Naruto: Unlocking Kaido Template

It was reasonable for Zixu to give the credit for defeating Pain to Naruto — at least, that's what he thought.

He no longer needed anyone's recognition or praise; he had already reached a level of strength where other people's opinions simply didn't matter. Besides, how could Jiraiya and the other high-level figures not see the truth? Zixu was just giving face to Konoha. Otherwise, if the one who defeated Konoha's enemy wasn't even from Konoha, it would be a complete slap in the face to the entire village.

Not that Zixu would mind seeing Konoha humiliated a little.

Still, he felt the hatred the villagers harbored toward Naruto. If Naruto managed to repel Pain, he'd become a hero of Konoha, and those who once hated him would have no choice but to suck up to him with fake smiles and praise. But what if he failed? No doubt they would pin the blame on Naruto. In extreme cases, even Jiraiya and Tsunade, who had fought to protect him, would be forced to step down.

Never underestimate the malice of Konoha's villagers. Look at what they did to Kakashi's father, Hatake Sakumo—the White Fang of Konoha. He chose to save his comrades over completing a mission, and the villagers, even the teammates he saved, drove him to suicide.

"Konoha... If Jiraiya can't change this rotten situation, I will personally carry out a purge..." Zixu thought coldly as he approached the place he had sensed earlier.

Before him stood a large mountain, with a faint cave entrance at its base. Activating his Observation Haki (Kenbunshoku Haki), Zixu quickly spotted a terrifying number of hidden explosive tags covering the area.

Carefully weaving around the detonating talismans, he made his way closer to the cave entrance.

Standing in front of him was a tall figure with purple hair—Konan. The paper wings on her back spread wide, completely blocking the cave entrance. Her sharp gaze locked onto Zixu, vigilant and hostile.

"So, you're with Akatsuki too, huh..." Zixu's eyes turned cold. If she insisted on standing in his way, he wouldn't hesitate to kill her. Simple.

"Konan, let him in. I have something to say to him..."

A frail voice echoed from within the cave. It sounded weak, the kind of voice that barely clung to life.

Konan tensed even more, like a lioness guarding her cubs. Her senses screamed at her—Zixu wasn't just strong; he was terrifying. Just standing near him felt like being pricked by countless needles.

Zixu snapped his fingers lightly, as if waking her up.

"So? Can I just walk in by myself?"

Reluctantly, Kinan turned around and led him into the cave, keeping her guard up, ready to strike if Zixu made a wrong move.

The cave interior was dim, but nothing unusual. In the center sat a figure—Zixu's Sage Mode training made it easy for him to see through the darkness.

A red-haired man sat there, his body so thin it was painful to look at. His skin clung tightly to his bones, and his dull, lifeless hair showed he hadn't seen the sun in years. In contrast, Zixu's own bright red hair seemed full of vitality.

The man's eyes were deep, hollow, exhausted... but those Rinnegan eyes (輪廻眼, Rinnegan) still shimmered with a longing—for an end.

But the most horrifying sight was the black chakra rods stabbing through his back like a hedgehog. Those rods connected him to a massive humanoid structure that looked like it was made of wood.

"What an insane amount of chakra..." Zixu marveled, feeling the immense chakra swirling inside the dormant figure.

"Uzumaki Zixu... a crazy guy..." Nagato spoke weakly.

His dream had once been to use overwhelming violence to force the Five Great Nations into peace. But compared to Zixu's idea of outright unifying the world, Nagato's methods seemed almost tame.

"Crazy? I don't think so. If anything, you're crazier. You want to create peace through violence? Sounds more like you're deluding yourself." Zixu didn't bother sugarcoating his words.

Unexpectedly, Nagato shook his head.

"If you haven't experienced it, you can't understand. Only those who have suffered can empathize with others."

Zixu disagreed immediately.

"Even if you've experienced the same thing, you might still not understand each other. Everyone's heart is different. War leaves behind dark bloodstains... but also flowers. 'Empathy' is just lying to yourself."

Nagato raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

"Lie to yourself?"

Zixu continued sharply.

"You say only those who suffer can understand each other. But isn't that assumption based entirely on your own experiences and your interpretation of others' feelings?" 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Nagato was stunned silent.

These beliefs hadn't truly been his own—they had been planted by "Uchiha Madara" all those years ago. Now, Zixu's words rattled the very foundation of Nagato's ideology.

Seeing Nagato's hesitation, Zixu smiled slightly.

"Your philosophy was never yours to begin with. When did you lose sight of your original path?"

Nagato, almost unconsciously, murmured:

"Uchiha Madara..."

The smile on Zixu's face widened. He had found the crack.

He glanced at Nagato, caught in a whirlpool of doubt and pain, and at Konan, who still guarded against him like a wolf baring its fangs.

A bold idea ignited in his heart.

If he could pull Nagato, the heart of Akatsuki, onto his side...

Wouldn't that be an incredible gain?

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