Shinobi Exam: First Question, Why Was Akatsuki Destroyed?

"There's an extra reward for providing an analysis?"

Uchiha Madara was stunned. He didn't understand what was going on until he read the relevant prompt.

To put it simply, if Uchiha Madara passed this exam, he would get more rewards. If the five Kages passed, Uchiha Madara would get nothing.

Shaking his head, Uchiha Madara didn't even care about the reward. Instead, he cared a lot about this third question the exam space just asked!

'Will I become a Sage of Six Paths?'

When he thought of the future that was determined by the exam space, Uchiha Madara's pupils shrank slightly.

He was now in an Impure World Reincarnated state and had to be resurrected before he could become a Jinchūriki for the Jūbi.

That was to say; someone would use the Rinnegan to use the Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique for him and revive Uchiha Madara.

Madara already had a person for this plan in mind, or rather, he had already chosen someone.

'Uzumaki Nagato!'

That boy's Rinnegan was his own, and he had his own setup on it. As long as Nagato saw him, everything would be done.

'Becoming the Sage of Six Paths... hmm... '

Uchiha Madara was somewhat interested, and his heart was on fire.

But then, he had some doubts.

If there was no exam space, and he became the Sage of Six Paths and launched the Eye of the Moon plan, wasn't he just following Black Zetsu's plan?

'Then... how would I end up?'

'Everything that Black Zetsu did was to unseal Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.'

'However, what does this have to do with being the Sage of Six Paths?'

'Moreover, with the fusion of the Jūbi, becoming the Sage of Six Paths, the Yin–Yang Release in hand, and the massive life force of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path in my body...'

'There is no possibility of death!'

'Then why did Black Zetsu guide me into doing this?'

For a while, Uchiha Madara's mind was puzzled.

He was looking forward to reading the fourth question that was slowly emerging, hoping to gain more clues.

　　....

In Amegakure, looking at the exam space where the correct answer was announced, Uzumaki Nagato's eyes slightly moved.

Now, he understood it!

Black Zetsu and Obito collected the Tailed Beasts to seal them in the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. It was all actually in preparation for the Jūbi's Jinchūriki.

'Rinnegan's host + Jūbi = Sage of Six Paths.'

Almost instantly, Uzumaki Nagato formed this equation in his mind.

"Nagato-san, what are you thinking?"

Seeing the fluctuating gaze in Uzumaki Nagato's eyes, Uchiha Fugaku's expression remained unchanged and asked as if he hadn't noticed anything.

"I'm thinking that if Uchiha Madara could do it, why can't I?"

Uzumaki Nagato's frankness stunned Uchiha Fugaku. He didn't expect Uzumaki Nagato would just tell him everything without any precautions.

Seeing Uchiha Fugaku's doubts, Uzumaki Nagato slightly smiled, "Never mind. I always try to trust the people I employ."

"Hmm."

Uchiha Fugaku nodded expressionlessly, seemingly as calm as usual.

But only Uchiha Fugaku knew that at this moment... there was a huge wave in his heart!

'Trust the people I employ...'

Trust!

'This ...'

If other people said that to him, Uchiha Fugaku would have sneered at the other person for not having any of the basic qualities of a shinobi!

But when that person was Uzumaki Nagato, Uchiha Fugaku suddenly felt a little touched.

At this moment, Uchiha Fugaku felt that he finally understood why Uzumaki Nagato could gather such a strong group of people as Akatsuki in such a small village as Amegakure.

Why the Akatsuki, this group of people would risk their lives for Uzumaki Nagato regardless of what would happen, even at the expense of being enemies with the entire shinobi world!

'All this was because of Uzumaki Nagato's temperament and boldness!'

'This boldness!'

'This commitment!'

At that moment, Uchiha Fugaku felt as if he saw Uchiha Madara's shadow in Uzumaki Nagato.

That kind of power!

The strong self-confidence!

Suddenly, Uchiha Fugaku felt a little ridiculous.

'If Konoha's Second Hokage, and Third Hokage, was of the same caliber as Uzumaki Nagato, perhaps...'

'Haha.'

Shaking his head in self-deprecation, he shook the nonsensical thoughts away.

Uchiha Fugaku looked at Uzumaki Nagato. His eyes flashed for a moment, and he finally put his thoughts to words.

"Nagato-san, have you ever thought that maybe your eyes ..."

"Is Uchiha Madara's? Was that what you wanted to ask?"

Nagato turned around and smiled at Uchiha Fugaku, causing Uchiha Fugaku to freeze.

