Traveling through Nagato, from conquering Konan to dominating the ninja world

"The other body I will cultivate for you will be a completely new individual in terms of life. So, if everything goes well, you will be able to open your own Sharingan."

"That will be a brand new pair of eyes. Unfortunately, that brand new pair of eyes cannot escape the curse of the Uchiha clan. If you open the Mangekyō Sharingan in the future, you will also face the fate of being destined to go blind."

Nagato's eyes narrowed slightly: "So, I will experience the same eye power evolution process as Uchiha Madara?"

Orochimaru smiled knowingly: "Yes, when your eyes are on the verge of blindness, you need to choose another pair of Mangekyō Sharingan from your direct blood relatives within three generations to gain a new pair of eye power - the "Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan."

Nagato said: "A life created out of thin air does not have three generations of blood relatives."

Orochimaru raised his lips to a charming smile. "So, I need to do some tricks, Nagato-kun. If you want to transplant someone's eyes in the future, please bring me his blood serum sample. When making this embryo, I will try to select some of your cells to promote the 'blood' relationship between you two."

Nagato knew nothing about technical matters. But he never expected...he could choose!

Although it was a bit excessive, he asked one more question: "Spare eye... can I only choose one?"

"Ah?" Orochimaru... couldn't think of that either. After all, he only has one pair of eyes. "Then how many do you want to choose?"

Nagato smiled and said, "Of course the more the better. After all, I don't know what kind of eye power my future Mangekyō Sharingan will awaken. If it conflicts with the backup eye I choose, wouldn't it be a waste of God's gift? Therefore, the more choices the better!"

Orochimaru nodded: "That's true! With your own Uzumaki clan cells as a blueprint, plus the enhancement of Hashirama's cells, you should have an extraordinary tolerance for Uchiha cells..."

After careful consideration, Orochimaru gave a precise indicator: "But even so, for the stability of the embryo, the number of samples you use for eye selection should not exceed five!"

"Five people!?"

Oh my god... Nagato almost lost his composure. He calmed himself down and said in a high-profile manner, "So, I need to get serum samples from five Uchiha people?"

"Yes."

Nagato stopped and said, "Oh right... if the child is already in the mother's womb but has not yet been born, how should I choose? Wait until he is born?"

Orochimaru's eyes flickered slightly: "Well, if... the child is already in the mother's womb, then we can just take the mother's blood sample."

"understood."

It seems... I'm going to be busy.

The corners of Nagato's mouth rose slightly.

At the exit of Orochimaru's underground base, he handed him a scroll.

"This is the contract for the communication of the Samsara Eye to the Animal Realm. After signing, I can use the power of the Animal Realm to communicate with you anytime and anywhere."

Orochimaru pondered for a moment: "Can I summon spirits in reverse?"

Nagato shook his head: "No, this spiritual communication is one-way, you can't communicate with me in reverse."

"But if you have any news, inject blood into the contract, and I will be able to sense it and channel it to you."

"I see."

After Orochimaru placed the hand seal, he tilted his head back and stuffed the scroll deep into his throat.

"Gudong..." After swallowing hard, Orochimaru licked his tongue and laughed hoarsely: "Nagato-kun, let's wait for good news from each other~."

Nagato smiled and said, "Okay, when we are done with this, let's go to the bathhouse together."

He looked at Kabuto who was behind Orochimaru: "Kabuto, you will come along then."

Chapter 14: Southern Dream

It was already evening when we left Orochimaru's base.

Nagato returned to the Heaven and Earth Bridge and was surprised to see Scorpion still waiting there.

Scorpio...don't you hate waiting for people the most?

But this time it was Scorpio who took the initiative, he is a man who sees things through to the end.

Facing Nagato, Scorpion's tone was still distant and cold: "I have helped you find Orochimaru. I have repaid the favor I owed you in the desert."

Nagato smiled and expressed his gratitude to him: "Thank you, Scorpion. By the way, I'd better return the human puppet of the Third Kazekage to you."

