One Of Us (Akatsuki Fan-fiction)

Chapter 36

"I don't understand," you said and turned to the other Pein, the one with orange hair and lots of piercings. "I thought..."

"That I was the real one?" he questioned. "No."

"I am the real Pein," the man that sat at the machine said. You looked over the machine. It was kinda small looking, brownish in color with a few metal legs on either side to hold it up, two thick metal tubes connected to his hands, and behind him there were two flat metals and rods protruding from his back. "Those other six you saw were merely the Six Paths of Pain."

"Six Paths of Pain?"

"Yes," the man answered in a low voice. "The Six Paths of Pain could be considered my puppets in a way. But they are also my eyes to the outside world. However Jiraiya was able to neutralize one, so there are only five now."

"What does that mean?" you asked.

"I must get another."

"How do you 'get another'?"

"I must create it out of a corpse," he answered.

Your eyes widened. "Create it... out of a corpse?"

He nodded. "They are created out of the dead body, a body that will fill the purposes I intend to use them for."

"What would those purposes be?"

"Offensive, defensive, reconnaissance or repair... they all serve their purposes," he answered. "Each one has their own role."

"The role of the one he neutralized... what was it?"

"Animal path, the path of summoning."

"So you need another one for summoning," you surmised.

He nodded. "Indeed."

"What does this have to do with me?" you asked.

"Nothing, I just thought it would be essential for you to know," he said.

"You're not thinking about killing me to get the Path of Pain you need?"

"Why would I do that?"

"Why else would you tell me?"

He stared at you for a moment in silence. "Like I said, I thought it was time to tell you. No one else except fo Konan know about this. And now, you."

"Is that the only reason you tell me?"

"If you need another reason, it's because I trust you to not tell anyone about this," he said.

You narrowed your eyes. "What's your real name?"

"My real name? It's Nagato," he replied.

"Nagato," you whispered to yourself. "So that man, Jiraiya, really did know you then."

"He was my sensei."

"And you killed him," you said through clenched teeth. "What would you feel if I went against you only because we have different beliefs?" you inquired and raised your hand with lightning flickering around your fingers. "Would you kill me too? Would you kill me in order to achieve your goal? Tell me Leader! Would you kill me the same way you killed your sensei?!"

~Nagato~

Nagato's visible eye widened. 'Would you kill me the same way you killed your sensei?!' He stared deeply into Aiko's eyes as her words played over and over again in his mind. She was completely serious. The look in her eyes, it was fierce. Much fiercer than any time she had disobeyed or argued with him. This look... it was defiant, and aggressive. Almost as if she was serious about attacking him. As if... she would attack him then and there.