Inside the drainage pipe, Jiraiya's figure suddenly came to a halt. He stared into the empty air ahead.
Swoosh!
A sharp whistling sound rang out. Before Jiraiya could react, he crossed his arms in front of himself defensively—only to be struck by a powerful force that sent him flying backward uncontrollably.
"Who's there!"
Jiraiya twisted his body midair, landing steadily on the ground with an alert expression.
In front of where he had stood earlier, a faint but massive silhouette gradually emerged from the air, revealing some of its outline.
"I found you!"
[Animal Path] partially emerged from the mouth of the chameleon, gazing toward the familiar ninja ahead and uttering those words.
Nagato hadn't expected that the person sneaking into Amegakure this time would actually be Master Jiraiya himself—the nurturing mentor who once guided them in ninjutsu.
The moment he saw Jiraiya, memories surged back instantly. The two years during which Jiraiya had cared for and taught the three of them (Konan, Nagato, and Yahiko) were perhaps the happiest times in their lives, moments that made them temporarily forget the ongoing war.
But these nostalgic, sentimental feelings quickly faded. Nagato knew that was all in the past now—these two men were enemies at present.
This would be an unpleasant reunion, and he certainly wouldn't allow Jiraiya to leave here alive.
Anyone standing in the way of peace deserved no mercy—even if it meant opposing Master Jiraiya.
On the other side, Jiraiya looked doubtfully at the shadowy figure slowly emerging from invisibility. His gaze soon fixed upon the mysterious eyes of his opponent.
He recognized those eyes—or rather, he had once lived side by side with their owner for two whole years, as their teacher!
[Rinnegan!] The legendary Sage's Eye!
The same Rinnegan that once belonged to his former student Nagato—this legendary treasure should have disappeared from the world following the deaths of those three apprentices. Yet now, it reappeared before him on a completely unfamiliar ninja.
Fixing his stare firmly on the enemy, Jiraiya did not initiate an attack first. Facing this enigmatic Rinnegan, even he felt uncertain deep down.
Judging from the enemy's attire—specifically the black cloak bearing red clouds—and possession of such a deadly weapon like the Rinnegan, his suspicions were confirmed. This mission to infiltrate Amegakure Village wasn't a mistake after all—it really was Akatsuki's secret base. Now it was just a matter of how much information he could gather and take back with him. Jiraiya frowned, quickly weighing his options and locking onto his enemy's identity and objective.
"Although I anticipated something like this might happen eventually, I still didn't expect to encounter 'You,' the legendary Sannin—Jiraiya, so soon."
Leaping onto the head of his boss summon, Animal Path looked at Jiraiya—who remained in a defensive stance—and spoke slowly with an indifferent expression.
Though his words outwardly sounded like flattery toward Jiraiya, they carried no fear whatsoever—merely a hint of contempt instead.
"You recognized me immediately? Looks like my identity has been exposed already. I need to stop being so conspicuous from now on. After all, I am behind enemy lines—I really should keep things simpler and disguise myself better."
Jiraiya didn't reply. From the enemy's words, he knew his identity had been exposed. Still, it was somewhat surprising that a ninja as renowned as him wasn't instantly recognized.
"So you're the leader of Akatsuki? The true ruler of Amegakure—you really know how to keep a low profile." Jiraiya noticed that the enemy's boss summon also possessed that mysterious Rinnegan. He found this unusual but didn't dwell on it—maybe this was just one of the Rinnegan's abilities. After all, it was an eye from legend; no one truly understood its powers.
Could those eyes really belong to that timid boy from back then? That child named Nagato?
During the war, while on a mission in the Land of Rain, he had encountered three children and spent time training them. Yet after the war ended, when he returned looking for them, he learned they had died in later battles, and the Rinnegan had vanished without a trace.
Though he didn't know exactly what had happened, seeing the eyes of his former student now in a complete stranger stirred up anger inside Jiraiya. Putting two and two together, he pieced the story together in his head.
He had already anticipated back then that someone might target the Rinnegan—the so-called Sage's Eye—which was partly why he chose to stay behind and teach those unfortunate children.
