Nagato had already guessed as much. Once it was confirmed, he controlled the trembling in his hands and accepted the bowl.
But when he brought it to his lips, he hesitated briefly before smiling and saying, "Konan, why don't we each drink half?"
Konan firmly shook her head.
"I can't take this pill. Nagato, hurry and drink it."
Hearing that only made Nagato even more unwilling.
What did she mean by saying she couldn't take it?
When Nagato lowered the bowl, Konan immediately realized that he had misunderstood and hurriedly explained, "Nagato, you know your body is in such poor condition that ordinary medicine can be said to have no effect at all."
"But this soup made by dissolving the pill worked so well. Do you think it could possibly be ordinary medicine?"
"Besides, this is medicine—an extraordinary medicine I specifically begged for on your behalf."
"I'm only an ordinary person with somewhat decent talent, and I'm not even sick. How could I take such an extraordinary medicine?"
Konan pressed her forehead against Nagato's and asked softly with a smile, "Nagato, do you think I might die if I took this medicine?"
"So hurry up and drink it. Not a single drop can be wasted!"
Nagato no longer hesitated.
He gulped down the entire bowl of white-wisp soup.
Konan even rinsed the bowl twice with hot water.
He drank every last drop of that rinse water as well.
Once the fish egg had been completely consumed, the source of heat inside Nagato's abdomen began growing wildly.
He soon experienced what it felt like to swallow a sun.
Yet the sensation wasn't uncomfortable.
Quite the opposite—Nagato found it extremely pleasant.
This sun was like the sun on the final day of winter, pouring boundless vitality over a land that had lain dormant for too long and thoroughly awakening Nagato's life force.
The first thing Nagato felt was his eyes frantically devouring the warm current.
For once, temporarily satisfied, they released their demand upon his own chakra.
He felt an indescribable sense of relief, as if a fifty-kilogram burden he had carried for years had suddenly been removed.
With the burden on his chakra reduced, every cell in Nagato's body felt relieved.
Hundreds of trillions of cells seemed to cheer simultaneously.
Every cell began recovering and developing frantically.
His weakened arms, frail for so long, visibly swelled before their eyes.
His legs, which he hadn't been able to control for an entire year, regained sensation amid sharp pain and itching, then rapidly filled out.
Even when the swiftly expanding muscles split his skin, Nagato felt no fear or pain whatsoever, because those wounds healed just as quickly.
The changes within his body were even more obvious.
First, his breathing became strong and powerful.
Then his heartbeat steadily accelerated.
After that, his other internal organs also began becoming active, even producing all kinds of strange sounds.
What surprised him most was that his bones eventually joined the celebration, producing a continuous series of cracking noises.
For the first time in his life, Nagato realized that not only were his eyes extraordinary—even his body, which had always seemed weak and sickly, was exceptional.
He had been frail since childhood.
His parents had both been medical ninja of Amegakure.
Although his family's circumstances were considered decent, they merely had enough to live comfortably.
They had no means of buying large quantities of tonics, so they couldn't free him from his thin and weak appearance.
After his parents were killed by Konoha ninja, Nagato became an orphan and began living without enough food or proper clothing.
When his energy intake was insufficient, his powerful body instead became an enormous burden.
He fell ill frequently, yet always managed to recover whenever he hovered on the verge of death.
His constant illnesses made Nagato a burden among the trio.
Fortunately, Yahiko and Konan never abandoned him, allowing him to persevere until Jiraiya accepted them as disciples.
But Jiraiya was careless.
Even after learning that Nagato possessed the Rinnegan, he somehow spent three years without realizing there was anything wrong with Nagato's body and never provided him with sufficient nutrition.
Simply eating until he was full could satisfy Nagato emotionally, but it couldn't satisfy his body.
It was only enough to prevent him from continuing to fall ill.
Now, however, the immense and abundant energy contained within the fish egg had entered Nagato's body.
Even though the Rinnegan devoured ninety percent of it, the remaining ten percent still activated his body and unleashed an unbelievable surge of vitality.
After only a few hours, the violent changes in Nagato's body stopped.
At the same time, he transformed from an emaciated, bedridden invalid into a sturdy young man with full muscles, a healthy complexion, and a well-proportioned build.
