"That hair… that outline… that presence…"
Jiraiya muttered to himself, his heart clenched by an invisible hand.
He recognized him.
Though the temperament was completely different, that was unmistakably one of the three children he had once trained in the Land of Rain—the boy who carried a dream as bright as sunlight, who had sworn to change the world.
"…Yahiko?!"
But why were the Rinnegan in "Yahiko's" eyes?
Why were there five others with the same eyes?
Where was Nagato?
Where was Konan?
What had happened in the Land of Rain after he left?
A flood of questions and dread crashed over Jiraiya.
Only those hidden in the shadows of the shinobi world—members of the Akatsuki—understood immediately.
Pain had made his move.
The leader had personally come to Konoha to capture the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki.
The Invasion of the Six Paths of Pain
The Heavenly Screen unfolded like a brutal war documentary.
After assembling briefly, the six figures dispersed like phantoms, infiltrating Konoha from different directions.
Konoha's security system reacted quickly—but misjudged the threat, assuming there was only a single powerful intruder.
What followed was devastation.
Animal Path summoned enormous, ferocious creatures that rampaged through the village.
Asura Path unfolded mechanical weaponry, launching missiles and energy blasts.
Human Path, Preta Path, and Naraka Path moved with ruthless efficiency—capturing shinobi, extracting information, absorbing chakra, even interrogating souls.
Their objective was clear:
Find Naruto Uzumaki, the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki.
Scenes of Collapse
A Konoha jonin was effortlessly subdued. Human Path placed a hand atop his head and extracted his memories—finding nothing.
An ANBU squad attempted to intercept Animal Path's summons—only to be torn apart in moments.
Kakashi Hatake confronted the Deva Path.
Kamui clashed against Almighty Push (Shinra Tensei) and Universal Pull (Banshō Ten'in) in a breathtaking exchange.
But eventually—
The scene froze on Kakashi collapsing, chakra exhausted, lifeless.
Buildings crumbled under explosions and shockwaves. Civilian screams mingled with the roar of destruction.
Konoha, once peaceful and proud, had become a living hell.
Critical Intelligence
Elsewhere, Naraka Path captured Shizune while she coordinated medical evacuation.
Human Path pressed a hand to her forehead.
This time, they found what they were searching for:
Naruto Uzumaki had gone to Mount Myōboku to train in Sage Mode and had not yet returned.
Confrontation with the Fifth Hokage
Amid the ruins before the Hokage's Office, Tsunade stood bloodied yet unyielding.
Behind her—injured shinobi and terrified civilians.
In front of her—the Deva Path of Pain.
"Why?!" she roared. "Who are you people?! Why do this to Konoha?! What do you want?!"
Pain's expression did not change.
"Why? Do you need a reason?"
"Just as great nations use their strength to trample and exploit smaller ones—did you ever ask yourselves 'why'?"
"This is simply necessary to achieve our goal."
"You will now taste pain."
Tsunade's anguish deepened—not only for the village.
"For Jiraiya!" she shouted. "He was your teacher! He raised you for three years! How could you kill him?! Why?!"
At the name Jiraiya—
Pain fell silent.
Shockwaves Across the World
"Jiraiya is dead?!"
"They killed their own teacher?!"
"One of the Legendary Sannin?!"
The revelation sent the shinobi world into uproar.
Hokage's Office – Present Timeline
Tsunade turned sharply toward the real Jiraiya.
"Jiraiya… you really…?"
Gone was his usual grin.
Only bitterness remained.
"You've met them too, Tsunade," he said quietly. "Years ago, during our mission in the Land of Rain—we found three war orphans. I stayed behind… to teach them."
"The orange-haired boy… his name was Yahiko."
He admitted it.
The tragedy was undeniable.
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned deeply.
"You knew about the Rinnegan?" he pressed. "Why didn't you bring that child—or the information—back to Konoha?"
There was accusation in his voice.
Jiraiya did not answer immediately.
He lowered his head, burdened.
Tsunade exploded.
"Why? You want to know why?" she snapped. "Jiraiya may not say it—but he's not stupid!"
"He knows exactly how the higher-ups in Konoha operate—especially Root!"
"If he had brought a child with the Rinnegan back here—under your watch, under Danzo's—would that child have survived?!"
Her words struck like a blade.
A child possessing the legendary Rinnegan inside Konoha's political machinery—
The outcome would likely have been worse than death.
Hiruzen's face paled.
He could not refute her.
Because deep down—
He knew she was right.
Danzo would never have let such power remain uncontrolled.
And even if Hiruzen had known—
He might have done nothing.
For the sake of Konoha.
Pain's Final Answer
"I did not wish to kill him," Pain said at last. "I gave him more than one chance."
"But he was too stubborn."
"To achieve our objective… he had to die."
"What objective?" Tsunade demanded.
Pain looked at her with those rippling purple eyes.
"World peace."
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