Naruto's eous words made Konan doubt her ears. "Say that again—what do you want to i?"

  But Naruto repeated himself firmly, "I want to i Nagato's Rinnegan!"

  I didn’t mishear him after all...

  Konan's gaze darkened as she reevaluated Naruto. The impression he had left on her was not that of someone who would say such things.

  Even so, she maintained her posure. "Naruto, Nagato entrusted his will to you, but his will does e to his eyes."

  Naruto expined persuasively, "Nagato is gone, but the power of the Rinnegan should not be buried with him. Moreover, there are others who covet these eyes. If they fall into the wrong hands, it will bring catastrophisequeo the ninja world. All things sidered, entrusting them to me is the safest option!"

  The person he’s referring to… is Madara. He knows about Madara. He’s not the simple-minded child Nagato and I onew.

  Konan’s expression turhree shades colder. "The Rinnegan was awakened by Nagato of Amegakure. His eyes are a treasure of this nation, of this vilge. Naruto, even if it’s your request, I ot agree. Please don’t ask for something so unreasonable! Nagato has already revived the shinobi of Konoha. I will leave Akatsuki today and will not act against Konoha anymore. Now, I’m taking Nagato and the Deva Path’s remains baegakure!"

  "I see..." Naruto slowly closed his eyes. From the beginning of their versation, he had been abs natural energy. By now, he had gathered enough.

  Zzz!

  e pigmentation and toad-like horizontal pupils appeared on his face.

  *Sage Mode, activated!*

  Naruto opened his eyes and said in a deep voice, "Sister Konan, you misuand. This isn’t a request—it’s a demand!"

  Swish!

  In Sage Mode, Naruto moved with blinding speed, appearing in front of Konan in an instant. With precise trol of his strength, he delivered a single punch to her abdomen.

  Thud!

  "Ugh..." Konan’s e eyes widened in shock as her body colpsed, powerless.

  Naruto withdrew his fist and looked down at the fallen Konan, murmuring, "I’m sorry, Sister Konan. To avoid unnecessary flict, this was the quickest way. I’ll expihing to you ter."

  He then turned his gaze toward the dire of Konoha, his eyes filled with an untrolble longing.

  Everything he once lost was just a step away, waiting for him to recim it.

  However, what he po do from now on would go against the Will of Fire that Konoha upheld.

  Even if he were to expihing to everyone, would they believe him?

  That would be far too absurd… Even Naruto himself wouldn’t believe it if the roles were reversed!

  He retracted his gaze and forcibly suppressed the yearning in his heart.

  "I’m sorry, everyone. I love this vilge, and I love all of you. That’s why, until the time is right, let me bear this burden alone..."

  That day, the vilgers of Konoha, waiting at the gates, did not wele their hero home.

  The search parties sent out by Konoha found only a copy of *Tales of a Gutsy Ninja* with finger-shaped iions on its cover, and a Konoha forehead protectraved with the mark of a rogue ninja, left behind at the location where Nagato had been hiding.

  At this moment, in Konoha, the Fifth Hokage Tsunade had fallen into a deep a due to overusirength of a Hundred Seal chakra.

  A group of elite Jonin, led by Shikaku Nara, vened an emergency meeting.

  Shikaku began, "Previously, we entered Naruto on the mountain. He said he would settle things with the enemy and asked us to entrust the iations to him."

  As he spoke, Shikaku g Kakashi, who had been revived and was now staring bnkly at the *Tales of a Gutsy Ninja* brought back by the search team.

  Retrag his gaze, Shikaku tinued, "Afterward, the people who had died in the vilge were resurrected. This indicates that Naruto’s iations were undoubtedly successful. However, he suddenly killed Lady Katsuyu’s e a behind this book and forehead protector. What happened during that time remains a mystery to us."

  Shikaku paused briefly before tinuing, "Based on my analysis, there are two possibilities."

  "First, Naruto was maniputed by some teique of the enemy and acted against his will."

  "Sed, Naruto had something else he wao discuss with the enemy, and it was something he didn’t want us to know about..."

  He hesitated before cluding, "As for the items Naruto left behind, if I set aside my personal feelings, the most straightforward interpretation is that Naruto has abahe path of the ninja he ied from Jiraiya and has resolved to bee a rogue ninja of Konoha!"

  Hiss!

  The Joni collectively gasped.

  That Naruto—the Naruto who was unyielding and steadfast in his ninja way—had betrayed the vilge!?

  At this moment, Kakashi spoke up. "Naruto is my student. Based on my many years of uanding him, he would never betray the vilge. I am more ined to believe that Naruto acted with his own reasons and burdens..."

  He held up the book’s cover for everyoo see. "The fingerprints here tell us everything. He must have been clutg this book tightly at the time. His heart was in turmoil..."

  Shikaku sighed lightly and said solemnly, "Until we uhe truth, we ot jump to clusions. What is undeniable is that Naruto defeated Pain and Nagato and saved the vilge. That is an indisputable fact! I propose that we temporarily ceal Naruto’s departure from the publid annouhat he is resting due to exhaustion from battle."

  "The Hyuga agrees!"

  "The Yamanaka agrees!"

  "The Aburame has no objes!"

  One by ohe leaders voiced their approval.

  Shikaku nodded. "However, cealment is not a long-term solution. The ANBU must expand their search efforts and locate Naruto as soon as possible!"

  "In addition, the vilge has just experienced a massive camity. The most important thing now is to stabilize morale. With the Fifth Hokage in a a and Naruto’s situation uain, the vilge ot be without a Hokage. I nomiake Kakashi to bee the Sixth Hokage!"

  Kakashi pced the book oable and said seriously, "I’m ready for this responsibility..."

  ...

  Rustle, rustle, rustle... In the forest beyond the ruins of Konoha, Bck Zetsu and White Zetsu emerged from a tree trunk.

  White Zetsu said, "I never imagined Pain could be defeated! And that brat Naruto Uzumaki even took Nagato’s body. This is insane!"

  Bck Zetsu replied, "Go a this to Tobi immediately!"

  ...

  Within the borders of the Land of Fire, in a dark cave.

  Naruto sat on a stone chair, his left eye ed in bandages. Resting his on one hand, he gazed at the flickering dlelight, lost in thought.

  "You’re awake..."

  He gnced out of the er of his eye at Konan, who was tied up in the er.

  "..." Konan struggled against the ropes but couldn’t break free.

  Naruto said, "For the sake of a proper versation, I’ve tied you up. Additionally, to prevent you from turning into paper and esg, I’ve sealed your chakra..."

  His deep tone was pletely uhat of a sixteen-year-old boy.

  The stark trast in his demeanor left Konan with only one clusion. "Naruto Uzumaki, your ag skills are truly remarkable. Both Nagato and I were deceived by you..."

  Naruto responded with a faint, ambiguous smile.

  Konan demanded, "What did you do with Nagato’s body? You’ve already taken his Rinnegan. Yoal has been achieved. If you don’t io kill me, return his body to me so I take it baegakure!"

  "The Rinnegan, huh..." Naruto slowly turned around. "It seems I o adjust the order of my expnation. First of all, the Rinnegan wasn’t awakened by Nagato of Amegakure. The true owner of these eyes is the aor of Konoha’s Uchiha ... Uchiha Madara!"