No matter from which perspective...
This mission should be entrusted to Red Sand Sasori.
Orochimaru had no objections either; assassinating Fourth Kazekage Rasa wasn't considered a difficult task, just one that might be slightly troublesome.
Seeing that Red Sand Sasori and Orochimaru had no objections, Deva Path Pain immediately breathed a sigh of relief; at least the first step of their plan was successful.
Next...
is the meeting with Jiraiya-sensei.
On the other side.
In front of Yahiko's tombstone.
Jiraiya still didn't know that the body buried underneath had already been stolen. He continued to vigilantly maintain a secret watch here with Akihara Kagura, awaiting Nagato and Konan's arrival.
However.
Jiraiya strictly prohibited Akihara Kagura from practicing Ninjutsu here, to avoid alarming Nagato and Konan, causing the other two students to worry and not dare to come.
Late at night.
The moonlight remained bright.
Jiraiya dozed off against a tree.
A woman with light blue hair pushed a wheelchair toward Yahiko's empty grave, in which sat a thin and frail red-haired man. Both of them had expressionless faces.
After all...
they both knew this was an empty grave.
Akihara Kagura lay on the tree, and upon seeing Nagato and Konan, he didn't know how to comment on these two fellows; he could only sigh inwardly, "With acting so plain, these two fellow students really seem like honest people..."
Under the tree.
Jiraiya's eyes suddenly opened!
This tall man's body leaped up nimbly and landed in front of Yahiko's tombstone. He also saw his two students.
"Nagato? Konan?"
"Jiraiya-sensei, long time no see..."
Nagato slightly turned his head, looking towards his teacher. Just the thin and frail state of his body and the somewhat reserved expression couldn't achieve the lofty indifference of Pain.
"You..."
Seeing Nagato sitting in a wheelchair, Jiraiya's face immediately turned grim. Just like before, he wanted to check on his student's leg injury.
This wasn't an ordinary injury!
Nagato was already confined to a wheelchair!
For a ninja, issues with their legs and arms would prevent them from managing battles or missions, rendering them unable to execute tasks for life.
Jiraiya suddenly understood why Nagato would manipulate Yahiko's corpse behind the scenes and make Yahiko's body into Deva Path Pain, because this student couldn't even move freely.
"Jiraiya-sensei!"
Nagato wanted to avoid his hand.
"It's futile."
Konan shook her head, with a hint of sorrow in her eyes, explaining softly, "Back then, to save me, Nagato's legs were injured by explosive tags used by Salamander Hanzo..."
"..."
Jiraiya fell silent, speaking in a low voice, "I'm sorry, I always thought you all had died. I never expected that when we met again, it would be like this..."
"It's already fortunate that we survived."
Nagato seemed unconcerned about his leg injury, just looking up at the tombstone in front of him: "To save us, Yahiko died. I could only make Yahiko's body into Pain to let him continue serving as the leader of the Akatsuki Organization like he did when he was alive..."
"So, what is the purpose of the Akatsuki Organization?"
Jiraiya solemnly asked his student.
Nagato did not hide anything and spoke up: "To change this war-filled world, allowing it to achieve eternal peace without any more wars."
When Nagato spoke of these things, he slowly extended his hand, stroking Yahiko's tombstone: "Just like Yahiko wanted back then..."
At this moment, Nagato was sincere.
Because what he did was indeed Yahiko's dream.
However, their methods were different.
Jiraiya watched the Nagato before him, looking at the Rinnegan in Nagato's eyes, listening to Nagato speaking about changing the Ninja World, recalling the prophecy mentioned by the Great Toad Sage.
Prophecy...
It finally began to emerge.
His disciple Nagato wants to change the Ninja World.
But he didn't know whether this revolution was destruction or rebirth.
And as the teacher of the prophesied one, he needed to guide his disciple, steering the Ninja World towards rebirth instead of destruction.
