"Kid, things aren't looking good! Find a chance to pull back," Shima warned Jiraiya. As one of the toads helping him maintain Sage Mode, she knew he couldn't keep it up for much longer. The enemy kept multiplying, and each opponent looked tough. Continuing this fight wasn't wise.
"Got it, boss lady," Jiraiya replied, patting his chest wound and nodding grimly. He knew his condition best—it was time to go. But figuring out how to escape from the enemies before him remained a huge problem.
Slowly sliding his hand downward, he grasped a kunai knife. A small amount of chakra flowed through it like a signal being sent out. It was a kunai Minato had previously left behind.
Whoosh!
Perhaps because Akatsuki members had gathered together, Nagato felt the need to display undeniable power and quickly launched another attack.
The Deva Path, Preta Path, and Asura Path charged ahead while the other three paths leaped high from behind, cutting off Jiraiya's retreat path.
[Universal Pull]!
The Deva Path raised its arm and aimed at Jiraiya, drawing his body toward itself.
Peng peng peng!
The back of the Asura Path split open, revealing a massive opening from which countless missiles streaked through the air, trailing grayish-white smoke straight toward Jiraiya, whose body had completely lost control. Clearly, they were aiming to blow him out of the sky.
The combined assault left Jiraiya with no chance to fight back. Worse yet, due to his injuries, he couldn't perform any ninjutsu in time. In the end, he crashed directly into the oncoming barrage.
Boom!
A torrent of water erupted, completely engulfing Jiraiya's body.
"He hit him."
Saitama's eyes already showed three tomoe marks, eerie blood-colored light radiating from the corners. He stared at where Jiraiya had been, lips barely moving. He'd seen Jiraiya take the full impact before being blown straight into the water—then disappear beneath the surface.
"A puppet modification?"
Sasori watched the Asura Path with interest, as if admiring a perfect piece of art. This leader among them with the Rinnegan seemed to be a puppet body too?
"What a shame. That guy's dead," Hidan yawned lazily, clearly bored. In his opinion, Jiraiya had already been in bad shape; their coming here had only been to witness the final act of a show, nothing like the epic battle he'd imagined. What a total waste.
"No, he's probably not dead yet. The Sannin aren't that easy to kill. That kind of attack wouldn't finish him!" Kakuzu stayed calm, his glowing green eyes fixed firmly on the now still water. He refused to believe Jiraiya could die so easily. After all, that man was a warrior who could easily overpower him.
"Not dead yet? Then hurry up and die already. The Sannin don't seem all that impressive," Hidan said with a cruel smirk, flipping his weapon onto his shoulder.
Since the leader himself had taken action, obviously there was no chance for him to join in personally. Though he strongly wanted to kill with his own hands that Konoha ninja who once decapitated him, it was unavoidable now. He could only mutter curses, hoping Jiraiya would just hurry up and die already.
"You guys... which one's actually the leader? There are six Rinnegan here. Never thought the Organization had this many powerful members. I always assumed we were all there was. After all, only a few of us were present when we sealed the Tailed Beasts. Even the leader used to complain about not having enough manpower and wanted to recruit more people." Hidan casually started chatting as he idled away his time, his mind bouncing all over the place, making his sentences barely coherent.
However, this question immediately caught Kakuzu and Sasori's attention.
"Who knows? Maybe they all are, maybe none." Sasori was the first to speak, acting on instinct. As one of the few people who truly understood puppets, he'd always found their leader suspicious. Seeing today's events only reinforced certain suspicions he already had.
"Tch, might as well say nothing at all. What about you, Kakuzu? You joined the Organization earlier than me—you should know some inside information," Hidan slightly turned his head toward Kakuzu, who stood beside him. Indeed, Kakuzu's words would sound more reliable. Sasori always spoke mysteriously without making much sense, thinking himself incredibly insightful, though in reality he was just spouting nonsense.
"Not sure either. This is the first time in years I've seen these guys. Maybe there's something to what Sasori said. Either way, we're all part of the same organization—it's not a bad thing. After the battle, the leader will explain everything clearly enough." Kakuzu glanced at Hidan and Sasori before shifting his gaze toward Saitama and Konan standing nearby. As two of the earliest members present, it was obvious they knew details about the leader that hadn't been shared with others.
