Destroy the ninja world, destroy the ninjas.
Create a new world, create new ninjas.
At this moment, Akihara Kagura declared that everything he did was in accordance with Jiraiya's teachings, learning from the ancient Sage of the Six Paths.
Jiraiya had always used the Sage of the Six Paths and the origin of ninjutsu as examples to educate his students about peace in the ninja world. However, upon hearing Kagura's words, he felt a suffocating fear, realizing that his student might truly be following his teachings.
The good news was that Kagura listened to his teacher's teachings.
The bad news was that Kagura might have taken them too far.
Rain and cold sweat trickled down Jiraiya's face. His body trembled, unable to move, as he struggled to find a rebuttal: "Kagura, my hope has always been that the ninjas of this era could achieve mutual understanding like in the ancient times..."
"Jiraiya-sensei..."
Akihara Kagura gazed at Jiraiya, seemingly puzzled: "I am your student, yet you are unwilling to understand me. Why then should we expect the ninjas of the ninja world to understand each other? Isn't that contradictory?"
"..."
Jiraiya found himself at a loss for words.
"For the ninjas of this era, mutual understanding is impossible. They have long been accustomed to fighting for interests, waging wars over small commissions, killing each other for benefits, and praising those who excel in slaughter as excellent ninjas..."
Kagura extended his palm, as if solidifying his resolve: "What right does this ninja world have to achieve mutual understanding? It would be better to bury its history and recreate the ninjas like the Sage of the Six Paths did..."
"Maybe you're right..."
Jiraiya took a deep breath, realizing he couldn't refute Kagura on this issue: "But as a ninja of this era, I can't just stand by and watch you destroy it..."
"Jiraiya-sensei..."
Kagura looked at Jiraiya, frowning deeply as if understanding him: "You, who always advocate for a peaceful future for the ninja world, are unwilling to sacrifice when peace demands it from you..."
"Hey..."
Jiraiya hurriedly tried to respond.
"It doesn't matter anymore."
Kagura waved his hand and raised his palm: "Jiraiya-sensei, humans are selfish. You, as the best ninja of this era, still cannot escape selfish thoughts, just like a microcosm of this era..."
"It is precisely because every ninja harbors selfish thoughts that mutual understanding will never be possible, leading to endless wars and slaughter. Peace will always remain like the distant moon..."
"Everyone prays for peace in the ninja world."
"That's because the peace everyone wants is one that benefits them."
Each of Kagura's words struck Jiraiya to his core, leaving him speechless, unable to utter a single word in opposition.
"Goodbye."
"Jiraiya-sensei."
Kagura clasped his hands together and sighed deeply: "Let us begin the prelude to the end of this era of ninjas right here! Sage Art: Wood Dragon Technique!"
The ground suddenly churned!
A thick vine transformed into a colossal wooden dragon!
In Sage Mode, the wooden dragon appeared lifelike, roaring towards Jiraiya with its mouth slightly open!
Jiraiya's hair flew wildly as he turned and fled, forming hand seals rapidly and trying to spew flames at the wooden dragon!
"Fire Release: Great Flame Bullet!"
A massive fireball hit the wooden dragon!
However, to the wooden dragon, it was merely a flare!
Standing atop the wooden dragon's head, Akihara Kagura calmly watched Jiraiya fleeing once again, moving neither too fast nor too slow, seemingly pushing Jiraiya towards a dead end!
On the other side of the battlefield.
By the lake near the Akatsuki base.
Nagato and Konan's group had just escaped to this location.
"Little Jiraiya is about to sacrifice himself..."
Fukasaku glanced at the distant battlefield disparity.
"He intended to sacrifice himself here all along!"
Orochimaru, looking at Nagato being carried by paper wings, spoke coldly: "I have saved him many times, but if we continue at this pace, even if Jiraiya dies in battle, we won't escape Kagura's pursuit. His sensory abilities are too strong..."
"I have set up traps."
Konan furrowed her brows and continued in a deep voice: "As long as Akihara Kagura steps into the traps I prepared by the lake, the billions of explosive tags will be enough to kill him..."
