Seven years…

Seven years of life I did not truly experience.

But with absolutely no way to control myself, I was subject to the whims of the person I once called a friend…

Nagato.

My corpse was being used by him as an object to rule over others. I met multiple S-Rank criminals, who Nagato had filled Akatsuki with, and even Uchiha Madara. I would have questioned how he was still alive, if I were still able to use my mouth.

And Konan… she only got more beautiful as the years passed by. Nagato treated her neutrally, which she accepted. How I wished I could caress her skin, to feel her, to love her…

However, in the end my choice was my choice. I sacrificed myself for the greater good, entrusting my dream to continue on in Nagato.

His method of going about achieving it… I am not sure I would have approved of it though. I hear words come from my own mouth, telling Konan and Madara about how showing the world true pain was the way to achieve peace. I would have once believed in that… if not for the fact that I realized a better solution.

Completely eradicating the Shinobi era, which meant killing all Shinobi and Kunoichi alive but I was not able to act upon this.

My travels led me everywhere, murdering people I have never even heard about, until I fought them. They were Jinchūriki (Power of Human Sacrifice), humans with tailed beasts sealed inside of them. Sentenced to be weapons for their villages, Nagato and the rest of the Akatsuki incapacitated and stole the Jinchūriki to seal their tenants away inside a statue.

At one point, he did something so shocking to me that had I not been there in presence then I would not have believed it. He murdered Jiraiya-sensei… but now that I think about it… to achieve my goal, I would have done the same.

In time, there was only two Jinchūriki that was left. The Hachibi (Eight-Tails) and Kyuubi (Nine-Tails). Nagato had sent out this smaller group, whom I believe the leader of has a few screws loose, to capture the Hachibi while he sent five others like me. All with dyed orange hair and possessing his special eyes.

He sent us all to Konohagakure no Sato (Hidden Leaf Village), to capture the Nine-Tails.

Hell has been transferred to Konoha. The five other bodies Nagato is using are causing utter havoc. One is summoning multiple giant beasts and allowing them to run rampant through the village, apparently the Kyuubi kid wasn't here.

The other bodies, paths as Nagato calls them, are just going around, questioning everyone on the whereabouts of the Kyūbi. All of them are refusing… even with the threat of death hung in front of them, they continued defending him for some odd reason.

I also got to meet Tsunade, one of the legendary Sannin along with Jiraiya-sensei, and the Godaime Hokage. She seemed very determined not to let the village get destroyed, or let the Kyuubi child get captured.

I felt Nagato manipulate the gravity around my body and lifted us up into the air, and I felt him concentrate his entire consciousness upon me. He hasn't seemed to notice me all these years. Strange, but my situation in itself is very strange. He proceeded to use a technique I've seen him use a lot over the years.

"Shinra Tensei!" Nagato/I had cried out. A massive crater formed from the huge gravity burst was now the remnants of Konoha.

The Kyuubi Jinchūriki is certainly interesting. A Toad Sage, just like Jiraiya-sensei, and creating his own techniques… if he could live through this, I think he would be a great Shinobi.

Nagato, through me, told Naruto of his plan for peace. I wanted to slap him in the face, his plan wasn't devastating enough. Kami above, why have you cursed me to this torture?

The boy was impaled into the ground with spikes that came out of my body. And yet, someone came to rescue him. A blue-haired girl. She confessed her love for him. Seeing that made me want to take control of this body once again, go to Konan and admit how much I wanted to be with her.

…Damn you Kami.

Her efforts were futile, though. She was eventually knocked out and almost killed by Nagato's powers but with doing so, came a price.

The Kyūbi Jinchūriki completely lost itself to its Bijū, letting lose four… no, six tails of power. Nagato/I tried everything in his arsenal to stop him, but nothing worked. Even an immense technique, which Nagato called 'Chibaku Tensei', didn't work. The boy went into an eight-tailed state, and almost went nine-tails.

He is like no other I have seen before…

Wait. Nagato's connection is weakening; the Jinchūriki is pulling the metal rods out of my skin. I can… I can…

I coughed. The boy's eyes flew open, and he pulled his hand back for another attack.