The three lapsed into silence once more.
"What a shame." White Zetsu looked at the water surface, speaking playfully.
"Shut up. That guy isn't dead yet." Black Zetsu narrowed his eyes. Although the battle seemed clear, he felt something unexpected might happen if Nagato didn't finish Jiraiya quickly.
"Oh right, have you located Nagato yet?"
After a while, only two could hear this whisper. Since Nagato had always operated under Pain's guise, they hadn't tracked him for quite some time. Today provided an opportunity to find the hidden Nagato and lay groundwork for future actions.
"Not yet. Nagato and Konan have always been careful. But I already have a general range—we'll definitely find him before this battle ends."
"Good. At this critical stage, we must bring Nagato under control and prepare sufficient precautions. Also stay vigilant against Saitama. He's been spending too much time with Orochimaru recently. Better safe than sorry."
"I know. Huh, he's still alive!" White Zetsu widened his eyes, surprised by the sudden shift in the battle.
...
The Six Paths clones formed an encirclement surrounding where Jiraiya had disappeared.
However, since the previous attack created a towering water curtain temporarily obscuring vision, they lost track of Jiraiya's trail and were now searching around.
Earlier they indeed hit Jiraiya head-on. Although unable to kill him instantly, he definitely wouldn't be feeling good.
"Underwater?" Deva Path studied the calm surface of the water, scanning below with his Rinnegan but finding nothing.
He slightly lifted his arm, briefly considering a direct attack on the water before quickly dismissing the idea. This body of water was vast and connected to underground rivers that eventually flowed into the ocean.
"Scatter!"
With that single command, the six clones spread outward, expanding their search range. However, instead of focusing on their own assigned areas, each clone turned their gaze toward a different location where another clone stood.
This was Nagato's attempt to use this technique to draw out Jiraiya hiding beneath the surface.
Gurgle!
A series of bubbles rose from under Animal Path, causing Deva Path's eyes to narrow slightly as he raised his arm toward that spot.
Bang!
Something sudden happened beneath the seemingly frail Human Path. The water exploded outward as a figure shot upward, instantly grabbing Human Path by the neck and carrying him into the air while forming a Rasengan in the other hand and hurling it at Human Path's chest.
However, before the attacker could finish his assault, several missiles glided through the air and struck him directly, instantly engulfing both him and the captured Human Path in an explosion.
Boom!
Another explosion erupted, turning the figure gripping Human Path into white smoke that vanished.
"A Shadow Clone! Sensei, do you still have enough strength to use the Shadow Clone Jutsu?"
Deva Path quickly turned his head. Initially focused entirely on Human Path due to shared vision, he immediately realized it had been a trick upon noticing it was only a clone. He swiftly shifted his focus back to where Animal Path had previously been.
Sure enough, Animal Path had already vanished from the water's surface, as if he'd never been there at all.
"Dragged underwater completely—it's impossible to tell where they went!"
All six Path clones were unable to sense Animal Path's presence anymore. The view from Animal Path's eyes had turned completely alien, with no familiar landmarks to orient them.
"It's a Barrier Chamber!" Nagato realized what was happening and directed his remaining clones to use sensing techniques below the water, though Jiraiya's barrier was difficult to detect.
"It looks like your teacher Jiraiya has made things a little complicated!" Saitama stared upward at Konan with his Sharingan, noting the slight furrow in her brow and the faint surprise in her expression at the current situation.
"Nagato will handle everything," Konan replied after a long pause, her voice cold yet unwaveringly confident.
"I hope so." With his hands resting behind his head, Saitama appeared utterly relaxed and unconcerned.
...
"A Barrier Chamber!" Animal Path observed the unfamiliar surroundings, his gaze settling on the corrosive acid lake beside him and the darkness beyond.
"Rasengan!" Just as he hesitated, a figure wearing a long tongue suddenly flew from around a corner in the shadows, rushing toward him at close range, leaving no room for evasion.
Bang!
