Meanwhile, Jiraiya had uncovered new intelligence in Amegakure. The leader of Amegakure was no longer Hanzo of the Salamander, but someone no one had ever seen before, who called himself Pain and proclaimed himself a god.
Upon learning that the so-called Pain resided in a high tower within Amegakure, Jiraiya immediately infiltrated the tower to investigate.
However, as soon as Jiraiya entered the tower, Konan appeared before him, blocking his path.
Jiraiya recognized her at once as one of the disciples he had taken in during his time in Amegakure. He then addressed Konan, asking, "Konan? It seems you've grown into a great beauty. Were the reports of your death false? The angel spoken of in Amegakure must be you, right? Where are Nagato and Yahiko? And who exactly is this Pain?"
Since Yahiko's death, Konan's face had never known a smile. Now, she saw Jiraiya, the teacher who had shown them kindness.
"What are you doing here at this point? I am here only to kill you, as it is the god's command!"
As she spoke, countless white papers danced in the air before rapidly flying towards Jiraiya.
"Fire Style, Fireball Jutsu!"
"Oil Bomb!"
Jiraiya expelled a torrent of fire, incinerating all the flying papers. He then instantly moved to the wall and spat a large amount of oil onto Konan.
Stuck by the oil, Konan was immediately bound by Jiraiya's hair. She was powerless to break free from his elongated locks.
"As I suspected, Pain must be either Nagato or Yahiko, right? I never imagined you would turn out like this. Of the three of you, you were the gentlest. To attack me, your teacher, without even a word... it chills me to the bone!"
"You do not understand what we have become," Konan said expressionlessly.
Jiraiya truly did not understand what they had become, but that was no excuse for forming the Akatsuki.
"The Akatsuki's actions are wrong..." Jiraiya still wished to guide Konan with his words, hoping she would see the error of her ways.
Just then, a man with long hair and some black nails appeared behind Konan.
This was the Animal Path Pain. Jiraiya was no longer their comrade, but an intruder. Nagato had no intention of holding back against an intruder.
"This is the conclusion we have reached, Master Jiraiya! It is all for peace."
"Although your appearance has changed drastically, those eyes... the Rinnegan... so it is you, Pain? Nagato! It seems you have not taken the right path! What happened after that?" Jiraiya felt a deep disappointment. Nagato, whom he had once considered the Child of Prophecy, had now become the leader of a notorious criminal organization in the ninja world.
"You do not need to know. You are an outsider, after all!" The Animal Path Pain's hands did not stop moving, and his words were chillingly cold.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Above the Animal Path Pain, a giant crab was suddenly summoned. The crab spewed a large amount of foam, and Jiraiya quickly leaped upwards.
Konan then flew out from the foam, drifting in the air.
"Is this Nagato's summoned beast? Washing away the oil with foam. You are truly my disciple; you know my weaknesses." Jiraiya immediately understood that Nagato's primary target this time was Konan, aiming to neutralize the toad oil.
"Konan, stand back. Let me handle this!" The Animal Path Pain told Konan to move away, intending to be the one to kill his master.
Following this, the Animal Path Pain commanded the giant crab to use the foam to conceal itself and then lunged at Jiraiya with its pincers.
"Sage Art, Lion Dōkō!"
Jiraiya's hair dispersed, reaching out to firmly bind the crab. With a powerful tug, as the crab's limbs were torn apart, the Animal Path Pain canceled the summoning, and the crab vanished into smoke.
Immediately after, a mass of white hair emerged from the smoke, tightly ensnaring the Animal Path Pain.
"Nagato! I have something to ask you. What happened to Yahiko?" Jiraiya had now seen two of his disciples and wanted to inquire if Yahiko had also joined the Akatsuki.
Nagato spoke coldly, "There was indeed such a person. That person died long ago."
Jiraiya was stunned, unable to believe that Nagato had become this way. The Nagato of the past had spoken of using the Rinnegan's power to protect Yahiko and Konan, yet now he spoke with such heartlessness.
"Do not look at me that way, Master Jiraiya. I have merely experienced war. Ignorant children grow after experiencing pain, both mentally and physically. I have simply endured these things."
"I have now surpassed humanity. From an ordinary human, I have evolved into a god. And a god's duty is to bring an end to this world of conflict!"
Jiraiya still did not understand what Nagato truly intended. "If that is the case, why are you collecting the Tailed Beasts? That will only lead to more conflict."
