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In the dimly lit hall, Nagato pinpointed Jiraiya's location, fully aware that the entire underground base of the Akatsuki was under his control. He understood that Jiraiya's intentions were far from benign, and exposing the Akatsuki to the wider ninja world at this stage could prove disastrous if their stronghold was discovered.
Jiraiya must be stopped.
With a series of clicks, the door slowly creaked open. Jiraiya, still navigating the tunnel, instantly tensed at the sight of the figure emerging from the doorway.
Leading the group was Pain's Six Paths, the entity responsible for Konoha's destruction, with Konan and a man in black following close behind. The ominous presence of a creature with multiple eyes only added to the oppressive atmosphere.
"Jiraiya-sensei, it's unfortunate that we have to meet under these circumstances," Konan's voice rang out, cold and distant. Her tone was a stark contrast to the warmth Jiraiya remembered from the little girl who once trailed after him. Even he struggled to reconcile the person before him with the child from his memories.
"You've missed me, haven't you, Jiraiya-sama?" a voice interjected from the back. Muzan, clad in a black robe, stepped forward, his presence as unsettling as ever. As he lifted his hat, the sight of his blood-red eyes sent a chill down Jiraiya's spine.
"Muzan..." Jiraiya's composure faltered. If it had been just Pain and Konan, he might have had a chance to escape. But with Muzan's presence, especially considering his mastery of Sage Mode, the odds of retreating unscathed were slim.
The tension in the air was palpable, pressing heavily on Jiraiya. As one of the legendary Sannin, he was no stranger to danger, but the combined threat of these three formidable opponents was daunting. Realizing the gravity of his situation, Jiraiya quickly shifted his focus. He didn't need to defeat all three; his priority was to find a way out of the Akatsuki's grasp.
Two puffs of smoke appeared on Jiraiya's shoulders as he formed hand seals. The elder toad sages, Fukasaku and Shima, materialized, their presence bolstering Jiraiya's resolve. With their help, his chances of escape would increase significantly.
"Jiraiya-boy, what kind of trouble have you gotten us into this time?" Fukasaku's gruff voice echoed Jiraiya's own concerns as the toad surveyed the formidable trio standing before them.
"I didn't have a choice. They found me before I could gather enough intel," Jiraiya replied, keeping his eyes on his opponents. "With Muzan here at the Akatsuki's base, I need to find a way to get out of here."
Jiraiya took a few steps back, putting some distance between himself and the enemies.
Fukasaku and Shima began gathering natural energy, knowing that Jiraiya's incomplete Sage Mode required time to reach its full potential. Without it, the chances of escaping from the combined might of Muzan and Pain were slim.
"Mugen Tsukuyomi: Black Blood Trichosanthes!"
Muzan, now in his perfected Sage Mode, rapidly absorbed the surrounding natural energy, a testament to the power he had gained since their last encounter. The ground beneath Jiraiya's feet began to shift as thorny vines sprouted, snaking toward him with lethal intent.
"Fire Style: Giant Flame Bomb!"
Jiraiya countered, unleashing a massive torrent of flames. The intense heat incinerated the approaching vines, but Muzan was not his only concern. Konan leapt from above, scattering explosive tags in the air.
"Paper Spear Barrage!"
Konan's paper wings spread wide as she took to the skies, unleashing a rain of paper spears, each tipped with explosive tags.
The battlefield was engulfed in the sounds of clashing attacks. Jiraiya, now fully in Sage Mode, with the red markings of a true sage etched across his face, braced himself against the relentless onslaught. The two toads on his shoulders added their chakra to his own, amplifying his strength.
However, Jiraiya's objective was clear. This was no time to engage in a prolonged battle. Against Muzan's power and the formidable Pain's Six Paths, retreat was the only viable option.
"Jiraiya-boy, we need to break through! We'll use genjutsu to trap them; you must be ready!"
"Sage Art: Frog Song!"
The most powerful of genjutsu, the Frog Song, was initiated by Fukasaku and Shima. Even the strongest opponents could be ensnared by its sound-based illusions, forcing their minds into a trance-like state. It was an attack that few could withstand.
