Chapter 377: Naruto Arrives
"He's here!"
Inside the tree hollow, Li Yao sensed that Naruto had reached the base of the mountain and smiled faintly.
Although there had been some unexpected developments, the result was still the same as in the original story.
With the buff of both his parents, Naruto had little trouble dealing with a Pain who wasn't fighting at full strength.
Also, thanks to Kushina revealing the truth behind the Nine-Tails' attack years ago, as well as the fact that someone was manipulating Pain from behind the scenes...
Naruto now believed that Pain had been deceived by the masked man and had misunderstood Jiraiya-sensei's ideals of peace, which had led to everything that happened.
In short, though the hatred hadn't disappeared, some of it had shifted from Pain to the masked man—the true mastermind behind everything.
That was why Naruto stopped the others and insisted on facing the real Pain alone—to confirm the truth for himself.
Jiraiya followed Naruto through the interspatial gap.
Sensing the shift in Naruto's thoughts, Jiraiya could more or less guess what had changed in his heart. Even he felt admiration for Naruto's transformation in mindset.
But... that's no longer Nagato!
Jiraiya suddenly realized that the Nagato on the mountain summit was most likely being controlled by that bastard with powerful genjutsu abilities.
If Naruto went and let Nagato escape, it would be a disaster.
Jiraiya hoped Naruto would kill Nagato—or at least destroy the Rinnegan. He could not let those eyes fall into that bastard's hands.
Unfortunately, Jiraiya was just a reanimated ninja summoned by Li Yao and still under his control. Trapped in the interspatial gap, he couldn't do anything.
Naruto quickly arrived at the summit, tore open the giant tree formed by Konan's Paper Release, and entered the tree hollow. For the first time, he came face-to-face with his senior.
"So this is the one behind Pain... my senior?"
When Naruto saw the transformed Nagato for the first time, a trace of shock flickered in his eyes. He hadn't expected someone so powerful to be in such a weakened state.
A frail face and body, sitting in a wheelchair, with over a dozen black rods impaled into his back—he looked like he didn't have long to live.
This image was completely different from what Naruto had imagined.
But it was precisely this image that made Naruto feel a subtle connection.
Almost instinctively, the moment he laid eyes on this senior, Naruto knew—this man must have endured unimaginable pain.
But... that didn't justify killing Jiraiya-sensei and destroying Konoha.
Naruto's eyes still carried killing intent as he looked at Nagato.
Some hatred, even if understood, could never be forgiven.
Whoosh!
Konan instantly stepped in front of Nagato, staring at Naruto with intense caution.
Li Yao spoke coldly: "Uzumaki Naruto, you dare to come this close to me—how reckless."
With that, Li Yao raised his hand and shot out a black rod. Naruto didn't dodge. It struck him in the stomach, but fortunately, he grabbed the rod before it could pierce all the way through.
Still, for Naruto to pull out the rod after being struck, and at such close range, stunned Konan.
Li Yao, however, wasn't surprised—he had held back.
Besides, Naruto was currently in Sage Mode. With that and the rampaging Nine-Tails chakra, it wasn't surprising that he could endure a suppressed attack.
Huh... where's that bastard?
Jiraiya searched all over the interspatial space but couldn't find Li Yao, growing even more confused.
Could it be that, with the defeat of the Six Paths of Pain, that guy lost control over Nagato?
Jiraiya kept a close eye on Nagato, trying to find any traces of control.
But, unfortunately, the current Nagato didn't show the slightest flaw.
Nagato and Naruto began a conversation as senior and junior. Following the original plot, Li Yao narrated the story between Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan.
From the murder of Nagato's parents by Konoha shinobi, to meeting Yahiko and Konan, then becoming Jiraiya's students, and finally to Yahiko's death—caused by Danzo's schemes—by Nagato's own hand.
Scene after scene, tragedy upon tragedy. Compared to Naruto's childhood of being ostracized, it was hard to say which pain was greater. It depended on the person.
After all, no one in this world could truly feel another's pain.
But without a doubt, from Nagato's point of view, his revenge against Konoha was completely justified.
Yet throughout everything, Nagato had always acted for the ideal of peace—not merely to get revenge on Konoha.
Otherwise, back when he gained the strength to kill Hanzo the Salamander, he could've unleashed a Shinra Tensei on Konoha and made them feel the same pain of losing their home.
Nagato didn't do that. He always prioritized the dream of peace shared by Jiraiya and Yahiko.
Naruto said he had killed his teacher, Jiraiya.
On the internet in a past life, people always said Nagato killing Jiraiya was inexcusable.
But in Li Yao's view, there was nothing for Nagato to explain or justify.
As leader of Akatsuki, once Jiraiya infiltrated Amegakure, their relationship changed from teacher and student to enemies representing opposing villages and factions.
Letting Jiraiya go free to gather intel and exploit Nagato's weaknesses, only to return later during the battle for the Nine-Tails and kill Nagato?
Konan's fate wouldn't be any better. She wouldn't sit by and watch Nagato die—she'd fight to the death, and meet the same end.
That's the consequence Nagato and Konan would have faced if they had spared Jiraiya.
Some might say Jiraiya wouldn't have killed Nagato and Konan, given his personality.
And then what?
Because Jiraiya chose not to kill them, Nagato and Konan should abandon everything, become pacifists, and turn into saints who believed in mutual understanding?
That's like saying someone who killed your parents spared your life because you were still young—so you should be grateful and forgive your parents' murderer in return.
Otherwise, you're a villain with no redemption.
Whenever someone claimed Nagato killing Jiraiya was unjustifiable, Li Yao felt deeply annoyed.
Jiraiya had invaded Nagato's base, threatened both his and Konan's lives, and disrupted their entire peace plan—how could he not retaliate?
Just because Jiraiya was his teacher?
If Nagato's resolve for peace was that easily shaken, he might as well have killed himself and saved everyone the trouble.
In Li Yao's eyes, Nagato had done nothing wrong.
Of course, that was just Li Yao's opinion.
Nagato's entire code of conduct had always revolved around achieving peace. Whether it was killing Jiraiya or capturing the Nine-Tails this time, it was all for his vision of peace.
That much—no one could criticize.
Even Naruto, after hearing Nagato's story and emotional journey, was left speechless. He had no words to refute it.
Perhaps it was coincidence—or perhaps fate.
Nagato's actions, carried out not for personal hatred but for the sake of peace, became in Naruto's eyes a form of mutual understanding—letting go of hatred.
After all, with what Nagato had experienced, he still pursued peace rather than seek pure revenge on Konoha with his power.
Killing Jiraiya was because Jiraiya posed a threat to the peace plan.
Even this attack on Konoha was ultimately to capture the Nine-Tails in pursuit of peace—not just for senseless revenge.
Nagato harbored hatred in his heart, but he also had the strength to stop it from spreading—for the sake of peace. That deeply moved Naruto, even if he still couldn't forgive him for killing Jiraiya-sensei.
(END CHAPTER)
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