"You are merely an ordinary mortal, so it is natural that you do not understand a god's intentions. In my eyes, you are just a tiny human. I will see this path to peace through to the end!" The Animal Path Pain no longer wished to waste words and promptly summoned another giant chameleon, which instantly broke free from Jiraiya's hair.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Jiraiya laughed and clapped his hands together. "To be treated like a child by a child! Even so, I am no longer human. The original Three Sannin have now become a Sage, the Toad Monster of Mount Myōboku, Jiraiya-sama is..."
Just as Jiraiya was striking a pose to show off, Gamaken, who had been summoned beneath him, moved. Jiraiya lost his balance and fell onto Gamaken's head.
Jiraiya immediately blamed Gamaken. "Hey! Gamaken, don't move around when I'm trying to look cool!"
Gamaken was very embarrassed and apologized, admitting his clumsiness.
"You haven't grown at all, Master Jiraiya! Still as clumsy as ever." The Animal Path Pain couldn't help but mock Jiraiya upon seeing this. He then instructed the chameleon to open its mouth, hiding himself inside its body.
"There's no need to test this guy; we need to go all out from the start. I'm going into Sage Mode. Gamaken, help me hold him off." Since words couldn't bridge the gap, Jiraiya decided to resolve the situation with force. As a master, he had a responsibility to his disciples, and now it was time to painfully kill his disciples for the sake of ninja peace.
"Summoning Jutsu!" Hiding within the chameleon, the Animal Path Pain once again used the summoning jutsu, summoning a giant three-headed dog. At the same time, the chameleon he controlled changed its color to match the terrain, making it invisible to the naked eye.
Gamaken used a bowl as a shield in one hand and a fork in the other, instantly pinning the three-headed dog to the wall. However, the dog struggled for a moment before splitting into three identical ferocious dogs.
Gamaken relaxed slightly, not expecting the three-headed dog to split. He had to draw his fork and continue attacking, but the three-headed dog kept splitting after being attacked, making it impossible to finish them off.
Gamaken was outnumbered and already sustained many wounds. Seeing this, Jiraiya immediately summoned the esophagus of a Great Toad of Mount Myōboku and swallowed all the ferocious dogs. As they were compressed, the ferocious dogs vanished.
At the same time, Jiraiya located the chameleon through his sensory barrier and commanded Gamaken to impale the chameleon with his fork, but the chameleon vanished in an instant.
"This is bad! It's a shadow clone!" Jiraiya exclaimed in dismay and turned to see a large bird flying towards him.
This bird also laid eggs, and upon hitting the ground, they transformed into explosions. Jiraiya and Gamaken were separated by these bombs. Jiraiya had no choice but to hide in a pipe, as the bird couldn't follow him in.
However, the bird was waiting for Jiraiya to come out at the other end of the pipe. Jiraiya smiled gently as he emerged, spitting a mouthful of flame and incinerating the bird.
Before Jiraiya could catch his breath, a massive rhinoceros charged down from above. Gamaken appeared immediately, impaled it with his fork, and the rhinoceros was instantly dealt with.
"Well done!" At this moment, another Jiraiya appeared on Gamaken's body. When he entered the pipe, Jiraiya had used a shadow clone to buy time. The one being chased earlier was merely a shadow clone.
Before Jiraiya could relax, a bull was summoned in front of him. But it was about time. Jiraiya quickly told Gamaken to retreat, leaving the rest to him.
Gamaken didn't waste any words and vanished from beneath Jiraiya's feet. Jiraiya plummeted freely from the sky, and at that same instant, the bull charged, smashing Jiraiya into the wall.
Immediately after, the bull was sent flying, and before it hit the ground, it vanished into smoke.
Then, Jiraiya emerged from the wall, with two small toads on his shoulders – the two Great Sages of Mount Myōboku, Shima and Fukasaku.
"Now it's my turn! I look up to the sky with my bare back, I am the legendary Jiraiya!"
Jiraiya stepped out, striking a chuunibyo pose and introducing himself. At this moment, Jiraiya was in Sage Mode, with frog-like markings on his face.
However, the Animal Path Pain was still inside the chameleon. Jiraiya and the two Great Sages present could not see him.
Sage Shima extended her tongue to use sensory perception. Upon discovering the cloaked chameleon, she immediately lengthened her tongue to bind it and then spat yellow smoke from her tongue, making the chameleon visible.
