From the moment Deva Path made his move to when Saitama launched his surprise attack, less than three seconds had passed. Though the assault hadn't been enough to kill Minato, it still wounded a man renowned for his speed.
The onlookers never expected Uchiha Saitama himself to break the silence and strike with such a cowardly move. After all, Saitama's strength surpassed them all—perhaps only their leader, possessing the Rinnegan, could decisively overpower him. Yet what was even more incredible was that even someone of Saitama's caliber had failed in his ambush. Indeed, this Fourth Hokage of Konoha was formidable!
Pain's gaze remained calm and unfluctuating. He clearly recognized his own inferiority before Minato Namikaze, fully aware of his helplessness against Minato's Space-Time Ninjutsu. Therefore, he felt no displeasure over Saitama's sudden interference—only directing a few extra glances toward the figure now standing before him. Even he himself hadn't reacted in time to that initial strike.
Has Uchiha Saitama grown to this level already? Hidden in the shadows, Nagato narrowed his eyes. He'd fought Saitama only once before, back when he had completely dominated him, even going so far as to believe he could have killed him outright.
Now, however, Saitama's growth had reached a point Nagato could no longer afford to ignore. And according to intelligence gathered by Konan, Saitama also possessed numerous hidden cards yet unseen.
"Time to leave?"
Saitama eyed Minato's expression, a flicker of unknown emotion flashing through his eyes, mingled faintly with killing intent. Minato Namikaze would be a major obstacle in their collection of the Tailed Beasts and sowing of peace through their vision—it would definitely be beneficial if he could eliminate him here.
"Are you okay, Minato!"
Fukasaku had a grim look, staring at the enemy who had just ambushed Minato. From this attacker, he sensed a chilling aura of enmity—an icy coldness like a serpent's, even stronger than that once belonging to Orochimaru, a fellow shinobi who had originated from one of the Three Sacred Lands. This presence sent chills up Fukasaku's spine, reminding him of battles long past with those Hebihime.
This enemy was without doubt a ninja who had mastered [Snake Sage Art]!
It had been many years since he'd last encountered anyone who completed training in the [Snake Sage Art]. The sage techniques of Ryuchi Cave were even more difficult than those of Mount Myoboku, and Ryuchi Cave treated those who failed its sage art training extremely harshly.
And merely observing Saitama now, Fukasaku could tell he was no less formidable than Sage Jiraiya himself.
"No problem at all, Sage Fukasaku. Let's get ready to go," Minato replied while keeping watch on Saitama. He could feel Saitama's overwhelming might, leaving no room for the urge to stay and probe further. This wasn't the place where only Uchiha Saitama posed a threat—the other enemies who hadn't struck yet didn't seem easy to deal with either. His most pressing task was getting his teacher Jiraiya back safely.
Minato pondered silently, quickly weighing his options before deciding to withdraw.
Looking at Minato, who had already been injured by Saitama, the Akatsuki made no attempt to pursue further attacks.
When facing someone who wielded Space-Time Ninjutsu, even though they themselves stood among the strongest shinobi in the Shinobi World, they still lacked confidence in being able to contain him. Rather than wasting energy fighting fruitlessly, it seemed better to let him leave gracefully.
As for the severely injured Jiraiya, if he could be gravely wounded once, there would certainly be a second time. Failing to kill him this time simply meant the timing wasn't right.
Hidan, however, looked at Minato's blood dripping into the water, his eyes flashing with an odd light, and the corner of his mouth lifted slightly. His colorful tongue slowly traced around his lips.
He found this Fourth Hokage who had survived Saitama's surprise attack particularly intriguing. If he could sacrifice this ninja to Lord Jashin, it would surely please him.
"The shinobi world won't let an organization like yours survive. Whether it's collecting Tailed Beasts or continually disrupting the balance of small countries, these are all acts that destroy peace!"
Glancing one last time at the retreating Akatsuki members, Minato Namikaze embraced Jiraiya and vanished instantly from Amegakure Village, withdrawing without hesitation.
At the scene, only some reddish water remained, rippling slightly.
...
Watching Minato leave, Saitama appeared unsurprised, yet a faint smile curved his lips, as though something exciting was happening.
"Still let them escape!"
Hidan was clearly annoyed. Regarding Jiraiya—the guy who previously severed his head—he thought for sure this time the man would die here. Unexpectedly, he was rescued again.
Although Hidan himself lacked the power to kill his enemies, seeing that even with the entire Akatsuki present they still couldn't stop Minato, he felt indignant and extremely unhappy.
"Be quiet! The Fourth Hokage's ninjutsu is difficult to deal with. Unless he has an unavoidable reason to stay or gets trapped within an incredibly strong barrier locking spatial movement, no one can forcibly keep him here. Though we didn't kill Jiraiya, our intelligence has been leaked, but the situation isn't too bad. Anyway, we've already come this far; it's time to show everyone our strength and ambitions."
