Jiraiya was dumbstruck.
The scenario he had dreaded most had appeared: Nagato's Rinnegan was exposed to dangerous people.
According to Jiraiya's original plan, he had even been willing to withdraw from the Second Great Ninja War and hide in the Land of Rain for three years, all to train Nagato properly—at least enough so that Nagato could protect himself in a small country like the Land of Rain.
What does "self-protection" mean? Simply put, as long as he didn't encounter someone excessively powerful like Hanzo, if Nagato wanted to escape, he could escape. That was the measure of success.
Jiraiya planned to use three years to bring Nagato to that level, and barring any mishaps, three years would be more than enough.
The Rinnegan made Nagato naturally proficient in the five basic elements. With ordinary ninjutsu, he could learn and use them easily, giving him countless tactical options in battle to counter enemies at any time.
Add to that the Rinnegan's powerful vision and perception, along with the mysterious dōjutsu Jiraiya was convinced existed but had yet to identify, and Nagato could thrive even in a small nation like the Land of Rain.
Yahiko was also intelligent and decisive, which could compensate for Nagato's hesitancy and timidity. With Konan's Paper Release supporting them, the three could firmly establish themselves in the neutral Land of Rain, avoiding the Five Great Nations' conflicts and the gaze of dangerous ninja.
This should have been a perfect plan. Nagato was ready to graduate, gaining experience in the Land of Rain "rookie village" and leveling up. So why had things suddenly turned into this mess?
Why were so many ANBU operatives assembling in the Land of Rain? Why had they detected Nagato's presence?
Jiraiya was a mix of shock and anger.
Danzo, on the other hand, was thrilled.
At his age, after surviving the First and Second Great Ninja Wars and spending years in the shadows, few things could shake his composure.
The last time he had felt such excitement was discovering Kaede Tsukasa's Self-Reincarnation Technique.
"So it really is the Rinnegan…" Danzo muttered under his restrained voice.
Terai's ears twitched, and he immediately turned his gaze toward Nagato, facing those strange eyes that emitted an invisible pressure even through the dim rain, and he was stunned.
Every ANBU operative looked over, a ripple of unease spreading among them.
"Rinnegan?"
"Isn't that just a legendary story? The eyes of the Sage of Six Paths?"
"It used to be a legend. Not anymore."
Terai drew his sword, raising it horizontally to suppress the operatives' information exchange, and looked at Jiraiya. "No wonder you would rather leave the war and act like a rogue ninja to stay in the Land of Rain. It all makes sense now—you were scheming for the Rinnegan."
"Your mouth really stinks. Did you eat excrement before coming to the Land of Rain? Remember not to pollute this neutral country," Jiraiya retorted. "I'm their teacher now."
"Teacher or superior, in essence, it's just another form of scheming for the Rinnegan," Terai scoffed. He didn't believe Jiraiya had truly acted selflessly.
In fact, at first, Jiraiya really had no ulterior motives regarding Nagato and the others.
Back then, after he, Tsunade, and Orochimaru were defeated by Hanzo and obtained Hanzo's promise that the Rain Hidden Village would withdraw from the war, they planned to leave the Land of Rain.
It was around that time that Jiraiya met the three, unaware that Nagato had the Rinnegan. Driven by some instinct, he decided to stay and train them despite Orochimaru and Tsunade's objections.
At that point, Jiraiya hadn't necessarily planned to stay three full years. Konoha was still at war with the Sand and Stone Villages. But once he confirmed Nagato had the Rinnegan, he recognized him as the Child of Prophecy and resolved to train him over three years.
Terai, however, clearly wouldn't believe it. Who does something without gain? Especially Jiraiya, a disciple of the Hokage, willing to abandon the war just to stay in the Land of Rain—wasn't it obvious he wanted the Rinnegan for himself?
"Controlling the Rinnegan's wielder is also a good way to scheme for it. Jiraiya, I really did underestimate you before."
Terai signaled, and all operatives prepared for battle.
Jiraiya, infuriated, assumed a combat stance.
