The Hidden Rain Village churned with chaos, its steel spires glistening under a sky bruised with storm clouds. The corrosive acid pool within the toad barrier had claimed Tendo Pain—or so Jiraiya thought. As he slumped against the wall, blood seeping from his wounds, the revelation of the long-haired man's identity shook him to his core. The corpse before him, its forehead band dissolved by acid, bore the mark of the Fuma clan—a man Jiraiya had fought years ago. Not Yahiko. Not Nagato. The truth was a jagged blade: Pain's bodies were puppets, shells of the fallen, animated by Nagato's Rinnegan.
"Yahiko's face… but a Fuma clansman," Jiraiya rasped, his voice heavy with shock. Fukasaku and Shima, perched on his shoulders, leaned in, their eyes wide with concern.
"What's that, kid?" Shima asked, her voice sharp with worry.
Jiraiya's gaze hardened, piecing together the puzzle. "This Pain isn't Yahiko or Nagato. It's a corpse, marked by a fight I had long ago. Nagato's controlling them all, using the Rinnegan to puppeteer the dead."
Fukasaku's eyes narrowed. "Puppets? That's why they're so unnatural. Nagato's turned himself into a monster."
Jiraiya struggled to his feet, ignoring the pain radiating from his severed arm and pierced shoulder. "I have to go out there. The other Pains—they're all people I've met before. I know it now. If I can confirm it, I can expose Nagato's secret."
Shima's tongue lashed out in protest. "No way, Jiraiya! You're half-dead already! Go out there, and the rest of those Pains will finish you!"
Fukasaku nodded grimly. "Run, kid. Get out while they don't know you're here."
Jiraiya's eyes softened, but his resolve was ironclad. "The Great Toad Sage spoke of a choice—a moment that would define me. This is it. If I don't face Pain now, no one else will get this close to uncovering his truth." He turned to the toads, his voice steady. "Fukasaku, Shima, take this body and the intel back to Konoha. Tell Tsunade everything."
Fukasaku glanced at Shima, a knowing look passing between them. "The missus can handle that alone," he said, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "I'm staying with you, kid."
Jiraiya blinked, caught off guard. "But—"
Shima cut him off, her tone firm but warm. "Be back before dinner, old man." She nodded at Fukasaku, her eyes glistening. "And you, Jiraiya—don't you dare die."
Fukasaku tilted his head, grinning. "After this, we'll eat together, kid. Promise."
Jiraiya's throat tightened, gratitude overwhelming him. "Thank you… both of you."
On the rain-slicked surface of the sea outside, the five remaining Pains scoured the area, their Rinnegan eyes scanning for Jiraiya's chakra. Explosion Pain, his senses sharp, pivoted as a disturbance rippled through their shared vision. Beneath the water, a toad emerged, its mouth opening to reveal Jiraiya and Fukasaku. They slipped behind a stone pillar, concealed in the shadows.
Fukasaku summoned a massive shuriken, hurling it with precision. Explosion Pain ducked effortlessly, the projectile sailing harmlessly past. The other four Pains converged, surrounding Jiraiya in a semicircle, their black rods gleaming with malevolent intent.
Jiraiya's gaze swept over them, recognition dawning. I know these faces. Each Pain bore the features of someone he'd encountered in his travels—enemies, acquaintances, ghosts from his past. Nagato had crafted an army of the dead, a grotesque mockery of life. "It's true," Jiraiya muttered, his voice low. "You're all—"
Before he could finish, a hand shot from the water, aiming for his throat with lethal precision. The four airborne Pains descended, black rods poised to end him. Jiraiya braced himself, his chakra flickering, too weak to dodge.
But then, a flash of movement—a kunai sliced through the air, followed by a figure materializing at Jiraiya's side. "Rasengan!" The spiraling orb of chakra slammed into Explosion Pain, sending him spiraling into the depths of the sea.
The four Pains froze, their attack disrupted. A second surge of chakra erupted above, a massive, spinning disc of wind chakra screaming through the air. "Senjutsu: Rasenshuriken!" The attack roared toward them, its destructive force tearing at the very fabric of the battlefield.
Tendo Pain's Rinnegan flared, his hands thrusting forward. "Shinra Tensei!" The gravitational force deflected the Rasenshuriken downward, toward Jiraiya, its wide radius blocking the other Pains' advance. Absorbing it would take too long, risking Jiraiya's escape. The redirected attack churned the sea into a maelstrom, wind blades carving through water and stone.
But Jiraiya was no longer there. A figure had scooped him up in a princess carry, vanishing in a blur of sage-enhanced speed. The Rasenshuriken detonated, a tornado of wind and chakra tearing through the battlefield, leaving the four Pains to leap to higher ground.
Tendo Pain's eyes narrowed, scanning the chaos. "Who dares wield such power?" he muttered, his voice cold.
Not far away, Jiraiya stared at his rescuer, his heart seizing. "Naruto?!" he gasped, disbelief warring with relief.
Naruto's sage-orange eyes glistened with tears, his voice breaking as he held Jiraiya close. "Sensei… from now on, when you buy two popsicles, you'll have someone to share them with."
Jiraiya's breath caught, the memory of their carefree days—training, laughing, sharing simple treats—flooding back. Naruto's words, heavy with unspoken loss, hit him like a tidal wave. "Kid," Jiraiya rasped, his voice thick, "how'd you get here? And that power…"
Naruto set him down gently, his grin fierce despite the tears. "Long story, Sensei. But I'm not letting you die. Not today, not ever."
Fukasaku, perched on Jiraiya's shoulder, gaped at Naruto. "Sage Mode? You learned it already, kid?"
Naruto nodded, his chakra pulsing with natural energy. "I know Pain's secret, Sensei. Those bodies—they're puppets. Nagato's controlling them. And I know where he's hiding."
Jiraiya's eyes widened, his mind racing. "You… how?"
"No time," Naruto said, his voice urgent. "We've gotta move. Nagato's close, and he's not done yet."
The sea churned behind them, the Pains regrouping. Naruto's Rasenshuriken had bought them a moment, but the battle was far from over. With Fukasaku at his side and Jiraiya's weakened form leaning on him, Naruto's resolve burned brighter than ever. I've changed Itachi's path. I'll save you too, Sensei. The Hidden Rain Village trembled under the weight of their clash, as past and future collided in a fight to reshape destiny.