The sky wept endlessly over Amegakure, its fine mist blending into the iron-clad skyline. Beneath the oppressive grey clouds, the towering iron pagoda stood still—a silent monolith above a fractured world.
Inside, Deva Path Pain stood motionless, eyes closed, as if listening to the sorrow of the rain.
Then—
A flicker in the shadows.
Black Zetsu emerged like a stain bleeding through the air. Silent. Watching.
"You wanted to see me Zetsu?" Pain's voice was cold and hollow, his eyes opening with slow inevitability. "Or is Madara now so detached he can't speak for himself?"
Black Zetsu hesitated, the corners of his inky form pulsing faintly.
"…This information is best delivered through me," he said quietly. "O—Madara—isn't in the best position to explain it clearly."
Pain's eyes narrowed.
Black Zetsu knew full well that Obito was too clumsy with words, too reckless with timing. And this… this was not something that could be explained away with vague threats or cryptic metaphors.
No, this required precision.
And someone to absorb the blowback.
"What happened?" Pain asked flatly.
Black Zetsu paused. "It concerns the Uchiha Clan Massacre."
Pain said nothing, but a sliver of interest flickered behind his gaze.
Black Zetsu continued. "During the operation, an obscure Uchiha named Gen awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan—unexpectedly. What followed was… abnormal."
He chose his words with care.
"He activated an ability of such destructive force that even we couldn't fully analyze it. Root operatives vanished. Space-time distortions emerged. And now—something is coming."
Pain's brow twitched ever so slightly. "Something?"
"An object. A planetary mass. Not a weapon—an entire world. And it's on a direct collision course with our own."
Pain's stare was cold, unblinking. "You're telling me… one Uchiha awakened an ability that summoned a planet to destroy the world?"
The silence that followed was almost accusatory.
"…Yes."
For a moment, the illusion of godhood flickered in Nagato's heart. He, who had wielded the Six Paths, believed himself beyond comprehension. Yet now he was being told that the Mangekyō—a cheap bloodline tool—could unravel reality itself.
He let out a short, mirthless laugh.
"A single Uchiha… with a freshly awakened Mangekyō… and the power to end the world? Do you think me a fool?"
"I understand your skepticism," Black Zetsu replied quickly. "But I suggest confirming it yourself."
Pain stared at him, silent and unreadable. Then—
A single seal. A puff of smoke.
The Asura Path stepped forward, its mechanical limbs twitching, the boosters on its back roaring to life.
With a screech of flame and steel, it launched skyward, tearing through the rain and clouds.
Moments later, the Animal Path followed via summoning, then conjured massive avian beasts—giant winged summons that pierced the upper atmosphere and soared higher still, toward the edges of the world.
Back in the chamber, Nagato connected to their vision.
And then he saw it.
A titanic burning sphere—crimson and black—hurtling through space. A rogue celestial body, wrapped in unnatural flame, its presence distorting space itself.
For the first time in years, Nagato felt the unmistakable twinge of fear.
A god… should not feel fear.
He broke the connection and turned his gaze—now darker than before—onto Black Zetsu.
"Where is he?" Pain asked, voice low.
"Where is Madara hiding?"
Black Zetsu hesitated. He could feel the boiling pressure beneath Nagato's calm mask.
"He's not hiding," he said carefully. "He's… handling fallout."
"Fallout?" Pain's voice turned sharp. "He caused this. He tampered with the unknown, sparked this catastrophe, and now he's too busy to face me?"
Zetsu didn't respond. He didn't need to. The fury in the air said enough.
Pain's voice turned to ice. "Tell him this: if he does not show himself soon, all of this—all of it—will be laid at his feet. I will not carry his sins."
Black Zetsu clenched inwardly. He knew Obito's incompetence had crossed a line. But still, he couldn't let Pain unravel.
"Calm yourself, Nagato. We must remain measured. The Akatsuki cannot face this alone. The Five Great Nations must be warned."
Pain's head tilted. "And why should I warn them?"
"Because this isn't your divine judgment—it's utter annihilation. Even gods die when planets fall."
The words hung in the air like a blade.
"…Do you have a plan?" Pain asked at last.
"Uchiha Itachi."
Black Zetsu's voice was smooth now, his tone persuasive.
"He walks the line between Akatsuki and Konoha. If we need to pass information discreetly—he's our best chance."
Pain's lips tightened.
He'd always suspected Itachi wasn't truly loyal. But perhaps that could be used.
As Black Zetsu continued outlining his thoughts, Pain stood still, eyes cast toward the heavens beyond the iron walls—toward that burning star of death racing toward them.
For the first time, his pain—his sacred mission—was being eclipsed.
And Nagato began to wonder:
Was this what the gods above had always intended?
Or was this a punishment—
For pretending to be one?