Yahiko shouted angrily, "You Konoha bastards, do you even know what you're saying? Scheming, selfishness—there's still genuine emotion in this world! Not everything is about selfish gain like you!"
"Yahiko, get ready to fight. These people won't listen," Jiraiya's murderous intent surged.
Nagato, with the keenest senses, shivered and whispered, "Teacher, are you going to…"
"That's right. I'm going to kill them all. Not a single one will walk away alive."
Jiraiya, standing at one meter ninety, radiated an imposing presence with his broad, heavy frame, giving Nagato an overwhelming sense of security. Nothing reassured Nagato more than the murderous intent emanating from Jiraiya.
As expected, Teacher Jiraiya wasn't scheming like those people said, nor did he have any designs on Nagato's Rinnegan, Nagato thought.
Yahiko forced a smile onto his grim face. "As expected of Teacher Jiraiya. I know it must have been difficult for you to make such a decision, but on reflection, it really is the best course of action. It's just unfortunate for you, having to act against comrades from the same village."
Jiraiya's heart must be in pain, Yahiko was sure of it. Killing so many ninja from the same village was an act of total betrayal, and they were ANBU, with higher-ups watching.
Once he acted, there would be no turning back—he had to make sure that not a single one returned alive to Konoha.
Whoosh!
Jiraiya quickly formed hand seals.
Ninjutsu: Wild Lion's Mane!
Jiraiya's long white hair suddenly began to grow rapidly, striking toward the ANBU operatives like writhing vines.
"Move!"
Terai shouted, and the ANBU scattered. But when they reached the surrounding ground, they realized traps had already been set on both sides.
Crude traps: simple pits lined with spikes and attached explosive tags.
Yet deadly effective—anybody who fell in would be done for.
Jiraiya's intent hardened; he used his hair to coil around two ANBU, strangling them to death on the spot. Then, a flick of his head sent his hair sweeping horizontally, forcing airborne ANBU into the traps.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Several explosions rang out, another ANBU was blown apart.
"Is that all? Is this the extent of your setup?"
Terai infused chakra into his blade and sliced through Jiraiya's hair with a cold strike, completely indifferent to his subordinates' deaths.
Twenty-five ANBU had entered the Land of Rain. Ten had been sent to mislead Hanzo. Among the remaining fifteen, three weakest had died—hardly significant.
At this point, Yahiko and the others joined the fight. Konan's Paper Release, in particular, caught even Danzo's attention.
"No wonder you managed to set so many explosive tags—there's a special type of ninja who fights using paper," Terai landed on the ground and pointed his blade directly at Jiraiya's neck.
The ANBU grouped together, but they weren't recklessly using jutsu—they needed Nagato alive.
Everyone else could die. Even Jiraiya, if the opportunity arose, could be eliminated.
ANBU operations: strike first, report later—Danzo's orders.
As for what the Third Hokage would think if he learned about this, there was no need to worry. Once Nagato was captured and Jiraiya killed, Danzo would ensure the Third Hokage never found out.
Danzo wanted the Rinnegan under his control!
"The Three-Tomoe Sharingan can use Izanagi, and the Mangekyo Sharingan has its own unique techniques… I'm very curious what abilities the Rinnegan will possess."
Danzo's heart burned with anticipation. He was convinced this would be Konoha's ultimate weapon, allowing them to defeat other villages.
A mere red-haired brat—what could he possibly understand about the Rinnegan? He probably hadn't even fully studied its powers, let alone used them.
The battle erupted. Though Jiraiya initially had the advantage, he quickly began to falter.
There was no way around it—if it had only been him against all these ANBU, it might have been easier. But with Nagato and the others to protect, he couldn't exert his full strength.
Nagato's performance surprised everyone. Effortlessly using ninjutsu of various elemental types and thinking clearly, he always deployed the correct elemental jutsu first, forcing all attacking ANBU to retreat.
Jiraiya felt immense relief.
"Good. In that case, I can loosen up a little. Summoning Jutsu!"
Jiraiya called forth several toads to join the battle, momentarily stabilizing the situation.
