บท 268: Chapter 268: Being duped again by Kagura
The battle intensified!
Jiraiya felt increasingly endangered!
The Six Paths of Pain had completely blocked all his routes!
Every counterattack or breakout attempt by Jiraiya was effortlessly neutralized by the Six Paths of Pain. Their shared vision left no blind spots, making it nearly impossible for Jiraiya to defeat even one of them. Death was closing in on him step by step!
"Hah..."
Jiraiya kicked the Asura Path Pain, but a blade on its body cut a long gash on his leg, causing blood to spurt out from his thigh!
"Huff... Am I going to die here?"
Gasping for breath, Jiraiya's gaze constantly shifted among the Six Paths of Pain.
These six puppets, like emotionless killing machines, stared at him coldly and mercilessly, ready to deliver a fatal blow at any moment! His ninjutsu would be absorbed by the Preta Path Pain, his taijutsu would be blocked by the Asura and Tendo Path Pains, and any hard-won escape would be pulled back by the Tendo Path Pain's gravitational force!
Boom!
The Asura Path Pain extended its arms!
Shells shot rapidly towards Jiraiya!
Jiraiya leaped onto the rock wall, but was still hit by one of the shells, which blasted his body away. He landed in a half-crouch, barely holding himself up!
"This is the end..."
Jiraiya squinted his eyes, forced to consider the reality that this reckless action might lead to his death. He had to find a way to pass on some important information before dying! Information about the Six Paths of Pain and Nagato, as well as the collusion between Akihara Kagura and the Akatsuki, must be conveyed to the people of Konoha!
But...
Who could he entrust with this?
He couldn't summon the giant toads here, and any smaller toads would likely be killed by the Six Paths of Pain...
What should he do?
How could he pass on the information!
"No, this won't do..."
"I must find a way, there has to be a way..."
Jiraiya's mind raced, though it felt blank, and an image of someone appeared in his mind.
It was the last Naruto he had taken on in his life, Uzumaki Naruto.
The Great Toad Sage had once said he would take on a child destined to bring about a revolution in the ninja world. It wasn't Minato, who sacrificed for Konoha, nor Yahiko, who was killed, and certainly not Nagato, Konan, or Akihara Kagura...
The only one left...
Was Uzumaki Naruto.
That stubborn and tenacious child...
Would surely change the fate of the ninja world, just as the Great Toad Sage had predicted.
Suddenly, Jiraiya felt a sense of relief. Perhaps dying here wasn't so bad, and there was no need to convey too much information.
The previous Hokages had already been resurrected by the Edo Tensei, and he heard Minato was teaching Naruto. He might have already taught Naruto how to use Sage Mode...
Moreover...
With the previous Hokages in Konoha...
The power of the Four Hokages might be enough to defeat Akihara Kagura.
Akihara Kagura was just an experiment of the Wood Release, unlikely to be a match for the First Hokage. There seemed to be no need for Jiraiya to worry or do much...
Since he had already identified the child of prophecy before his death, he just needed to trust in the Great Toad Sage's prediction and quietly accept his fate.
Speaking of death...
Jiraiya thought of his old friend. He had heard of Orochimaru's death but never felt like this before: "Speaking of which, what was Orochimaru like when he died? I didn't expect to follow in his footsteps so soon..."
"Farewell, Jiraiya-sensei!"
The Tendo Path Pain wouldn't care about Jiraiya's final thoughts. It abruptly raised its black rod, and the other Pains simultaneously raised their black rods!
The six Pains leaped into the air, raising their black rods to pierce Jiraiya's body, ensuring his certain death!
"Watch out!"
Konan cried out, raising her head sharply!
"Hiss hiss..."
Suddenly, a small white snake appeared on the cliff!
In an instant, the small white snake grew into a giant white python, plunging vertically down the cliff, opening its bloody maw and swallowing Jiraiya whole!
As soon as the snake swallowed Jiraiya, it transformed into countless small white snakes that scattered, infiltrating every corner of the Akatsuki base under the watchful eyes of the Pains!
Clearly, the snake's purpose was to save Jiraiya.
"!!!"
All six Pains' attacks missed!
Tendo Path Pain's expression changed dramatically, and the six Pains quickly pursued the small white snakes fleeing through the Akatsuki base!
"What is happening?"
Nagato gritted his teeth, watching the escaping white snakes with unease: "Jiraiya-sensei's summon is a toad, why would a snake save him..."
"Could it be Orochimaru..."
Konan immediately thought of the unfriendly Orochimaru.
"Then why would he save Jiraiya-sensei?"
Nagato couldn't answer his own question after raising it, but urged anxiously: "Now is not the time to discuss this, we must quickly find Jiraiya-sensei's location, we cannot let him escape!"
If Jiraiya escaped...
Akihara Kagura's identity would be exposed!
At that time, the Akatsuki would have a tough battle capturing the Nine-Tails!