Sage Fukasaku immediately spat a water blade, cutting the chameleon in half without mercy.
The Animal Path Pain was forced to jump onto a high platform, revealing his Rinnegan.
The two Great Sages, upon seeing those eyes, exclaimed in surprise, "These eyes... the legendary Rinnegan!"
"That's why I summoned you two. He was once my disciple, but he did not choose the right path," Jiraiya explained the situation to the two Great Sages. The implication was that Nagato was likely the Child of Prophecy who would bring either peace or destruction to the ninja world.
"You never told me about this! If he truly is the Child of Prophecy, then he must be killed now." Sage Fukasaku was shocked again. When did Jiraiya gain such a disciple?
"Summoning Jutsu!"
The Animal Path Pain once again used the summoning jutsu, summoning the Human Path Pain and the Preta Path Pain. All three possessed the Rinnegan.
"Three Rinnegan? What is going on? Is this Nagato's technique?" Jiraiya was confused. When did the Rinnegan become so common?
While Jiraiya was puzzled, the Human Path Pain charged forward. Jiraiya kicked the Human Path Pain away with a single blow.
He then began forming hand seals, and Fukasaku and Shima began to cooperate.
"Sage Art, Goemon!"
Sage Fukasaku spat fire, Jiraiya spat oil, and Sage Shima spat wind. In combination, their Fire Style jutsu would be incredibly powerful.
However, by the time the smoke from the fire jutsu dissipated, the oil and fire that had been spat out were completely gone, vanishing before Jiraiya's eyes.
Seeing the Preta Path Pain standing in front, Jiraiya knew it was him who blocked the Sage Art. He immediately jumped onto the wall, took off his shoes, and his limbs transformed into frog-like appendages. With the leaping power of a frog, he charged at the Preta Path Pain.
"Super Tailed Beast Rasengan!"
A gigantic Rasengan formed in Jiraiya's hands, but it was completely absorbed by the Preta Path Pain, causing no damage whatsoever. Jiraiya instantly realized that ninjutsu and Sage techniques were ineffective; they would be absorbed.
Then, the Human Path Pain appeared behind Jiraiya. Sage Fukasaku threw a smoke bomb, and Jiraiya instantly moved behind the Human Path Pain and punched him, but it was easily blocked.
Jiraiya then instantly moved behind the Animal Path Pain and shot numerous needles at him.
"Sage Art, Needle Senbon!"
The Animal Path Pain quickly formed hand seals and summoned a panda doll that perfectly blocked Jiraiya's wide-range attack.
"The previous attacks were all from blind spots, yet he neutralized them without even looking. Could it be the Rinnegan? Do three people share one pair of eyes?"
Realizing that ninjutsu was ineffective against the three of them, Jiraiya found himself struggling and decided to retreat for now.
In the blink of an eye, Jiraiya vanished from Pain's sight.
...
"If ninjutsu and taijutsu are not working, let's try genjutsu!" Sage Fukasaku proposed a plan. Jiraiya was not particularly skilled in genjutsu, but with the two Great Sages present, he could try.
However, the two Great Sages' strongest genjutsu was auditory illusion, which involved the two toads singing in duet, requiring the enemy to hear the melody to succeed.
Fukusaku and Shima began their duet. The three Pains who were in pursuit heard the sound and quickly chased after them. Along the way, a shadow clone of Jiraiya suddenly appeared behind the three of them.
"Fire Style, Great Fireball Jutsu!"
The Preta Path Pain immediately turned around, extending his hands to absorb the Fire Style.
Jiraiya in front also spat a large fireball. The Human Path Pain and the Animal Path Pain simultaneously leaped upwards to dodge, but on the ceiling, Jiraiya's Swamp of the Underworld trapped the Human Path Pain.
Only the Animal Path Pain remained. Just as he was about to form hand seals for a summoning jutsu, Jiraiya kicked him away. At this moment, Fukusaku and Shima's genjutsu was successfully cast.
"Demonic Illusion, Frog Song!"
By the time Pain reacted, he found himself trapped in a water cube, unable to move. Around him, four Heavenly Kings sealed the barrier.
With both mind and body immobilized, Jiraiya used a great sword unique to Mount Myōboku and inserted it into the bodies of the three Pains. He finally breathed a sigh of relief when the Pains were completely unable to move.
