Speedrunning Naruto to the Top

While Izayoi was using his own body as a test subject in hopes of unlocking the Sage Physique entry, over in Amegakure, Nagato—having left the administration of the village to Konan—had already entered a secluded training phase.

In a hidden underground facility lined with barrier seals, the light was so faint you couldn't see your hand in front of you.

Even if Izayoi looked over using the Tenseigan, he would only see a single cluster of blue chakra, indicating that just one person was inside.

That person was Nagato—hailed as the "God of Shinobi" in this new era, the ninja world's acknowledged strongest, and the "Child of the Prophecy" in Jiraiya's eyes.

Yet no one knew that beneath Nagato's seat lay the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path—the mysterious object that had garnered so much curiosity from ninja and ordinary people across the world. Everyone wondered why two wielders of "Sage Eyes" fought so bitterly over this statue.

"Finally…I've done it!"

In the darkness, Nagato opened his violet ripple-patterned eyes. Faint red flares flickered at the corners of his eyes.

If a lamp were lit, you'd see that Nagato's eye corners were traced with red markings.

"Just as I suspected, the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path hides secrets no one knew about. It's definitely not just the 'container' Uchiha Obito mentioned," Nagato thought to himself.

Now, he could enter a genuine Sage Mode.

Unlike Izayoi—who had mastered Sage Mode in a mere three days, aided by large amounts of Gelel Stone—Nagato had already been training for over a month.

He'd used up all the Gelel Stone he'd obtained from Haidou, but even so, while he could now instantly enter "Sage Mode," it wasn't truly the real thing.

Because, unlike Izayoi (a transmigrator) who knew exactly which areas contained abundant natural energy—and who had contracted with Mount Myōboku—Nagato had neither that knowledge nor any such contract.

When Nagato went searching for a quiet place to painstakingly sense natural energy on his own, he suddenly picked up a faint hint of it…right at the head of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.

So, he began training right atop its head.

Within just a week, Nagato had mastered a genuine Sage Mode.

Pairing that with Wood Release and creative use of Yin–Yang Release, the moment he stepped into Sage Mode, he could absorb large amounts of natural energy and sustain the form for a long time.

His offense, defense, and sensory abilities all skyrocketed, raising his power even further.

The first to notice Nagato's change was Black Zetsu, whose sensing powers detected it. He spoke in a low, gruff voice: "Nagato has grown stronger again."

"He might be on par with Lord Madara by now, right?!" White Zetsu exclaimed in wonder.

"All that life force in those stones has restored his body to its absolute peak; his chakra has risen again. If he were to wear Tobi's 'armor,' he might actually surpass Madara," Black Zetsu rasped. "But right now, the stronger he is, the better it is for us."

"Can we really still get him to resurrect Lord Madara with power like that?" White Zetsu asked. "He has the Rinnegan, and we can't plant a curse seal in his heart. Madara's eyes are literally in his possession, so we can't use a Transcription Seal on them, and he's so guarded against us. Is there still any chance to possess him?"

"That depends on whether our contingency plan works," Black Zetsu said, although his tone was dripping with confidence.

When Nagato emerged from his secluded training, Black Zetsu and White Zetsu promptly appeared before him and handed him a scroll.

After scanning the coded message inside, Nagato placed a hand over the scroll, erased the chakra script, wrote new instructions, and returned the scroll to Black Zetsu.

Black Zetsu and White Zetsu read it, nodded, and departed.

Shortly afterward, a black hole about the size of a fist appeared out of nowhere.

Its terrifying pull warped Nagato's body before sucking him inside the void.

"Almost two months have passed, and still there's no sign of any unfamiliar, powerful chakra in the Lands of Wind or Rivers."

Within the Kamui dimension, Black Zetsu was reporting to Nagato. White Zetsu couldn't help griping, "Leader, could it be you were wrong? Maybe that so-called Gelel Stone 'vein' isn't even located in the Land of Wind or Rivers."

"It's more likely that I was correct and that Ōtsutsuki Toneri has already seized control of that vein," Nagato said calmly. "By now, he's likely training in Sage Mode as well, which would make his chakra supply greater than it was a few months ago."

"We should be prepared to start Round Two at any moment!"