Already of Kage-level strength and with a complete tactical repertoire—ranged attacks, close combat, taijutsu, ninjutsu, and with the toads from Mount Myōboku fighting alongside him—he was far from isolated. Other than being weak in genjutsu, Jiraiya had no shortcomings.
This was the type of ninja Konoha had hoped for: a perfect ninja. Yet, even this Kage-level perfect ninja was engaged in intense combat with ANBU.
Occasionally, an ANBU fell, but Yahiko and Konan were also injured, and the numerical disadvantage was real.
Water, lightning, and earth jutsu exploded all around, creating massive chaos. Danzo, growing impatient, finally stopped holding back and unleashed his signature technique—Wind Release.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!"
Danzo unleashed a Wind Release, piercing through the toad that blocked his path, then stomped on its head, using the force to accelerate toward Nagato's position.
"This kind of Wind Release… you're Danzo! You actually came yourself?" Jiraiya's eyes widened in shock. This gave Terai the chance to thrust his blade forward, forcing Jiraiya to respond with Ninjutsu: Needle Jizō.
Jiraiya's hair turned into sharp needle-like shapes, continuously growing to protect him and extending outward, blocking attacks from one direction for Yahiko and the others.
Snap!
Danzo removed his mask and casually tossed it to the ground. "Jiraiya, your actions are no different from a rogue ninja. You discovered the Rinnegan but didn't report it to the village, forcing me to come to the Land of Rain personally. Hiruzen should be ashamed to have trained a disciple like you."
"You start by labeling me, placing yourself on a moral pedestal. Whether I'm a rogue ninja can only be decided by the Third Hokage. You're not Hokage; you have no authority. I owe you no reports. The war is over—I'm no longer your subordinate."
Jiraiya was unmoved, his eyes growing colder. "Should I be proud that someone as arrogant as you feels compelled to hide their true face?"
"Don't misunderstand. I didn't act because of you, nor even because of the Rinnegan, but because of Kaede Tsukasa. Yet that no longer matters. Now that there's a chance to obtain the Rinnegan, neither you nor Kaede Tsukasa are as important as before," Danzo said.
"Kaede Tsukasa… again with this guy. My toads gathered intel in the Land of Rain—some rumors about this kid suggest he's become a capable ninja. What, is he, like me, 'defecting,' and needs you, the ANBU leader, to personally intervene?"
Jiraiya spat back, thinking quickly about the consequences of killing Danzo—but then he froze.
He saw the three-tomoe Sharingan in Danzo's other eye.
"…Sharingan? Three-tomoe? Even among the Uchiha, these eyes are rare. How did they end up in your hands? Danzo Shimura, you madman! How could you—"
Jiraiya quickly stopped speaking. After all, he was already taking action against comrades, something he absolutely wouldn't compromise on.
"This world is insane. Is that really the Sharingan my teacher mentioned? And it's in this old man's hands… it makes me feel like everyone's true nature is uncertain," Yahiko also exclaimed. He didn't believe Danzo had obtained the Sharingan through legitimate means.
Danzo calmly replied, "Do not be surprised, young man of the Land of Rain. The world is gray, and so is everyone in it. You've merely been immersed in the dream Jiraiya wove for you, never truly witnessing the outside world. But I can give you that opportunity."
"Hmph, nice words, but you still want Nagato's Rinnegan for yourself. If we listened to you, soon enough your normal eye would become a Rinnegan!" Yahiko stepped in front of Nagato. He knew Nagato lacked strong will and refused to give the enemy a chance to manipulate him with words.
Jiraiya felt immense relief seeing this. It was exactly the configuration he had hoped for: comrades trusting each other and actively compensating for one another's weaknesses.
"Shallow,"
Danzo shook his head. "The Rinnegan's wielder is called Nagato? If I could take such a person as my heir, why would I need to extract his eyes? Why not train him and have him accomplish my goals with a pair of Rinnegan?"
He had no intention of directly extracting the eyes.
The Rinnegan, the most revered of the three great dōjutsu, had reappeared—seemingly confirming that the Sage of Six Paths truly existed, not merely a myth.
Could there be a hidden connection between Nagato and the Sage? Reincarnation? Father and son? Master and disciple? Whatever the case, it must hold a critical clue.