Muzan, however, had an advantage. With the extra brain he had developed through his unique transformation, he could distribute the mental load, allowing him to resist the attack. But Konan, not as fortunate, faltered in mid-air as her paper wings disintegrated, leaving her vulnerable.
"Swamp of the Underworld!"
Jiraiya seized the moment, aiming to immobilize Konan in the sticky mire. But before he could finish, Muzan's thorny vines wrapped around Konan, pulling her to safety. Muzan's attention then shifted to Pain's Six Paths.
"Are you going to act, or should I handle this myself?" Muzan's voice was laced with irritation. The time for inaction had passed.
Nagato, through Pain's Six Paths, finally moved. The six figures descended, each possessing unique and deadly abilities. Leading them was the Deva Path, the most powerful of all, and its appearance stopped Jiraiya in his tracks. This was no ordinary opponent—this was Yahiko, or at least, the body of his former student, now controlled by Nagato.
"Yahiko... No, who are you? Where is Nagato?"
Jiraiya's mind raced, trying to reconcile the presence of the Rinnegan, the legendary eyes said to belong to the Sage of Six Paths himself.
"Jiraiya-sensei, much has changed since you left Amegakure," the Deva Path spoke, its voice a haunting echo of Yahiko's. "But these changes have strengthened my resolve to reshape the ninja world."
The tension in the air was thick enough to cut. Jiraiya, fully aware of the stakes, prepared to unleash his next move.
"Sage Art: Hair Needle Senbon!"
Jiraiya's white hair bristled like the quills of a porcupine, shooting forward in an attempt to pin down the Deva Path. A follow-up toad oil flame bomb was launched immediately after.
"Leave this to me!"
The Preta Path of Pain stepped forward, catching the toad oil flame bomb in its hands. The massive fireball quickly shrank as the Preta Path absorbed its chakra, its ability to nullify ninjutsu making it the perfect counter.
The remaining hair needles were met by a simple hand gesture from the Deva Path. A powerful repulsive force surged forth, tearing the needle-like projectiles to shreds.
---
"Ding! Ding! Ding!"
Even though the hair was repelled by the force of Shinra Tensei, it cracked as it hit the ground. The coordination between the six Paths of Pain was seamless. Every time Jiraiya attempted a surprise attack, they reacted instantly, leaving Jiraiya puzzled.
"Why do these six feel like they're all connected, like they're one person?" Jiraiya thought, analyzing their synchronized movements.
Since the start of the battle, Jiraiya had gathered a lot of information about the Rinnegan, but his opponent, Pain, was more challenging in some ways than Muzan.
"A real monster," Jiraiya muttered to himself. "I never imagined that one of my students would turn out like this. The Great Toad Sage's prophecy... It wasn't supposed to end this way. Instead of bringing peace, Nagato and Muzan have brought nothing but chaos and destruction."
Jiraiya felt the bitter weight of his responsibility. The Akatsuki organization, Muzan's mastery of Sage Mode—both had their roots in Jiraiya's teachings.
While Pain and Jiraiya clashed below, Muzan stood on a nearby rooftop, observing the battle intently, analyzing Pain's abilities.
"It really is the Rinnegan, the Eye of the Sage. But Nagato is hiding somewhere, controlling them from afar. He can't keep this up forever," Muzan mused. "Those aren't his eyes, after all. If Nagato exhausts himself, Black Zetsu will surely take advantage of it. Now is not the time for the Uchiha to reappear in the ninja world. Until I've unified everything, neither the Ōtsutsuki nor any others can make a move!"
"Something's off..." Muzan sensed a disturbance in the space around him. It was subtle, but his keen senses picked it up. "Strange..."
This uneasy feeling made Muzan's chakra flow become unstable, his mind clouded.
"Who could be casting genjutsu so subtly? Uchiha Itachi... of course," Muzan realized. "With Itachi involved, it won't be easy to kill Jiraiya here today."