"A grand scheme."
Orochimaru shook his head, doubting Konan's plan could succeed: "But Kagura possesses the Flying Thunder God Technique, a space-time jutsu that allows him to escape any trap..."
Such is reality.
No matter what, as long as the Rinnegan is with Nagato, they cannot escape Akihara Kagura's pursuit. Because Nagato is paralyzed from the waist down, he can only rely on the assistance of Orochimaru and Konan.
However...
This will significantly delay their escape.
"Do you have any ideas?" Nagato asked Orochimaru.
"Of course." Orochimaru looked at Nagato's Rinnegan and, with a slight smile, proposed his idea: "What matters most to Akihara Kagura is that Rinnegan. As long as he doesn't get it, it will be fine..."
"I want to destroy my eyes." Nagato hadn't given up on his idea and continued, "Without these eyes, Akihara Kagura can't obtain a complete weapon of war!"
"That's foolish..." Orochimaru shook his head and coldly said, "Even if you destroy the Rinnegan, it won't change Kagura's intentions. That guy has already been exposed. He might not give up his plan; no one in the ninja world is his match..."
"Then what should we do?" Nagato's gaze fell on Orochimaru.
"Give the Rinnegan to me..." Orochimaru had just spoken when Konan interrupted him directly!
"Absolutely not!" Konan didn't trust Orochimaru at all. If Orochimaru got the Rinnegan, she didn't believe he would save the ninja world!
"Then..." Nagato's gaze turned to Fukasaku, and he asked in a deep voice, "What if the Rinnegan is entrusted to Fukasaku?"
"I can take the Rinnegan." Fukasaku frowned and asked, "But if you get killed by Kagura, who will wield the Rinnegan?"
"..." Nagato fell silent.
This Rinnegan represents the future of the ninja world. It also signifies the potential disaster for the ninja world.
However, Nagato has been secluded in the Akatsuki base for years, and the people he knows are mostly rogue ninjas. The only legitimate ninja he is familiar with is Akihara Kagura, the super villain intent on destroying the world...
"Are you sure you can handle it?" Orochimaru looked at Fukasaku and suddenly laughed, "Kagura is Jiraiya's student and must have signed a contract with Mount Myoboku. Do you think he can't find Mount Myoboku?"
"..." Fukasaku's face changed.
This centuries-old toad sage realized a problem. If the Rinnegan is handed over to him for safekeeping, it would undoubtedly bring disaster to Mount Myoboku. Akihara Kagura holds the contract with Mount Myoboku and is powerful enough to summon the Great Toad Sage. If he took the Rinnegan, and Kagura threatened him with the Great Toad Sage's life, what could he do then?
"Wait..." Fukasaku suddenly remembered something, and his eyes brightened: "I can take the Rinnegan and consult the Great Toad Sage back at Mount Myoboku. The Great Toad Sage can use prophecy to determine whether the Rinnegan poses a threat to Mount Myoboku and who can wield it in the future!"
Orochimaru smiled lightly and looked at Fukasaku: "If the Rinnegan endangers Mount Myoboku, will you hand it over to Akihara Kagura?"
"Absolutely not!" Fukasaku immediately retorted, even slandering Ryuchi Cave: "Youngster, you think too lowly of Mount Myoboku. Do you think we're the same as Ryuchi Cave?"
"Mount Myoboku isn't that noble either, is it?" Orochimaru, being a snake, naturally had no good feelings toward Mount Myoboku.
"..." Nagato hesitated, glancing back and forth between Fukasaku and Orochimaru.
"Arguing like this won't get us anywhere..." Orochimaru looked at Konan and, with a slight smile, said, "But I do have a forbidden technique that might be able to eliminate Akihara Kagura..."
"What is it?"
"The Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags Technique…"
Orochimaru, smiling, revealed the name of the forbidden technique and explained softly, "As long as a single Explosive Tag is attached to Akihara Kagura, even if he uses his space technique, the Explosive Tag will continuously follow him, causing a series of unending explosions..."
