Sixteen Years Old, The Fourth Generation of Mizukage

"You really... come up with it every time you think about it, Kaguya Rei."

In front of the phantom maintained by the magic lantern body technique, Nagato, who was sitting in the hands of a huge Buddha statue and meditating hard, couldn't help but press his eyebrows and sighed tiredly.

"It just changes with the times and we act at the right time. You can't say that after a major event that has completely changed the world situation, you still conservatively stick to all the strategies that were formulated before the drastic changes occurred, right?"

Kaguya Rei's phantom tilted its head and said in a casual tone:

“When the opportunity arises, leaders must have enough courage and determination to make decisions. The more times they are slow to take a step, the originally energetic and enterprising spirit will be drained away...

Nagato, when you decided to transform the Akatsuki Organization into a platform for peaceful communication between all forces in the ninja world, weren't you very decisive? Why do you become so timid now that you are faced with the opportunity to make Xiao's transformation truly known and believed by all parties? "

"I'm not afraid anymore..."

Nagato sighed, looking at the heavy rain in front of him that seemed to never end, and said in a daze:

"I just envy your way of thinking. No matter what happens, you will instinctively look for opportunities to maximize the benefits contained in it... If it were me, even if I already have the solution in hand, The way the moon fell, I am afraid that at this moment, you will not have the intention to use this information gap to obtain the greatest benefits for the development of 'Akatsuki', right?"

"You'll get used to it gradually."

Kaguya Rei's phantom sat down next to Nagato. The raindrops passed through his illusory body, causing a blur like ripples. Only those white eyes, with their brilliance that seemed to be able to directly hit the heart, remained unchanged at all. .

"In the past, Nagato was a loner, a kid who only needed to take care of his friends to feel at ease. He was a supporting character who felt satisfied as long as he protected his friends' ideals. So when he encountered difficulties, he stood up and stood up. Resolving difficulties is enough to achieve your goals."

"But it's different now."

"Now, you are the leader of Akatsuki, the practitioner and implementer of the concept of using communication to achieve peace in the ninja world, and the person who makes the Rinnegan Eye, the power of the Six Paths Sage, shine again.

As the leader of the organization, you have the responsibility to fight for all legitimate interests for your subordinates; as a promoter of peace, you must use legitimate means to let more people listen to your ideals, understand your ideals, and join you The ideal; as the holder of the Samsara Eye, you have the obligation to show your power and will to the world openly and openly..."

"Since you already have the strength and status to influence the course of history with every move, then it should be your instinct to follow the course of history and lead history in the direction you want through legitimate means."

Listening to Kaguya Rei's words that seemed both enlightening and preaching, a hint of surprise appeared on Nagato's face. He wiped away the rain that had blurred his vision and said with mixed feelings:

"Is this the insight you gained after becoming Mizukage and becoming a leader?"

"before that."

Kaguya Rei gave an answer in an understatement that made Nagato fall into silence again. After finally calming down again, Nagato couldn't help but smile bitterly:

"Before that? Then Mr. Jiraiya thinks that you are the reincarnation of a god you were born with, and it probably can't be regarded as something created out of nothing... Otherwise, I really can't imagine what kind of childhood experience can make you You naturally developed such a mature way of thinking."

"After all, at that time, I was just a 'person' who aimed to become the Fourth Mizukage."

Kaguya Rei's illusion shook his head, his eyes showing thousands of thoughts and emotions, but Nagato, who keenly caught the key words, stared at it, and then asked softly with emotions that he couldn't understand and didn't want to believe. road:

"Now, isn't it?"

"The time is coming, and I am determined to embark on the road to becoming a 'god'."

Kaguya Rei took a deep breath, then turned to stare at Nagato's suddenly tightened purple samsara eyes, and asked seemingly casually:

"Among the words I just said to you, which word do you think is the most important?"

"...Responsibility?" Nagato answered with confusion while receiving Kaguya Rei's wave of thoughts that barely produced any emotional fluctuations.

"Responsibility? Responsibility is important as a catalyst for people to mature and move forward, but it is not the most important thing." Kaguya Rei shook his head, indicating that Nagato could rethink the answer to this question.

This time, Nagato took a lot longer to think.

He turned over and over Kaguya Rei's words that were mixed with persuasion and instruction, analyzed them in detail, recalled them, racked his brains, and tried to combine what the other party had left for him at different times in the past. Different impressions to find the answer to the question Kaguya Rei suddenly asked herself.

