Nagato had already made a decision. He looked at Konan and gave a pale smile: "Konan, kill me!"
Yahiko used all his strength to break free from Hanzo's crowd control and shouted loudly: "Konan, don't! Don't kill Nagato!"
Konan's tears fell painfully, looking somewhat pitiful: "No, I can't kill you..."
Danzo and Ryoma watched indifferently. Danzo didn't expect it would be so easy to blackmail Nagato, the host of the Rinnegan.
The Akatsuki... was truly too fragile. How could such a fragile and naive organization establish itself in the dark shinobi world?
Better send them to the Pure Land to see the Sage of Six Paths!
Danzo wasn't interested in Nagato's life or death; he gathered Chakra, waiting for the moment of Nagato's death to snatch his Rinnegan.
Madara has already been resurrected; only by obtaining the Rinnegan can he be defeated.
Perhaps he could even use the crisis of Madara to assemble the Shinobi Alliance and regain Konoha's position as the hegemon of the Great Nations.
This person... can only be him, Shimura Danzo!
Come on, Konan, kill Nagato!
If you don't kill Nagato, Yahiko will die; if you kill Nagato, Yahiko can live for a short while longer.
Nagato and Konan also shared a life-and-death bond; their connection made it impossible for Konan to be so cruel.
Since Konan couldn't make a choice, Nagato would give her the answer.
Nagato reached out his hand: "Bansho Ten'in!"
Suddenly, Konan rushed towards Nagato uncontrollably. She wanted to throw away the Kunai Hanzo had given her, but the object Nagato's Bansho Ten'in attracted was Hanzo's Kunai!
"Don't, Nagato—"
Konan gripped the Kunai tightly, her palms bleeding from the friction, but how could a girl's strength compare to the dōjutsu power of the Rinnegan?
Konan and the Kunai were pulled over by Nagato's Bansho Ten'in.
In everyone's sight, Konan and the Kunai in her hand flew towards Nagato's chest like a sharp arrow.
"Nagato—!"
Yahiko's pupils dilated as he screamed heart-wrenchingly.
Rin and Kurenai closed their eyes with tears in them, not wanting to see this tragic scene.
Kakashi watched seriously, memorizing this scene today; he recorded it clearly in his heart, determined never to let his own comrades face such a threat.
"Minato-sensei!"
Kakashi noticed Minato using Body Flicker to rush out.
Nagato closed his eyes, welcoming his final chapter.
But the expected death did not arrive. He opened his eyes and saw a flash of red and white fan colors.
The Uchiha Clan crest?!
"Ryou—"
Konan's eyes widened as she looked at the handsome youth standing in front of Nagato, blocking the impact of the Kunai.
"Why? Why?"
A paper flower fell from Ryou's chest; it was the carnation Konan had folded for him before. A white carnation represents pure love.
Now stained with Ryou's blood, it turned into a blood-red carnation, just like a Lycoris.
It no longer signified passion and love, but death and tragedy!
The people of the Akatsuki were shocked.
"It's Ryou-sama!"
"Ryou-sama saved Nagato!"
"Why? Ryou-sama was already expelled from the Akatsuki, why would he still save us?"
Yes! Why? They had only just met, didn't trust each other, and had even had conflicts. Why would Ryou save Nagato?
Nagato wanted to know the answer. He desperately wanted to roar, to vent, and the power of the Rinnegan slowly erupted.
Ryou leaned on Konan's shoulder and said to her with dim eyes: "Because I don't want to see Konan fall into a lifetime of guilt."
"Killing a comrade is still too cruel for Konan."
Konan's pupils suddenly contracted.
She quickly set Ryou down and used her amateur Medical Ninjutsu to treat Ryou's chest.
But the Kunai was buried deep in his chest, and the spark of life in Ryou's eyes was slowly fading.
Hanzo's eyes widened, his expression extremely ugly: "He is Uchiha Ryou, the Akatsuki's Yakuganra?"
Danzo was also stunned. What was going on with Uchiha Ryou jumping out to take a hit for Nagato?
