"Nagato is merely a pawn I used to nurture these eyes," Uchiha Madara said, a sarcastic smile twisting his lips. "These eyes have had only one true owner from beginning to end: me, Uchiha Madara!"

His words struck Nagato and Konan like a physical blow. Their faces contorted with uncontrollable anger and shock. Nagato, especially, was shattered. He had suffered so much because of these eyes. Yahiko, his best friend, had died because of them. He had always believed these eyes were his, a symbol of his divine power, his destiny. But now, Madara was telling him they had simply been placed with him, nurtured, like a plant in a garden, and he was nothing more than a tool. It was unacceptable.

Konan's face was distorted by rage, flames seeming to dance in her eyes. She could not accept that Nagato, whom she regarded as family, had been so ruthlessly used as a pawn in Madara's grand schemes. "Uchiha Madara! You don't know anything about us!" she roared, her voice laced with grief and a fierce determination. Her hands moved swiftly, forming seals, preparing to unleash a powerful ninjutsu.

But just as her power was about to erupt, a hint of disdain flashed across Madara's face. His eyes blazed with the terrifying power of the Mangekyō Sharingan. Madara's genjutsu, like an invisible net, bound Konan tightly, rendering her powerless. She seemed to fall into an endless abyss, her struggles becoming increasingly futile.

"Konan!" Nagato cried, seeing Madara attack her. He tried to unleash the power of the Rinnegan against Madara, but it was useless.

"Hmph," Madara sneered. "You are just a pawn, and you think you can resist me?" As he spoke, his Sharingan pulsed with dazzling light. A secret failsafe, implanted long ago, activated, binding Nagato's will and body like an inescapable chain. Nagato felt an irresistible force surge from his own Rinnegan, paralyzing him completely. His once-proud eyes, the weapon that had turned the tide of countless battles, had now become his greatest torment. His eyes burned with resentment and anger, but it was futile.

Madara's smile deepened. He shushinned towards Nagato, and with a swift, brutal motion, he plucked the Rinnegan from Nagato's eyes. Blood welled up, leaving only two empty, bleeding sockets.

Having retrieved his prize, Madara wasted no time. His body flickered, distorted space with a roar, and he vanished. As for such weaklings, Madara had no interest in killing them.

The restraints on Nagato were released, and he clutched his bleeding eyes, crying out in pain. Konan, freed from the illusion, immediately rushed to his side. "Nagato, are you okay?"

Hearing her voice, Nagato suppressed his agony. He gripped her hand tightly, his voice barely a whisper. "Konan, go! You must leave this place, as far away as possible, and never return!" His body, already ravaged by the Rinnegan's demands, was now completely broken. He was running on pure willpower. With his eyes gone, his life was coming to an end. In these final moments, all he wanted was for Konan to survive. He trusted no one in Akatsuki, and his suspicions of the Sage of Six Paths had turned to outright fear. He worried that once he was gone, Konan would be used by these manipulative monsters.

Listening to his last instructions, Konan's cold facade melted, and tears streamed down her face. "Nagato, I'm not leaving! If we have to leave, we'll leave together!"

Nagato forced a weak, gentle smile on his pale face. "Konan, my life is over. There is no hope for me. For my sake, for Yahiko's sake, you must live. Live well!"

"No! Nagato, you can't die..." Konan sobbed bitterly, her eyes filled with unbearable pain. "I beg you, don't leave me! I've already lost Yahiko, I can't lose you too!" The friends who had been her family, leaving her one by one. It was a pain that pierced her heart, a gnawing, helpless agony. She could not accept such an ending.

"I'm sorry, Konan," Nagato said, a bitter smile on his face. It was only now, at his end, that he realized he hadn't been the only one suffering after Yahiko's death. Blinded by his own grief and hatred, he had never truly acknowledged Konan's pain. It was too late to do anything about it now. His only comfort was that at least one of them, Konan, would survive.

Nagato fumbled with a trembling hand, wiping Konan's tears away. His voice was hoarse, each word a heavy burden squeezed from his dying throat. "Konan, promise me you will not seek revenge for me. You must live well. Consider this the last request from Yahiko and me." He had always seen Konan as a sister he needed to protect. He didn't want her to die, consumed by hatred after his passing. She deserved a better life.

Konan's tears fell like broken pearls, her eyes wide with pain and a desperate reluctance. This heavy trust was a crushing weight on her heart, almost suffocating her. But she choked back her sobs and finally whispered, "I... I promise you."

A wave of relief washed over Nagato. A relieved smile, tinged with endless fatigue and regret, touched his lips. "Konan," he whispered, his final breath, "Dont trust anyone and after you escape, go to konoha. Kagami Uchiha will atleast protect you."

He did not trust the Sage. He feared Konan would be used by him after his death. He had to find a protector for her. He knew it was unrealistic for Konan to simply disappear and avoid conflict. She knew too much about Akatsuki's plans; the Sage would never let her go. And if the Sage didn't, the mysterious masked man, Obito, surely would. Compared to those two, Kagami, though their enemy, was surprisingly trustworthy. At least Kagami only wanted Konan as his wife; he would not harm her. Moreover, Kagami was so powerful that even the Sage of Six Paths feared him. Only Kagami could truly protect Konan and keep her alive. According to the intelligence he had gathered, though Kagami was arrogant, cruel, and lustful, he was fiercely devoted to his wives. It was the best, perhaps the only, choice for Konan.

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