UK:GSW Chapter 406 – Nagato: Black Zetsu, You Schemed Against Me!
Boom~~~
With a deafening roar, Nagato was struck. His body, like a kite with its string cut—or rather, like a cannonball—was sent flying, crashing into the mountains and shattering part of the rocky slope.
This was the result of Nagato being forced to take a direct Rasengan from Naruto.
And this Rasengan wasn't ordinary—it was unleashed by Naruto in his Nine-Tails form, blasting straight through Nagato's Shinra Tensei defense and landing squarely on him.
Thus, Nagato was sent flying, inevitably suffering damage.
Although Nagato's body was extremely durable now—under the influence of White Zetsu's cells, his strength and regeneration were both extraordinary, far beyond an average shinobi—normally, very few attacks could truly injure him.
However, those attacking him this time were also far beyond ordinary shinobi.
In the No. 2 Konoha trio, the weakest was none other than the long-renowned combat pillar of the Legendary Sannin—Jiraiya in Sage Mode. Without a doubt, Sage Mode Jiraiya was the strongest of the Sannin, and the only one capable of directly matching the Six Paths of Pain in combat strength.
Although in the original timeline Sage Mode's first appearance ended in defeat against the Six Paths of Pain, that was due to a lack of intel. If he had known all the Six Paths' abilities from the start, the outcome could have been very different.
After all, even back then, the Naruto series still adhered to its foundational rule: in a battle between shinobi, intel was everything.
Yet in this No. 2 world, Jiraiya was the weakest of the trio—proof of just how drastically the butterfly effect from the Main World had inflated their combat power.
So after being blasted into the mountains by Naruto, Nagato couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood. His entire body throbbed with pain, feeling as if most of his bones had been shattered.
This filled Nagato with a mix of shock and fury. His Rinnegan eyes widened with unwillingness and dread.
As someone who considered himself a god, Nagato never imagined he would be utterly suppressed.
Even if his enemies outnumbered him, that wasn't an excuse for defeat. As a god, he should have the overwhelming power to crush all opposition.
Moreover, Nagato believed he still held the upper hand, having captured multiple Tailed Beast hosts and transformed them into Pains. In numbers, he thought he surpassed Konoha's side.
And yet, he was being crushed so completely.
"No! I won't lose like this! I am Kami!!!"
With a chuunibyou-like roar, Nagato bellowed. Shinra Tensei's repulsive force exploded, blowing away the rocks pinning him, propelling him out of the mountain slope.
Then, Nagato prepared to continue the fight. He hadn't lost yet—the Jinchuriki were still under his control.
But at that moment, Nagato's expression changed. Through the shared vision of himself and his Pain bodies, he could only see Naruto, Jiraiya, and the toads from Mount Myoboku that Jiraiya had summoned—but Hatake Kakashi was nowhere to be seen.
The next instant, Nagato realized why—Kakashi appeared behind him without warning. Before he could activate the power of the Rinnegan, a Lightning Blade pierced through his back and out his chest. The terrifying lightning chakra shredded his heart and ravaged his internal organs.
Even with Nagato's current bodily resilience, such an impact left him heavily wounded—a second critical injury in quick succession.
From afar, seeing this, a flicker of sorrow crossed Jiraiya's eyes. And Konan, still under Nagato's control, showed fear and struggled to break free.
However, the sealing jutsu Jiraiya had placed on her rendered her struggles futile.
At this point, Nagato's defeat was sealed—nothing could change it.
Yet, in this moment, the long-hesitant Black Zetsu finally made his move.
If he didn't act now, there would be no chance left. If this Rinnegan wielder died, all of Black Zetsu's plans would be ruined—utter failure.
More importantly, after taking Kakashi's righteous backstab, Nagato was now severely weakened—perfect timing to strike.
In an instant, black matter surged out from inside Nagato's body, swiftly wrapping around half of him. Nagato immediately lost control over his own body, horrified to find it moving on its own.
"Black Zetsu! You dare to control me?!"
Nagato's roar was filled with both rage and disbelief. Though he had suspected Black Zetsu of having some hidden trump card, he never imagined it could be something like this—secretly attaching itself to his body to seize control outright.
To Nagato, this was unacceptable and incomprehensible. He was a god, the most powerful being in the shinobi world. Even in defeat, it was only because his enemies were both powerful and numerous, and because they possessed complete intel on him.
Yes—intel was the deciding factor.
This alarmed Nagato—how had Naruto and the others learned all of his abilities?
Even within the Akatsuki, Nagato had never revealed his full power. He had many trump cards, and now he was far stronger than when he'd had to rely on the Six Paths of Pain as a façade.
Yet somehow, the enemy knew everything. This both frightened and unsettled him.
Still, Nagato believed he was the strongest. Even if Black Zetsu had schemed against him, it could only have been through indirect means—like leaking intel. Indeed, he suspected that Black Zetsu had betrayed him.
And now, with Black Zetsu's sudden attack, his worst suspicions seemed confirmed.
"Black Zetsu!!! So it was you!!! You told them my intel!!! I see it now—you did this on purpose! You wanted me weakened so you could take over my body!!!"
"What a scheme! You healed me only so I'd have a stronger body for you to control, didn't you?!"
Nagato shouted, venting the conclusion he had pieced together in his mind. His voice carried boundless fury, unwillingness, and a crushing sense of powerlessness. In the story he imagined, he had been played from start to finish.
And what was Black Zetsu thinking?
He was dumbfounded.
Huh? What? What is this guy talking about?
What do you mean I leaked your intel? What do you mean I told them?
Sure, I planned to control your body—but only to resurrect Uchiha Madara, make him the Ten-Tails' Jinchuriki, and finally use him as a vessel to revive Mother!
How did you completely misunderstand and yet somehow still get it all right?!
Black Zetsu couldn't make sense of it, but was deeply shaken.
Then, as the shinobi world's number-one filial son, he didn't even bother explaining. He simply adopted his usual "can't be bothered to listen" attitude and moved to control Nagato to both retreat and prepare to use the Rinne Rebirth Jutsu.
At this point, Black Zetsu believed that only resurrecting Uchiha Madara could restore the crumbling situation.
But just as Black Zetsu was about to act, the Main World's Konoha elite—who had been lying in wait for the perfect moment—finally struck.
Because at last, their true target had appeared—Black Zetsu!
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