Kakuzu saw things clearly. His emerald eyes darted toward Pain as he explained things to a completely clueless Hidan.
According to Akatsuki's 'policy,' even if Jiraiya hadn't invaded Amegakure Village, they would have revealed themselves soon anyway and officially begun their ultimate campaign against the world.
This incident merely sped up that timeline slightly—nothing too serious.
"Gone already, huh? Master Jiraiya..."
Konan looked outside the village, silently murmuring to herself, her eyes flickering rapidly before finally returning to calmness and coldness.
Even though killing their former teacher—who once earnestly taught them—was difficult, this outcome was like repaying everything they once shared with gratitude. From now on, she would sever those hindering emotional bonds!
She arched her body and leapt gracefully, landing beside Pain after gliding effortlessly across the water's surface, leaving faint ripples behind.
"How do you feel?"
"It's okay. I didn't expend much energy. Master Jiraiya is indeed powerful, worthy of being one of the Sannin. However, next time he won't have such good luck."
Deva Path showed no sign of distress over Jiraiya's departure. Deva Path knew under those circumstances he couldn't force Namikaze Minato to stay, so better to let Minato take Jiraiya away smoothly.
"Hmm."
Nodding slightly, Konan scanned the surroundings briefly, then fell silent.
"The battle is over. I didn't get to see the scene I was expecting. Should I say it's because Nagato hasn't mastered the Rinnegan yet, or perhaps it's because Jiraiya and Minato Namikaze are just too powerful?"
White Zetsu looked pensive, his eyes narrowing like slits as he tried to piece together every detail of the battle.
"It doesn't matter much anyway. After this incident, Akatsuki will be officially exposed to the entire Shinobi World. You said the Five Great Villages are preparing for the Five Kage Summit, right? It should be soon."
Black Zetsu wasn't concerned about these gains and losses. When Minato arrived here, he had already anticipated what would happen. He had profound understanding regarding the Flying Thunder God Technique.
"In four days, at the Land of Iron. Want to go check out the excitement?"
"We'll see how Nagato plans. This Five Kage Summit might be an opportunity. Whether we go after Nine-Tails or Eight-Tails, when the Kages are away, our chances of success will be very high. Even though security will definitely be strong then, the chance of capturing the Tailed Beasts remains high."
The plant slowly closed like a Venus flytrap, then sank into the structure and vanished from sight.
"Let's return first. Tomorrow morning we'll hold a meeting where I'll inform everyone about the situation with the mural and our future plans! I hope no one develops any strange ideas."
Deva Path slightly turned his head toward Hidan and the other two who were still standing there watching, speaking in a slightly deeper tone.
Without waiting for their response, all Pain excluding Deva Path, including Asura Path who had already sunk beneath the water surface, directly vanished from the spot.
This operation targeting Jiraiya's intrusion into Amegakure Village seemed to end here.
The final outcome was that Jiraiya survived despite serious injuries thanks to Minato rescuing him, information about the Rinnegan got leaked, and the Akatsuki Organization could no longer remain hidden in darkness.
Nagato himself wasn't particularly concerned about this result.
Akatsuki had reached this point today having collected a shocking seven Tailed Beasts already. It was time for the world to know about one possible future!
A true age of peace was about to begin!
A world constructed by a 'god' would replace the old world!
"No more pain, no sorrow, no warfare—a perfect ideal world!"
Shwip!
Konan and Deva Path disappeared from the spot, quickly followed by Kakuzu and others.
Left behind was only Saitama. No one cared why he still remained there; it was his freedom.
Kakuzu and the others left merely to return and properly digest everything they witnessed today, especially six different Rinnegan users—the 'leader' seemingly being just one of them, such as Deva Path or Asura Path.
They naturally suspected something was off, but they still dared not underestimate the strength of this 'leader'.
Among the three, Sasori became particularly interested in the Asura Path that had been blasted away by a single ninjutsu attack on the water's surface, sparking a series of speculations. Although he hadn't personally fought against Pain like Jiraiya did, relying on his experience with human puppets and his abnormal, almost maniacal way of thinking, he began questioning the true identities of the manifested Pain members.
Perhaps the 'leader' had never used his own real body at all, instead manipulating puppets remotely to control the organization!
Once such a suspicion arose, it couldn't be easily shaken off. As for how to verify it, he naturally had his own ideas.
They parted ways with their own thoughts, bringing this epic confrontation to an end.
...
"It's quite far, but worth a try! Maybe there will be surprises!"
Saitama looked outside the village. Three Tomoe spun continuously in his eyes while countless arcs of electricity began flashing around him, causing the Akatsuki Cloak covering his body to swell outward as if filled with gas.