"Wait!" I said, trying to get up. He put his arm down, but was still on guard.

"Are you going to take me to the real Pein now?" The boy asked.

"If you mean Nagato, then yes, you may follow me." I said as I got back up onto my own feet. He seemed to be looking at me intently for some reason.

"Your eyes…" He said while gesturing to my eyes. "They aren't the same as before…"

I shrugged uncaringly and asked, "What is your name?"

"Naruto." The blond-haired shinobi said. "Naruto Uzumaki."

And with that, we went to Nagato's genjutsu-protected cave. Nagato was… old-looking, to be honest. I never truly got to see him during my time as a corpse. His ribs were sticking out, his entire lower body covered in some sort of machine, not to mention his arms were in the same machine. Konan started to defend Nagato, but stopped, seeing me walk by myself.

Nagato stared in disbelief; his ripple-patterned purple eyes widened to a considerable extent.

"Yahiko…?" He asked quietly. "Is it really you?"

"Yes, Nagato-sama." I said in a mocking tone, trying to lighten up the mood slightly. "Back from the dead and no, I'm not a zombie."

"How?" Konan asked this time.

"I have been alive for the past seven years." I said, making them even more shocked, if the look on their faces was good enough to determine from. "It's just that Nagato didn't seem to want to relinquish my corpse. Were you that much in love with me?" I said, grinning.

He returned the action. "I didn't know…" He said.

"So you are the real Pein…" Naruto said, interrupting the moment. "I apologize if I'm intruding upon this, I will-" He didn't get to finish that sentence, as a hatch opened up from Nagato's lower body, shooting a chakra receiver in Naruto's direction.

Before it impaled him, I caught it with my left hand. Nagato and Konan both stared at me.

"Now, now, don't think I haven't been privy to your desire to carry out my plan." I said, shaking my finger. "In all honesty though, it was a little flawed."

"In what way was my plan flawed?" Nagato asked with confusion in his tone.

"You didn't take it far enough." I said. "Using the Biju to show them true pain isn't enough. Eventually, they will forget their pain and wars will start again. What you need to do, is kill all of them. The Shinobi era must be completely eradicated." All of the other three occupants of the chamber stared.

"A-are you insane?" Naruto finally broke the silence with his question, his eyes wide at what he had just heard.

"You should ask that question to Nagato over there." I told him, pointing to Nagato's form. "He's the one that took six corpses, stuck metal piercings in them, revived them for his own use, and destroyed your village." Nagato looked down in shame.

"I-I am truly sorry." He apologized.

"You didn't know so there is nothing for you to be sorry for." I shrugged.

"Are you really, truly alive?" Konan spoke up.

"Would you like to test that by killing me again?" I said, but it came out harsher sounding than I intended. She cringed visibly which instantly caused me to feel guilty. "Sorry… I didn't mean for it to come out like that."

"It's fine." She replied, although I knew it wasn't. I walked over and pulled her into a heartfelt hug. She froze for a moment at the action.

"Another thing I am sorry about…" I whispered in her ear. "Is not being able to tell you I love you while you had your life threatened by Hanzo." She pulled away slightly, only to kiss me full on the lips.

When we drew away, her orange eyes sparkled. "I am so glad…" She said, and cried into my chest. I only hugged her again, as Nagato looked on, a smile on his face at seeing his friends happy.

"…I feel terribly left out." I heard Naruto mutter to himself but I just ignored it. Life was once again complete for me.

A/N ...Oh hey guys. Nogoodnms here, once again to bring you a Naruto fanfic.

For those who are following my other fanfic (Naruto: A Life of Torture) DO NOT FRET! Chapter 5 is in the works, it is just constantly being forgotten and remembered. A funny A/N will be provided for your entertainment when it is released.

Oh, and thanks xNamikazeKyuubix for being an awesome dude and helping with my writing (In both this story and N:ALOT) (That is a retarded acronym). Don't let it go to your head though.

-Nogoodnms. PEACE!