Feeling that the warm current was still continuously surging outward, supporting his body's powerful vitality and rapidly healing the various hidden ailments left over from the past year, Nagato's heart filled with relief.
Moreover, he could already stand on his own legs and walk around easily.
Konan was so happy she could hardly contain herself.
The two of them searched the small house from top to bottom.
They treated the simple food they found as a feast and the boiled water as wine, holding a joyous celebration.
They discussed the future with great enthusiasm, including revenge and rebuilding the Akatsuki organization.
But at daybreak, when the fish egg had been fully digested, Nagato immediately felt uncomfortable.
He covered his eyes with both hands and released a painful groan.
Konan was startled.
She hurriedly rushed over to support him and asked anxiously, "Nagato, what's wrong? What happened to your eyes?"
Nagato panted lightly.
His face had once again turned pale, but his mind remained clear.
He smiled and replied, "It's fine. The pill's medicinal power has simply been completely exhausted."
"My eyes have started extracting chakra from my body again, and I wasn't prepared for it."
"Actually, the pain has already lessened considerably."
"I simply spent an entire night without feeling the slightest discomfort, so when the stabbing pain suddenly returned, I couldn't adapt immediately."
Konan didn't relax merely because of Nagato's explanation.
She carefully examined him and confirmed that his body hadn't developed any serious issues, such as muscle atrophy.
Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.
Then she remembered the instructions the Heavenly Emperor had given her.
Konan repeated all of them to Nagato so that he could feel reassured.
"It's all right. His Majesty said that even after the medicine's effects faded, your body has recovered greatly and can now withstand the burden much better."
"Before you reach adulthood, you may still gradually weaken, but you shouldn't deteriorate to the point where you can't care for yourself."
"Once you become an adult, your condition will stabilize completely, and there shouldn't be any more problems afterward."
Nagato nodded.
"What he said is correct. It matches what I'm feeling."
But then he suddenly froze.
He stared intensely at Konan and said, "I'm truly sorry. How could I only realize now that the person with the greatest problem isn't me, but you, Konan?"
"I want to know—who is this 'His Majesty' you keep mentioning?"
"Was the pill that dissolved into that bowl of soup given to you by him?"
"And..." Nagato's voice carried indescribable fear and concern, even becoming slightly choked without his noticing. "To obtain such a precious medicine, what horrifying price did you pay?"
Konan was startled by his words.
But then she became confused.
What price had she paid?
It seemed she hadn't paid anything at all...
The Heavenly Emperor's only requirements appeared to be faith and devotion.
Thinking of this, Konan immediately felt extremely embarrassed and silently apologized to the Heavenly Emperor in her heart.
Then she quickly explained to Nagato, "I didn't pay any special price."
"At the time, I merely told the Heavenly Emperor about the history and current situation of the Land of Rain."
"Then I asked him for a way to treat you."
"It took a very long time before he finally determined exactly what was wrong with your body."
"After that, he found a method to treat you, but the pill couldn't be given to me."
"So he studied the issue for a long time before coming up with a solution."
The more Nagato heard, the more frightened he became.
He hurriedly asked, "And then?"
Konan continued, "Then I returned here and prayed according to the method His Majesty taught me."
"I opened the Gate of Bestowal, and he bestowed the pill upon me."
"Finally, I dissolved the pill and gave it to you."
By this point, the more Nagato listened, the more certain he became that the mysterious existence had suffered a loss.
According to Nagato's now-darkened understanding, the other party couldn't possibly be performing charity out of pure goodwill.
If they had conducted such an obviously disadvantageous transaction, then some kind of scheme had to be hidden beneath it.
Nagato took a deep breath and asked, "Konan, can you avoid meeting this existence again?"
Konan shook her head.
"I probably can't refuse."
"After all, when His Majesty summoned me this time, he didn't ask for my consent."
That was true.
She hadn't even been given an opportunity to refuse, so avoiding another meeting was fundamentally impossible.
Nagato became even more worried.
But he had undeniably received an enormous benefit and couldn't identify any actual problem.
His eyes shone with vigilance as he secretly thought:
[So this is a god?]
