Diarmuid was genuinely surprised. In his memory, he recalled that the Shapeshifting Technique required the Rinnegan to be activated.
However, Nagato was dead, and this technique had been recovered from Hanzo of the Salamander's collection. This was a strange anomaly, it seemed to prove that the Rinnegan wasn't a strict prerequisite for the jutsu.
Pushing his surprise aside, Diarmuid quickly began reading the scroll.
Soon, his eyebrows arched in interest again. He had assumed Hanzo developed the technique himself, but the records indicated otherwise. It was researched by a Hidden Rain shinobi a long time ago, long before Hanzo's time, perhaps a century or two back.
Doesn't that trace back to the Warring States Period?
For some unknown reason, the technique eventually fell into Hanzo's hands. It stood to reason that in the original timeline, Nagato "inherited" this as part of Hanzo's legacy rather than developing it through the Rinnegan.
"Worthy of being a Forbidden Technique; it requires a living sacrifice right off the bat," Diarmuid clicked his tongue.
The Shapeshifting Technique required a human sacrifice as a medium, and the scroll made absolutely no mention of the Rinnegan. It made sense; Madara was one of the few in a millennium to awaken those eyes. A hundred years ago, the Rinnegan essentially didn't exist in the world. How could a technique from that era be dependent on them?
I must have misremembered, Diarmuid thought. Or perhaps because Pain used it so often, people just assumed it was a Rinnegan-exclusive ability.
Reflecting further, he realized official lore never explicitly stated the Rinnegan was a requirement, only that it might be easier or more efficient for a Rinnegan user to manage.
Diarmuid continued his study. Generally, a technique is classified as a Forbidden Technique based on three criteria, regardless of its power level:
Life-Threatening or Mutual-Death Types: Techniques that cause extreme harm to the user or result in the death of both the user and the target. Orochimaru's Twin Snakes Mutual Death fell into this category, as did the Reaper Death Seal. Even the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu was technically banned for the strain it put on a normal user's chakra. Violation of Nature and Ethics: Techniques involving human sacrifice or the manipulation of life and death. The Shapeshifting Technique fell here due to the sacrifice requirement. Other examples included the Reanimation Jutsu, Chiyo's One's Own Life Resurrection, and Sasori's Human Puppets. Tobirama was the most infamous pioneer of such "unethical" arts. Massive Collateral Damage: Techniques so destructive they endanger the innocent. The most famous example was the Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags.
Diarmuid mused that, theoretically, Konan's Six Hundred Billion Explosive Tags could also be classified as a Kinjutsu for its sheer scale of destruction.
The Shapeshifting Technique was formidable. By using a sacrifice, it projected a "clone" onto the battlefield that was 100% identical to the original body. The power was distributed based on allocated chakra. At the highest level, the clone possessed all of the original's abilities, including Kekkei Genkai and even the ninja tools they carried. The only difference was the duration, which depended on the chakra pool.
In other words, if Diarmuid used this, he could project a clone with 50% of his chakra that possessed all his Haki and swordsmanship. Given Diarmuid's monstrous chakra reserves, even 50% would be enough to fight for ten days and nights without breaking a sweat.
"An excellent technique," Diarmuid nodded, satisfied. His only regret was that it couldn't be stacked, otherwise, creating seven or eight 10% clones would make him virtually invincible.
"Diarmuid-sama!" An Akatsuki shinobi called out nervously, fearing he might be killed for interrupting the powerhouse's concentration.
Diarmuid wasn't that cruel. He closed the scroll and turned. "What is it?"
"Konan-sa,a says the bodies of Yahiko-sama and Nagato-sama have... been found. She asks for your presence."
Diarmuid was taken aback. What? He had arranged for Orochimaru to deliver those bodies to Danzo. Why were they still in the Hidden Rain?
Though confused, he didn't show it. "I understand."
…
When Diarmuid found Konan, she was kneeling before the bodies of Nagato and Yahiko, weeping bitterly.
