The Six Paths–level Chibaku Tensei technique required two people of considerable power. That was precisely why Kyoichi hadn't asked Nagato to hand over the Rinnegan.
With the Rinnegan,
Nagato not only possessed the potential to master Chibaku Tensei quickly, but also to grasp the principles of Yang Release. Yet if even one of those eyes were removed, the difficulty of wielding the technique would multiply severalfold.
After all, not everyone was like Uchiha Sasuke—
He awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, had an older brother who literally gave him his own eyes, and even prepared a plan to counter-kill Obito. Unfortunately, Obito had been ready for that.
Otherwise, Itachi's entire script would have played out perfectly—
an ending as elegant as it was tragic.
But then…
Things went far beyond reason.
After obtaining the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, Sasuke received the Yin Chakra of the Sage of Six Paths—
and that was truly absurd.
He directly awakened a six-tomoe Rinnegan, powered by the Sage's Yin chakra itself.
Total cheat mode.
Nagato also possessed the Rinnegan, yes,
but his version was nowhere near the level of the Sage's or Madara's, much less Sasuke's. His were incomplete—a gift of power, not something born of his own blood. He would have to make up for that lack through effort and understanding alone.
He understood this perfectly well.
And though every new lesson Konoha offered benefited him greatly, he couldn't help but feel conflicted.
Deep down, Nagato's wish was simple—
once all was said and done, he wanted to return to Amegakure, not remain in Konoha. The two villages had once been enemies.
To him, being able to choose to leave—even if it came to conflict—was already enough. If things turned sour, he was ready to give up these eyes entirely.
He had been prepared for that since the day he arrived in Konoha.
But Kyoichi never asked for his eyes.
Instead, he had taught him—patiently, generously, guiding him in both knowledge and daily life, treating him like family.
That made Nagato feel even more conflicted.
If things kept going like this… could he ever truly walk away?
While Kyoichi immersed himself again in the study of Yin Release, Tsunade let out a long sigh and glanced toward Nagato. Her irritation faded somewhat.
She hadn't always been so understanding.
Back after the Shinobi World War, Jiraiya could have received honor and reward, perhaps even a place among the Hokage's advisors. But because of Nagato and the others, his return to the village earned him only punishment and reflection.
Still—
Seeing Nagato again now, Tsunade had come to understand Jiraiya's intentions.
That fool…
He was always chasing a dream called prophecy.
And now, Tsunade's view had changed again.
Maybe Jiraiya wasn't wrong after all.
If you treat your students with sincerity—
and they're the kind of people worth saving—then perhaps, just perhaps, they can change the shinobi world.
Someone like Nagato might really be able to do it.
Her expression softened. "You don't need to overthink it. These techniques might be Konoha's classified secrets, but as long as you don't spread their core principles, no one will hold it against you."
"I—I understand. My apologies. I didn't mean it that way."
Nagato's tone carried genuine remorse.
"Alright," Tsunade said, exhaling. "Time's precious, but for today—talk with Shizune for a bit. I'll think about how best to teach you. Yang Release's nature transformation can be simple… or impossibly hard, depending on how deep you go."
She rubbed her temples. The ninja academy and hospital had both been pressing her to create a standardized medical ninjutsu curriculum, but she hadn't found the time.
Maybe now she could handle both at once.
"If there's any way I can help, please let me know."
"Not for now," Tsunade replied. "But you should keep studying. Time isn't on our side. The entire shinobi world is mobilizing—even if some villages are sluggish, they'll move aggressively to secure their own lands. The space Madara can hide in grows smaller by the day. He'll surface soon enough."
Her tone was grave.
She didn't mean for Nagato to throw himself against Madara on Konoha's behalf. What she truly hoped was that, when the time came, he and Kyoichi together would be able to end it—completely.
Only then could the world truly know peace.
Otherwise…
An undead specter like Madara, paired with an ancient monster whose motives no one could grasp—
if those two ever joined forces, the shinobi world would never know rest again.
As for Ōtsutsuki Kaguya's lingering influence, Kyoichi had mentioned it only to Tsunade. No one else knew.
There wasn't any point—
and the fewer who knew, the better.
Kyoichi still wanted Black Zetsu to remain in the dark—
so that when the final moment came, he could send that thing flying straight to the heavens with Six Paths: Chibaku Tensei.
As for Yin Release—he only lacked mastery and further refinement.
Thankfully, he had reference material.
Otherwise, things would be far trickier.
On the front lines, little had changed, but their scouts had mapped out more land beyond the Valley of the End. Kyoichi routinely synced with his shadow clones to confirm progress.
Still—
No trace of White Zetsu had appeared.
It seemed Black Zetsu had truly pulled back his forces. Around Konoha especially, there wasn't a single White Zetsu left. Clearly, he feared Kyoichi would capture more for research experiments.
A pity.
Even though the labs weren't short on samples, more test subjects were always better.
After all—
who ever complained about having too many lab rats?
As for Black Zetsu…
Kyoichi smirked. That one could wait. He'd deal with it all in one decisive strike later.
He also kept a quiet watch on the Uchiha Clan.
Inahori's recent training had stirred attention—it was impossible to hide. Whispers were spreading through the clan, though Fugaku himself remained silent, as always.
He was still the same—
steady, distant, difficult to read.
Though, there was a change: he'd grown far more attentive to Itachi. Lately, with less on his plate, he spent most of his time personally overseeing his son's training.
According to Inahori, their relationship had improved quite a bit—
at least on the surface.
Overall, the Uchiha clan was calm, but under the surface, dissent was brewing.
Kyoichi wasn't worried.
If Inahori couldn't keep order, he would step in.
These were extraordinary times—extraordinary measures were fair game.
Relying on Fugaku was out of the question.
In the days that followed, Kyoichi's command of Yin Release grew ever smoother. He could now materialize constructs at will, though there was still some variance in their consistency.
He realized then—
isolated study could only take him so far.
It was time to exchange ideas.
Within Konoha, few could discuss Yin Release meaningfully.
The Kurama Clan and the Nara Clan were the true experts. What Kyoichi lacked most was the Kurama clan's refined control over the five senses, but unfortunately, their bloodline had long faded.
Not a single living member possessed a kekkei genkai anymore.
So—
He chose the next best option:
a visit to Nara Shikaku.
That man was as sharp as they came—
and talking with a true intellectual was always easy and refreshing. No need for suspicion or secrecy.
Unlike the Kurama clan… who would probably spend the entire conversation fretting over whether he was trying to steal their bloodline secrets.