was similar. The destruction that had occurred there drastically changed the geographic landscape. It was even difficult to traverse that path now, if not impossible.
"Naruto, what have you done!?" Kakashi was alarmed. The scene exceeded any expectations. He placed both hands on Naruto's shoulders.
Naruto remained calm. He simply said, "It was necessary. I had to use all my power against Nagato, and my strongest attack caused this devastation. But at least Nagato is dead!"
Kakashi didn't know what to say. He could still see traces of the flames in the crater, and even feel the presence of the wind Naruto used.
"We couldn't descend to see what happened down there," Kakashi shook his head as other ninjas busied themselves with the reports. "But if someone is hit by an attack like that, there's no way to survive."
Kakashi's opinion was unanimous. Surviving something like that? If someone did survive, would they be a God? Perhaps a second Ninja God? Or a new Madara? Even those two might not survive...
However, there was no point in speculating there. They needed to return to the village and report what had happened to Tsunade.
Konan gave one last look at the crater before following Naruto. She had already discarded her Akatsuki cloak.
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