"Don't worry..."
Konan quickly reassured Nagato, speaking softly: "All the stone walls of this base are my origami, I can find his location..."
Konan's hands moved swiftly!
The rock walls and ground of the Akatsuki base transformed into countless pieces of paper!
Some of the small white snakes moving along the rock walls were immediately wrapped in paper and suffocated to death!
These small white snakes seemed to sense something was wrong. Some of them suddenly grew larger, transforming directly into giant white pythons, and started crawling towards the base's entrance!
Some pieces of origami slowly turned into paper airplanes, flying around the Akatsuki base. Whenever these paper airplanes saw a moving white python, they would quickly attach themselves to its body and explode, tearing the python into two pieces!
Clearly...
These pieces of origami were all hidden explosive tags.
However, despite this, the white pythons would sometimes turn back into small white snakes and then back into giant pythons again, endlessly trying to escape!
When it comes to escaping...
This little white snake has never lost!
"They must not escape..."
Nagato quickly formed a series of hand signs, and his body floated up under the influence of gravity, moving step by step towards the outside of the Akatsuki base.
Nagato stood directly at the base's entrance, clasped his hands together, and looked up at the sky: "Rain Tiger at Will Technique!"
The rain in the sky intensified.
Each drop of this rain contained Nagato's chakra.
If any drop fell where it shouldn't, Nagato would immediately sense it!
However...
This technique was somewhat unnecessary.
Because the moment a giant white python escaped the Akatsuki base, it opened its mouth and spat out Jiraiya. The heir of Mount Myoboku couldn't stay inside the snake's belly for long; otherwise, he might suffocate and be digested to death.
"Cough, cough, cough..."
Jiraiya coughed and gagged.
Seeing Jiraiya, Nagato felt a bit relieved, and he summoned the Six Paths of Pain, planning to besiege Jiraiya once more.
However...
Jiraiya's words halted the actions of the Six Paths of Pain.
"Orochimaru..."
Jiraiya looked at the white python with a grim expression: "Weren't you already killed by Uchiha Sasuke?"
"It was just a play..."
The white python opened its bloody mouth again and spat out a long-haired man, who was Orochimaru, always lurking in the shadows: "If I were still alive, I would eventually be hunted by the successive Hokages. I used my supposed death at Sasuke's hands as a cover to escape..."
"I saved your life out of good intentions..."
Orochimaru shook his head, looking at the still grim-faced Jiraiya, and chuckled: "Heh, Jiraiya, if it weren't for me, you would have been killed just now. At least show a bit of gratitude, right?"
"By the way..."
Orochimaru looked at Jiraiya and continued with a smile: "I just watched a rather entertaining show and learned some very interesting secrets. Who would have thought that the Hokage's advisor in Konoha would be colluding with the Akatsuki..."
"..."
Jiraiya's expression turned grim.
Nothing could be more embarrassing for Jiraiya than this moment.
For so long, Akihara Kagura had been his pride, but now it was revealed that he had colluded with the Akatsuki, and Orochimaru had overheard this...
Truly...
Embarrassing and humiliating.
However...
Now was not the time to worry about dignity. Jiraiya was not a person who cared about face, and he hurriedly said, "Orochimaru, help me deliver this news to Tsunade..."
"Do you still dream of escaping?"
Tendo Path Pain stood in front of Nagato, coldly staring at Jiraiya and Orochimaru: "Today, no matter what, you can't escape from here!"
"In fact, I've known about Akihara Kagura colluding with the Akatsuki for a long time..."
Orochimaru chuckled, not looking at Tendo Path Pain, but at his old friend: "Jiraiya, do you want to know something even more interesting?"
"What is it?"
Jiraiya frowned.
"Akihara Kagura..."
Orochimaru looked at Jiraiya with an increasingly intense smile: "At the beginning, he was a spy I planted in Konoha. Unfortunately, he grew stronger and slipped out of my control..."
"!!!"
Jiraiya's face immediately darkened as if it were about to rain.
No wonder...
No wonder ten years ago...
When Akihara Kagura and I attacked the Akatsuki, Orochimaru was watching the show. At that time, he was already colluding with Akihara Kagura!
What else has my student...
Been hiding from me?
Orochimaru grinned, glancing at Jiraiya, and then at Tendo Path Pain: "Ten years ago, when Jiraiya was chasing me, to divert his attention, I ordered Kagura to leak information about the Akatsuki, which led to the pursuit of its leader..."
"I know."
Tendo Path Pain frowned, impatiently continuing: "To divert Jiraiya-sensei and Konoha's attention, Kagura conspired with us to leak your whereabouts to Jiraiya-sensei..."
"..."
Orochimaru's smile suddenly faded.
"Pfft, cough, cough, cough..."
Jiraiya felt like this was not the time to laugh.