Facing the enemy before him who stood with a cold, fearless smile, Jiraiya slowly tightened his fists. If you really killed those kids just for their eyes… that's unforgivable!
"Well said. I am indeed the leader of Akatsuki, and Amegakure is under my control."
The Animal Path replied coldly, while the boss summon beneath his feet stood still like a corpse.
"Then show me your strength as a ninja!"
Before the last word faded, Jiraiya had already closed the distance with the Animal Path. A chakra-infused fist came within an inch of striking.
Bang!
Jiraiya's punch crashed into the Animal Path's chest, sending him flying off the boss summon's head straight toward a cluster of pipes.
After knocking the enemy away, Jiraiya quickly stepped onto the summon's head. Before the creature could react, he returned to his original position and stood firm.
"That felt... strange."
Looking at the enemy smashed against the pipes, Jiraiya lingered on the sensation from that strike.
He sensed that although the enemy had clearly seen his attack—and could've dodged—it had chosen instead to take the full blow without moving at all.
That's exactly why Jiraiya gave up the chance to follow up, deciding instead to pull back and observe further. Such abnormal behavior must mean there were traps waiting ahead.
"You still hit hard. It seems despite growing older, you haven't lost much strength—even as one of the three."
The Animal Path stood emotionless, slightly bowing his head to examine the wound on his chest. Several ribs were broken, leaving a visible indentation.
However, such injuries were practically negligible for Jiraiya and wouldn't affect his fighting at all.
Jiraiya's frown deepened as he listened. He realized the enemy seemed somehow familiar with him, yet he couldn't recall ever seeing that face before.
"Although things escalated faster than I anticipated, obviously, I can't allow you to leave here so easily—or rather, I must keep you here. It might be a bit difficult, but the cost of keeping you here is definitely something I can afford! Sage, just how many surprises can you bring me?"
While speaking, the Animal Path began forming hand seals, looking completely serious.
"Here it comes!"
Jiraiya narrowed his eyes, slightly raised his arm, and shifted his footing, preparing himself for an attack from the enemy at any moment.
Meanwhile, the chameleon between them turned invisible again after Jiraiya attacked the Animal Path, disappearing from Jiraiya's sight.
According to Jiraiya's sensor abilities, however, the chameleon had simply moved elsewhere, blocking that passageway before remaining still.
[Summoning Jutsu!]
To Jiraiya's surprise, the enemy used the Summoning Jutsu.
As the white smoke cleared away, several figures appeared within his view, causing Jiraiya to momentarily lose focus.
Boom!
Saitama opened his eyes, confused, directly meeting Deva Path Pain's gaze.
"What was that noise outside?"
He questioned, extending his senses outward. However, since they were deep underground in this sealing location, he only sensed intense battle fluctuations above ground.
Judging from the commotion, this wasn't an ordinary fight. The scale of disturbance suggested that Nagato's other Rikudō bodies might be engaged in battle. So who was the opponent? Could it really force Nagato to deploy all his remaining Rikudō forms?
"There's an intruder from outside the village. I've already arranged people to handle it. Don't worry. Our task is to continue sealing the Tailed Beast here."
The Deva Path Pain standing on the giant thumb spoke up, then shut his eyes once more.
Clearly multitasking, he obviously didn't plan to elaborate further. On one side stood the crucial sealing mission, while on the other, he battled against one of the legendary ninjas of the ninja world—he couldn't possibly afford to be careless.
"Who exactly is the intruder?"
Still maintaining his state, Saitama asked. Anyone daring enough to sneak into Amegakure at a time like this clearly wasn't an ordinary opponent, which sparked some interest in him.
After a long pause, the Pain responded as he opened his eyes again: "It's Jiraiya of Konoha!"
His eyes narrowing, Saitama slowly squinted, slightly surprised inwardly.
Other members present naturally understood what the name 'Jiraiya' represented—the legendary Sannin of the shinobi world. Yet since their sealing tasks hadn't been completed, they couldn't personally go and witness the scene themselves.