Until he clarified this hidden thread of the world, until he confirmed whether Nagato could fully utilize the Rinnegan, Danzo wouldn't make any short-sighted move to extract the eyes.
The prerequisite: he had to be able to bring Nagato back to Konoha.
If it ever came down to extracting the eyes, there were only a few possibilities.
One: The Rinnegan's power could be wielded by others besides Nagato. But Danzo knew nothing about the Rinnegan, and Konoha had no history of transplanting it, so acting recklessly was impossible.
Two: Nagato's mindset deviated irreversibly, and Danzo couldn't control him. Then he'd have no choice but to extract the eyes.
Three: The Rinnegan possessed a technique so critical that Danzo would risk everything to obtain it.
But thinking it over, Danzo deemed this unlikely. His main desires were longevity and power.
With Kaede Tsukasa, he could theoretically achieve a long life while maintaining the body of a fifty-year-old, fully acceptable. With sufficient lifespan, his strength would naturally grow over time through training.
Even if the Rinnegan could reincarnate and resurrect the dead, it wasn't essential for Danzo.
And he knew, without needing to think hard, that using such a dōjutsu would come at a tremendous cost. If necessary, he would rather train Nagato and have him wield it.
"Come on, Nagato, what's the point of following a fool like Jiraiya? Come to me! I'm a high-ranking figure in Konoha. If you become my sole disciple, the entire village will belong to you."
Danzo reached out toward Nagato. "You've mastered ninjutsu of all elements, but the techniques you can learn are limited. If you wish, I can teach you every jutsu in Konoha, even the forbidden ones—powerful and dangerous! With the Rinnegan, you should be able to learn all techniques. Your dreams, everything you cherish, will be protected by every ninja in Konoha. Your will shall be enforced by tens of thousands of Konoha shinobi. Just nod, and it will all be yours."
For a brief moment, Nagato's heart stirred—the vision Danzo painted was indeed too perfect—but it was only a flicker of emotion, not genuine desire.
"Danzo Shimura… you were the one who led Konoha's forces into the Land of Rain, sparking the Second Ninja World War, right?" Nagato suddenly asked.
Danzo nodded. "Correct. That was my doing. Konoha should conquer other villages; everything should belong to Konoha. That way, there will be no more conflicts."
"Then that's exactly it. My parents died in that war caused by Konoha. They were killed by Konoha's ninja… Originally, because of Jiraiya-sensei, I had a changed impression of Konoha, even considering giving up revenge to pursue a greater dream. But you made me realize… Konoha is still Konoha, and those who committed those sins are still above everyone else."
Nagato's face twitched as he recalled that nightmare day. His parents had risked their lives to gather food for survival but were discovered and killed by Konoha ninja.
Even though the Konoha shinobi immediately apologized, claiming they didn't expect civilians to hide in the battlefield, what use was that? They were already dead!
"Nagato…" Jiraiya looked on worriedly, conflicted. He wanted Nagato to follow his path, unaffected by the outside world, to bring change—but he also didn't want Nagato to attack Konoha to achieve that goal.
Not to mention, Nagato held a grudge against Konoha for killing his parents.
"I see… just for this reason?" Danzo's expression remained blank, his eyes even showing clear disappointment. "You, with the Rinnegan, suspected to be the next Sage of Six Paths, would question me over such a trivial reason?"
"Isn't that reason enough?!"
Nagato suddenly became frenzied, his face contorted, heart racing with rage, gasping, "Those were my parents!"
"Merely your former parents. Judging by your appearance, you must be a descendant of the Uzumaki clan. At least one of your parents fled to the Land of Rain after the destruction of the Land of Whirlpools… I don't know how a descendant of the Uzumaki obtained the Rinnegan, but it's certainly unrelated to your Uzumaki bloodline."
Joke aside, if the Uzumaki had a bloodline limit granting the Rinnegan, the Senju clan would too—the two clans are closely related.
Even Hashirama Senju, so powerful, only mastered Wood Release, unrelated to the Rinnegan. A mere Uzumaki descendant could never have gained the Rinnegan from their bloodline—Danzo felt his analysis was sound.
