Naruto: I'm in Konoha, my name is Uzumaki Menma

Chapter 269 Jiraiya: Yahiko... is dead?!

Amidst the rain, Xiao Nan floated in the air, her pure white paper wings fluttering slightly, the rain unable to wet her in the slightest.

She looked down at Jiraiya with a cold gaze.

"Answer me, Minami!" Jiraiya's voice, filled with pain and confusion, pierced through the pattering rain.

"Where are Yahiko and Nagato? Why has Akatsuki become like this, harboring those dangerous rogue ninja? What exactly are you trying to do?!" He stared intently at Konan, trying to find a trace of the past on her expressionless face.

"As a teacher, I absolutely cannot stand by and watch you all fall into depravity!"

Xiao Nan's lips trembled slightly, her voice as cold as the icy rain: "Teacher, you have no idea what kind of pain we went through! You left back then, but now you're putting on this teacher's act, trying to stop our cause?"

"Pain is no reason for depravity!" Jiraiya roared, his hands quickly forming hand seals: "Fire Release: Great Flame Bullet!"

A fireball, hotter and larger than before, spewed from his mouth, carrying the momentum to burn everything, and roared towards Xiao Nan in the air.

The intense heat instantly evaporated the rainwater along the path, creating a white channel of water vapor.

Xiao Nan's eyes narrowed, and with a wave of her hands, the paper surrounding her instantly converged and hardened, forming a huge paper shield with sharp edges. At the same time, more paper swept towards the fireball like a blizzard.

"Paper Release: Dance of Shikigami!"

boom--! ! !
Another huge explosion rang out, with flames and burning paper scraps flying everywhere. The powerful shockwave cracked the walls of the surrounding alleyways, and rubble and water were thrown violently in all directions.

The thick smoke and steam from the explosion temporarily obscured visibility.

Using the momentum of the explosion, Jiraiya nimbly rolled to the side and backward.

He seized the moment when Xiao Nan's attention was diverted due to the explosion, and his chest bulged again!

"Ninja Art: Toad Oil Bomb!"

A large stream of thick, slippery, foul-smelling black oil shot out precisely like a high-pressure water gun, drenching Xiao Nan and the paper wings around her!

Caught off guard, Xiao Nan's pristine white paper wings and clothes were instantly soaked in oil, becoming heavy and sticky.

She tried to manipulate the paper to separate or attack, but the paper, stained with toad oil, lost its lightness and flexibility, as if glued on, making it difficult to control. She fell from the air.

'Oh no…' Xiao Nan thought with a start.

Just as she landed and was still unsteady on her feet, Jiraiya pressed his advantage!
"Ninjutsu: Needle Jizo!"

His wild white hair instantly grew and hardened wildly, like a living silver waterfall, or like countless tough steel wires, which flashed towards Xiao Nan!

Having been stained with toad oil and having her movements restricted, Xiao Nan was unable to dodge effectively and was instantly bound tightly by the hard and resilient long hair, unable to move.

“Once your Paper Release technique gets stained with oil, it will be difficult to use.” Jiraiya took a few steps closer, looking at Konan, who was bound by his long hair, covered in oil, and looked somewhat disheveled. A complex look flashed in his eyes as he continued to press for answers.

"Minami, I remember you were the most fond of origami and the gentlest of the three children... Tell me, what happened to make you like this? Where are Yahiko and Nagato? Where are they now?"

Xiao Nan lowered her eyelids, her long eyelashes stained with oil and rainwater. She remained silent and did not answer.

But her tightly pursed lips and slightly trembling shoulders revealed her inner turmoil.

Seeing that she still didn't answer, Jiraiya took a deep breath and pressed on, "Then, let me guess. The current leader of Akatsuki, that mysterious figure known as 'Pain'... is it Yahiko? Or... Nagato?"

Konan finally raised her head, her pale purple eyes staring intently at Jiraiya, filled with indescribable emotions. She spoke slowly, her voice hollow: "Do you regret it, Jiraiya-sensei?"

"Regret?" Jiraiya was taken aback.

"I regret not listening to Orochimaru back then..." Konan's voice was soft, but it was like a cold awl piercing Jiraiya's heart.

"Are you thinking, 'If only I had listened to him back then and killed the three of us war orphans directly?'"

These words were like a key, instantly unlocking the floodgates of Jiraiya's long-sealed memories.

More than twenty years ago, at the end of the Second Shinobi World War, in the Land of Rain.