They weren't particularly puzzled over whether Akatsuki still possessed forces capable of holding back one of the Sannin like Jiraiya. After all, their leader Zero had never shown off his power. But that Rinnegan always brought them confidence.
Even Konan hadn't paid much attention during the earlier conversation until Pain mentioned 'Jiraiya'. Only then did she open her eyes and look toward Saitama and Pain.
"Jiraiya-sensei? What an unexpected intruder!"
The flicker of inner conflict in her eyes vanished quickly. She turned her focus back to the Sealing Technique and pushed the matter aside—Nagato had his own considerations. From the very beginning, they had known this day would eventually come; they simply hadn't expected it so soon.
The tailed beast's sealing still required most of half a day. Even if she wanted to act now, there was no way to break free. And under those watchful Rinnegan eyes, perhaps this truly was the fate of a ninja.
Saitama also understood the current situation clearly. He wouldn't foolishly attempt rescuing the pitiful Jiraiya. If given the chance, he himself might kill Jiraiya for remaining loyal to Konoha.
Looking back, although Jiraiya had maintained a decent relationship with both Shizune and Tsunade while he was still in Konoha, that was in the past. Now, these two men belonged to completely different factions.
Although somewhat underhanded, such is reality—the past has passed like drifting clouds. Only the present and future truly mattered now. To achieve the ultimate goal, many people would inevitably become pawns sacrificed in this grand game.
Moreover, considering the current situation, Deva Path was still here performing the sealing. For Jiraiya, facing the other five Paths alone wasn't necessarily a death sentence. In the original plot, Jiraiya fought all six Paths by himself without any intelligence support, managed to counterkill several of them, and even could have escaped if he'd chosen to.
"So we've already been exposed? They've sent one of Konoha's rare combat experts directly into our base. Looks like the long-anticipated war will begin soon!"
Sasori's thoughts churned as he maintained his chakra output.
Only through battle could puppets demonstrate their true worth. He had grown tired of this peaceful life; what he needed now was excitement to keep going. Lately, he increasingly felt a loss of humanity—although during the Human Puppet transformation, he had anticipated such a possibility. Yet when faced with reality, deep inside, he felt particularly annoyed.
During their last capture of the Six-Tails, he had another secret objective: besides acquiring the tailed beast, he intended to visit Sunagakure to confront Lady Chiyo, testing whether he had indeed reached the edge of losing all humanity. But ultimately, due to carelessness with handling the tailed beast, he lacked the strength to go to Sunagakure or conduct that test of bonds.
Therefore, currently only the thrill of battle could make him sense some remnant humanity—even though such feelings originated from cruelty and brutality.
...
"Shizune, how many days has that Jiraiya guy been gone?" Slouched against the corner of the wall, Tsunade held a small wine cup and suddenly asked the disciple across from her.
"About ten days, I think. Why, is something wrong, Tsunade-sama?" Shizune respectfully sat facing her mentor, looking at the plates on the table while lost in unknown thoughts.
"Nothing specific, just feeling uneasy. Somehow I sense danger in his departure this time! After all, that village is believed to be Akatsuki's stronghold!" Tsunade downed the cup in one gulp, then roughly wiped her mouth with her sleeve.
"You already know how strong Jiraiya-sama is, right? There probably isn't anyone in the entire shinobi world capable of stopping him! He might not be the strongest, but if he truly intends to leave, there's practically no chance anyone could stop him." Shizune paused slightly upon hearing the name "Akatsuki," thinking of Saitama Uchiha, before continuing.
"That's true. Let's get out and take a stroll. I heard a brand-new gambling house just opened behind Market Street with brand-new slot machines. Let's test our luck there."
Tsunade stood up, cutting the small talk with Shizune short. She had really been feeling bored staying at home these past few days.
"Wait for me, Tsunade-sama!"
Shizune hurriedly got up. It was her day off at the hospital today, and she finally had time to relax. With support from those around her, Shizune's recent mood had improved as well.
After changing clothes, the two immediately headed straight to the newly opened gambling house Tsunade mentioned. Judging by her urgent pace, she clearly couldn't wait. On the way, Shizune quietly stuffed her newly received pay into her pocket for emergencies.