The Rinnegan, he believed, was not a bloodline limit. Obtaining such eyes might have something to do with destiny.
Seeing Nagato about to lose control, forming hand seals to unleash a dangerous technique,
Before Jiraiya could speak, Danzo said coldly, "Your deceased parents… you still have their remains, right? Even a single bone? Reviving them would solve everything. Such a simple matter becomes your excuse to lash out at me—truly a young man of little wisdom, misled by Jiraiya."
Nagato froze, his expression solidifying.
Revival? That's… possible?
"Hey, Danzo, to describe revival so casually, using such childish trickery to deceive Nagato… isn't that too much?"
Jiraiya's voice was grave. "You say revival is possible with just remains—are you talking about the technique left by the Second Hokage? You're insane. That's not revival. Nagato, he's lying to you!"
"The Edo Tensei is a fine forbidden jutsu. It can summon the souls of the dead from the Pure Land to the living world, achieving resurrection. But that's not the kind of revival I'm talking about—I don't even care for that technique."
Danzo spoke calmly, treating the idea of revival as casually as plucking a weed.
He couldn't learn the Zombie Release anyway; it was far too difficult. Even Orochimaru hadn't mastered it after years of study.
Danzo's demeanor briefly stunned Jiraiya, Nagato, and the others.
"I possess a jutsu that can also revive the dead. Uzumaki Nagato, if you wish, I will resurrect your parents, dispelling your resentment toward me. Years from now, when you grow strong enough, you could even become the next Hokage of Konoha. Then you could revive anyone you desire, undo all regrets, and realize every dream."
"That kind of technique can't exist! It's not in any of the Scrolls of Seals!" Jiraiya exclaimed in disbelief.
"That's because you're ignorant. I have already mastered the technique to reverse life and death."
Danzo once again reached out to Nagato. "Come. Join me."
"I'm a descendant of the Uzumaki…? And…"
Nagato was overwhelmed by the flood of information, confused, helplessly looking at Jiraiya.
Jiraiya didn't trust Danzo. No matter how he thought about it, he believed Danzo was lying. A jutsu that could reverse life and death… that's simply… wait!
"Danzo, the jutsu you mentioned… could it be related to that Zombie Release Ninja, Kaede Tsukasa? You came personally to the Land of Rain for him, essentially to investigate him and obtain his resurrection technique, right?"
Jiraiya recalled his encounter with Kaede Tsukasa. The meeting hadn't gone well; they had almost come to blows.
Even now, Jiraiya remained extremely wary of Kaede Tsukasa. He still hadn't figured out whom Tsukasa had actually fought—too many doubts remained.
And now Danzo had become involved. Could he be targeting Tsukasa…?
In the little over two years Jiraiya had been away from the village, had such a remarkable figure appeared? His strength was uncertain, but the mastery of the Shikotsumyaku (Corpse Release) was especially notable.
Danzo ignored Jiraiya and fixed his gaze on Nagato.
Yahiko spoke bluntly, "Reject him, Nagato. I don't believe a sneaky guy like this could be more reliable than Jiraiya-sensei. Even if your parents are to be revived, we can ask Jiraiya-sensei to seek out Kaede Tsukasa instead of relying on Danzo! And becoming Hokage of Konoha… you're not seriously considering that, are you?"
Yahiko didn't trust Danzo's words at all.
"Alright, then I refuse," Nagato said immediately.
"…You, with the Rinnegan, actually listen to a mortal's words? Your mind is filled with too many chaotic thoughts, unable to judge clearly with your own eyes. Then I will have no choice but to use force to bring you back and make you witness firsthand the scene I described. You'll understand in time."
Danzo glanced at Yahiko, tempted to use a Sharingan genjutsu to control him, but Jiraiya was guarding against that move.
"Terai, act. The others can be ignored; dead or alive doesn't matter. But make sure Nagato survives and is brought back to the village," Danzo ordered, personally charging to the front.
Serious and without the aid of Hashirama's cells or multiple Sharingan, Danzo displayed the decisive will of a hidden ninja, leading the charge himself.