They, the "Three Legendary Sannin," had just fought an earth-shattering battle against Hanzo the Salamander, earning them the title of "Three Legendary Sannin."

On the devastated battlefield, they encountered three ragged, emaciated war orphans.

Konan, Yahiko, and Nagato.

At that moment, Orochimaru suggested in his hoarse and cold voice: "Kill them, Jiraiya. Most war orphans end up tragically, struggling in pain and despair for years before dying silently. Rather than that, let's give them a quick death now. I guarantee they won't feel any pain."

At that time, Jiraiya looked into the eyes of the three children, especially Yahiko, whose eyes were filled with the will to survive and the indomitable light. He resolutely rejected Orochimaru's cold suggestion and took the initiative to stay and take care of and teach them.

Images from the past flashed through his mind, and Jiraiya's gaze shifted from a momentary daze to unwavering resolve. He shook his head and said to Konan with absolute certainty:

"No! I never thought that way!"

"As your teacher, I just feel...very sad." Jiraiya's tone turned somber, filled with deep helplessness and heartache: "I taught you the skills to survive in this chaotic world, and instilled in you what I considered to be correct ideas and the way of the ninja. Without a doubt, the three of you are all disciples whom I, Jiraiya, acknowledge!"

He changed the subject, his tone tinged with self-deprecation and bitterness: "But now, you've attacked me, your teacher, without even a word of explanation... It's truly disheartening for a teacher like me."

He looked at Konan, trying to awaken a trace of her old feelings with his words: "After leaving the Land of Rain, I have been keeping track of your news. I heard that you recruited some like-minded friends, established the 'Akatsuki' organization, and demonstrated considerable strength in several wars and conflicts, becoming famous throughout the Land of Rain."

“I was once proud of you… and then, nothing happened. You all seemed to have vanished into thin air. I thought… you all died in some conflict.”

Jiraiya's voice was filled with deep regret, but then it sharpened: "But I never expected that the next time I heard news about the Akatsuki organization, it would be that you had taken in S-rank rogue ninjas from various countries and turned into a mercenary organization that served the interests of great powers and even participated in the destruction of nations! Tell me, why is that?!"

Konan turned her head away, avoiding Jiraiya's burning gaze, her voice still icy: "Sensei... you have no idea... what we went through after that..."

"I don't know what you've been through!" Jiraiya interrupted her, his voice filled with suppressed anger and heartache.

"But that is absolutely no reason for you to abandon your original intentions and fall into darkness! The Akatsuki organization was once dedicated to changing the war-torn Land of Rain, so that people could understand each other and live in peace! Why has it turned out like this?! Why?!"

"Because... that's an answer derived through one's own suffering. Jiraiya-sensei."

Just then, a voice devoid of any emotion came from a nearby tower, clearly drowning out the sound of rain.

Jiraiya was suddenly jolted and looked up abruptly!

At the edge of the tower, a figure was standing.

He had an orange ponytail, wore a black robe embroidered with red clouds, and had several strange, black, stick-like objects stuck in his face, ears, and neck.

What's most striking about him are his eyes.

His purple eyes, radiating outwards like ripples, exuded a godlike indifference and majesty.

Samsara Eye!
Jiraiya's pupils suddenly contracted. Although the voice, appearance, and temperament were completely different from the introverted red-haired boy in his memory, he would never mistake those legendary eyes!

“Those eyes… there’s no mistake…” Jiraiya’s voice was hoarse with disbelief: “Nagato… it’s you?!”

He stared intently at the figure high above and pressed, "So, the leader of Akatsuki, 'Pain,' is you... Nagato, tell me, what exactly happened that led you down this path?"

Nagato, controlling the Animal Path Pain, looked down indifferently at Jiraiya with his Rinnegan, his voice devoid of any inflection: "This is none of your business, Jiraiya-sensei."

“An outsider?” Jiraiya’s heart clenched as if it had been ripped apart. He said with a heavy heart, “Nagato… you’ve changed. You’ve changed so much that I almost don’t recognize you.”

He recalled a heart-to-heart talk he had with Nagato more than twenty years ago, when Nagato said he wanted to protect Yahiko and Minami, no matter what pain they would have to endure.

Animal Path Pain ignored Jiraiya's sentiments, slowly raising his hands to form a summoning jutsu hand seal.

"Psychic art!"

As he spoke, a huge psychic array instantly appeared on the wall of the tower behind him, and smoke exploded!