...
"Minato, most hidden villages have responded, stating their participation in this meeting. They've also agreed to the originally scheduled time and location and promised to arrive on time." Shikaku reported the latest intelligence while looking at the Fourth seated calmly.
"Good. I've already sent Kakashi ahead to communicate with the samurai forces in the Land of Iron. We requested their cooperation." Minato briefly replied. As the main force in the Land of Iron, the samurai leader named Mifune was an extremely powerful warrior, though rarely fighting personally due to his age, he was still not someone to be underestimated.
"The accompanying personnel for this meeting have been confirmed. We've assigned Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Shisui from Anbu, along with the seasoned Hizashi Hyuga and Shibi Aburame."
Shikaku continued, then gave Minato a brief nod to see whether this arrangement met his expectations.
"That should be sufficient. The number of accompanying personnel shouldn't be too large. Also, since my departure will leave a gap, Kushina's protection must be strengthened. Akatsuki members cannot be predicted by normal logic; what if they decided to invade Konoha while I'm away, that would complicate things. Furthermore, given the special nature of this meeting, I can't bring her along."
Minato nodded. Having these four ninja accompany him, plus Kakashi who had already gone ahead, should be enough to handle any situation.
"I understand. Once you leave the village, we'll immediately put the entire village on alert, reducing all unnecessary outings." Shikaku stroked his beard thoughtfully, his eyes gleaming. He naturally had considered this aspect and wouldn't be careless.
"Hmm, thank you all for your efforts!"
Minato nodded with satisfaction. Actually, he wasn't particularly worried about Kushina's safety. As one of the rare shinobi in the world who can use Space-Time Ninjutsu, distance was never an issue. If he sensed something was off, he could return to the village instantly to protect Kushina.
That was precisely his advantage and source of confidence.
...
In the training ground of the Uchiha Clan, two warriors were locked in combat, while another observer watched from outside the arena.
The fighters were Obito Uchiha and Shisui Uchiha, while the spectator was Itachi Uchiha.
The battle on the training ground intensified rapidly. Itachi Uchiha had activated his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, yet he still felt some pressure and struggled to keep up with the pace.
It couldn't be helped, because the two fighting inside—one mastered Space–Time Ninjutsu, while the other could use the Shifting Body Technique as if it were a space-time technique itself.
Although the observation power of the Three-Tomoe Sharingan was extremely sharp, the two fighters were both exceptionally skilled at continuously changing their moves. For Itachi Uchiha, who stood outside the battlefield observing, things were getting difficult.
The clash of steel, the whistling of weapons cutting through air, and the explosive sounds of ninja techniques striking the ground rang out one after another, not only raising clouds of dust in the training ground but also leaving numerous 'scars' across its surface.
No one knew exactly how much time had passed before the two finally separated, standing back to back.
Slash!
A long, narrow tear had opened across Obito Uchiha's chest area, while on Shisui Uchiha's forehead protector was a white dot—a mark left by a kunai strike (a special throwing weapon used by ninja).
"Obito, I never thought your strength would grow so quickly. No wonder you're the user of the Flying Thunder God Technique," Shisui turned around, sheathed his weapon, walked over to Obito, and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm still not quite there yet. I didn't manage to gain any advantage against you, Shisui," Obito flipped his hand and accurately slid the special kunai he'd been holding back into his gear bag, he said to Shisui.
"In such a short amount of time, this level of improvement is already incredible. Given a bit more time, I'm sure you can definitely progress even further!"
Itachi Uchiha spoke from the side, simultaneously deactivating the Tomoe within his Sharingan.
"Yeah, looks like I'll just have to keep working at it."
Obito nodded, then followed the two walking outward. Time to head in for dinner.
...
Inside the Gambling House, Tsunade fell silent, staring at the machine before her without saying a word.
Beside her, Shizune's mouth hung open, her eyes wide with shock.
After a long pause, Shizune finally came to her senses, covering her mouth as she asked, "Lady Tsunade... y-you actually... won?"
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