"—Huff… huff… huff…"
Nagato's breath came in ragged gasps as he remained connected to the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
Never in his darkest dreams had he imagined that the gulf in strength between himself and Senju Haruto would be so vast.
What terrified him most… was that from beginning to end, Haruto had only relied on Mokuton and Susanoo.
He hadn't even bothered to call upon the true might of the Rinnegan.
In Haruto's eyes, Nagato wasn't even worthy of that power.
"Yahiko… Konan… could it be that our dream… was always doomed to be out of reach?" Nagato whispered to himself. His heart refused to accept this reality, yet a deep helplessness weighed on him.
Haruto's strength was overwhelming.
All Six Paths of Pain had been destroyed. His real body was crippled and immobile. And after unleashing Chibaku Tensei, most of his chakra was already spent.
Though he had sent word for the other members of Akatsuki to come to his aid, there wasn't enough time. Even if they did arrive, Akatsuki was hardly united—rife with self-interest, half-traitors, and hidden agendas. Men like Uchiha Itachi, who always walked their own path.
"I…"
His mind slipped once more into memories of Yahiko and Konan. A sudden thought struck him, and his pupils widened in realization.
He still had… the tailed beasts.
"Yes… if I use the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path as a pseudo-jinchūriki, and draw on the power of the Bijū… I might still stand a chance against Haruto!"
Nagato inhaled deeply, a glimmer of hope flickering in his weary eyes.
But before he could act, the stone floor beside him began to ripple. Something sprouted upward from the ground—an enormous green sprig, its leaves peeling open.
"Zetsu?"
Nagato immediately recognized the being who emerged—Akatsuki's elusive informant.
"Did Madara send you?" he asked in a low, guarded tone.
"Obito knows nothing of this," Zetsu replied, shaking his head.
In truth, Zetsu had been lurking in the shadows all along, observing Haruto's battle against the Six Paths of Pain. Only when Haruto revealed the Rinnegan did panic finally seize him.
Up until then, no matter what overwhelming power Haruto displayed, Zetsu had remained certain that nothing could derail his grand design.
But now…
Haruto wasn't just growing stronger—he was edging closer and closer to the power of the Sage of Six Paths himself.
If allowed to continue down this path, he might truly become the next Sage.
And now he stood within Akatsuki's very stronghold, with all Six Paths already crushed. It was only a matter of time before he rooted out Nagato's hiding place.
If that happened, both the Rinnegan and the tailed beasts could fall into Haruto's hands.
Zetsu himself had no power to stop him.
In other words… his millennium-long plan teetered on the edge of ruin.
But how could he possibly accept that? He had waited for centuries, weaving his web with endless patience, all for this singular ambition.
"I had hoped to guide Obito at a slow pace… but the situation has gone far beyond waiting."
With a low breath, Black Zetsu slowly tore himself away from White Zetsu's form.
He had chosen this moment carefully. Nagato's body was at its weakest, and Konan and Obito were both absent.
"What… are you planning?" Nagato demanded, his voice harsh and wary.
Though Zetsu had always posed as Madara's loyal agent, Nagato had never fully trusted him. His skill at gathering intelligence was undeniable, but his motives remained a mystery.
Now, seeing Black Zetsu's ominous intent, Nagato reacted instantly—summoning Shinra Tensei.
But his frail body betrayed him. The force of the technique wracked him with violent coughing, blood spraying from his lips. The blast went wide.
Black Zetsu lunged at once, seizing the opening.
"The interval between Shinra Tensei is five seconds, isn't it?"
A twisted smile spread across his inky face.
Not only did he know the history of shinobi—he knew every technique inside and out. Even the Rinnegan's powers and their weaknesses were no exception.
In a single movement, Black Zetsu fused against Nagato's body, clinging to him like a shroud of living darkness.
"My body… won't move?!"
Nagato's eyes widened in horror. No matter how he struggled, his limbs refused to obey him.
Impossible. Black Zetsu was supposed to be nothing more than an intelligence operative… When had he gained such power?
"You… what are you trying to do?" Nagato rasped, his throat tight with dread.
"What else? I'm going to borrow your body, Nagato. You've never once used your greatest strength."
Black Zetsu's grin widened as he forced Nagato's hands into seals.
Though trapped, Nagato recognized the jutsu instantly.
"This… this is the Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique?!"
"Correct."
Black Zetsu nodded without hesitation. At this stage, he no longer cared if Nagato knew his plans.
"These eyes were never truly yours. From the very beginning, Nagato… the Rinnegan did not belong to you. They belong to Uchiha Madara. Only he can stand against Senju Haruto. Not you."
Nagato's face twisted in shock.
Uchiha Madara? Wasn't he supposed to be alive all along?
"You mean Obito? He's nothing but a pitiful man hiding behind another's name. He is not the real Madara."
Black Zetsu's voice dropped lower. "My true plan has always been to use your power to resurrect the genuine Uchiha Madara."
And with that, he forced Nagato's body to unleash the Outer Path's ultimate technique.
A colossal shinigami loomed from behind Nagato, its presence chilling the air. His crimson hair drained to pale white as his very life-force was consumed.
At that moment, Obito finally arrived, warping in with Kamui—too late.
"Zetsu—what are you doing?!"
He froze at the sight of Black Zetsu fused to Nagato's wasted body. But the jutsu was already complete.
The Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique had succeeded.
"Now, only the Nine-Tails remains," Black Zetsu hissed with a cruel smile. "And unlike Itachi, Madara is true power incarnate. He will not be bound by any pact. He will seize the Kyūbi himself."
Meanwhile, beneath the cavern at Kannabi Bridge…
A man drew his first breath of life once more.
Uchiha Madara had returned.