Scorpion looked behind him and saw the Third Kazekage, Hitokui, who had transformed into the Shurado. Scorpion had already witnessed how powerful he was during the battle during the day.

He didn't say it, but he admitted in his heart...some things are beyond human reach.

However, he has his own persistence and stubbornness.

"No need. I won't pick up what I throw away. Besides, that's not my art."

Scorpion turned and left, saying silently in his heart: One day, I will prove that the eternal puppet art that embodies the soul and ingenuity of me, Scorpion of the Red Sand, will not lose to your cold eye power, even if... this eye power belongs to the Six Paths of the Original Ancestor, the Rinnegan!

"Scorpion." Looking at his back, Nagato called out to Scorpion and extended an olive branch to him.

However, it was not an olive branch to join Akatsuki.

"If you have nowhere to go in half a year, go to the Hidden Rain Village."

After all, Akatsuki is just a mercenary organization. In the three-dimensional world, it is similar to "Black Water".

In order to take care of Konan's feelings, he may retain 'Akatsuki', but in the future, he will focus on the construction of the ninja village.

Finding a powerful ninja like Scorpion early on also paves the way for the future.

After Scorpion pondered for a long time, he felt honored from the bottom of his heart to be invited by the person behind him, but... it's really not about looking down on anyone.

Looking at the forehead protector with the words "Ragakure Rebel Ninja" on Nagato's forehead, he said in a deep voice, "The leader of the Hidden Rain Village, Hanzo Salamander, you must know how the ninjas call him, right?"

"I know, a ninja demigod." Nagato replied with a smile, his tone nonchalant, as if 'demigod' was nothing more than that.

Scorpion looked at him deeply, and before leaving, he said, "If you can really take my place, I can work for you."

Nagato smiled and said, "In half a year, I will wait for you in the New Rain Village."

After Scorpion left, Konan walked over from the grass field, worry in her orange eyes, "Half a year, and you're ready to fight Hanzo to the death? Aren't you... too impatient?"

A light rain began to fall in the night sky, and the sound of the raindrops was particularly ethereal in the vast fields hidden by the grass.

What Konan said actually made sense. It was at least ten years later that Nagato used Pain's Six Paths to recapture Amegakure... By that time, Hanzo was already old, not only physically but also mentally.

Therefore, Pain's Six Paths was able to destroy the forces of Hanzo, who was once the top ninja, with almost no effort.

Surpassed demigod and became a "God".

Nagato has no obsession with the title of God, there is just a new God in each version.

All he wanted was a stable strategic rear base and... a stable home with Xiaonan.

Of course he couldn't let Xiaonan know what he was thinking at the moment, so he said.

"When Hanzo was at the peak of his career, he chose to join forces with Danzo to persecute us rising stars. This shows that his vision and courage as the top of the ninja world have gradually weakened with his age."

"If we wait a few more years, it will be easy to eliminate him."

"But how can I be willing to destroy Hanzo like this? Konan, think about it, Yahiko, he... how much he admires Hanzo."

"Yahiko was killed by the person he admired, so, before Hanzo falls from grace, I will avenge Yahiko!"

Xiaonan looked at the person in front of him, his figure in the rain, with complicated eyes: "Nagato..."

"Have you and Orochimaru reached a consensus?"

She took the initiative to not go with him in the secret conversation at Orochimaru's base, saying she was keeping watch outside.

She actually wanted to know more than anyone what Nagato was planning now, but since Orochimaru was involved, it couldn't be completely aboveboard.

A person's name is like the shadow of a tree. How could she not know who Orochimaru is?

On the contrary...she was the most thoughtful of the three.

When he first encountered the three ninjas, Orochimaru suggested killing all three of them.

So much so that in their later training, Konan had asked Jiraiya several times indirectly about things related to Orochimaru... including his thoughts and personality, characteristics of his ninjutsu... weaknesses, etc.