[I cannot understand the logic behind his behavior at all.]
[It is truly... terrifying.]
Nagato finally suggested, "Since it seems impossible to refuse, the next time he summons you, tell me beforehand."
"I'll use the Rinnegan and see whether I can discover anything."
Konan replied awkwardly, "I don't know whether that will be possible."
"Last time, it felt as though I appeared directly inside the Divine Court."
"There was no warning beforehand at all."
Nagato said dejectedly, "Just do your best. We can't simply do nothing."
Konan nodded and smiled.
"Okay. I'll try."
"No matter what, you're far healthier than before."
"So far, encountering the Heavenly Emperor has been a good thing."
Nagato couldn't help covering his eyes again and rubbing them lightly.
He smiled bitterly.
"You're right."
"Although it's still somewhat difficult, I truly have recovered a great deal."
As he spoke, he uncovered his eyes, clenched both hands into fists, and exerted his strength to experience the power within his body and the amount of chakra remaining inside him.
A delighted expression appeared on his face.
"It seems I haven't merely recovered my health."
"My chakra has also increased considerably."
"I feel capable of fighting again."
"Konan, let's gather our companions."
"So soon?"
"Mm. After we were scattered, our lives became extremely difficult."
"The companions who survived must also be suffering."
Nagato's face filled with sorrow.
"When Yahiko was alive, the people he cared about most were our companions."
"He always searched for ways to help everyone live better lives."
"Now that Yahiko is gone, I will take on his responsibilities."
"I will fulfill Yahiko's dream in his place, care for our companions, rebuild Akatsuki, and ultimately realize his dream of peace in the shinobi world."
Konan was moved by his words and nodded repeatedly.
"All right, Nagato."
"Our lives were bought through Yahiko's sacrifice."
"For the sake of his dream, I'm willing to give my life."
Nagato gritted his teeth.
"No, Konan."
"You won't die."
"I won't allow you to die."
He pointed toward his own eyes and continued, "According to Jiraiya-sensei, these are the Rinnegan, one of the Three Great Dōjutsu of the shinobi world."
"They are far superior to the Sharingan of the Uchiha clan and the Byakugan of the Hyūga clan—the strongest dōjutsu kekkei genkai in the shinobi world."
"Jiraiya-sensei said that these eyes were a gift from fate."
"That means I am the Child of Prophecy who can determine the future destiny of the shinobi world..."
"I always believed Yahiko was the Child of Prophecy."
"Yahiko, who was always cheerful and optimistic, always positive, and always had a solution."
"That was why I concealed the power of these eyes."
"Like you, I wanted to become someone who supported Yahiko from behind."
"But now I understand that I was wrong."
"I shouldn't have pushed my responsibilities onto Yahiko."
"I should have been the one standing at the front, shielding you and Yahiko from the wind and rain."
"If I had stepped forward sooner, Yahiko might not have died."
As he continued speaking, Nagato unknowingly dropped to his knees.
Tears streamed down his face, leaving him in an utterly wretched state.
Konan walked behind him and tenderly embraced his head against her chest.
She comforted him.
"You cannot blame yourself."
"Yahiko shone as brightly as the sun."
"You, I, and everyone else were all drawn to him."
"That was why we established Akatsuki in Amegakure."
"Nagato, you are yourself."
"You are not Yahiko's replacement."
Nagato nodded and softly acknowledged her words.
He flicked the black rod extending from his back, looked down at the ground beneath his feet, and continued, "My body is much better now."
"As long as I don't use the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, I won't have any problems."
"Even relying only upon the Rinnegan, I'm confident I can eliminate every enemy."
"Including Hanzō of the Salamander."
"Konan, I won't allow you to die."
"I have absolute confidence that I can protect you and everyone else."
"So let us gather our companions."
"We will rebuild Akatsuki, fight our way back into Amegakure, kill Hanzō, and eliminate the old and rotten Amegakure ninja."
"Then we will rebuild an Amegakure capable of protecting order and safeguarding the Land of Rain."
Konan felt Nagato's resolve and confidence.
She nodded.
"All right."
However, gathering Akatsuki's companions proved impossible.