"In this way, I have also made my choice. Farewell, Nagato..."
Jiraiya slowly walked away, his heart filled with complex emotions. Killing his own disciple with his own hands was indeed painful.
However, a bald man suddenly appeared behind Jiraiya.
"Master Jiraiya, didn't you teach me never to be careless at any time?"
As soon as he spoke, the Asura Path Pain immediately fired missiles, directly blasting Jiraiya onto the water outside and severing Jiraiya's left hand.
Immediately after, six figures flew out of the pipes and stood on the platform. The three Pains Jiraiya had just killed were among them.
"The Six Paths of Pain, reassembled!"
Jiraiya clutched his arm, looking up at the six figures above, his heart filled with shock. "Why are there six Rinnegan, and why are the three I killed earlier among them?"
But upon closer inspection, he noticed that one of the faces above was undeniably Yahiko, one of his three disciples.
"Yahiko? Why do you have Nagato's eyes? What exactly are you?" Jiraiya shouted at the Six Paths of Pain.
The Deva Path Pain's face was expressionless. "We are Pain, we are gods!"
Then, the six figures leaped down and engaged Jiraiya in combat. The Asura Path Pain fired several missiles, and Jiraiya dodged them incessantly.
"Universal Pull!"
The Deva Path Pain waved his hand, and a large wall above fell down, crushing Jiraiya into the water and making him disappear.
Suddenly, two tongues extended, binding the Animal Path Pain's feet and pulling hard. The Animal Path Pain was dragged into the water by Jiraiya and simultaneously entered a barrier.
Inside the barrier, Jiraiya suddenly appeared and struck the Animal Path Pain's heart with a Rasengan. The Animal Path Pain fell into the toad gastric fluid below.
Seeing this, Jiraiya collapsed onto the ground. At this point, Jiraiya was completely at a loss. What exactly were these Pains?
Suddenly, the Animal Path Pain leaped out of the gastric fluid, a black rod appearing in his hand and being inserted into Jiraiya's shoulder. Jiraiya immediately felt his chakra becoming chaotic, and he could no longer maintain Sage Mode.
However, this was the Animal Path Pain's final attack. After this, there was no further movement, and his forehead protector fell off, revealing a scar on his forehead.
Jiraiya looked at the scar on the Animal Path Pain's forehead and immediately recalled that this person was from the Fūma clan he had encountered before, and that this scar was one he himself had left. Recalling the six figures from earlier, Jiraiya suddenly had an idea, but he needed to confirm it.
Sage Shima, seeing Jiraiya injured, urged him to retreat. However, Jiraiya was determined to at least understand what Pain was and prepared to go out and confirm it.
Sage Fukasaku, as Jiraiya's master, naturally could not bear to let Jiraiya go alone and decided to accompany him, telling Shima to go back and prepare dinner, and that they would both return for dinner later.
Jiraiya left the barrier, his head emerging from the water. He looked at the remaining five Pains and was greatly shocked. All of them were people he had met before. Nagato had said Yahiko was dead, so this meant the so-called Pains were corpses controlled by Nagato; the true body was nowhere to be found.
"You discovered it too late! Master Jiraiya!"
Suddenly, the Asura Path Pain grabbed Jiraiya by the throat with one hand, silencing him.
Immediately after, the other four Pains cooperated with the Asura Path Pain, each inserting a black rod into Jiraiya's back. Jiraiya's consciousness began to fade.
"Am I going to die?" Jiraiya felt unwilling. He had just discovered Pain's secret and was about to die. Reflecting on his life, he realized that he was always just a little bit short, a truly failed life.
Then he thought of Naruto, the brat who remained positive, optimistic, and never gave up, even though he was hated and disliked by everyone.
"Yes, speak your mind directly, and if never giving up is your ninja way, then how can I, as your master, give up? Naruto, you are undoubtedly the Child of Prophecy. I will entrust everything to you from now on..." kuAiδugg
With this thought, Jiraiya struggled to extend a finger. Sage Fukasaku understood Jiraiya's intention, took off his clothes, and allowed Jiraiya to leave information on his back.
As the five Pains were about to leave, they noticed Jiraiya was not yet dead. The Asura Path Pain fired several missiles, blasting Jiraiya to the seabed, and simultaneously, Sage Fukasaku escaped using Reverse Summoning Jutsu.
...