Because his own student had always been in cahoots with so many of Konoha's enemies, but seeing Orochimaru being thwarted, he couldn't help but want to laugh.
"Akihara Kagura!"
Orochimaru gritted his teeth, his voice suddenly growing louder: "Akihara Kagura, come out quickly and tell me, how much have you hidden from me..."
"Kagura is here too?"
Jiraiya immediately looked around uneasily.
"He told me about your reconnaissance mission to the Akatsuki..."
Orochimaru scanned his surroundings, suddenly feeling a bit uneasy: "Wait... where is that guy hiding? Why hasn't he shown up as we planned? What is he trying to do?"
What's going on?
Where is that bastard Akihara Kagura?
Didn't he say he would come too?
What is that bastard trying to do? Does he want Jiraiya to die here? Why would he still send me to save Jiraiya? Does he want both Jiraiya and me to die here?
"What is that guy thinking..."
Orochimaru's heart sank suddenly, recalling the times he had been tricked by Akihara Kagura, feeling as if he had fallen into a trap...
"Kagura is not here."
Nagato was very confident in his Rain Tiger at Will technique.
Because the Rain Tiger at Will technique could detect any hidden enemies, no one could escape the rain in this area. He had already sensed that there was no one else around.
Only Jiraiya and Orochimaru were here.
"..."
Orochimaru's arm couldn't help but tremble.
That bastard...
Did he deceive me again?
Tendo Path Pain looked at Orochimaru and calmly continued: "Orochimaru, if Kagura didn't want me to kill Jiraiya-sensei, he would only need to tell me..."
Tendo Path Pain's expression gradually grew colder, and he began to condense a black rod in his hand: "Or are you trying to use these words to make me distrust him? To make me let you and Jiraiya-sensei go?"
"Don't even think about it."
"No matter what, you will both die here today!"
"..."
Orochimaru trembled with anger.
Not because of Tendo Path Pain's words, but because he had been deceived!
That bastard had specially run to the laboratory under the Root base, told me about the information that Jiraiya might die while investigating the Akatsuki, and agreed to appear when I said I couldn't defeat Nagato...
Now...
What is that bastard trying to do?
"Orochimaru, don't think too much..."
Jiraiya looked at the seemingly furious Orochimaru and comforted his old friend. He looked at the enemy in front of them and continued to ask: "Anyway, thanks for saving me. By the way, Orochimaru, how long has it been since we fought side by side..."
"I don't know, I have no interest in fighting..."
Orochimaru took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in his heart. He only knew that he had definitely been duped by Akihara Kagura.
Anyway...
Things have come to this point...
Is that bastard Akihara Kagura trying to wipe out both him and Jiraiya?
Or... wait...
Orochimaru's gaze fell on Nagato's Rinnegan, recalling Nagato's conjecture about the Sage of Six Paths' eyes and body, feeling a bad premonition.
Some words Nagato said came to mind...
The eyes of a sage and the body of a sage are both powers of the Sage of Six Paths.
The possessor of the eyes of a sage might not have the body of a sage, but the possessor of the body of a sage might be able to obtain the eyes of a sage...
After all...
Replacing eyes is just a minor surgery.
Orochimaru's heart sank lower and lower, and he couldn't help but have a suspicion.
That bastard...
Is he planning to make him and Jiraiya exhaust Nagato's strength and then suddenly appear to seize Nagato's Rinnegan? Otherwise, why would he send him to the Akatsuki to save Jiraiya?
It must be so!
It definitely must be so!
When Orochimaru thought of this, his arm trembled even more!
Orochimaru had already envisioned his and Jiraiya's fate!
When they had exhausted Nagato's chakra, or even died in battle with Nagato and the Six Paths of Pain, that bastard Akihara Kagura would definitely appear to attack Nagato!
Nagato was still chattering about his alliance with Akihara Kagura, but Orochimaru did not believe Akihara Kagura would honor any alliance...
Because Orochimaru himself was a victim of such an alliance!
"Hey, Orochimaru, what are you thinking?"
Jiraiya looked at Orochimaru's uncertain expression and then at the rain in the sky, with a nostalgic smile on his face: "Are you thinking of our most dangerous battle? It seemed to be in the Land of Rain, fighting Hanzo the Salamander..."
"Idiot..."
Orochimaru turned and cursed at Jiraiya, his eyes clearly showing a trace of anger: "If I had killed those three little brats from the Land of Rain back then, this wouldn't be happening now, and I might not be about to die here because of you, you idiot!"
"But at that time..."
Jiraiya frowned, wanting to argue!
"Jiraiya!"
Orochimaru interrupted Jiraiya, looking angrily at his stunned old friend: "This battle is definitely a scheme by your student. If the situation turns unfavorable, I will immediately escape!"
"..."
Jiraiya fell silent, looking at Orochimaru's angry face, and slowly nodded: "Alright, I will cover you."
~~~
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