Whoosh!
He vanished from the spot, leaving only ripples across the water.
The rain continued falling over Amegakure. Many residents lifted their heads to gaze toward the Akatsuki Tower thoughtfully.
It felt as though the very sky had shifted.
...
[Phew]!
"I finally escaped!" Minato exhaled deeply before directing his gaze toward Konoha. His chest heaved rapidly — the long-distance Flying Thunder God Technique had really drained him.
This was at the border of the Land of Fire, a coordinate point he had previously marked for easy exit from Amegakure.
"Hehehe!"
Just as he prepared to launch another ninjutsu technique straight back to the village, Jiraiya made a sound interrupting his action.
"Master!"
"Jiraiya!"
Both man and frog called out at the same time. Despite his injuries, Jiraiya had somehow forced himself back to consciousness, driven by sheer determination. Was this truly the strength of the Will of Fire? Such unshakable willpower.
Jiraiya squinted, clearly struggling with blurred vision. His head leaned heavily on Minato's shoulder, weak beyond words.
His mouth moved repeatedly, yet only hoarse 'huh huh' sounds came out. The Asura Path had destroyed his throat, silencing his voice completely.
"Master Jiraiya, we'll be back in the village soon. Whatever you want to say can wait until we return!"
Understanding Jiraiya's struggle, Minato tightened his arm around the older man before immediately sensing the Flying Thunder God Jutsu Seal left inside the village.
Even now, he could feel pain from the wound on his back — left by Saitama Uchiha earlier. Though not deep, the injury had already stopped bleeding.
"Hm!?"
Almost instantly upon sensing the seal within Konoha Village, he clearly noticed fluctuations in the surrounding space — an effect of the Flying Thunder God Technique. As a master of this technique, he instantly sensed the disturbance.
Saitama Uchiha!
Without further thought, one name immediately appeared in his mind. This shinobi currently possessing mastery over the technique was none other than this Rogue Ninja from Konoha — one of their current enemies!
Swish!
Standing relaxed on Minato's shoulder, Fukasaku was completely unprepared when Minato suddenly spun around and flung him away. Jiraiya was likewise thrown forward, landing in the same direction.
Though sent flying momentarily, Fukasaku quickly stabilized midair, catching Jiraiya with his tongue and pulling him close.
[Chidori!]
A low growl erupted from behind Minato, and dazzling blue light erupted forth — an instant flash like the Grim Reaper descending upon them.
Minato reacted in time, but his movement slowed by half a beat as he had to protect Jiraiya. That brief delay caused an irreplaceable loss.
Pshh!
Minato crossed his arms in front of him defensively, but Saitama's jutsu acted like a nail, pinning both hands together. The tip of the technique crackled with lightning, stopping just ten centimeters from Minato's forehead.
Zizz! Feeling the intensity of Saitama's Lightning Release at such close range, Minato's face turned pale as he pulled back on Saitama's arm, yanking himself away.
Boom!
Saitama released his grip, then immediately kicked out again, pressing forward and closing the distance on Minato.
Minato was caught off guard when Saitama pierced both his hands with Chidori, completely neutralizing his counterattack. Then struck directly in the chest by another kick, severely wounded in an instant. A mouthful of blood burst forth like an arrow, splattering onto the ground.
But this was where Minato's strength truly showed!
Although taken by surprise, Minato quickly regained control. Using the momentum of being kicked backward by Saitama, he swiftly slid his right hand behind his back and raised his left arm forward, launching a [Rasengan] to block Saitama's continued pursuit.
"Minato!"
Fukasaku landed safely with Jiraiya clinging onto him, then turned to see Minato—who'd just been hit by Saitama. It all happened too fast for him to process at first.
Since they had already left the enemy-controlled zone, Fukasaku had let his guard down, even preparing to return directly to Mount Myoboku. However, the enemy's chase was faster than expected—it seemed like a well-planned ambush all along!
This opponent—Saitama, who once ambushed them in Amegakure Village—had struck again! And judging from the damage, this time seemed far worse than the first.
Fukasaku's eyes widened, his white beard, already disheveled from the earlier fight, now stood on end.
Boom!
The Rasengan blasted forward, slamming into the advancing Saitama, only to be blocked by an Electrical Net. The resulting blast sent him flying backward.
Flip-flip-flip!
Saitama kept flipping mid-air, cushioning the impact from Minato's attack.
After finishing all that, he did not continue attacking further. Because now that Minato was fully prepared, it would be extremely difficult for anyone in the Shinobi World to defeat him one-on-one unless there was an overwhelming gap in power—a difference great enough to crush entirely.
Clearly, although Saitama's raw strength surpassed Minato's, he couldn't overpower him the way Madara Uchiha had in his memories.
Looking at Minato, Saitama saw the results of his own attack: both forearms pierced, and the chest area blackened and scorched.
