Chiba stared at Nagato's lifeless body for a long moment, a quiet heaviness settling behind his eyes. There was no exhilaration in his expression - only a faint, complicated stillness, as if the end of this battle carried a cost even victory couldn't erase. He exhaled softly and gave a slow shake of his head.
Then his gaze lowered to the single Rinnegan resting in his palm.
Without hesitation, he activated his ability.
The eye didn't merely merge - it sank into him, becoming part of his flesh as though it belonged there from the beginning. In the next instant, the Rinnegan's power erupted. The air seemed to compress under the pressure, the chakra surging with a density so violent it felt like the world itself had been forced to make room.
This was power beyond what Nagato could wield… beyond what even Uchiha Madara could fully match.
Because Chiba was no ordinary shinobi.
Hashirama's cells had already been fused into his body. Five Mangekyō Sharingan had been integrated into his very being. He had even absorbed the strength of a small Divine Tree, making him something like a compact Jūbi Jinchūriki. And now, with the Rinnegan's ocular might added on top of that, his presence climbed again - pressing inexorably toward a realm that brushed against the Six Paths.
Knowledge poured into his mind like a flood.
Shinra Tensei ("Almighty Push").
Banshō Ten'in ("Universal Pull").
Chibaku Tensei ("Planetary Devastation").
Chakra absorption. Judgment and restoration. Summoning. Soul extraction. Chakra weapons.
And more than that - he could now create new Six Paths of Pain whenever he wished.
His strength didn't simply increase. It spiked, swelling to a level that was difficult to even imagine.
The only regret was that he had obtained just one Rinnegan.
The other had already been stolen by Zetsu, who had been lurking within Akatsuki all along. Chiba didn't need anyone to explain it to him - Zetsu had anticipated the possibility of failure. The moment the war began, he had moved into position near Nagato, waiting like a scavenger for the outcome.
If Akatsuki won, it wouldn't matter.
If Akatsuki lost, he would reclaim the Rinnegan.
Clever.
But Chiba didn't dwell on it.
Akatsuki, even with a Rinnegan, no longer had the power to shake the world as they once had. Even if Madara returned, Chiba felt no fear - only a cold, measured confidence.
He smiled faintly, then looked back at Nagato's corpse.
Despite everything, he chose to preserve it.
Ice spread across the body in an instant, sealing Nagato within a coffin of frost. Chiba lifted the frozen form as easily as baggage and turned away from the battlefield.
When he returned to Turtle Island, Chiba resumed his duties as Supreme Commander of the Allied Shinobi Forces and restructured the battlefield's aftermath with calm efficiency. He also summoned the Jinchūriki who hadn't fought - Uzumaki Naruto, Fū, and the others - bringing every remaining piece back under one roof.
Under Chiba's command, the war had ended in decisive victory.
Not only had they protected every remaining Jinchūriki, they had inflicted crushing losses on Akatsuki. With Pain dead, Akatsuki had lost its head - and continuing the tailed-beast capture plan would no longer be so simple. The threat to the Five Great Nations had lessened, at least for now.
Everyone understood why.
Chiba's strategy had been flawless.
And Chiba's strength had been overwhelming.
When he gathered everyone to discuss their next steps, even the Yondaime Raikage's attitude toward him had shifted. Chiba had saved Yugito Nii and the Raikage's younger brother, Killer B. A debt like that couldn't be ignored, especially by someone who valued bonds and responsibility as fiercely as the Raikage did.
Jiraiya spoke first. "This battle on Turtle Island… it was a complete victory."
He continued, voice grave. "Mizukage-sama not only killed Akatsuki's leader, Pain, but crushed their entire plan. Akatsuki's own losses were severe as well."
Chiba glanced at him with a faint curve of amusement. "Jiraiya, you earned your share of credit too. You captured Konan alive."
Jiraiya's expression tightened. He let out a slow breath, the weight of old regrets surfacing in his eyes. "Konan and Nagato… they were my students. No matter how this ended, I can't pretend I bear no responsibility."