"Sensei, I want to use a jutsu, but I'm not sure what the effect will be," Nagato said, intending to follow the Rinnegan's instincts to summon something.
Everything seemed to be reaching a point of no return.
But at that moment, Hanzo arrived with over a hundred ninja, surrounding Jiraiya, Danzo, and the others.
"Salamander Hanzo. Seems you still haven't learned your lesson. Trying to start a war between Konoha and the Rain Village? I'll see this through," Danzo said calmly, though he regretted not controlling Nagato first.
He had spoken the truth and was indeed willing to train Nagato as his heir—even if brainwashing was required, since Jiraiya had already stuffed so many chaotic thoughts into Nagato.
Nagato could have been Danzo's sole disciple, and with the Rinnegan, he could have competed to become the Fourth Hokage, likely succeeding. Why wouldn't Nagato agree? It was all Jiraiya's fault; he had delayed matters, allowing Hanzo to arrive.
"Interesting. Konoha's high-ranking figure fighting the Hokage's disciple, and people have died… Has one of you betrayed the Hokage?"
Hanzo glanced at the scene, nearly laughing.
Both Jiraiya and Danzo were familiar faces with past grudges, and watching them clash was pure entertainment for Hanzo.
Only now did Hanzo direct some attention to Nagato and the others, and upon seeing Nagato, he couldn't look away.
"The Rinnegan?!"
Hanzo was shocked—this really existed?
"Stand down, Hanzo. This isn't for you to covet. These eyes belong to Konoha, and the one who wields them is Konoha's own."
"Don't act like it's so obvious. This person should be a citizen of the Land of Rain, right? I don't know when he started following Jiraiya, but I still have to thank you, Jiraiya. You've led me to an impressive ninja."
A trace of greed stirred in Hanzo. Instinctively, he wanted to bring Nagato back, but he couldn't decide.
The reason was simple: at this point, Hanzo had become cautious.
As leader of a small nation, having witnessed the scale of wars among the great ninja villages and their endless geniuses, Hanzo's ambition had begun to wane.
In the years to come, Hanzo would become even more cautious, sealing the Land of Rain completely, forbidding any outsiders or Rain ninja from leaving. Anyone who disobeys would die.
Despite possessing top-tier ninja strength, Hanzo's concern for personal safety would reach extreme levels. Even his trusted subordinates could only report from a distance.
From another perspective, Hanzo was the pillar of the Land of Rain. To protect his nation, he could not allow himself to fall, so he eliminated all risks and exposed no weaknesses.
But at this time, Hanzo had not reached such extremes, which is why he personally intervened, searching for Jiraiya and observing Danzo's movements.
Danzo said coldly, "The Rinnegan's wielder is Jiraiya's student, which means he is, in any case, a person of Konoha—a grandchild of the current Hokage! You have no right to detain him in any form. Otherwise, you declare war on Konoha, and I will lead the ninja army to punish you."
Hanzo fully confirmed Danzo's resolve and decided to give up claiming the Rinnegan, hoping to rid himself of this trouble.
Indeed, the Rinnegan was a problem for Hanzo. Possessing it wasn't necessarily good—it would attract endless attention from the great ninja villages. Losing it, however, was safer.
This was Hanzo's political creed.
"Very well, then I won't involve myself in disputes among your Konoha ninjas. In the end, whoever ends up with the Rinnegan, you must leave this country," Hanzo relented.
Danzo said sharply, "No. You will help me seize the Rinnegan!"
"…? But you just said this is a matter for Konoha ninjas, and I'm not allowed to participate?"
"If you assist me, doesn't that mean you are helping Konoha?"
"Then I'd be opposing the Hokage's disciple. Who knows if Jiraiya will even become the Fourth Hokage?"
"If you help me kill Jiraiya and make my disciple succeed as the Fourth Hokage, won't that solve the problem?"
"???"
Hanzo looked at Danzo, then at Jiraiya, his blood pressure rising.
Not participating was impossible; participating meant helping Danzo kill Jiraiya—wouldn't that still draw Konoha's attention in the end?