Shouldn't this evil Uchiha have the same idea as him, waiting for Nagato to die to snatch his Rinnegan?
Danzo had been gathering Chakra precisely to prepare to compete with Ryou for the Rinnegan.
Now his biggest competitor had jumped up to give away his life.
Danzo rubbed his head, full of confusion: "Young people these days, why do they all love jumping out to take hits for others like this?"
Danzo looked at Ryou, who had been stabbed in the chest by the Kunai, and suddenly a bullet from yesterday hit his present self.
Danzo remembered; he too was once a youth who could jump out to block a Kunai for someone.
Back when Danzo's teacher, Tobirama, led them to Kumogakure to submit an alliance, Kinkaku and Ginkaku suddenly staged a rebellion, and they were pursued by the Kinkaku and Ginkaku Force.
At that time, everyone discussed having one person act as a decoy to lure the enemy.
Danzo had the intention to stay behind and sacrifice himself to save everyone.
But he hesitated at the critical moment, while Hiruzen didn't hesitate for a second and resolutely stood up to be the decoy.
Just because he was one step late, Hiruzen became the Hokage, while he guarded the darkness for a lifetime.
If it happened again, could Danzo stand up faster than Hiruzen?
No, he probably wouldn't even have the thought of being a decoy anymore.
Because he and Hanzo beside him were the same; they were both old, both becoming power monsters emitting a foul stench.
Danzo looked at Ryou's young face and then recalled a sentence the Third Hokage often muttered.
Life is something meant to be burned; death is the thing that validates life.
This naturally evil Uchiha actually had the resolve to sacrifice himself for others. Was the teacher's view of the Uchiha one-sided?
He was wrong?
Hanzo stomped his feet in anger: "Why did Uchiha Ryou block that hit? I didn't want to kill him at all; I could have even made him my Anbu commander."
Hanzo felt that Ryou's individual value was far above that of the Akatsuki. If Amegakure obtained Ryou's Medical Ninjutsu, their foundation would greatly increase.
If he obtained Ryou's forbidden jutsu, he could return to his peak, and then the Hidden Rain Village would be the sixth great Ninja village.
Now, Ryou had come out to block Nagato's blade. He was dead, and all his ambitions were gone.
Yahiko's face was pale, his eyes full of remorse: "I misunderstood him, and the Akatsuki misunderstood him too. I truly deserve to die!"
Konan had only studied Medical Ninjutsu for a short time, but her Yang Release attainment was extremely high, and her Mystical Palm Technique was already quite decent.
But Ryou's heart had been directly pierced by Hanzo's Kunai; this kind of Mystical Palm Technique couldn't repair it.
"No, no, Ryou, wake up quickly!"
Ryou half-opened his eyes and said with a faint breath: "Konan, I'm not going to make it. Can you give me a kiss before I die?"
Konan lowered her head and kissed Ryou on the corner of his lips. Ryou closed his eyes contentedly.
"I no longer... have any regrets."
As soon as he finished speaking, Ryou's hand dropped, and his whole body lost its vitality.
"Ryou—"
Nagato's Rinnegan widened, and intense dōjutsu power erupted in his eye sockets. He looked at Amegakure and Root like a King of Hell from the underworld.
"I will... kill you all!"
Nagato had disliked Ryou because he not only coveted his Rinnegan but also his beloved Konan.
But at this moment, he had jumped out to block the Kunai flying towards him, saving Nagato's life.
Such behavior proved that he had always considered Nagato a friend; he had come to protect his Rinnegan.
It was they who had misunderstood Ryou. Ryou had already warned them it was a trap, but every member of the Akatsuki had turned their backs on Ryou and didn't believe him.
It was their stupidity that led them into such a desperate situation, and their prejudice against a rogue ninja that had killed Ryou.
Where no one was paying attention, Ryou's fingers twitched, scratching his somewhat itchy butt.
This damn weather in the Land of Rain, the ground is all wet; playing dead is really a skill.