His gaze lifted again, steady but tired. "Mizukage-sama… how do you intend to deal with Konan?"
"No rush," Chiba replied. "Keep her imprisoned for now."
His voice remained calm, but the edge beneath it sharpened - measured, controlled, and unwilling to relax too soon. "Akatsuki is wounded, yes, but we can't afford complacency."
"I recovered one of Nagato's Rinnegan. The other was taken by Zetsu. That means a new variable will emerge sooner or later."
"And the rest of Akatsuki," he added, eyes narrowing slightly, "were injured - but not eliminated. As long as they're alive, they remain a threat to the entire shinobi world."
"The Dawn Alliance isn't disbanding yet."
The Yondaime Raikage nodded at once. "Agreed. Akatsuki is still out there, and they'll keep targeting the Jinchūriki."
He leaned forward. "Mizukage-sama. What's your plan?"
"We keep tracking Akatsuki," Chiba said. "But there's no need to panic."
"They suffered enormous losses. They won't recover overnight."
His gaze swept across the Jinchūriki. "The remaining Jinchūriki can return to their villages, but their security must be strict."
The Yondaime Raikage gave a low grunt of approval. "Understood. For Yugito and B, I'll assign my elite to watch them personally."
Chiba nodded.
In truth, the remaining Jinchūriki were now concentrated under two major powers.
Kumogakure held the Nibi and Hachibi.
Kirigakure held the Sanbi and Rokubi.
As for Takigakure's Nanabi and Konohagakure's Kyūbi…
In practice, those were already under Chiba's control as well.
He looked toward the Yondaime Raikage again, and his tone shifted - still polite, but carrying the faint pressure of someone who had already decided the future.
"There's something else I'd like to propose."
"Turtle Island has the True Waterfall, and the trials to become a Perfect Jinchūriki. Your brother, Killer B, became a Perfect Jinchūriki here."
He paused just long enough for the implication to land, then continued. "Now that the others are here, would you allow them to attempt those trials as well?"
The Yondaime Raikage's expression flickered.
Those trials were a secret method of Kumogakure - something guarded carefully, something with value that extended far beyond any single battle. And even then, only one person had truly succeeded: Killer B.
To share it meant exposing a treasured advantage.
But the Raikage didn't refuse.
How could he?
Chiba had just saved the Nibi and Hachibi. And more bluntly - if Chiba decided to force the matter, the Raikage knew he couldn't stop him. The fact that Chiba was asking at all was already a courtesy.
So the Yondaime Raikage nodded. "Fine."
"If every Jinchūriki becomes a Perfect Jinchūriki, that's a blessing for the Five Great Nations."
"And it means we won't have to fear Akatsuki circling us like predators."
At once, the other Jinchūriki lit up, one after another. Becoming a Perfect Jinchūriki was the dream every host carried - sometimes spoken, often buried deep. It meant no longer living in fear of being consumed by the tailed beast. It meant transforming that terror into partnership, turning a curse into a bond.
Strength that didn't come from domination… but from unity.
Among them, only two were already Perfect Jinchūriki: Killer B of the Hachibi, and Yagura of the Sanbi.
The rest had every reason to hunger for this chance.
Yugito Nii had attempted the trial before and failed, but this time was different - she was different. Utakata watched with guarded intensity. Fū practically vibrated with excitement. And Uzumaki Naruto could barely contain his eagerness, like a fire finally given permission to burn.
Chiba smiled - warm on the surface, yet strangely cold beneath.
"Then I appreciate it, Raikage."
He looked at them all, not merely as a commander addressing allies, but as someone staring at a future only he fully understood.
"If the remaining Jinchūriki can all ascend to become Perfect Jinchūriki," he said quietly, voice steady and certain, "then the Five Great Nations - and the entire shinobi world - can finally sleep peacefully."
And with a single order from Chiba, the Jinchūriki began moving toward the True Waterfall, preparing to begin the trials.
But while the others saw salvation…
Chiba's eyes held something sharper.
Because his goal wasn't one Perfect Jinchūriki.
His goal was -
every single one of them.