As one of the masterminds behind this tragedy, Diarmuid felt a rare pang of guilt. He didn't approach, instead leaning against the doorframe, watching her grief. After ten minutes, Konan finally exhausted her sorrow. She wiped her eyes and looked at Diarmuid, seemingly at a loss for words.
"It's been so many days. No matter how much you grieve, it's time to let them rest in peace," Diarmuid sighed.
Konan nodded vacantly, her expression suddenly turning to one of deep misery. "Nagato... Nagato's eyes are gone!"
Her tone was so heartbroken that Diarmuid felt a brief flicker of shame. But being a man of hardened resolve, he simply nodded. "His eyes were unique. If they aren't here with Hanzo, they are likely in the hands of Konoha."
"Konoha..." Hatred burned in Konan's eyes. She clearly agreed with his deduction. Since Konoha's Root was involved in the ambush, it was "obvious" that the Leaf and Hanzo had conspired together. If the eyes weren't with the dead Hanzo, they must have been transferred to the Leaf as part of the deal.
It was perfectly logical!
"Konoha isn't a simple target," Diarmuid added. "Don't go throwing your life away. Yahiko and Nagato wouldn't want that. This is the fate of a shinobi, isn't it? Growing up in the Land of Rain, I thought you would have understood this long ago."
The rage in Konan's eyes faded into a lost, wandering gaze. For a moment, she had contemplated revenge, but she knew she lacked the strength. She also couldn't tell if this was a rogue plot by a Konoha conspirator or the village's official policy.
Furthermore, her feelings toward Konoha were complicated because their sensei, Jiraiya, was a Konoha shinobi.
In the end, as Diarmuid said... this was the fate of a shinobi. Bodies and eyes being lost after a battle was common. Even Tsunade's brother was so badly mangled that Orochimaru didn't want her to see him. This was the cruel reality.
Nagato's body was actually quite well-preserved, all things considered. It was just missing eyes. It was tragic, but it was the world they lived in.
Seeing the change in her eyes, Diarmuid waved a hand. "Alright, go bury them. Once you've settled the funerals, help me reorganize the Akatsuki and the Hidden Rain Village. And then..."
He paused, looking at her. "Then, have you decided on your path? Will you stay with me, or...?"
Diarmuid felt conflicted. He had a natural affinity for Konan, born from his meta-knowledge of the world, much like his inherent fondness for Tsunade or the yet-unborn Hinata. But honestly, he didn't want her staying and working for him. He knew that secrets couldn't stay buried forever. The closer they became, the more painful the truth would eventually be.
Konan stood up, wiping the last of her tears. Her gaze was still somewhat hazy, but she soon shook her head. "I will help you integrate the Hidden Rain and the Akatsuki. After that, I will leave."
Diarmuid felt a twinge of regret at her departure, but ultimately, he was relieved. If she stayed, he might eventually have to kill her.
"Leaving is for the best." Diarmuid suppressed his thoughts and smiled. "I told you before, you people are too naive. The Akatsuki's original goals were pure, but the future here will be completely different from what you sought. We are not kindred spirits. Konan, take your innocence and your dreams and leave the Land of Rain. Don't be a shinobi anymore. Find a peaceful place, live like a normal, beautiful girl, forget this pain, and live happily."
Konan looked at Diarmuid in silence. After a long time, she managed a stiff, forced smile. "I'll try..."
"Good," Diarmuid nodded. Without another word, he turned and left.
…
The Hidden Rain Village was slowly returning to order. With nothing better to do, Diarmuid wandered the streets. Orochimaru was likely meeting up with Sasori to move their base of operations here. From now on, the Hidden Rain would be the Yorozuya's headquarters. He wondered if Kakuzu and Jūzō were finished in the Land of Rainbows; they would head straight here once they received word.
As he walked, something caught his eye. He stopped abruptly and called out to a patrolling squad of shinobi.
"Hey, you. The third one in line, the one with the silvery-white hair."
The figure was somewhat slender. Upon hearing Diarmuid's call, they trembled unnaturally.
"Shiramu Ameri... instead of being a proper Oiran, what are you doing in the Land of Rain playing shinobi?" Diarmuid asked with a smirk.