A gigantic crab-like spirit beast, wielding two enormous pincers, suddenly appeared!
"Gurgle—" The giant crab opened its mouth and suddenly spat out countless sticky, slippery bubbles, which swept towards Jiraiya like a wave!

These bubbles not only forced Jiraiya to untie Konan's hair and leap backward to avoid them, but also began to rapidly break down and wash away the sticky toad oil the moment they touched Konan's body!

"What?!" Jiraiya exclaimed in surprise.

Once she regained her mobility, Konan immediately manipulated the still-unwashed paper and broke free. Although she was still somewhat disheveled, her paper-escape ability was rapidly recovering.

The giant crab-like summon, wielding its massive pincers, charged menacingly towards Jiraiya!
"Lion's Mane Technique!" Jiraiya reacted extremely quickly, once again manipulating his hardened and elongated hair, which coiled around the crab's huge claws and body like a nimble silver snake, and suddenly exerted force!
Click!

Boom!

The giant crab spirit beast was shredded and severed by his hair, turning into a puff of white smoke and disappearing.

Jiraiya pulled his hair back, his gaze once more fixed on the Animal Path Pain high above, his voice trembling with disbelief: "Nagato! Answer me! Where is Yahiko?! Where is Yahiko?!"

Animal Path Pain's tone remained eerily calm, as if he were discussing something trivial: "That guy... he's long dead."

"Dead...dead?!" Like a bolt from the blue, Jiraiya froze on the spot. Although he had guessed it, hearing the news from Nagato's mouth still made him feel dizzy and extremely sad.

Yahiko, that boy who shone like the sun, full of ideals and leadership qualities, actually...

Moreover, Nagato's tone... was so cold!
This is completely different from the boy he remembered who cherished his companions and said his wish was to protect Yahiko and Minami!

"What on earth happened?! Tell me! Nagato!" Jiraiya almost roared as he asked. He couldn't understand what kind of traumatic experience could change a person to such an extent.

Animal Path Pain's Rinnegan looked at him indifferently, as if looking down on a small and ignorant mortal: "It's nothing. Death happens every day in this place; it's just a normal thing."

“The once ignorant child has grown into an adult who can see the truth of the world after experiencing enough pain.”

"Abandoning Yahiko, such an important friend, is this what you call growth?!" Jiraiya demanded angrily. For the first time, Pain's Animal Path voice carried a slight tremor, a kind of indifference that transcended mortal emotions, bordering on divine. "Jiraiya-sensei, you are nothing but a mortal, bound by worldly emotions. But I, after experiencing the endless suffering of this world, have grown from a mortal... into a god!"

"God?!" Jiraiya repeated the word in shock, almost thinking he had misheard.

“Exactly.” The Beast Path of Payne opened his arms as if embracing the cold rain and the world full of pain.

"It is because I became a god that I understand how insignificant the power of mortals is, and how fragile and laughable peace is that can be achieved through understanding and communication. Only by letting people experience the same pain firsthand, and through the trembling of suffering, can they truly understand the preciousness of peace and learn to understand one another! This is the 'peace' that the Akatsuki organization will bring to this world!"

He looked down at Jiraiya, as if proclaiming a divine judgment: "Of course, in order for the world to fully understand this pain, necessary punishment is essential. We will gather the scattered power and make the world feel true agony. Just like that emerging star nation did, we will sweep away the old order with absolute power!"

"The Land of Stars? Asura?" Jiraiya suddenly grasped the key words, and thinking of the mysterious boy who had just appeared in Amegakure, he hurriedly asked, "What is your connection with that Asura?"

In an instant, Nagato's mind flashed back to the terrifying attack that descended from the sky during the attack on the Land of Stars, an attack containing destructive power that even made him, who possessed the power of the Rinnegan, feel a chill.

He paused for a moment before coldly saying in the Animal Path of Payne, "That guy... has something in common with my ultimate goal, but he chose a different path."

He didn't elaborate, but the fear he expressed and the subtle attitude of regarding Shura as some kind of "kindred spirit" or "competitor" set off alarm bells in Jiraiya's mind.

Even Nagato, who possessed the Rinnegan, gave that Asura such a review...

“Then, as your teacher…” Jiraiya took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing all his shock, sadness, anger, and doubt, his eyes regaining their firmness and sharpness: “I have no choice but to stop you here!”

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly leaped backward, his hands rapidly forming hand seals in the air before slamming them down onto the ground!

"Psychic art!"

A huge cloud of smoke exploded, and a massive toad appeared at Jiraiya's feet, wielding a giant iron fork and shield, with the character "孝" (filial piety) wrapped around its waist and a rolled belly. It was Gamaken.

