Naruto: I Confronted the Five Kage Before the System Arrived

Chapter 212: The World is Too Noisy, It Needs to Quiet Down

When he realized that he was merely a pawn in someone else's eyes, that everything he did was for others, and that the ideals he held dear meant nothing to others—

Even though he knew the truth, he no longer had the power to change any of it.

Nagato, who once prided himself as a "god," now found himself unable to muster feelings of anger, pain, or resentment. He merely felt like a joke.

God?

Heh.

Beside him, Konan had calmed down significantly.

If "Uchiha Madara" weren't present, she would have liked to give him a deadly gift of a billion exploding tags.

Hagoromo Gengetsu watched for a while, feeling that the drama had played out enough. He then spoke up:

"I've told you the truth. Now, will you hand over the Rinnegan voluntarily, or should I take it myself?"

Nagato didn't react.

Konan, having snapped out of her daze, stood in front of Nagato and coldly looked at Hagoromo Gengetsu. "Knowing the truth, you still want to pursue the Eye of the Moon Plan, don't you?"

Hagoromo Gengetsu nodded. "Otherwise, why would I seek you out? The Rinnegan is the key to the Eye of the Moon Plan."

"To put the entire world under genjutsu, this false peace—is that something a person like you would accept?"

Konan couldn't understand, finding it absurd.

False is false!

Peace in a world of genjutsu was never the true peace she desired.

It was merely self-deception, deception of others, and deception of the entire world.

By comparison, Nagato's plan involving the Tailed Beast weapons was more reliable.

At least everyone in the ninja world would live in the real world, not a world where everything—people, things, experiences—was fake.

Upon hearing this, Hagoromo Gengetsu merely said calmly, "The world is too noisy; it needs to quiet down."

Indeed, it needs to quiet down.

Just for a moment.

Then it can return to being lively.

Hagoromo Gengetsu thought to himself.

Although he intended to cast Infinite Tsukuyomi, he never actually planned to carry out the Eye of the Moon Plan or destroy the world.

All he wanted was to take a little something from everyone.

Clients pay for just under an hour of pleasure.

He intended to let everyone in the world have a long, pleasant dream in the genjutsu world, realizing their ideals and enjoying themselves, without being forever lost in it.

The price he asked was merely the chakra within them, which could be replenished.

It seemed like a great kindness.

Of course, the fewer people who knew about this kindness before it was completed, the better.

Especially Konan and Nagato, whom he had just met.

So, Hagoromo Gengetsu concluded to Konan, "Even false peace is still peace."

Konan's eyes sharpened.

She couldn't understand or know why "Uchiha Madara" and the man before her, Hagoromo Gengetsu, were obsessed with a false peaceful world.

But for Nagato, and for her own beliefs, she couldn't let the Rinnegan fall into Hagoromo Gengetsu's hands, turning the future world into what the Eye of the Moon Plan envisioned.

So!

Konan raised her hands towards Hagoromo Gengetsu, and instantly, countless paper shards formed into sharp paper shurikens, whistling as they shot towards him from all directions.

"Commendable courage."

Hagoromo Gengetsu was somewhat surprised by Konan's actions.

Perhaps this woman, who had always followed her companions and seldom expressed her own opinions, also had her own firm beliefs about peace deep in her heart.

Just like in the original story, after learning that Nagato and others were being used by Uchiha Obito, she still believed in the original ideals of Akatsuki and continued to uphold the concept of peace.

"By the way, Konan was also persuaded by Naruto's words, right?"

Hagoromo Gengetsu mused as he faced the paper shurikens coming at him from all sides.

In the original story, Konan was by Nagato's side when Naruto's words succeeded in persuading him.

With her personality, if she hadn't truly been convinced, she would have certainly stopped Nagato from using the Rinne Rebirth Jutsu and would have fought Naruto herself.

Women sometimes only listen to words they recognize.

However, Hagoromo Gengetsu wasn't going to indulge her.

Seeing the mass of paper shurikens about to reach him, Hagoromo Gengetsu opened his mouth and spewed out a highly corrosive mist.

In an instant, all the incoming paper shurikens were corroded away.

Boom!

A heavy sonic boom echoed.

Hagoromo Gengetsu stepped forward, and before Konan could react, he appeared in front of her, gripping her slender neck tightly and squeezing hard.

Crash!

Konan's entire body transformed into countless paper fragments.

Not just her.

Hagoromo Gengetsu's gaze shifted to Nagato behind Konan, who had also turned into countless paper fragments along with his bed, flying towards Hagoromo Gengetsu as if trying to wrap him up like a mummy.

Hagoromo Gengetsu casually summoned a gust of wind, blowing the paper fragments far away.

Then, he looked at Konan and Nagato, who had reappeared not far away, and nodded in approval:

"Nice disguise."

"It's not just that!" Konan extended her hand and pressed down again.

Suddenly!

The ground beneath Hagoromo Gengetsu's feet revealed numerous explosive tags.

Zzzzz~~~

All the explosive tags ignited instantly.

The camouflage effect of the Dance of the Shikigami was such that even the Mangekyō Sharingan couldn't see through it.

Konan developed this technique not only to protect Nagato's body but also with the idea of targeting the time-space abilities of "Uchiha Madara."

For this, she had long calculated the limit of "Uchiha Madara's" intangibility and had been stockpiling explosive tags over the years.

Unfortunately, she hadn't accounted for Izanagi.

Boom!

A massive explosion resounded, accompanied by a mushroom cloud.

Although Konan didn't carry six hundred billion explosive tags with her, she still had thousands upon thousands.

Just now, while Nagato and Hagoromo Gengetsu were conversing, she had secretly planted explosive tags, ready to use them at this moment.

Such power was impossible to defend against with ninjutsu or physical strength.

Konan was about to breathe a sigh of relief.

Squelch!

A hand pierced through her chest from behind.

"Your Paper Release is quite impressive." Hagoromo Gengetsu appeared behind Konan, genuinely praising her.

Paper Release was not a Kekkei Genkai. Even though she had only been trained by Jiraiya for three years, Konan had developed Paper Release from nothing to its current level, showcasing a talent that surpassed many people's imaginations.

Like now, Hagoromo Gengetsu's imitation of Black Zetsu's move would have killed even Madara.

Though Konan's chest had a large hole, it was evident that her insides were made entirely of paper.

The Dance of the Shikigami allowed her to transform her body into countless paper fragments, making her immune to physical attacks.

Even Hagoromo Gengetsu had to admit it was an impressive technique.

Of course, it wasn't without weaknesses.

Hagoromo Gengetsu's right hand, which was inside Konan's body, opened up, and his palm began absorbing all the surrounding chakra like a black hole.

Although Konan had turned into paper, the chakra sustaining the technique remained, all of which now poured into Hagoromo Gengetsu's palm.

With her chakra rapidly depleting, Konan couldn't maintain the Dance of the Shikigami and was about to revert to her true form, making the hole in her chest real.

Finally, Nagato moved.

"Universal Pull!"

He extended his hand, and the remaining paper fragments of Konan instantly flew to his side.

After a moment of reassembly, Konan, though returned to her true form, looked very weak.

Nagato didn't attack again.

He looked at Hagoromo Gengetsu and, accepting his fate, said calmly:

"No need to fight, you can have the Rinnegan."