Just as Jiraiya wanted to inquire about Nagato's plan and why he gathered those dangerous traitorous ninjas, a figure appeared in a flash!
Akihara Kagura's figure suddenly appeared beside them, looking down at Nagato as if he was seeing him for the first time.
"Pleased to meet you for the first time."
Akihara Kagura looked at Nagato, with a serious expression: "If the purpose of the Akatsuki Organization is to make the Ninja World permanently peaceful, please make sure to invite me to join..."
"..."
Nagato suddenly felt at a loss.
Even Konan didn't understand what to do next.
This junior claimed to handle Jiraiya-sensei...
was actually joining the Akatsuki Organization right before Jiraiya-sensei?
"Welcome... to join?"
Nagato felt he ought to say some words of invitation.
"You'd better behave!"
Jiraiya held down Akihara Kagura with one hand, looking at Nagato: "This kid is talking nonsense, don't pay him any mind!"
"Jiraiya-sensei."
Akihara Kagura pulled Jiraiya's arm aside, explaining, "The Akatsuki Organization wants the Ninja World to maintain eternal peace; the only way is to kill everyone in the Ninja World, eradicate all life forms in the Ninja World, turning this world into a white ground. I actually like killing..."
"You'd better behave!"
Jiraiya tapped Akihara Kagura's head, shouting angrily, "You little brat, stop coming up with such extreme ideas! This world is still beautiful!"
"Indeed... Too extreme..."
Nagato and Konan were both frightened by Akihara Kagura's idea.
Compared to Akihara Kagura's notion of annihilating all living beings, their intention to collect Tailed Beasts and create a war weapon seemed like a much milder approach.
"This is the only way."
Akihara Kagura emphasized his stance once again, looking towards Nagato, with a hint of anticipation in his eyes, "Your method is like this too, right?"
"No..."
Nagato didn't know how to respond; he wasn't good at lying, so he could only express his stance: "Your method...is a bit too extreme..."
"It's alright..."
Jiraiya felt a slight relief in his heart.
Fortunately, at least his other disciple Nagato wasn't so extreme.
As long as it wasn't the apocalyptic idea of Akihara Kagura, Jiraiya felt there was room for negotiation with any other means to bring peace to the Ninja World...
"So, what's the plan?"
Akihara Kagura looked at Nagato, initiating the topic: "I did discuss this topic with someone else before, like periodically killing half of the Ninja World's humans, so the remaining population could always enjoy ample resources..."
When Akihara Kagura got here, he dismissed his own idea: "But later, I thought, people's greed will never be satisfied, no matter how many we kill, greed will still sprout, seeking to seize more resources..."
After saying this, Akihara Kagura self-assessed: "Thus I feel this method won't work either, periodically killing half of the Ninja World people is too mild..."
"Isn't this approach...not mild?"
Nagato felt like he was meeting Akihara Kagura for the first time.
Because they had never thought of a method like this before. Just hearing Akihara Kagura mention this plan made them a bit creeped out.
"It's also very extreme."
Konan nodded with a serious look, even remarked: "Deciding everyone's life or death like drawing lots. Those who survive will only despair, for they have to continuously survive these random fates. The probability is very low, and everyone will think they're doomed eventually, and the world will perish after all..."
"..."
Jiraiya was exasperated by Akihara Kagura.
Originally, Jiraiya thought Nagato and Konan would have major issues, but it turned out the disciple who had been beside him all along seemed to have a more severe problem!
"Jiraiya-sensei..."
Konan vaguely understood Akihara Kagura's idea and planned to take her leave: "Nagato and I have urgent matters to deal with; Orochimaru betrayed the Akatsuki Organization..."
"Orochimaru!"
Jiraiya found another focal point for his attention.
"Yes."
Konan nodded and continued: "His teammate, Red Sand Sasori, reported that Orochimaru wanted to go to the Hidden Sand Village to assassinate the Fourth Kazekage. To prevent setting more enemies for the Akatsuki Organization, Nagato and I must stop Orochimaru..."