Although an entire year had passed since the Konoha and Amegakure ninja jointly ambushed Akatsuki, the Amegakure ninja were still tirelessly searching for its members.
Konan had been searching for their companions for less than a day when she was noticed by Amegakure ninja, triggering a battle.
She swiftly and decisively killed every Amegakure ninja who had followed her.
But the Land of Rain was Amegakure's territory.
Their deaths and the mission they had been carrying out still exposed Konan's presence.
As a result, Hanzō, who had been grievously injured by the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path one year earlier and had only recently recovered, personally took action.
When Konan heard the news, she immediately became tense.
Konan was extremely powerful.
She was Jiraiya's accomplished disciple and a genius who had created the Paper Style series of ninjutsu.
In terms of strength, she was unquestionably a jōnin.
But a jōnin couldn't even face Hanzō directly, because Hanzō was simply too powerful.
He was the supreme ninja known as the "Demigod," the strongest among Kage-level ninja.
Hanzō had defeated the Sannin, including Jiraiya, on multiple occasions.
Even the title "Konoha's Sannin" had been generously "bestowed" upon them by Hanzō.
During the Second Shinobi World War, Hanzō of the Salamander had personally led Amegakure's ninja and driven Konoha, Sunagakure, and Iwagakure out of the Land of Rain simultaneously.
Even now, he remained the strongest ninja in the minds of the overwhelming majority of shinobi.
There was no second place.
Back then, Konan already possessed jōnin-level strength, yet Hanzō had captured her with ease in a single exchange, using her as a hostage to force Yahiko to commit suicide.
From Hanzō's perspective, however, he had likewise been grievously injured in a single exchange by the summoned creature of the Rinnegan-wielding boy.
All the subordinates he had brought to encircle Akatsuki, along with Danzō's ANBU, had been annihilated.
Hanzō had experienced many defeats throughout his life.
But those had all been strategic failures caused by powerful hidden villages overwhelming him.
In terms of personal strength, the Demigod Hanzō was universally acknowledged as the strongest.
Even when several Kage-level ninja surrounded him, merely surviving his attacks without being killed was considered an enormous success.
That was precisely how Konoha's Sannin had become famous throughout the shinobi world.
Being grievously wounded by Nagato in a single strike was the first true defeat of Hanzō's life.
Naturally, he bore a deep grudge against Akatsuki and was determined to eliminate it completely.
His goal was to find Nagato and kill him, removing the greatest threat to his existence.
Therefore, when he heard intelligence that Akatsuki had resumed activity, Hanzō personally departed at the first opportunity, even though the information hadn't yet been confirmed.
The movements of the undisputed strongest person in the Land of Rain, the Demigod Hanzō, carried far too much influence.
The Akatsuki members Konan had searched for in vain immediately learned that Akatsuki had risen from the ashes.
One after another, they emerged from hiding and began gathering information.
As a result, the Akatsuki members exposed themselves to Hanzō's gaze.
The poisonous ninja was delighted.
He immediately decided to conduct a massacre and force every Akatsuki member into the open, especially the boy named Nagato.
The Demigod Hanzō's plan succeeded.
He captured more than forty surviving members of Akatsuki.
But what horrified him was that several of the prisoners had actually joined during the past year.
Hanzō had no choice but to admit that he might truly have made a grave mistake.
Otherwise, why would people—especially young people—betray him and join a rogue ninja organization whose members might die at any moment?
Hanzō had once been young himself.
He knew that such a situation could only arise when the lives of the young had become so miserable that opposing Hanzō seemed less frightening and less hopeless by comparison.
That terrible situation was naturally the war.
The fighting conducted by Konoha, Sunagakure, and Iwagakure within the Land of Rain had driven its people into despair.
Hanzō secretly resolved that after killing Nagato, he had to pull himself together and seriously protect the Land of Rain.
He couldn't continue sinking into decadence.
Unfortunately, he no longer had the opportunity.
The moment Hanzō sensed a warning and raised his head toward Amegakure's main gate, a pair of Rinnegan filled his entire vision.
Then the consciousness of the Demigod Hanzō fell into darkness.
Just as in the original course of history, the moment Nagato recovered his health marked the arrival of Hanzō's death.
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