Chapter Twenty-Eight
The ceiling in Kenshin's Amegakure quarters was a lattice of water-stained plaster and rusted pipes. He lay on his back, one arm draped over the edge of the mattress, the other held aloft, palm hovering in front of his face like a screen.
What now?
Do I push the schedule forward?
Jiraiya would reach Ame soon. After that, the old sage would die. Nagato would then go to Konoha, rain destruction, and be redeemed. All that canon scaffolding.
Asuma's death, Itachi's sacrifice… those are the only things holding me back from starting the war early.
But should he even follow the canon war? Or just derail everything here and now?
He let his hand drop to the blanket.
Definitely after the Pain invasion—or, since I've healed Nagato, call it the Nagato invasion—the Kage will call their summit. By then, I should have revived Madara fully. Let him play Obito's part. The Five Nations need to unite to understand peace.
But isn't that redundant?
Or…
He could let Black Zetsu release Kaguya early—he'd need to start studying how to undo her seal now—then let Ashura and Indra's incarnations fight her. A stupid plan. Or maybe not.
But where does that leave Madara?
He'd be the penultimate boss, then Kaguya the final. He, Naruto, and Sasuke could fight her together, seal her away. Let Naruto use Talk-no-Jutsu—Madara would be receptive by then, since Naruto only bothers with the redeemable. Madara could explain his plan, Naruto could rally the alliance, and peace could emerge from the ashes.
Actually…
He sat up slowly, the mattress creaking.
Why not just use Rinne Rebirth on Hashirama and Tobirama instead?
Hashirama would be an enormous asset for peace talks. Tobirama could handle logistics. The villages would listen to the God of Shinobi. Maybe even bring back Minato and Kushina for Naruto.
Sasuke can stay a loner—Itachi wouldn't want to be revived again anyway.
Then, release Kaguya. Again.
She was necessary for the future, he supposed. Or maybe he just wanted to make peace with a woman who was pushed into villainy by humans and betrayed by her own sons.
Yes. This is a workable framework.
There'd be changes, of course. But this was the cleanest path to a stable peace. Too much brute force wouldn't hold.
Most of it, though, hinged on one thing.
The Rinnegan.
He swung his legs off the bed, feet meeting the cold floor.
Time to spin.
---
First, he washed his hands. Carefully, methodically, as though scrubbing for surgery. The ritual mattered. He prayed silently for European luck—or, failing that, Chinese luck. They got golden fingers all the time.
The bathroom mirror showed his reflection: pale hair damp at the temples, eyes shadowed in the gray light. He splashed water on his face, let it drip down his neck, and stared back at the man in the glass.
People will die. But for the greater good of the world, for my fun, for the fight against Isshiki and the other Ōtsutsuki… sacrifices are necessary.
A faint smirk touched his lips.
Not that I ever wavered.
---
Back on the bed, cross-legged, he summoned the system interface. Blue light flickered in the air before him, lines of text arranging themselves like ancient scrolls.
Start with the Diamond tickets. Save the bronze and gold for later.
C'mon, RNGesus. Bless me.
…
Rolling Diamond Ticket…
[Byakugan] | Elite Ability
Grants exceptional visual prowess, including the ability to see through solid matter and read energy signatures.
…
Kenshin's mouth tightened. The Chinese fanfics weren't wrong—Naruto is the battle of the eyes. But other than the Rinnegan—or the Rinne-Sharingan—what do I need with more dōjutsu? Maybe the Tenseigan. Or one of those cheat eyes from… Boruto.
We don't mention that.
He liked Boruto, actually. But we don't talk about Bruno.
…
Rolling Diamond Ticket…
[Doppelganger] | Epic Ability
Allows the creation of a seamless duplicate of yourself. You may determine the percentage of your capabilities it possesses. Limit: one active doppelganger at a time.
…
A slow grin spread across his face. Well. My double life just got more interesting.
He'd been considering "killing off" the teenage Kenshin. Now, maybe not.
The sweet joy of planning.
…
Rolling Legendary Ticket…
[Ratio Technique] | Uncommon Ability
Allows you to split a target along imaginary lines, creating a weak spot at the seven-to-three ratio point. Striking that spot deals critical damage.
…
Kenshin blinked. Nanami's technique? Here?
As an Uncommon ability?
He was already strong enough that he didn't need critical hits. This was… almost useless.
Maybe I'll give it to the doppelganger.
….
Rolling Mythical Ticket…
The light in the room seemed to still.
[Obito's Mangekyō Sharingan] | Mythical Ability
Grants Obito Uchiha's Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan and full access to the Kamui technique, including a personal pocket dimension, intangibility, dimensional teleportation, and the ability to breach other dimensions.