The Rasengan slammed straight into his chest, sending him flying backward into the acid lake.
[Hiss!]
As soon as Animal Path landed in the lake, it began to boil violently, spewing droplets and bubbling intensely while releasing rising clouds of white, corrosive vapor emitting a foul odor.
"One down! Phew, phew, phew!"
Jiraiya had previously used gathered intelligence to eliminate three of Pain's bodies, but due to carelessness, he hadn't retrieved the corpses afterward. As a result, the enemy managed to revive them through some unknown method.
This time around, he learned his lesson. He pulled his enemies into a barrier, eliminated them, and kept their bodies. Furthermore, since each enemy possessed only one of the Six Paths' abilities, his primary target was this gaunt Animal Path user who could summon others to his side.
Huff! Huff!
Jiraiya launched a Rasengan and eliminated one enemy, slamming directly next to the Corrosive Acid Lake and clutching his previous wounds as he began panting heavily.
His condition wasn't good at all.
Earlier, he'd been directly hit by an enemy missile, causing fresh bloody holes across his chest and breaking one arm, leaving it useless.
Snap!
Just when he thought he could catch his breath, the enemy that had been thrown into the acid lake suddenly emerged again, attacking him head-on.
Puhci!
A black rod several meters long extended from the Animal Path's arm, piercing straight through Jiraiya's body and pinning him against the rock behind him.
"Damn it! Little Jiraiya, are you okay?" Fukasaku slashed through both the black rod and its connection to the enemy in one swipe before warily observing the foe. He noticed that after using that technique, the enemy had completely died out. Only then did he turn his gaze toward Jiraiya.
"Hohoh! Trouble!" Jiraiya slumped on the ground, his face twisted with pain, while Fukasaku dutifully pulled out the black rod impaling his body to prevent further disruption of Jiraiya's chakra and stop any additional complications.
Clang!
The Animal Path's forehead protector slid off his forehead, hitting the ground with a crisp sound that instantly made Jiraiya flinch slightly in his thoughts, drawing his attention.
"Hmm?" Jiraiya looked toward the enemy he had just defeated, staring at the exposed forehead no longer covered by the protector, where he discovered a long, narrow scar—extremely noticeable.
Suddenly, a scene from the past surfaced in his memory. It was back when he first listened to the prophecy of the Great Toad Sage, roaming the Shinobi World in search of the fabled Child of the Prophecy, and encountered an enemy.
Staring at the fallen Pain's appearance now, Jiraiya's pupils shrank: "Right! I remember now!"
"What is it?" Fukasaku asked, somewhat puzzled by Jiraiya's reaction.
"This man standing right here—I fought him once before! He was a ninja from the Fuma I met during my early travels following the Great Toad Sage's prophecy. The scar on his forehead was caused by my slash."
A sense of foreboding washed over Jiraiya, his tone growing heavier. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth down to his chin, then dripped onto the ground, creating an echoing sound within the vast space.
"How could someone from back then show up here now?" Shima gasped, her eyes locked onto the lifeless Pain, unable to make sense of what she was seeing.
"The more I learn about Pain, the less I understand," Fukasaku voiced his thoughts. When coincidences start forming patterns, even a centuries-old Frog Sage like me finds it deeply unsettling.
Jiraiya didn't speak. Once again, he recalled the words of the Great Toad Sage from long ago: *"You're the one meant to guide the revolutionary. One day, you'll face an important decision—'How can I make the right choice?' In your dreams, you'll travel the world, write novels, and finally meet that fated person!"*
"Could it be… as the prophecy foretold…" Jiraiya reached his own conclusion, but for now there was still insufficient evidence to confirm it. The dead enemy before him wasn't enough.
"I want to go out once more to confront them and verify something! Please two return first!" After careful consideration, Jiraiya closed his eyes and said calmly.
"No way! If you go out again, you'll definitely be killed! They have far more eyes than before, and they also have other allies! And they absolutely won't fall into the barrier trap again! Right now they haven't noticed this place yet—we can only escape while we still have the chance!" Elder Fukasaku earnestly advised Jiraiya; he opposed Jiraiya's plan.
