Within the Senju Clan complex, the night unfolded like so many others recently—quiet, heavy with unspoken things. Two people shared the leader's chambers, tangled in sheets and something deeper.
Tsunade was stretching languidly, the golden strands of her hair catching the moonlight as her eyes followed me. There was a soft regret in her gaze, but also a smile—one that always lifted my spirits. I grinned to myself. "All that research I did back in my youth wasn't for nothing after all!"
Still, the sun was creeping up the horizon, and I had to go. Naruto's training wouldn't pause just because I had a good night.
"How much longer will it take with Naruto?" she asked, voice husky but curious.
I tied the last knot of my sash, then turned to her with a confident smirk. "When you see him, you'll be shocked. We're just polishing the edges now... but he's ready. Almost too ready."
At that exact moment, an ANBU operative materialized at the doorway with urgency.
"Tsunade-sama, an intruder has breached the village barrier. Units have already been deployed."
My smile faded. That was unusual. Tsunade tensed immediately, but I saw it in her—she could handle it. Still, something in my gut told me to stay. My instincts weren't just a writer's intuition—they were forged in war, sharpened over decades.
"Looks like Naruto will have to wait a bit longer today," I said, my voice now calm and serious.
We dressed quickly and took off through the rooftops. Tsunade moved faster than usual. She felt it too.
Halfway to the Hokage Tower, we both froze.
Six flares pierced the morning sky. Explosions roared from multiple sectors. Giant creatures burst through the streets in synchronized mayhem. In the dawn's light, I saw them clearly—dark spines protruding from their bodies, twisted by pain and hatred.
I knew those monsters. I knew that summoning style.
"Pain's attacking the village," I said at her side. "I'll handle the summons. You go do what you do best. We'll talk later—don't overdo it. We've got unfinished business."
Tsunade didn't even glance back—she was already forming hand signs.
With a thunderous release of chakra, Katsuyu emerged, colossal and serene. Tsunade immediately gave her orders with clarity and authority. "Katsuyu, divide and spread across the entire village. Stay with the wounded and protect the civilians. I'll channel my chakra through you to reach everyone who needs healing."
Then she turned to me and added with a calm but firm tone, "Have fun, Jiraiya. Head toward the largest battlefield. Once I reach the tower, I'll link my chakra to you as well."
She plucked a small slug from Katsuyu's form and tossed it to me. "That way I'll make sure you're still standing... for later."
"Heh... woman knows how to motivate a guy," I muttered, catching the slug gently.
Then I turned and ran toward the worst of the chaos. Toward the battlefield where one of the six paths was rampaging unchecked. Those beasts weren't moving on their own—they were being controlled.
And I had a student to face.
<<<< o >>>>
When Tsunade arrived at the rooftop of the Hokage Tower, her personal ANBU were already assembled, their masks gleaming in the dawn light, expressions unreadable—yet she could feel it. The tension. Even among these battle-hardened veterans, there was unease. This wasn't just a coordinated strike. This was a direct blow to the heart of Konoha.
"Too close to home," she muttered to herself, the weight in her chest unmistakable. Most of her elite jōnin had been sent out on missions just days ago—an arrogant political move by the elders to undermine her authority. And now, the village was paying the price.
She inhaled deeply, then addressed the gathered ANBU with unwavering clarity.
"ANBU forces, split into designated units. Teams 1 and 2, head outside the village perimeter. Locate Nagato and neutralize him. His puppets will fall once the source is eliminated. Teams 3 and 4, track and engage the Pain puppets within the village limits. You know their abilities—do not underestimate them. Report immediately if you find any other infiltrators. Teams 5 and 6, coordinate evacuation procedures to the emergency shelters. Prioritize wounded and civilians. Team 7, you're with me on the healing array. All units, take a piece of Katsuyu for support and comms. Move out!"
In an instant, the squads vanished into smoke and speed, leaving behind only the whisper of movement.
Tsunade stood still for a breath, considering. Part of her wanted to join Teams 1 and 2—to face Nagato herself. But the cries from the streets below reminded her: the battle wasn't just about the enemy—it was about those caught in the crossfire.
Shizune was still there watching... I looked at her and said "Tell the messenger from Mount Myōboku to tell Naruto... and go to the hospital, they're going to need you there." She nodded and started to move.