"Lord Hanzo, you know how reliable the Root is, but I am different. I will keep my word. If you just block Danzo for me, I will immediately leave this country with my disciples," Jiraiya seized the opportunity to speak.
Hanzo fell silent. After a few seconds, he sighed, "Very well… I apologize, Jiraiya!"
He drew his scythe and swung it toward Jiraiya's position.
"Hanzo, you've gone mad!"
"Yes, I'm mad. Perhaps I shouldn't even interfere in this mess and just let you outsiders fight in my country. That would have avoided all this trouble," Hanzo said.
"You're right. The Root may not be trustworthy, but they do have the capacity to mobilize a ninja force against the Land of Rain, which is something you could never do."
"Danzo is not the Hokage! My teacher is!"
"Danzo can act first and then get the Hokage's approval. Could you do the same?"
"What kind of nonsense is that!"
Hearing this, Jiraiya realized discussion was hopeless. He felt helpless—who would have thought that the way to get a top-tier ninja like Hanzo to bow was through a minimal moral baseline and a good relationship with the Hokage?
Indeed, Jiraiya once again felt unsuited to be the Fourth Hokage. Politics was a headache. Maintaining a good relationship with the top leadership seemed more important than justice, principle, or ability.
With just a few words, Danzo had coerced a ninja of Hanzo's level. Jiraiya didn't even know what to say.
"Nagato, Yahiko, Konan, I'll create an opportunity for you to escape. Staying here is a dead end and will only slow me down," Jiraiya said, turning his back to them.
"Sensei…"
The three knew Jiraiya intended to hold off their enemies, buying them time to flee.
Tears welled up, self-loathing for their weakness, and guilt for dragging Jiraiya into such trouble.
Konan trembled. "Sensei, facing so many enemies… what if…? How could we leave you behind? Even if we die, we'll go together—"
"No, Konan. I'm the Toad Sage. They won't be able to take me down. Who kills whom is still up in the air," Jiraiya said, tilting his head with a smile amid the pouring rain.
"…Understood, Sensei. Nagato, Konan, stay close to me. We have to survive," Yahiko resolved first. In the current dire situation, there was no other choice. If sacrifices were necessary, everyone except Nagato could be expendable.
"Alright, alright!! Now begins Jiraiya's glorious moment of might! Root, Hanzo, everyone will fall under my feet. Too bad there aren't enough spectators to witness this!"
Jiraiya stood on a toad, swinging his hair and striking a pose.
Everyone watched silently. The atmosphere was heavy with grief. Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato felt as if their hearts were breaking.
"Since that's the case, I'll try summoning… let's see what comes out," Nagato finally spoke, resolutely forming hand seals in front of everyone.
All eyes turned to him.
Jiraiya asked in confusion, "Nagato, what are you doing?"
"Sensei, I want to try. If it works, it could turn the tide. I have to trust my eyes, and I have to trust the power these eyes have given me," Nagato said loudly.
"Interesting… could this be a Rinnegan jutsu?"
"Judging from the hand seals, could it be a summoning jutsu? But what does a Rinnegan ocular technique have to do with summoning?"
Danzo and Hanzo were also watching closely.
Finally, at the moment Nagato was about to perform the jutsu—
Bang!
A shadow suddenly shot up from underground. The violent motion caused the already severely decayed body to break apart even further. In the process of falling, the person used their last remaining hand to form a seal.
Immediately afterward, the shattered figure vanished in an instant.
A figure in a grand divine robe appeared in its place. The wide robes floated gently as he reached out, grabbing Nagato's hands mid-seal, halting the jutsu.
"It's not yet time to use that technique, Nagato… I can call you that, right? You're not at your absolute limit, and right now, you couldn't even properly control that jutsu. If you force it, the result could be far more desperate than death itself."
Nagato stared at the figure in front of him, stunned, and asked in confusion, "You… who are you?"
"Me? Hmm… how should I explain… I guess I just sensed something interesting was happening here, so I came over specially."
Kaede looked at everyone present. "I just didn't expect things here to be even livelier than I anticipated."
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