Naruto: Starting from the time when the Six Paths of Pain was Kira Yoshikage

Akatsuki's secret base on the outskirts of Amegakure

The sky was so overcast that not a single ray of sunlight could be seen, and a light rain was still falling outside the window, making the whole world seem shrouded in mist.

Just like Amegakure at this moment.

Under the leadership of a once-powerful demigod in the ninja world, it has declined further.

Famine and orphans caused by war are common in this village, and ninjas have become tools serving only the powerful and wealthy... and only Hanzo, turning the great slogan of Amegakure into a truly empty slogan.

"People have suffered enough; it's time to bring about some change in this decaying village."

Nagato gazed out the window and said slowly, then turned to look at the beautiful figure who had always been by his side: "Konan, the time is almost ripe, it's time to make our move."

"Witness with me the fall of the hero of Amegakure who ultimately became a dragon."

Nagato extended a sincere invitation to Konan.

"To seek justice for our fallen comrades."

"To seek justice for our departed dear friend."

"But Nagato..." Konan looked at Nagato, who was still sitting in his wheelchair, with a mixture of heartache and worry, and said, "Isn't it too early now?"

Although Konan, who spends every day with Nagato, can clearly feel that Nagato's health is gradually improving and even his strength is improving every day, for her, only a few months have passed since Yahiko's death and the destruction of the old Akatsuki organization.

A few months is a long time for many short-lived species.

However, it's too short for a ninja's growth cycle.

Even Nagato, the most talented of the three, took three whole years to grow from an ordinary person into a ninja.

In normal people's understanding, a few months is not enough to support the growth of a ninja, let alone the fact that most of the time is spent recuperating from injuries.

Although Konan was reluctant to admit it, she had to say that Hanzo had aged considerably compared to the Second Shinobi World War, and his physical abilities had declined to some extent. Even so, his strength was still formidable.

She had experienced this firsthand.

She was already considered one of the strongest members of the Akatsuki organization in the old era, but she still had no chance against Hanzo.

Konan worries that Nagato's obsession with revenge might lead him to recklessness...getting injured...or even...facing mortal danger.

Nagato turned to look out the window again, his gaze seemingly transcending space and distance, fixed on Hanzo, who was hiding in the deepest part of Amegakure, fearful amidst layers of defenses and facilities: "I don't want to see him grow old and unable to move before he goes to seek revenge."

"Waiting even a little longer is torture."

The saying "A gentleman takes revenge even after ten years" only applies when the gentleman lacks the strength to do so. If a gentleman possesses strength far exceeding that of ordinary people, he would have already killed his opponent on the spot.

"Should we call Sasori and Kakuzu?"

Xiao Nan made the suggestion again.

Since it concerned the safety of the Nagato clan, she had no choice but to take it seriously.

Sasori and Kakuzu are both quite strong and could definitely help Nagato fight against Hanzo.

In Konan's eyes, revenge, Akatsuki, and peace are all far less important than even a single finger of Nagato's.

However, Konan made no mention of seeking help from the person who claimed to be Madara Uchiha's collaborator...

From Konan's perspective, this guy of unknown origin is less than one-tenth as trustworthy as Kakuzu, who only cares about money... less than one-hundredth.

Greedy but reliable, that's how Konan describes Kakuzu.

Nagato's gaze shifted to Konan once more, and he shook his head slightly, refusing again: "We'll handle our own affairs."

As someone who spends every day with Konan, Nagato naturally knew what Konan was thinking. So he gently held Konan's slender, soft, yet slightly cool hand and comforted her, "Don't worry, I wouldn't have brought it up if I wasn't absolutely sure."

"Akatsuki will win! Pain will win! We will win!"

"I'll be fine, I promise you!"

As Xiao Nan listened to Nagato's words and felt the warmth emanating from her palm, her unease subsided slightly.

"Yes!" Xiao Nan nodded, her voice firm and resolute.

Konan had no idea just how powerful Nagato had become. Unless Nagato revealed it, she had no way of obtaining information about other worlds.

The existence of six Paths clones in other worlds is too far-fetched to be believed. Even Black Zetsu and the Otsutsuki clan would only consider it a fantasy.

All she could do was trust Nagato. If Nagato made a wrong judgment and his life was in danger, she would not hesitate to sacrifice her own life.

Although neither of them confessed their feelings and they were not yet a couple, the affection between them had already transcended everything.

......

Nagato doesn't know when in the original timeline Nagato found Hanzo, killed him, and seized Amegakure. It certainly wasn't at this time, definitely not in Konoha 50. Based on fragments of the story and scattered scenes, it can be judged that this happened when the Six Paths of Pain gathered.

In other words, the timeframe is at least after Konoha experienced the Nine-Tails' attack, or even longer than the Uchiha clan massacre.

Some have even analyzed that it occurred close to the Shippuden era.

He has only created three of the Six Paths of Pain (the Deva Path, the Animal Path, and the Hungry Ghost Path).

But that's enough.

At this point, Nagato's strength was far beyond that of the original Nagato. Just in terms of physical attributes, he completely outclassed the original Nagato, who was a "skinny guy" who would pant for half a day with the slightest movement and was almost drained dry by the Gedo Mazo and the Rinnegan.

The six avatars cultivate, and Nagato, the main body, can receive feedback. Even if the main body does nothing all day and never cultivates, it can still grow three times faster.

Moreover, since each of the Six Paths clones also receives physical enhancement from Nagato's main body, their growth rate far exceeds that of ordinary people in their world.

To give a very simple example, Yoshikage Kira's talent was judged by Joseph to be at the level of a Pillar Man, and even at the level of the Ultimate Life Form Kars.

This cycle repeats, and the effect is far greater than 1+1=2.

Whether it's the essence of life cultivated by Yamcha, Yoshikage Kira, or Toro Hanashi, what's being transmitted is the purest Yang Release chakra. Nourished by the continuous flow of countless Yang Release chakra, even with the Gedo Mazo constantly forcibly draining his blood, Nagato can now stand upright.

Beneath his malnourished, gaunt face lay an explosive power within him.

The so-called malnutrition in facial features is nothing more than a deliberate illusion.

In addition, he has the ability to use the Six Paths Clone technique...

This is the source of Nagato's confidence to say that he would dare to cause trouble for Hanzo even with just the three Paths of Pain.

Especially considering that Pain, the Deva Path, destroyed Takigakure without anyone noticing.

The Seven-Tails Jinchuriki is like a child who has just learned to walk in front of Pain, and his chakra is still sealed in the deepest part of Takigakure, waiting for the Seven-Tails to be extracted from his body and die at any time.

The only pity is that even though the three Six Paths clones have been cultivating desperately and the main body has received three times the cultivation feedback, the cultivation time is still too short.

However, these things can't be rushed; we can only take it slowly.