"You just mentioned hiding billions of Explosive Tags at the bottom of the lake. Once they are empowered by the Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tag Technique, the explosions will grow exponentially. The power of billions of Explosive Tags exploding simultaneously might be enough to kill Akihara Kagura..."
"However..."
"This requires a strategy..."
"Because the Explosive Tag must be attached to him."
"What strategy?"
Konan frowned.
"Hide the Rinnegan he wants under this lake."
"I can stay behind to cover the retreat."
Orochimaru, gazing sinisterly at the lake by the Akatsuki base, said, "You all scatter and escape from here. If Akihara Kagura chases after you, at least someone will survive and can come back to retrieve the Rinnegan..."
"If Akihara Kagura sees through our strategy, he will have to face the bombardment of billions of Explosive Tags instantly. It might destroy both him and the Rinnegan, eradicating the threat from the ninja world forever..."
"..."
Everyone present fell silent.
"Why can't we deceive him..."
Konan frowned and proposed an idea, "Make him believe that Nagato's Rinnegan is at the bottom of the lake? Even if this place is destroyed and we can't kill Akihara Kagura, he will think the Rinnegan is destroyed. We would at least have a chance to secretly revive our war machine and stop his plan to destroy the ninja world..."
"..."
Orochimaru gave Konan a gloomy look.
What is with this woman?
I just want to find an opportunity to take the Rinnegan, yet this woman is so adamant about keeping it. What's wrong with using the Rinnegan as a trap?
If there really are billions of Explosive Tags under this lake, I could first take the Rinnegan, use the explosion to heavily injure Akihara Kagura, and then use Living Corpse Reincarnation to take over his body, and implant the Rinnegan into my new body...
"I agree with this idea."
Fukasaku supported Konan's plan, turning his gaze to Orochimaru, "Orochimaru, only you can use the Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tag Technique. You just said you would stay behind to cover our retreat..."
"..."
Orochimaru's eyes flashed with anger.
At that moment...
Orochimaru suddenly remembered the distant past.
Back then, I was still a member of the Akatsuki. The other members abandoned the base and retreated, leaving me alone to face Akihara Kagura...
I am no longer a member of the Akatsuki.
Why does my fate seem unchanged?
However...
A cold glint appeared in Orochimaru's eyes.
If there are really endless Explosive Tags under this lake, at least I can use this opportunity to seriously injure Akihara Kagura and seize his body with Living Corpse Reincarnation!
From day one...
From the day the Wood Release experiment on Akihara Kagura succeeded, from seeing how abundant his chakra was, from witnessing his growing strength, I have never given up this idea!
To be honest,
To plot against Akihara Kagura once.
I really have no qualms.
Who made Akihara Kagura keep using me, deceiving me to save Jiraiya, all to get information about the Six Paths of Pain and seize the Rinnegan...
Now...
The billions of Explosive Tags here...
It's time for that guy to pay up!
Of course...
If by accident, Akihara Kagura is killed, then I'll have to use the Edo Tensei to revive him, controlling him as my puppet...
The strongest ninja in the ninja world, Akihara Kagura, controlled by my Edo Tensei, and using this puppet to seize the Rinnegan...
That kind of story doesn't seem too bad...
Orochimaru lightly tapped his arm with his fingers, casually nodding, agreeing to Konan and Nagato's plan. A strange thought suddenly crossed his mind.
If I die here to stop Akihara Kagura, the story might end with Jiraiya and me staying behind, covering Nagato, the hope of the ninja world, as he escapes. Why does this feel so familiar...
Orochimaru frowned, suddenly recalling the words often said kindly by the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, while stroking his beard.
"Where the leaves dance, the fire burns..."
"The fire's light will illuminate the village and cause new leaves to sprout..."
"Someday, we will also have to sacrifice ourselves..."
"..."
Orochimaru quickly shook his head, dismissing the absurd thought.
~~~
I didn't like the One Piece Arc so I didn't finish reading it, and only read like 20 Chapters. So I'm translating the Naruto Extra!
Tomorrow until this end, 2 Chapters per day! 1 chapter today only. Let me rest!
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