And Kaguya Rei's phantom did not urge him. He just raised his head and silently stared at the continuous rain clouds over the Land of Rain that never dissipated, and the rain clouds above the clouds that were gradually stopping. A huge falling cage.

"Is it...proper?"

After a long time, Nagato finally slowly raised his head and asked in a low voice with a slightly anxious tone.

Hearing this answer, even if it was just a phantom composed of longing waves and chakra, even if only one pair of eyes could show a complete form, the Kaguya Rei in Nagato's eyes still showed a sincere and relieved look. A reassuring smile.

"If I can see this, I can safely entrust you and your successors with the task of correcting me in the future, Nagato."

Kaguya Rei's answer seemed relieved, but to Nagato, he still didn't quite understand the reason why Kaguya Rei had to do this, so he could only continue to look into Kaguya Rei's eyes, waiting for the other party to continue to answer him. question.

"But why? Why did you choose to become a 'god'? Why do you have to...talk to me so much?"

"Because you are relatively... more realistic?"

Kaguya Rei thought about reasons other than strength, and finally came to this conclusion:

"You may not be able to understand it, but based on my observations of you and what I have learned through some means, judging from the information about the future without me, you are all ninjas with outstanding strength in the ninja world. Among them, the most realistic way of thinking."

"What does that matter?"

"Well, I have made up my mind to solve all the problems that I have seen now and that may arise in the future while I am alive. Such an extremely idealistic approach is not to become a leader who transcends human beings and guides human beings. 'God'? He has become a 'god', how can he still have anything to do with reality?"

Kaguya Rei's phantom raised her hand and pointed it toward Nagato's forehead as usual. Then when Nagato tried hard to restrain his instinct to dodge, it stopped just a little distance before it touched his forehead. above, and said in an extremely solemn tone:

“Because I have chosen the path of idealism, I must hand over the task of supervising and correcting my mistakes in my choices and paths to someone with a realistic way of thinking and the ability to effectively integrate this knowledge and thinking. People who pass on the legacy.”

"Whether it is a 'man' or a 'god', if you want to reach the core of your ultimate goal, you cannot do without the consistent implementation of the word 'right'. This 'right' can be a universal moral concept such as public order and good customs. It can also be willful and self-arbitrary logic, but no matter which kind of 'rightness' you insist on, it must never be shaken, compromised, or retreated."

"If the 'rightness' wavers, then the original intention of walking on that road will become dusty; if the 'rightness' begins to compromise with reality, then the 'god' will degenerate into a 'human being' and lose the ability to overcome thorns and divide mountains and seas. The determination to never look back; if I back down in the face of difficulties 'just', then the path I have chosen will end here."

Having said this, Kaguya Rei paused for a moment, waiting for Nagato to catch up with his thoughts, and then continued:

"If a 'man' who has an ideal loses his legitimacy, it is easier to wait for someone who can correct him. But if a 'god' loses his legitimacy and becomes a 'man', he still firmly controls the 'god'. If you refuse to give up your position, then it will take countless 'people' with ideals to fight continuously and risk their lives to completely pull Him off the altar."

"I know a lot of things, which is enough for me to have a smooth journey to ascend to the position of 'god' with the power, but I cannot guarantee that they will be able to answer all the questions that may arise in the future, nor can I be sure whether I can Just as I have maintained my commitment to 'rightness' from the beginning, if I lose the 'rightness' I insist on one day in the future, I may create a world that is even more terrifying and desperate than a world of strife and chaos."

"In order to prevent that kind of thing from happening, I ask you to be the first 'person' to rise up against me who became a 'human', and to continue to pass on this wariness and rebuttal to 'gods', Nagato. .”

Hearing that he had been entrusted with such a task that he didn't know when it would be activated, Nagato couldn't help but reveal a helpless smile on his serious face. He shook his head and sighed resignedly:

"Just because I have the samsara eye?"

"Yes, the Samsara Eye... as a power from 'god', it is natural for it to be used as a weapon against 'god'."

"Then how can I identify...have you deviated from your own 'rightness'? You are the reincarnation of a god who is born with knowledge. I don't think I can identify everything you do with absolute accuracy. There is a deviation from the 'right path' that you want to stick to."

Nagato had no confidence in this.

"Simple, if you find that in the decisions I make, there is a situation where I grant long-term privileges to a special group that will not be canceled and will not be universalized in the future, then there is a high probability that I have deviated from my own rights. 'Justified', it's time for correction."

Kaguya Rei narrowed her eyes slightly and said with a warm smile.

To tell you the truth, it was when I was writing this chapter that I truly understood the role of Rei Kaguya as the protagonist in my conception (escape)