[Wood Release] | Legendary Ability
Allows creation, shaping, and control of wood and plant life. Can absorb and suppress chakra through generated roots.
[Dust Release] | Mythical Ability
Enables formation of three-dimensional translucent constructs (spheres, cubes) that reduce anything they touch to dust on a molecular level.
[Madara Uchiha's Rinnegan] | Divine Ability
The ultimate ocular power. Grants the Six Paths Techniques: Deva (attraction/repulsion), Asura (mechanical modification), Human (soul extraction), Animal (summoning), Preta (chakra absorption), Naraka (King of Hell access). Includes the Outer Path, which presides over life and death, and Madara's unique ability: Limbo: Border Jail.
…
For a long moment, Kenshin just lay there, staring at the ceiling.
Then he sat up.
Then he stood.
A laugh bubbled up from his chest—small at first, then louder, uncontained. He jumped, punched the air, spun in a tight circle in the middle of the room.
"YES!"
"Brat." Madara's voice, deep and resonant, cut through the wall from the adjacent room. "Keep it down. I am trying to sleep."
"You don't need sleep, you undead relic!"
"Are you looking for a beating, you alien?"
"Heh! You're welcome to try! Any day!"
I've got it. I've got the Rinnegan.
"MWAHAHAHA—!"
"That's it." A low thud came from next door, the sound of Madara rising. "Let's dance."
"I think Nagato's calling, you old man!"
Kenshin teleported away via FTG.
---
He reappeared in a damp alley a few blocks away, the grin fading into something more contemplative. His clone—the one posing as "Aizen" in the Akatsuki—had just fed him an update.
The One-Tails had been captured.
Sasori was dead.
---
In the Akatsuki meeting chamber, rain streaked the high windows. Pain stood at the head of the stone table, his Rinnegan eyes sweeping over the assembled members.
Itachi. Kisame. Kakuzu. Hidan. Deidara.
And two new faces: Tobi—masked, slouching playfully—and the enigmatic Aizen, who leaned against the wall with a faint, knowing smile.
"Sasori is dead," Pain intoned. "Tobi will replace him as Deidara's partner."
"What about me, boss?" Aizen raised a hand, his tone light.
"You will recruit your own teammate. He is a young jōnin who defected from Konoha. He has built a reputation in the black market."
"Another Leaf-nin?" Kisame grinned, shark-like. "Hey, Itachi. Getting a fellow villager in the group."
Itachi did not respond, his Sharingan passive.
"I heard you had one before," Aizen said, strolling closer to Kisame. "You replaced him after he died, didn't you?"
"You're chatty."
"Heh. You haven't met Tobi. Leader, why is everyone who joins this group a weirdo?" Deidara complained.
"Speak for yourself," Hidan shot back.
"Who in their right mind would be a rogue ninja," Aizen mused, "or even join a terrorist organization?"
He laughed softly. No one else joined in.
"Kakuzu. Hidan." Pain's voice cut through. "You are tasked with hunting the Two-Tails."
"Yes, Leader!" Hidan grinned, hefting his scythe.
"Time to make money," Kakuzu murmured.
"Dismissed."
---
Kenshin appeared in Nagato's private chamber. The room was different now—no machines, no tubes. Nagato sat in a simple chair by a small table, a book open in his lap. He looked… healthier. Fuller. Alive.
"Yo," Kenshin said, leaning against the doorframe. "I heard."
"You did a good job leveraging the situation to recruit my younger self."
"You laid out the plan."
"That I did." Kenshin scratched his cheek with a finger.
"You seemed to know we would lose a member."
"Coincidence. I told you before—after you captured the One-Tails, you recruit Kenshin. You should've done it earlier, honestly. I'm just lazy with planning."
He shrugged. "As for Obito… he was tired of benchwarming. And you'd have been a member short anyway. Kenshin's my partner, after all."
Nagato watched him, unmoving. "Why are you here?"
"My clone pinged me. And I needed a quick getaway."
"Do you drink?"
"I'm celebrating."
"No. I am reading. Leave."
"Tough crowd." Kenshin pushed off the frame. "Maybe Konan's up for a drink."
He paused at the threshold and glanced back. "Oh, and Nagato. Steel your resolve. The next few months will be… tough."
You're going to kill your master, after all.
He didn't need the advice—he hadn't in canon—but Kenshin loved to meddle.
He vanished with a soft shunshin flicker.
Nagato stared at the empty space where he'd been, the cryptic words hanging in the quiet room.
What is he planning now?.