He had planned to strike the moment Minato appeared to protect Jiraiya, but Nagare's interference made things more complex. Therefore, he knew he needed to go for an immediate 'kill' before Minato could react—otherwise, trying to hold down Minato, who excelled in Space-Time Ninjutsu, would be nearly impossible.
His first move came during Deva Path's use of Rinnegan abilities. That surprise attack had two purposes: a test strike and, more importantly, a chance to plant his Flying Thunder God marking.
Under such circumstances, Minato had neither the time nor the attention to notice Saitama's subtle movements. Moreover, he couldn't possibly anticipate such a sudden trick from Saitama in such a brief window.
When the first ambush failed, Saitama successfully left one of his jutsu behind Minato. Once Minato departed with Jiraiya, his alertness—born from uncertainty over whether the enemy was following them or not—loosened. So this moment became Saitama's perfect opportunity for a second sneak attack!
Originally, Saitama had planned to wait a little longer before striking again. However, Minato Namikaze was a sharp and meticulous ninja whose mastery of the Flying Thunder God technique surpassed even Saitama's own. The longer he waited, the higher the chance that the hidden jutsu could be discovered!
As soon as Saitama sensed Minato and others had stopped moving, he launched his attack!
Unfortunately, however, he still fell short of achieving his objective.
And there wouldn't be another opportunity like this, since Minato had already erased all traces of the jutsu the instant he was attacked.
The Fourth Hokage really is a troublesome opponent!
Although your combat strength is inferior to mine, your quality as a ninja ranks among the top in the entire Shinobi World. He's even harder to deal with than Jiraiya because of his command over the Flying Thunder God technique—you can never corner him.
"It's you again! Saitama Uchiha!"
Minato glared at the man who dared strike him once more, frowning deeply while raising both hands in front of him. Chakra gradually coated his wounds, halting the bleeding. Though unfamiliar with Medical Ninjutsu, he still knew how to temporarily seal his wounds to prevent them from worsening.
"That's right—we meet again. But it's truly unfortunate; I still can't kill you!" Saitama shrugged his shoulders, wearing an expression of feigned helplessness. Yet behind his eyes burned a beast-like crimson glow.
"I never imagined you'd end up like this. It seems the village's mercy back then couldn't awaken even a flicker of compassion inside you."
Minato said solemnly, then glanced sideways toward Fukasaku and Jiraiya, clearly holding some concerns.
"There's little point in saying all this now. Let's just look forward to our next meeting!"
Since both ambushes had failed, Saitama decided to give up immediately.
"Although I don't know exactly what your goal is, I will definitely stop you. Collecting Tailed Beasts—powerful entities hard to control—is obviously not part of anything simple or harmless."
Minato's gaze turned extremely heavy. After several clashes, his impression of Saitama had become thoroughly negative. This rogue ninja, once part of Konoha, had grown into an uncontrollable threat after gaining immense power, becoming nothing less than a plague across the Shinobi World.
"This chat ends here. I hope you're always able to react as swiftly as you did today. After all, I am the villain—I won't bother explaining much when I strike." The arcs of electricity around Saitama gradually faded away as he directly turned and leapt toward Amegakure Village, leaving without any unnecessary delay—clean and decisive.
Watching Saitama's fading silhouette until it completely disappeared from his sensory range, Minato finally exhaled audibly.
"The enemy has left!"
Crouching on the ground while supporting Jiraiya, Fukasaku kept scanning for Saitama's chakra. Even though the enemy's chakra signature vanished, he didn't relax his vigilance—not even slightly.
That sudden ambush had really left him shaken—it was unforgettable.
"Hmm!"
Minato checked himself and Jiraiya again for any jutsu left behind by Saitama. After confirming there were none, he picked up his unconscious teacher and, carrying both man and toad, performed a ninjutsu, vanishing from the area.
Saitama's surprise attack was just an interlude—one that reminded Minato, who had barely escaped from Amegakure and Akatsuki, of an important truth: these people were truly dangerous! They must be eliminated as soon as possible! The Five Kage Summit was definitely necessary!
Once the battle ended and both sides departed, silence returned to the area, with only a few faint traces of the deadly clash remaining to hint at what had happened here.
Swish-swish-swish!
From a hidden location, a massive Venus flytrap emerged from the ground, revealing Zetsu's split-faced appearance.
"Is it already over? I just sensed something happening here! Looks like Saitama gave chase, but still couldn't finish the job."
White Zetsu glanced around and muttered under his breath.
"Alright, let's head back. There's nothing worth staying for here. Oh, and have you figured out the situation with Nine-Tails and Eight-Tails yet? Go report directly to Nagato afterward—have them get ready!"
Black Zetsu muttered darkly, narrowing his eyes.
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