Jasper stood there, exhausted and waiting for his chakra to recharge. When suddenly, a figure descended from the sky, landing close by with a soft thud. This put Jasper instantly on edge. Because the figure steadily approaching him was Pain.
This was the first time Jasper had seen Pain in person, and it was a different experience altogether. Watching him on screen was one thing, but standing face-to-face with the real thing was something else entirely.
Pain's presence was imposing, and his expression was also calm but intense. Jasper's stomach tightened. He was low on chakra, and one "Almighty Push" could mean death.
Pain halted a few steps away from Jasper. His gaze fixed on the fallen body of Kaito, who was beheaded on the ground.
"I was interested in you from the moment you came here," Pain said in a low tone.
Jasper shifted slightly, trying to keep his nerves in check.
"I guess I should say the same about you," he replied, trying to sound steady.
Then Pain looked at him with his Rinnegan, and he felt fear prick at his spine. Those eyes seemed to see right through him, making him feel exposed.
"You managed to kill a former member of the Akatsuki," Pain said. "And you don't seem to be an ally."
The words hit Jasper harder than he expected. He was taken aback to hear that Kaito had been part of the Akatsuki, a secret he hadn't known until now.
"What?!" Jasper blurted. "I thought he was with Arthur, so when did he join the Akatsuki?!"
He was honestly trying to piece together the puzzle. His curiosity was genuine, and all he really wanted to ask was just how much had Arthur truly done while people believed him to be dead?
Pain's eyes narrowed slightly. "So, you're aware of our group?"
Jasper snorted, seeing he'd fallen into a trap. He wasn't supposed to know who the Akatsuki were—most rogue ninjas didn't. Those who did were either enemies or allies. Jasper was neither.
Still, he didn't back down. "So what if I know who you are? Why did you let someone like him join?"
Pain's expression didn't change. "You and Kaito must have had a falling out before all of this." Then he tilted his head. "Tell me, who are you, and what are your reasons for being here?"
Jasper hesitated before weighing his options. He could try to deceive Pain, but deep down, he knew that wouldn't work. Pain's gaze alone was enough to make him regret any falsehood. The eyes, those Rinnegan, seemed to peer into his soul.
All of it just made him regret not having hidden himself after killing Kaito in the first place. This was war, and he was stupid to believe that someone out there wasn't watching his fight.
Finally, he spoke. "Fine. My name is Jasper. I'm part of the Ōtsutsuki clan. You probably haven't heard of us. Let's just say I'm the only one left on earth, and I have personal dealings with Arthur."
Pain had never heard of the Ōtsutsuki clan before. But what Jasper said next was even more shocking.
"Listen, maybe we can help each other."
"Why would I help you?"
Jasper relaxed, choosing his words carefully. "Because I know who you really are behind that body. Nagato Uzumaki, am I right?"
The moment those words left Jasper's mouth, Pain's hand shot out of his sleeve, producing a black rod. Jasper's heart skipped; he knew he had to tread carefully. One wrong word, and he could be dead.
"Calm down," he quickly said. "Have you ever heard the phrase, 'An enemy of an enemy is a friend? Arthur and I are not friends. That makes us enemies. Besides, I've been waiting for the right moment to come join you guys."
Pain looked at him with suspicion; he didn't need the Rinnegan to tell Jasper's chakra was low. "Is that so?"
"Of course," Jasper answered, trying to sound convincing. While yes, he did have thoughts of wishing to join the Akatsuki, he didn't expect it to be this early. "Why else would I come all this way and kill Kaito myself?"
The statement seemed to make Pain pause. Jasper's past actions were reckless—almost nuclear in their intensity. He'd almost destroyed the entire field in a fit of rage. And while Jada (a kunoichi from the Leaf Village) had tried to stop him, he rejected her help, implying that he was a defected ninja.
Wherefore, Pain's gaze sharpened as he studied Jasper. The question burning in his mind was how Jasper knew his true identity as Nagato. Jasper's words had opened a door, and Pain was not ready to close it yet.
After a tense moment, Pain slowly retracted his weapon back into his sleeve. "Let's see how you fare in this war. Then I'll consider recruiting you. Until then, Zetsu..."
At Pain's command, white spores began to enlarge themselves across Jasper's body. He understood what was happening: it was White Zetsu, and Pain had likely planted the creature before coming here as a safety measure.
"I haven't seen an Ōtsutsuki in a long time," Zetsu's voice echoed from the spores.
Jasper was surprised at first, but then he felt his chakra start to restore faster. Zetsu was helping him.
This was a sign that Pain was possibly interested in seeing if Jasper could be useful. It also meant Zetsu would be spying on him from henceforth.
There was no denying it now: the moment Jasper had become the center of attention, prior to Arthur's arrival, was the moment he put the biggest target on his back. He had to be extra cautious.
