As they were talking, Black Zetsu secretly felt puzzled, "There's actually someone in the shinobi no sekai capable of stopping that monster Seiki Shimaseki? How come I don't know about this? Could he also be an ancient person like Aizen who has been sleeping since ancient times?"
Obito completely ignored their reactions. In his mind, he had only one thought: "What can I use to trade with Sasori for a living puppet? This will be Rin's future body. It must be the highest-grade puppet available! But I don't have anything valuable. Maybe Hashirama's cells? My Mangekyo Sharingan? Or maybe I should just sell Black Zetsu to him?"
After declining Yahiko's invitation, Aizen continued, "Of course, my associate said he'd be willing to help, but he needs something in exchange."
"That's understandable," Yahiko nodded in agreement. "What does he want?"
"It's not anything difficult—just some body cells from a Kekkei Genkai user," Aizen said with a smile. "My associate is quite interested in researching Kekkei Genkai, but since he's acting alone, collecting the samples has been somewhat inconvenient."
"That really isn't difficult!" Yahiko nodded in agreement.
Though Kekkei Genkai users in the ninja villages were powerful, they were no match for someone like them.
Besides, this wasn't about killing anyone—just obtaining a small portion of their body cells!
Being able to exchange such a simple condition for the aid of a formidable expert was clearly a very favorable deal no matter how you looked at it.
Meanwhile, Sasori secretly mused, "No wonder Lord Aizen is so impressive. Without bearing any risks himself, he's managed to shift the burden onto the Akatsuki organization while also getting them to collect Kekkei Genkai samples for him! Compared to Aizen, Yahiko really is too naïve and inexperienced!"
At this moment, Nagato suddenly spoke up, "I'll go too. I'll send my Deva Path to assist them!"
"What?" Yahiko exclaimed in surprise. "But what about your Rinnegan?"
Nagato shook his head slightly. "Whether it's our operations in those small countries or the upcoming Kage Summit, we're inevitably going to draw attention. Since we can't stay low-key anymore, it's time to show our claws!"
"Besides, I want to know the gap between myself and Seiki! Only by clearly understanding our strengths and weaknesses can I avoid making critical mistakes at crucial moments!"
Seeing Nagato's persistence, Yahiko didn't try to persuade him further. "Then be careful yourself!"
Kakuzu licked his lips in excitement. "A battle between the Rinnegan and the Ninja God? That sounds interesting!"
Ruiga couldn't help but ask, "You're planning to join the battle with Nagato?"
Just got beaten by Seiki Shimaseki and already feeling confident again so soon?
Kakuzu's eyes gleamed with excitement. "I'm just looking for a business opportunity. If I can record their fight, I'm sure it'll fetch a good price!"
Ruiga sighed helplessly. "You really do love money more than your life! The battle between Nagato and Seiki Shimaseki won't be that easy..."
Nagato interrupted the two. "Don't call me 'Nagato' in public. Refer to me as Pain!"
"Not wanting others to know your true identity?" Ruiga shrugged. "Alright, I understand. Pain!"
Nagato gave a slight nod. Even though Jiraiya-sensei knew he possessed the Rinnegan, he would surely feel puzzled if all six of his bodies had Rinnegan as well.
After the images of everyone had vanished, Konan slightly furrowed her brows and asked, "Nagato, are you really planning to send the Six Paths of Pain into battle? I remember you once said that the Six Paths of Pain couldn't stray too far from your main body. What if—"
"Don't worry, that was in the past," Nagato replied confidently. "Ever since I no longer needed to worry about exhausting my life potential, I've studied the Rinnegan much deeper. Now, the Six Paths of Pain can be controlled from an extremely long distance!"
"Then that's good," Konan sighed in relief, then warned, "Even though the Greer Stone can replenish your life force, you must still be careful not to overuse the power of the Rinnegan."
Seeing Konan speak so seriously, Nagato dropped his relaxed expression and said, "I understand. I'll definitely be careful from now on."
...
In the underground cavern of the Grass Country,
Obito opened his eyes and placed his right hand over his chest.
He could feel it—his heart, which had been numb since Rin's death, seemed to beat once again.
Seeing his expression, Black Zetsu dampened his enthusiasm, saying, "Snap out of it. The Impure World Reincarnation might not be as wonderful as you imagine."
Obito calmed down and asked, "Does that mean the method Sasori mentioned isn't feasible?"
"If Sasori wasn't lying, then theoretically, it's indeed possible to make the Puppet summoned by the Impure World Reincarnation remain in the living world permanently."
"Isn't that good news then?"
Black Zetsu coldly questioned, "But have you considered Rin's feelings? Do you think she would be willing to be resurrected as a Puppet?"
Obito's eyes flickered with uncertainty. "I don't know."
Black Zetsu continued, "Unlike you, Rin hasn't abandoned her human emotions. If she becomes a Puppet, how do you think she'll face her past bonds? Do you believe she'd be happy?"
"And more importantly, think about the Rin in your memories—what kind of person was she? Simple, kind, gentle. Could she accept everything you've done for her? If she knew you assassinated your mentor and destroyed Konoha for her sake, would she be happy? For her, being resurrected as a Puppet might be more painful than death itself!"
Obito felt as if Black Zetsu's words were a sharp knife, slicing open his chest and stabbing straight into his heart.
Obito's lips trembled. "I... I don't know!"
Black Zetsu continued to incite, "Only by completely changing everything and creating a world where Rin exists—where Rin never died and where you're still a carefree good-for-nothing—can all regrets and pains become mere illusions!"
Obito clenched his fists, his expression tormented, beads of sweat the size of soybeans forming on his forehead.
Seeing this, Black Zetsu secretly felt pleased, thinking, "Know your role—don't overthink."
However, after a long silence, Obito let out a heavy breath, and his eyes returned to calmness. "I know Rin might hate me, but no matter what, I want to hear her answer with my own ears! If she is unwilling to be resurrected as a Puppet, I will respect her wishes and send her back to the Underworld!"
Looking at Obito's calm gaze, Black Zetsu felt a deep sense of worry. When did this guy suddenly become so resolute?
"If Rin is revived, I won't be able to control him anymore. Worse, no matter how much I've drilled into him before, one word from Rin could make this guy turn on me on the spot... I've got to figure out a way!"
With a shadowed look in his eyes, Black Zetsu said aloud, "Oh well, I suppose there's nothing I can do about it. Just don't go off losing your mind if people end up hating you!"
Obito gratefully replied, "Thank you, Black Zetsu!"
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