The Two Students

Synopsis
Sakura begins to heal Hinata from her wounds, musing how Hinata truly loves Naruto, as the latter destroys the Deva Path with his Rasengan. Pulling the black chakra receivers out of the Deva Path's body, Naruto decides to locate the real Pain and talk to him, asking Katsuyu to notify the others not to follow him.

Katsuyu relays to Sakura, Hinata, Kō and Team Guy that Naruto has successfully defeated the Six Paths of Pain and is now heading out to defeat the final Pain. Neji and Guy decide to give him backup, but Katsuyu relays Naruto's message that this is something he wants to do alone. On his way to the real Pain's location, he is sighted by Inoichi, Shikaku and an unnamed member of the Hyūga clan. Inoichi wants the three of them to tag along with Naruto to defeat Pain, but is outraged when Naruto tells him that he is not going there to kill him but to merely talk to him face-to-face. Shikaku calms Inoichi down and allows Naruto to go on ahead, promising not to follow. As Inoichi asks why Shikaku would do that, Shikaku reveals that his son Shikamaru had mentioned before how Naruto had a way of convincing others to follow in his path and that he would be an important shinobi for Konoha someday. He tells the others that Shikamaru rarely praises anybody, and for Shikamaru to have said those things about Naruto inspires him to have that same faith as well.

Naruto activates his Sage Mode and is able to sense the real Pain's location. As he enters their hideout, located within a giant tree, he sees Nagato and Konan in front of him. Nagato fires a black chakra receiver towards Naruto and impales him, remarking that he had purposely avoided vital spots since he needs the jinchuriki alive. Naruto, nevertheless, is able to channel the Nine-Tails' chakra through the receiver whilst also maintaining Sage Mode, incapacitating Nagato. Nagato asks Naruto if he hates him, and thinking back upon how Nagato killed Jiraiya and Kakashi, Naruto lunges at Nagato with the intent to kill. As Konan moves in to shield Nagato, Naruto remembers Jiraiya's remarks on how he had hoped to break the cycle of hatred as well as how his father, the Fourth Hokage, had said the current system of hatred would only give birth to those like Pain. Naruto stops his attack and dispels both the Nine-Tails' influence as well as Sage Mode, asking for them to share their stories. He states that Nagato and Konan are unlike the other Akatsuki members who seem to enjoy killing and that he would like to know how they became the way they are despite being taught by Jiraiya, and Nagato agrees to tell him his story.