And removing the spores with purple lightning or any other attack would be considered treacherous. Pain wouldn't tolerate betrayal, resulting in Jasper's early demise.
As the spores settled in, both Jasper and Pain looked up. Something bright suddenly shone above them, catching their attention. The sky was ablaze with light.
✟
On the other side of the battlefield, John and Kisame continued their fierce clash.
The fight had become a test of endurance and skill. John had been pressing forward with taijutsu, knowing Kisame was not the best at close combat. Meanwhile, Kisame relied on his strength and Samehada, but John's speed and technique kept him at bay.
After a few more exchanges, eventually the two fighters found themselves in a deadlock. Neither could push the other back.
The standoff ended with Samehada embedded in the ground between them. Kisame reached out, trying to pull his sword free, but John firmly held his wrist, preventing him.
"Tell me, Kisame," John said. "Why not abandon your group? When this war is over, the Akatsuki are going to be destroyed. So come join Arthur instead."
Kisame snorted with a rough laugh. "Ha! Last I recall, we made you run at the sight of us from your office."
John's expression remained calm. "That's a shame." The two broke off their stalemate, creating space. "Could've been easier to let you keep your precious sword."
As John began running to deliver a powerful kick, he was suddenly shoulder-bumped from the side by a heavy force. The impact knocked him off balance. And when he recovered, he saw who the figure was: Nagato's Naraka Path.
Its face was unreadable, but its presence was overwhelming. Kisame himself was less particular about who helped him, so long as they didn't interfere with his plans.
John knew this was bad. One Akatsuki member was one thing, but two (especially a Path) spelled trouble. So he quickly reached for his weapon, pulling out the Hiramekarei.
Its head was hidden as he sprinted forward. Once he got closer, the hilt suddenly manifested an ethereal broadsword, ready to strike both Kisame and the Naraka Path down.
The broadsword slammed into the ground, creating a shockwave that shook the earth. Kisame and Naraka Path had jumped back just in time to avoid the blow.
The three exchanged a few collisions here and there. In their final bout, the Naraka Path moved faster than John expected. It seized him by the throat. At first, John thought he could break free, but then something strange happened: he saw the king of hell, and it had opened its mouth!
This creature was a mythic figure linked to life and death, summoned by Rinnegan users through the Six Paths technique. When called, its head would rise from the ground surrounded by dark flames, and it could see through the Rinnegan in its own eyes, allowing the user to observe everything it saw.
But things didn't end there. Its main ability was to manipulate souls: it could question others, and if they lied, it would rip out and swallow their soul; if they told the truth, it would let their soul go free.
The problem with this summoned being was that only the Rinnegan user could see it if it was being used for the aforementioned purpose. John hadn't even seen it appear with his Tamashii.
A cold dread filled him. This was bad. Very bad. Already, he felt his tongue being grabbed and pulled from the creature's mouth.
He struggled, trying to free himself, but the grip was inescapable. Several of Arthur's forces had jumped into the fight, attacking the Naraka Path, but Kisame was quick to block their advances. He did a fair job keeping them from getting close.
John's situation grew worse as the Naraka Path spoke: "Now, what are your dealings with Arthur?"
John didn't want to answer. Even if he kept his chakra stable, the king of hell was designed to see through his words. And if he refused to answer, it wouldn't be long until he would be forced to by the technique.
Telling the truth was a risk he couldn't afford. Lars' soul had already been taken, and the leak of Arthur's secrets could cost him everything. No way was he going to let that happen.
As such, John clenched his jaw, summoning his last ounce of resolve. Then he declared, "As if I would ever let myself become your prey."
At those words, a sudden burst of chakra erupted from his body. His form was engulfed in a blinding light, and he exploded outward in a shockwave!
The force rippled through the battlefield, knocking back enemies and allies alike. Dust and debris swirled, and the ground trembled beneath the force of the blast.
When things settled, Kisame and the Naraka Path were still standing, though their cloaks were torn and damaged from the blast. Kisame looked over at where John had been. There was nothing left of him.
"He blew himself up," the Naraka Path announced, "to keep Arthur's secrets from being known."
Kisame's expression was unreadable, but there was a flicker of respect behind his eyes. It was because, to keep information from falling into enemy hands, he would have done the same. And he did do the same: two years from now, to be exact.
Kisame's gaze then shifted downward, where John's Hiramekarei lay broken on the ground. He hadn't understood that the weapon was one of the Seven Ninja Swords since it had been modified by Arthur.
Now it was shattered and virtually indistinguishable. Kisame felt a strange pang of regret. That sword had been powerful, and he would have liked to take it for himself.
He was going to voice this thought until the two caught sight of a bright light in the sky. They turned their heads upward, only to see that the majority of the sky was ablaze with a strange, brilliant glow.