Precisely because she had a deep understanding of what kind of person Orochimaru was, Konan was certain that if she were present, there were some things that Nagato might not be able to say directly.

She didn't want to be a hindrance to him, so she suppressed her curiosity.

"Yes, he and I have reached a consensus."

Even after learning that the deal had been reached, she did not ask what the specific plan was, but only asked: "So what are we going to do next?"

In the rain, Nagato turned around, looked at the southeastern horizon of Kusagakure, and said with a smile: "For the next period of time, we will have to deal with Konoha."

Xiaonan looked surprised: "Konoha..."

Nagato's eyes were deep: "To be exact, it's the Uchiha clan of Konoha."

In creating another body, he needed blood samples from five Uchiha clan members.

Those five people...will become his backup eyes for the 'Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan' in the future.

In his mind, he already had these five candidates, but it seemed that none of them was easy to deal with, especially... the last one.

Kusagakure borders the Land of Fire. Nagato and Konan traveled through the night, crossed the border, and arrived in the Land of Fire.

It was already late at night, so we found a dangerous place with vast plains, set up our tent, and prepared to rest for a night before taking any further action.

Over the years, Xiaonan seemed to have gotten used to sleeping outdoors and even fell asleep faster than when he was in a hot spring hotel.

But tonight…she had a dream.

"Wow!!!"

In the tent, Xiaonan suddenly sat up, gasping for breath.

"Hoo, ha, hoo, ha..."

Sweat soaked her thin undershirt, and her panicked eyes could not calm down for a long time.

"Why would I have such a dream?"

"Xiao Nan... aren't you asleep yet?" A familiar greeting came from outside the tent.

Xiaonan quickly lay down again, closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep.

"Swish."

She could feel the sound of the tent being opened even with her eyes closed... and an eager gaze stayed in front of her for a long time.

"Good night." After saying good night softly, Nagato left the tent.

Xiaonan opened his eyes, looking a little confused and at a loss.

"If Nagato really has that kind of idea about me, should I... obey him?"

Chapter 15 There is a Door in the South

"Xiao Nan, what's wrong with you? Didn't you sleep well last night?"

Early in the morning in the Land of Fire, outside the tent, Nagato stared at the faint dark circles around Konan's eyes and asked with concern.

The last time I saw Xiaonan with dark circles under her eyes was when she was guarding a cave in the Rain Country for ten days and ten nights without sleep.

"Hmm... maybe it's my first time in the Fire Nation, so I didn't sleep well."

Nagato pinched his chin in thought. According to common sense, simple insomnia would not cause dark circles under the eyes, unless there was something on one's mind that was bothering one.

"Xiao Nan, are you worried?"

Xiaonan had a complicated expression. After all, the dream she had last night... was too shocking.

The content of the dream upset her heart.

She had made up her mind to get things clear early this morning. If it was a misunderstanding, she wanted to resolve it as soon as possible...but the harmless face in front of her made it impossible for her to ask.

She could only ask indirectly with her eyes flickering, "Nagato...are you feeling any discomfort from the wound on your head these days?"

"Oh! I would have forgotten if you hadn't told me." Nagato took off his forehead protector, revealing the scar that had long since scabbed off, and said with a smile: "It has healed a long time ago. If you don't believe me, feel it and see..."

"Uh..." If it were before, she would probably touch it without thinking. After all, it was out of concern for friends. The three of them had already gotten used to it along the way.

But now, let alone reaching out to touch, even if he looked at her, Xiaonan felt tingling in his heart. It wasn’t that he hated it, it was just... an indescribable feeling.

"That's it... Well, that's good."

Nagato smiled and said, "I feel like Konan is a little weird today!"

"No, no... I just haven't recovered from the high-intensity running around these past few days."

"Yo, then tonight, let's stay in a town near Konoha and relax in a hot spring!"

In the blink of an eye...it was night.