Hearing that, both Black Zetsu and Obito—whose face was hidden beneath his mask—looked visibly shaken.

"So, have you completed your Sage Mode training?" Obito asked.

"Yes. I can now enter it at will," Nagato nodded.

"Then, can you defeat him now?"

"If his power hasn't changed and I'm outfitted with Tobi's 'core,' then I'll have at least a 70% chance of winning," Nagato said. "And if your space–time ninjutsu could lock onto his position, we'd have a 90% chance. But both of us know that's impossible."

"Given his meticulous style, whenever he shows up again, he'll be strong enough to surpass the version of me from a few months back. That means we have to be fully prepared—for the worst, even." Nagato analyzed calmly. "Next time he appears, he might have Six Paths-level abilities on par with mine. He might also possess a Sage Mode and an even more massive chakra pool…along with an army of puppet warriors.

"In that final part, we need to consider carefully: unlike me, his Six Paths technique is unique. His Yin–Yang Release could let him control multiple puppets—maybe his entire puppet army, all linked via those black rods."

"The last time he only used a dozen or so humanoid puppets to defeat Sasori and Deidara with ease. If not for Sasori's prior dealings with him, those two might never have returned."

"And those human puppets didn't even include anyone with a kekkei genkai or Shimura Danzō. By now, who knows how powerful his puppet army might be—even stronger than the Akatsuki."

"If I confront Ōtsutsuki Toneri in battle, those puppets might use the opportunity to attack Amegakure or the Akatsuki. We must be prepared with enough forces to counter them." Nagato cast his gaze at Black Zetsu. "Is there any way to boost the strength of the White Zetsu army?"

"The White Zetsu clones, like Tobi's body, originate from Hashirama's cells. If we can obtain more of those cells, we can make the White Zetsu stronger," White Zetsu said, looking slyly at Obito. "If we find a Wood Release user and harvest his cells for the White Zetsu clones, their numbers and power might exceed anything the ninja world has ever seen."

Obito's face darkened behind his mask.

This damned White Zetsu.

Ever since Obito's identity was exposed, these two had increasingly disregarded him, often reporting directly to Nagato without even telling him. Obito was starting to feel like an outsider.

But when Nagato turned his gaze on him, clearly intrigued by the idea, Obito's heart lurched. He quickly got ready to activate Izanagi if necessary, but he forced himself to sound composed and made a proposal: "Hashirama's cells are limited. If you really want to strengthen your army, isn't there a better target right now?"

"Konoha's Wood Release ninja?" Nagato picked up Obito's meaning in an instant.

"Exactly. He's the rightful heir to Wood Release and already capable of the 'Nativity of a Sea of Trees' technique—even though he only graduated a year ago. With such enormous chakra and natural talent, he'll inevitably become the next Hashirama someday. If we capture him now, we won't just enhance the White Zetsu army—we might produce more White Zetsu clones than there are ninja in the entire world."

Obito emphasized the threat and the potential benefits, clearly harboring deep hatred for the young man who had exposed his true identity.

Nagato's interest was piqued, but he hesitated, frowning slightly.

Apparently guessing at his reservations, Obito continued, "If you worry about alarming the Five Great Nations and ruining the Tailed Beast plan, you shouldn't. Even without you, a ninja in Konoha who masters Wood Release would be feared by every other hidden village. If you make a move, from their perspective, you're simply eliminating a future threat and solidifying your title as the world's strongest."

"As long as you're not targeting any jinchūriki, the other villages won't unite to attack Amegakure. In fact, they'll probably gloat over Konoha's loss."

"Even though this might hurt your reputation for a while, the benefits will be immeasurable."

But despite Obito's argument, Nagato's expression remained grim, and his frown never relaxed. Instead, he spoke heavily: "That's not my concern. Once peace is achieved and a new world created, 'Pain' will be a god—one who bears both the titles of a supremely good being and a supremely evil one."

"What worries me is this: that young ninja's talent could well mean he's mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique."

Black Zetsu and Obito stiffened, their faces changing drastically.

"Th-that's…that's too far-fetched, right?" White Zetsu laughed awkwardly. "In the sixty-year history of the ninja villages, only three people have mastered the Flying Thunder God. It seems impossible that two users would appear in the same generation, doesn't it?"