He thought about Uzumaki Nagato's reaction...

Perhaps shocked, perhaps disbelieving and frantically refuting him, and would come up with evidence to convince him. Then he would be desperate, hesitating, and would try to persuade him to restore his own confidence.

Instead, why did he look like he already knew it?

"Originally, I felt that these eyes weren't mine. When they were first awakened, it felt as if they rejected my body. At first, I thought it was the after-effects of my recent awakening, but now that I think about it, it obviously wasn't."

There was a rare hint of melancholy in Uzumaki Nagato's voice, and Uchiha Fugaku knew that it was his recollection of the past.

Sure enough, not long after, he heard Uzumaki Nagato say:

"Both the Sharingan of your Uchiha clan and the Byakugan of the Hyūga clan could return their eyes to their original state, but my eyes can only be kept open and can't be hidden."

"That's when it made me suspicious, and it was after watching the video of the survival exam that I was truly sure."

"Rinnegan is the evolved Sharingan, and I do not have the bloodline of the Uchiha clan to awaken a Sharingan, let alone a Rinnegan."

"So, it's a little hard to accept, but I know that these eyes are, indeed, not my own."

With that, Uzumaki Nagato's gaze went to Uchiha Madara on the screen and shrugged his shoulders.

"Now that Uchiha Madara is resurrected, whose eyes are these? Can't you guess?"

Uchiha Fugaku was stunned to see Uzumaki Nagato so calm.

He was completely confused!

He began to suspect that Uzumaki Nagato was abnormal!

'If this was a normal person, he would have broken down by now, right?'

"Aren't you afraid that Uchiha Madara might have left some kind of technique on your eyes?"

"I'm afraid!"

Uzumaki Nagato replied without hesitation, and that decisive look drove Uchiha Fugaku nuts.

'Afraid but ... still so calm?'

Uchiha Fugaku stared at Uzumaki Nagato with his eyes, his expression fluctuating several times. As if he had made up his mind, he then said:

"I have a pair of Mangekyō Sharingan in my hand. If you want to exchange them, I can..."

"Why should I change them?"

Nagato's strange rhetorical question directly interrupted Uchiha Fugaku's words. Then, he said something that almost made Uchiha Fugaku not go crazy.

"Uchiha Madara gave me these eyes. Why should I exchange them? He himself gave these things to me. Could he really take them back?"

Listening to Uzumaki Nagato's somewhat reasonable and completely unreasonable words, Uchiha Fugaku had begun to feel that his IQ fell short.

Before he could think clearly, Uzumaki Nagato's voice sounded again:

"I still have to use these eyes to achieve Six Paths; why would I exchange them?"

'Alas, the headache...'

"Naruto certainly wouldn't give the Kyūbi to me. I wonder if it's possible to only use the chakra of the Tailed Beasts and Demonic Statue of the Outer Path."

Listening to Uzumaki Nagato talking to himself, Uchiha Fugaku felt like he was going numb!

'No. Is this really the time to talk about this?'

"I was trying to say that when Uchiha Madara comes looking for them, you can't do anything. Akatsuki can't possibly block him!"

In order to improve his persuasiveness, Uchiha Fugaku pointed at the five Kages; his meaning was self-evident.

'The five Kages can't stop him, you can't stop him, how could Akatsuki do it?'

"If I don't do it, don't I still have you? There's also Uzumaki Kushina, who is also resurrected by Impure World Reincarnation technique."

"I think that Madara is going to come soon. At that time, the Impure World Reincarnated Uzumaki Kushina, Hidan, and Kakuzu should go up first. You attack close range with a complete Susanoo, Deidara and Sasori will assist with the long-range attack, and the rest of Akatsuki will be distractions. I don't believe that we won't be able to beat Uchiha Madara!"

Hearing Uzumaki Nagato's words, Uchiha Fugaku suddenly went blank.

Just as his heart was moved by Uzumaki Nagato, it instantly vanished...

'This was how he arranged everything?'

It was as if he was tricked into selling himself but still had to count the money for this guy!

Suddenly, Uchiha Fugaku noticed that something was wrong.

"What about you?"

"Me?"

Uzumaki Nagato pointed his finger at himself, not understanding why Uchiha Fugaku was asking such a simple question.

Uzumaki Nagato's strange eyes made Uchiha Fugaku's scalp tingle. He was about to run away when Uzumaki Nagato's righteous voice rang out:

"I would obviously be lying in ambush with the Six Path Pains.. I'll try to find an opportunity to send Uchiha Madara into space with Chibaku Tensei."