[Wood Release Bloodline Detected. Scanning... 40 Jutsu Unlocked.]
Nagato's laughter echoed through the dimly lit chamber of his hidden base, a rare sound of unrestrained triumph.
"Hahahaha... It is success!"
Before him, floating within a complex seal matrix of swirling Uzumaki markings and Rinnegan-powered barriers, pulsed the greatest prize he'd ever acquired – Hashirama Senju's preserved heart. The organ, though dried, still thrummed with residual life, its cellular structure impossibly intact even decades after the First Hokage's death.
It had started as a simple research project. Nagato had wanted only a small tissue sample of Hashirama's cells, something to study and perhaps cultivate like Danzo had done. But when one of his scouts returned from an excavation near the Valley of the End carrying this unbelievable artifact, everything changed.
Using his mastery of the Outer Path and Uzumaki sealing arts, Nagato had spent sleepless nights developing a hybrid containment seal – a fusion of the Eight Trigrams Seal and Tsunade's Byakugō no Jutsu. The result was a perfect vessel capable of storing and regulating the heart's overwhelming vitality without requiring constant suppression like Danzo's arm.
"Madara bit off a chunk of Hashirama's flesh and gained decades of extended life," Nagato mused, observing the floating heart with awe. "Danzo needed Sharingan just to control diluted samples. But this... this is the real thing."
The implications were staggering. While Nagato knew he wouldn't gain Hashirama's full power, even 60% of the First Hokage's abilities would make him unstoppable. More importantly, the heart carried traces of Sage chakra – meaning Nagato's body would gradually develop a semi-Sage constitution.
He wouldn't achieve perfect Sage Mode, but his chakra would become denser, more potent than any ordinary shinobi's. The thought made him grin.
"Madara," Nagato whispered to the empty air, imagining their future confrontation. "Your power is dangerous... but soon, I'll show you true might."
His fantasy was interrupted when Animal Path's vision suddenly flooded his mind.
Through shared sight, Nagato saw Nawaki Senju – Tsunade's younger brother – fighting desperately against multiple opponents. More alarmingly, black-clad Root operatives were moving to surround him.
"So Danzo really was behind Nawaki's death," Nagato realized. "Which means kato dan's assassination was likely his work too."
A plan formed instantly. Saving Nawaki could give him leverage over Tsunade. The legendary medic would be invaluable to Akatsuki's growing forces.
After quickly informing Konan – who had transformed their ragtag group into a proper twenty-member organization in just weeks – Nagato activated his Flying Thunder God Technique, vanishing in a swirl of space-time distortion.
Nagato arrived to see Nawaki's own teammates abandoning him mid-battle. Before the young Senju could react, a rain of explosive tags detonated around him.
The blast sent Nawaki flying, his legs mangled beyond use. As he lay helpless before another burning tag, resigned to death, Nagato's hand shot out and grabbed his arm.
They disappeared just as the final explosion erupted.
The Root operatives searched the smoldering crater in vain.
"No body, sir. Just this damaged headband."
"Good enough. Report to Danzo that the target was eliminated."
They never noticed the two figures watching from a nearby ridge before vanishing again.
In Nagato's secondary base, a bloodied but alive Nawaki listened in horror as the Root agents' conversation replayed via one of Animal Path's summons.
"Danzo... ordered my death?" The betrayal cut deep – Danzo had always been like a grandfather to him.
Nagato observed the young Senju's shattered expression with satisfaction. This broken trust could be reshaped into loyalty. With Nawaki under his protection and Tsunade potentially indebted to him, Akatsuki's future looked brighter than ever.
And with Hashirama's heart now safely integrated into his own body, Nagato could feel the first stirrings of its power merging with his.
"Hah... this changes everything."
The age of Akatsuki was coming.