"That's not certain…" Black Zetsu murmured. "He awakened Mind's Eye of the Kagura back in the Academy, and just from observing how Obito visited Rin's grave each year, he deduced Obito's true identity. He manifested the Wood Release bloodline at a young age, but concealed it until Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō died—allowing Konoha to revert to the era of the Senju as the village's top clan before exposing himself and instantly becoming the sole candidate for the Sixth Hokage."

"He's mature beyond his years, with a very calculating mind. He's every bit as cunning as Ōtsutsuki Toneri."

"Plus, in under a year since graduation, he's already shown two different nature transformations, plus a unique fusion of transformations resulting in some 'wind–fire' secret jutsu, along with Onoki's flight and Dust Release techniques."

"It's likely that Uchiha Sasuke's own Wood Release and Sage Mode were awakened by transplanting some of this boy's cells. And given how he helped Orochimaru, who knows—maybe he also mastered Ryuchi Cave's Sage Mode."

"With such a bloodline, intelligence, and overall talent, that kid is basically a combination of Hashirama, Tobirama, and Uzumaki Mito… He's just missing the Nine-Tails."

After hearing this, Nagato and Obito looked more serious than ever.

That was exactly the reason for Nagato's hesitation.

Unlike Ōtsutsuki Toneri's "Meteor Shower" and "Tengai Shinsei," or even the power Nagato himself could wield while donning the "Tobi Armor" to perform Nativity of a Sea of Trees and the Wooden Golem Technique, Nagato was all too aware of Wood Release's might. Few abilities placed as much strain on Shinra Tensei as Wood Release did.

Wood Release structures could be as hard as mountains. When it manifested as a forest, even a "Shinra Tensei Full Throttle" might not destroy it completely.

And if it was the Wooden Golem, it would generate as much pressure as a powerful Wind Release, meaning even a Shinra Tensei might not easily smash it.

Plus, you could repair the Wooden Golem simply by spending more chakra.

Wood Release is a physical attack, so the "Human Path" can't drain it; two of the strongest paths of the Six Paths Technique are effectively countered.

If this Wood Release boy alone was the problem, Nagato wouldn't be too worried; after all, they had Tobi's "armor" on their side.

But what Nagato truly feared was that Izayoi might also know the Flying Thunder God.

If Nagato marched straight to Konoha to capture him, could Izayoi strike back at Amegakure with a forest-level assault? If both sides targeted each other's village, that might open a window for Ōtsutsuki Toneri.

They still hadn't neutralized that threat, and they hadn't yet collected all the Tailed Beasts—only two at most could be sealed in the Demonic Statue right now. This put Nagato in a difficult spot.

"If you only want to assemble a powerful army," Black Zetsu said, "other than enhancing the White Zetsu clones, there might be another way."

Nagato and Obito both turned to look at Black Zetsu, who wore a strange smile. "And what might that be?" Nagato asked.

"Edo Tensei," Black Zetsu answered.

"Orochimaru's Edo Tensei?" Nagato and Obito were briefly stunned, then excitement flickered in their eyes.

But almost immediately, Nagato shook his head. "That technique could indeed fill the gap in our forces, but we don't have the scroll for that forbidden jutsu. Even if we did, it requires very high talent and specific conditions to master. Orochimaru is likely hiding in Ryūchi Cave, so I can't simply extract the knowledge using the Human Path."

"Aha… As for the jutsu scroll, we do have it," White Zetsu said with a smile.

Black Zetsu also grinned. "And if it were anyone else, mastering Edo Tensei would be quite difficult. But that 'anyone' doesn't include you, Leader."

Nagato was known from childhood as a ninjutsu prodigy, able to use all six nature transformations by age ten, swiftly mastering an array of mainstream jutsu.

With the Rinnegan's Six Paths Technique, plus formidable summoning and soul-based powers, there was no one better suited to learn Edo Tensei.

In fact, aside from Orochimaru, if anyone else in this era could learn it, it wouldn't be the similarly talented Izayoi—it would be Nagato, whose ninjutsu gifts were off the charts.

And Edo Tensei…that was the contingency plan Black Zetsu had been holding in reserve!

~~~

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