On the other side of the desolate alley, Kagami's clone looked at the blushing Konan and smiled faintly. "Konan, will you marry me?"

Hearing his direct proposal, Konan hesitated. A storm of conflicting emotions warred within her. But in the end, her loyalty won out. She shook her head, her voice firm despite the tremor she felt in her heart. "No."

Although she felt a strange, undeniable pull towards this man, his request was too sudden, too overwhelming. This was their first meeting. How could she possibly agree to marry him? Moreover, Nagato was the only person left in this world she truly cared for, the anchor of her entire existence. She could never abandon him.

Kagami's clone had anticipated her refusal. It was, after all, their first meeting, and he was only a clone. It was perfectly normal for her to say no. In fact, if not for the powerful, charismatic aura of his Pure Yang Holy Body, she likely would have dismissed him as just another lecherous fool. Her loyalty, her unwavering devotion to her companion, only made her more appealing in his eyes.

But just as he was about to press his case, he sensed five powerful chakra signatures approaching at incredible speed.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

Five black-clad figures leaped from the shadows, their movements silent and fluid as they instantly surrounded Konan, forming a protective barrier. They were the other five Paths of Pain: the Asura Path, the Animal Path, the Hungry Ghost Path, the Human Path, and the Hell Path.

"Konan, are you alright?" Nagato's voice, cold and mechanical, emanated from the Asura Path.

Konan shook her head slightly. "I'm fine."

"Go, Konan," Nagato's voice commanded again. "I will stop him."

Hearing this, Konan glanced at Kagami's clone, a flicker of hesitation in her eyes. She knew they had no real conflict with this man. The idea that he was some great evil who would drag the world into war was a one-sided story told by the man claiming to be the Sage of Six Paths. From the very beginning, she had not trusted the Sage, sensing he was manipulating Nagato, deliberately creating a conflict between him and Kagami. But she also knew Nagato. Once his mind was made up, no amount of persuasion could sway him. The words died in her throat.

She could only nod silently. "Be careful," she whispered. Then, her body dissolved into a swirl of paper and vanished into the rain.

Kagami did not stop her. In his mind, it was only a matter of time before she became his woman. He was in no hurry.

After Konan left, he turned his attention to the five puppets before him. He knew they were merely clones created by Nagato, each possessing a different, powerful ability. To an uninformed opponent, they would be a deadly, perplexing challenge. But for him, who knew all their secrets, they posed no real threat. Aside from the Deva Path, which held a sliver of his interest, the others were nothing.

Kagami glanced at the five Paths and smiled. "Nagato, right? Are you interested in working with me?"

Nagato's power was considerable. Besides Kagami himself, there were few in the ninja world who could match him. If he could be brought under his command, Konoha's strength would be greatly enhanced, and the eventual unification of the ninja world would be that much easier. Though he knew Nagato's pride would likely never allow him to accept, he had to try. After all, Nagato was Konan's most important companion. If possible, he preferred not to kill him and earn her eternal hatred.

Nagato, controlling his puppets from afar, was shocked. How does he know my true identity? It was one thing for the Sage of Six Paths to know, but this man, with whom he had no contact, how could he know? He felt a sudden, paranoid fear that all his secrets had been exposed. And this man wanted to recruit him? The sheer audacity was insulting. He was a God! How could he, a god, accept orders from a mere mortal?

Still, he remained wary of Kagami's power. Controlling the Asura Path, he stared at Kagami, his face an expressionless mask. He ignored the question, his voice a deep, hollow monotone. "Uchiha Kagami, as the Hokage of Konoha, what is your purpose here? Are you trying to provoke a war between our villages?" He was trying to stall for time. As long as he could wait for the Sage of Six Paths to arrive, they could deal with Kagami together.

Hearing his words, Kagami knew his offer had been rejected. He didn't care. A slight smile played on his lips. "Don't be so nervous. I'm not here for anything else. I simply wanted to find a girl to be my wife and I very much liked konan and would like to pursue her." He held a certain admiration for Nagato's dedication to peace, but he found his methods to be naive and immature. It was ridiculous, really. Nagato possessed overwhelming power, yet he chose to use it to inflict pain, thinking it would lead to mutual understanding. It was the logic of a fool.

"Propose marriage?"

Nagato's face froze. He had been certain Kagami was here to destroy them. But this... this reason was so mundane, so absurd, it caught him completely off guard. But the shock quickly curdled into a cold, volcanic rage.

"Hmph. Stop dreaming," he sneered through the puppet. " Konan will never marry someone like you!"

Konan was the only person he cherished. He would never let her marry a known playboy like Kagami. He had gathered intelligence; he knew Kagami already had several wives. And still, he dared to pursue Konan? As long as he was alive, he would never agree.

He admitted that Kagami's strength was not to be underestimated, but so what? His own power was immense. He possessed the Rinnegan, the eyes of a god. Before the appearance of the Sage, he had been invincible. The thought of this man laying a hand on Konan, even thinking about her, filled him with a righteous, murderous fury. His initial plan to stall for time was forgotten, consumed by his rage.

Without another moment's hesitation, Nagato controlled his five Paths to launch a fierce, coordinated assault. The Animal Path slammed its hands on the hard, wet ground, a strange chakra pattern spreading out from its palms.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

The ground seemed to come alive as a host of ferocious, monstrous beasts erupted into the sky with deafening roars, their bloodthirsty eyes fixed on the lone figure of Kagami's clone.

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