"While there's a risk of death, there's also a chance to uncover the true identities of my enemies! If we miss this opportunity, perhaps no one will ever get this close to Pain again? This is the moment—the time of decision the Great Toad Sage foretold!" Jiraiya breathed heavily, widening his eyes as he silently stared at the enemy corpse lying ahead.
The recent discovery had shattered some of his previous assumptions, so he needed to gather the guts to face the danger out there and confirm his hunch.
"Frog elder and big sister, take all the information on [Pain] gathered so far along with this Pain's body back and give it to Minato!"
"She'll handle it just fine!"
Elder Fukasaku crossed his arms, glancing aside. Meanwhile, Shima, perched on the other shoulder of Jiraiya, showed surprise too, looking toward her old man.
"But…" Jiraiya hesitated slightly. This time venturing out would certainly be extremely dangerous—perhaps even cost his life. If Elder Fukasaku stayed behind…
"Be back before dinner!" Before Jiraiya could finish speaking, Shima interrupted, essentially agreeing to Elder Fukasaku's decision.
"Yeah, once we're done, I'll head back with Jiraiya!" Looking over, Elder Fukasaku nodded in agreement, his expression deep and solemn.
"Mm!" Elder Fukasaku gave another nod.
Jiraiya fell silent. He knew Elder Fukasaku had already decided to stay and fight alongside him. Slowly lowering his head, he whispered, "Thank you… truly."
Puff!
Shima vanished along with the [Animal Path]'s body in a burst of white smoke.
Gurgle-gurgle!
Underwater, an unremarkable red-colored frog slowly swam forward, then spat out a figure from its mouth—an actual-sized Jiraiya and the remaining Elder Fukasaku.
Above the water's surface, Nagato had already completely lost control over the [Animal Path], while the other clones continued searching relentlessly for Jiraiya's trail without giving up.
"Heh! Heh! Didn't think that white-haired pervert actually had it in him! Holding his breath underwater that long!" Hidan crouched low, peering down at the water's surface and shouting loudly.
Plop!
Jiraiya had just surfaced when Pain, who had been searching for him, noticed his presence.
He had already exited Sage Mode; the markings on his face had vanished, leaving only the two red lines sliding down from the corners of his eyes.
"I found you!"
Deva Path, facing away from Jiraiya, smiled and quickly turned around.
Boom!
The area where Jiraiya was standing exploded violently as a strong figure launched an attack from underwater—it was Asura Path, who had sneaked in without anyone noticing!
"Thwack!"
Jiraiya hadn't expected the enemy to be this sharp, but at this moment, he had nearly exhausted all his strength. He didn't come out of the frog barrier to fight, but to confirm something.
After observing the other five figures and piecing together his memories, he finally confirmed his suspicion.
He had seen all these people before; they were either ones he met or fought during his journey across the Shinobi World under Great Toad Sage's guidance—there was the puppet master from Sunagakure, a teacher from Takigakure, a ninja from Fuma Clan, another from Grass Village, a leader from some unknown religious group, and even his former student!
Asura Path erupted from underwater, grabbing Jiraiya's throat and crushing it directly, silencing any words Jiraiya might have spoken.
"Jiraiya!" Fukasaku shouted in alarm, jumping off Jiraiya's shoulder into the water, clearly unprepared for being discovered so suddenly.
"Cough… cough…" Jiraiya stared wide-eyed at Fukasaku, wanting to speak but unable to utter a single word with his crushed throat, only managing to cough.
"It looks like Master Jiraiya has figured something out, but I won't give you the chance to speak it aloud!"
Multiple Pain clones that had been scattered around searching for Jiraiya simultaneously leaped toward him, now caught in Asura Path's grip. From their palms extended sections of pitch-black rods.
Jiraiya couldn't fight back. The attack from Asura Path was what finally overwhelmed him—the last blow in a series too much to bear.
Five figures leapt into the air, rising above Jiraiya and blocking out the sun that had gradually emerged after the rain stopped, like a shadow descending.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Boom!
In the second before slipping unconscious, a familiar figure appeared, intercepting the attack aimed at Jiraiya.
"Hehehe!"
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>