Chapter 220: The Outer Path Statue Is Gone
Konan knew just how important the Outer Path Demonic Statue was to Nagato.
When she realized he couldn't be dissuaded, she stopped trying. Quietly, she moved behind him and began pushing his wheelchair toward the depths of their base.
The two descended into the vast underground chamber hidden beneath the Rain Village — a cavern so large that even their voices echoed faintly against the stone walls.
When they reached the center, Konan parked Nagato's chair and walked back to the entrance, her paper wings folding neatly at her sides.
Once she was a safe distance away, Nagato pressed his palms together and murmured solemnly:
"Summoning Technique — Outer Path: Demonic Statue!"
The cavern fell silent.
Nothing happened.
Not even the faintest ripple of chakra stirred the air.
From the entrance, Konan's eyes darkened with worry.
Nagato waited for a moment, then repeated, a little more forcefully,
"Summoning Technique — Outer Path: Demonic Statue!"
Still, the air remained still.
No response.
Nothing.
Nagato's expression turned grim. His worst fear had come true.
The Outer Path Demonic Statue—his most critical asset and the foundation of their entire plan—was gone.
He clenched his hands. Uchiha Fugaku... he must have done something.
Some sealing ninjutsu, or perhaps a dimensional space technique—something powerful enough to take the statue away entirely.
If he wanted to retrieve it, he would have to confront the Fifth Hokage himself.
And Nagato knew better than anyone what that meant.
He had already fought Uchiha Fugaku once.
That battle made it painfully clear—the power gap between them was vast.
Even with all his might, even using every ability of the Six Paths of Pain, he couldn't break through Fugaku's defense.
In the end, he'd been forced to summon the Outer Path Demonic Statue just to cover his retreat.
At the time, Nagato had believed that calling forth the statue would guarantee his safety.
But after only a few exchanges, the unimaginable had happened—
The statue was taken, and his spiritual connection to it severed completely.
Nagato fell silent for a long moment, then raised a thin hand and gestured toward Konan.
She dissolved into a flurry of paper sheets, fluttering through the cavern like snow, and reassembled behind him.
"It didn't work?" she asked softly.
"No." Nagato's voice was cold, but calm. "The Outer Path Demonic Statue has been taken—by that Hokage."
Konan said nothing.
Nagato glanced down at his frail arms, then exhaled slowly. "It's fine. I already suspected as much after the summoning link was cut."
Konan nodded silently.
"To complete our plan," Nagato continued, "the Fifth Hokage must be overthrown. He may appear invincible for now, but we still have time. Konoha hasn't discovered our whereabouts yet. That means Akatsuki remains under the radar—and that works to our advantage."
He paused, his pale eyes flickering with a faint light.
"Even without the Outer Path Demonic Statue, there are other ways. The shinobi world is vast. Somewhere out there must exist ninjutsu powerful enough to pierce his defense."
It was the longest speech Konan had heard from him in months.
She immediately fetched a cup of water and handed it to him.
Though Nagato's injuries healed quickly thanks to his Uzumaki bloodline, his body remained weak. He didn't know why his strength refused to return—
But Konan didn't realize that the real cause was right in front of her.
The Rinnegan itself was slowly draining his chakra.
Once his reserves ran dry, the eyes would begin consuming his very life force.
"I understand," Konan said quietly. "I'll inform the other members and have them watch for any clues."
As Nagato sipped the water, their gazes met.
A single thought passed silently between them—they both knew who they would rely on next.
"I'll contact Zetsu first," Konan said. "He's the best at gathering intelligence. I'll have him scour the shinobi world for destructive ninjutsu."
Nagato nodded faintly. "Thank you, Konan."
He coughed several times before continuing, his voice weaker but still composed.
"Don't thank me," Konan said, forcing a small smile. "Compared to everything you've endured, this is nothing."
Nagato understood what she meant.
He was wasting away, his body little more than skin and bones.
But even so, his resolve—like hers—remained unshaken.
"Alright," he said at last. "You go. I'll have Tendō Pain escort me back."
"Understood." Konan turned to leave. This deep within their base, she had no fear of intruders.
After all, there was a reason why no one could approach them unnoticed.
Nagato's Rain Tiger at Will Technique blanketed the entire Hidden Rain Village.
It had been raining there continuously since they took control.
Though the village had always been known for frequent showers, this constant downpour was unnatural.
Every droplet of that rain carried a trace of Pain's chakra.
Anyone touched by it was instantly sensed by Nagato.
It was, in essence, an all-seeing network.
Even a veteran shinobi like Jiraiya, despite his skill and experience, had been discovered and killed after being marked by this very rain.
That was the day Jiraiya the Gallant fell.
---
Not long after Konan departed, Tendō Pain appeared at the entrance and silently pushed Nagato's wheelchair back toward the surface.
Once Nagato was gone, Konan met with Zetsu—the Akatsuki's most elusive intelligence operative.
She wasted no time on pleasantries.
"The Outer Path Statue has been taken. Nagato wants you to search the entire shinobi world for ninjutsu capable of breaking the Fifth Hokage's defense."
Zetsu didn't need further explanation.
Black Zetsu had existed for countless years; he knew better than anyone which techniques possessed immense destructive power.
He had also witnessed Nagato's defeat firsthand—watching from the shadows as Uchiha Fugaku crushed their hopes with overwhelming might.
Nagato had never been able to draw out the full power of the Rinnegan, and now, with Uchiha Obito gone, Zetsu's last hope rested solely on him.
And yet… the Fifth Hokage continued to obstruct him at every turn.
That man… does he have some personal grudge against me?
Black Zetsu's thoughts darkened.
Every time he made a move, that Hokage somehow interfered—destroying his plans, taking what was his.
Even the Outer Path Demonic Statue, the very core of the Eye of the Moon Plan, was now in Fugaku's hands.
Zetsu clenched his teeth silently.
Just how had that man managed to seize something so massive—something that only the Rinnegan could summon?
He didn't know.
And that uncertainty filled him with unease.
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