She stepped forward, placing herself at the heart of the rooftop as her personal guard formed a circle around her. Chakra began to build, thick and luminous, as they entered formation.
"I will protect this village," she whispered, grounding her feet.
With Katsuyu dispersed and her healing network forming, she became the silent core of a living system—a steady flow of strength to every medic, every wounded shinobi, every child beneath the rubble.
"This battle belongs to Konoha's finest," she thought. "And I will make sure they come back alive. Every last one of them."
<<<< o >>>>
The first light of dawn filtered through the broken remains of a collapsed building as Jiraiya landed silently atop the cracked tiles. His cloak fluttered behind him, heavy not with fabric, but with memory and purpose.
Atop a shattered tower across the plaza stood the Animal Path of Pain—a woman, lifeless eyes staring down at him. Her smile was wrong. It didn't belong to her face—it belonged to the pain speaking through her.
"Nagato...? I know you're there. How long will you let pain speak for you?"
There was no answer. Only the sharp crack of a summoning Jutsu.
A dense cloud of smoke erupted, revealing a massive hydra-like beast with multiple heads. It roared and charged, tearing through the narrow street below, crushing stalls and flinging hidden civilians from their shelters like ragdolls.
"Damn it… there are still people here!"
Without hesitation, Jiraiya moved. In a flash, he summoned Gamaken, then Gamakichi. The great toads leapt to intercept the monster, their bodies colliding against the beast to redirect its rampage.
Screams echoed from the crumbling village walls.
"Everyone, get back! This isn't a normal fight!"
From alleys and rooftops, shinobi began to approach—but the scale of the summoning and destruction forced them into retreat, their efforts diverted toward evacuating civilians. Jiraiya's hands flashed through the seals.
"Doton: Earth Wall Jutsu!"
A stone barricade surged from the ground, shielding a group of children just as a weakened building collapsed over them.
"It's not too late, Nagato! You can still choose something else—something other than this hell!"
But the Animal Path responded with another invocation—a massive demonic rhinoceros that charged forward like a living battering ram. As it barreled toward him, Jiraiya's hands blurred into a complex string of seals.
"Yomi Numa!"
The ground beneath the beast erupted into a bubbling mire. In an instant, the charging rhinoceros sank, its momentum dragging it deep into the sudden swamp. Its thrashing slowed as the viscous earth swallowed its legs, immobilizing it.
Jiraiya exhaled, only barely avoiding the edge of the crater as the shockwave rippled outward. Even restrained, the sheer force of the charge sent debris flying and knocked him back across the broken pavement.
He gritted his teeth, pain radiating from his ribs, but a grim smile played on his lips.
"Not all problems need brute force, Nagato... some just need experience."
He gritted his teeth, pain radiating from his ribs. Then—he felt it. A subtle warmth spreading through his body.
"Tsunade…"
Her chakra was reaching him through the small fragment of Katsuyu nestled under his robe. Even here, she had his back.
He forced himself to stand.
"Is this your idea of 'peace'? Is this what Yahiko would have wanted?"
No answer. The woman didn't even blink. But behind her, something moved—a massive chameleon slithered forth, its long tongue wrapping around her body and swallowing her whole. Then it vanished in a shimmer.
"No... He's escaping."
Within minutes, more summoning plumes exploded across the village—this time far from Jiraiya's location.
"Damn it... he's spreading the chaos."
Bloodied but resolute, Jiraiya leapt onto Gamaken's back. They bounded off in pursuit, crossing destroyed rooftops, broken streets, and smoke-choked corridors.
The chase lasted nearly two hours. Wherever he went, more beasts awaited—Pain's footprints of destruction. And every time Jiraiya tried to reason, the silence he received in return was colder than death.
He understood the strategy. This was a diversion. Pain was keeping him away from the heart of the battle. And Jiraiya had done the same in return—isolating the Animal Path, the most dangerous of them all. It was a deadly stalemate.
What puzzled him was Naruto. Where was he?
At last, as the sky bled into crimson, the Animal Path emerged again atop the ruins of the old Amekura watchtower. Wind whipped her hair and cloak as she rose, mounted on a giant summoned bird.
Jiraiya, bruised and on one knee, could only whisper:
"Nagato... I really did lose you, didn't I?"