Thanks to Shisui Uchiha's teachings, Itachi's skill in genjutsu had improved tremendously. Even Muzan had been momentarily caught off guard.
"Blood Demon Art: Blood Fang Blade!" Muzan shouted. He released a wave of energy that disrupted the genjutsu around him, revealing Itachi's hidden presence. However, due to his own agenda, Itachi couldn't show himself openly and instead watched Jiraiya fall back into danger.
In Sage Mode, Jiraiya could also sense the genjutsu. He had a vague idea of what was happening. Since Itachi wasn't revealing himself, Jiraiya wouldn't call for help recklessly.
"Jiraiya-boy, we need to get out of here quickly!" Fukasaku urged. The imperfect Sage Mode Jiraiya used had its flaws—most notably, his energy would deplete faster, leaving him vulnerable once it was exhausted.
"Sage Art: Goemon!"
It was one of the strongest Fire Release techniques, a powerful combination jutsu involving fire, oil, and wind. Jiraiya and the two Toad Sages released a massive wave of chakra, turning the entire space into a sea of fire.
Even the Hungry Preta Path, which could absorb chakra, hesitated to step into the inferno.
Muzan gripped the Sword tightly, using his blood demon arts to shield himself. As the flames roared, he narrowly dodged Goemon's blazing inferno.
The heat wave burned everything in its path, turning anything in front of it to ash. Even the rocks around Muzan began to melt, and he marveled at the intensity of the flames.
"Jiraiya truly is the strongest of Konoha's Sannin. This move could incinerate most ninja instantly," Muzan thought.
The flames continued to burn, fueled by the toad oil lingering in the air, threatening to spread out of control.
"We have to go now!" Fukasaku urged, seeing their enemies forced back. This was their best chance to escape.
Jiraiya didn't need to be told twice. Unlike his original fight with Pain, Muzan's presence tipped the scales. There was no winning this battle.
But escaping wouldn't be easy.
Muzan's form shifted, assuming the posture of a Snake Sage. Snakes coiled behind him, their tongues flicking as they sensed Jiraiya's movements. Muzan could feel the ebb of Jiraiya's chakra, knowing he was conserving energy for a quick getaway.
Muzan wouldn't let such a formidable foe escape unscathed. On the battlefield, someone like Jiraiya could tip the balance against even a warrior like Pakura.
"Blood Demon Art: Spine Stab!"
The snakes behind Muzan stiffened and morphed into venomous bone spikes. With a surge of strength, Muzan launched them through the wall of flames, creating a momentary vacuum that exposed Jiraiya's position.
"Crack!"
A bone spike pierced Jiraiya's arm, and poison quickly spread through his veins, causing him to drop to the ground.
"Cough... cough..." Jiraiya gasped, clutching his bleeding arm. Even with his injury, he managed to summon his strength one last time.
"Toad Mouth Bind!"
The walls around him transformed into the stomach of a giant toad, pulling Jiraiya into its protective folds, shielding him from Muzan's view.
Muzan watched dispassionately as Jiraiya disappeared. Nagato's condition was more of a concern. The battle had drained his life force, making it harder to control the Six Paths of Pain.
As the tension thickened, Konan rose, sensing Muzan's growing greed. She positioned herself in front of him, her voice sharp with warning.
"Muzan, you're smart enough to know when not to cross a line," Konan warned.
"Relax, Konan. I'm not Orochimaru," Muzan replied nonchalantly. He could sense Nagato's fatigue. "With Nagato's strength waning, your plans might fall apart. If things go south, you could always join me. Become a demon. With your abilities, you'd make a powerful ally."
"The Six Paths of Pain could be a high-ranking member—a true force among the Twelve Demon Moons!"
A partner, not just a subordinate. Muzan saw Nagato as a key ally. With the Rinnegan, Nagato could dominate any rebellious demons.
"Become a demon?" Konan repeated, eyeing Muzan suspiciously. She knew the offer was a trap, but Nagato's frailty was no illusion. How long could he hold on?
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