Jiraiya stood atop Gamaken's broad head, striking what he considered a cool pose, ready to announce his name: "Speaking of which, I'm no longer an ordinary human! Gamaken Jiraiya, the Toad Sage..."

Before the word "up" could be uttered, Gamaken, standing on its feet, seemed to sway unnaturally due to nervousness or some other reason. Jiraiya, standing on its head, stumbled and almost fell. He barely managed to regain his balance, and his heroic posture vanished instantly.

From above, Pain, the Animal Path, watched this scene indifferently and commented calmly, "You haven't changed at all, Jiraiya-sensei."

"Hey! Gamaken!" Jiraiya jumped up and down in anger, complaining to the ground, "Don't mess with me when I'm trying to look cool!"

Gamaken replied in his distinctive, slow, and apologetic voice, "I'm sorry, Jiraiya-sama. It's because I'm just a clumsy and useless toad."

Jiraiya sighed helplessly, knowing that now was not the time to dwell on this.

His expression quickly turned serious. He smeared the specially made toad oil on his face, creating strange patterns, and then formed hand seals again.
Jiraiya knew all too well that, when facing Nagato, who possessed the legendary Rinnegan, any reservations would be fatal.

He needs to summon the two great sages, Fukasaku and Shima, to join forces and enter the strongest sage mode!

"Gamaken, I'm begging you, buy me some time!" Jiraiya said in a deep voice, then closed his eyes and began to concentrate, absorbing the surrounding natural energy.

This process takes time and cannot be seriously disturbed; he must rely on the toad to defend against possible attacks.

"I understand. Although I'm useless, I'll try my best," Hama Ken said in a simple and honest voice.

……

Meanwhile, inside the Akatsuki's secret base beneath Amegakure.

Through the perspective of Animal Path Pain, Nagato clearly "saw" Jiraiya preparing to enter Sage Mode.

His true form, hidden in the shadows, showed no change in expression on his gaunt face.

"Do you want to use Sage Mode... Jiraiya-sensei..." he muttered to himself, not paying much attention.

For him, who considered himself a "god," Jiraiya's Sage Mode, though powerful, was nothing compared to the Rinnegan.

He knew a lot about Jiraiya's abilities, but Jiraiya lacked understanding of Nagato's current abilities and those Rinnegan eyes.

On the other side, beside Pain, Zetsu's figure reappeared from the ground, gesturing excitedly as he reported, "Boss, Hanzo of the Salamander has made another move. He's sent out a huge number of ninjas, probably more than twenty elite Anbu, heading towards Jiraiya's location!"

It seems that Hanzo already knows about the appearance of the boy with the Rinnegan.

Pain slowly floated up, a cold light flashing in his Rinnegan.

"As expected... you couldn't hold back any longer, Hanzo..." he said in a low voice, his figure drifting towards the base exit: "Perfect... it's time to settle old scores."

……

On the other side, on the top floor of "Regenerative Medicine Technology Company", in Amado's office.

Amado pushed up his orange glasses, his brows furrowed as he stared at the chaotic scene of battle and explosions in the northern part of Amegakure on the monitor screen, as well as the news of a large-scale mobilization of Amegakure's ANBU mentioned in the intelligence report.

He chose to set up his laboratory in the chaotic Amegakure because he saw that the place was easy to hide in and the various forces were intertwined, making it convenient for him to conduct research that would not be known to the outside world.

However, a huge storm seems to be brewing within Amegakure, which will undoubtedly affect his experimental progress and may even expose his existence.

"This is...troublesome," Amado muttered to himself, his face still maintaining its usual calm.

He habitually reached into his pocket, pulled out a cigarette case, put a cigarette in his mouth, and then reached into his pocket for a lighter.

There were no pockets on the jacket.

There were none in the pants pockets either.

He frowned slightly and rummaged through the pockets of his white coat.

Just then, a hand holding a lighter with an orange flame suddenly reached out in front of him.

Amado subconsciously put a cigarette in his mouth and leaned over to light it, but just as the flame was about to touch the cigarette butt, he suddenly realized something was wrong.

There shouldn't be a second person in his office!
Amado leaped backward like a startled rabbit, his movements so agile they seemed unlike those of a researcher, his back instantly soaked with cold sweat.

He stared in horror at the figure that had appeared beside his desk without him noticing.

A young boy with black hair and blue eyes was looking at him with a half-smile.

"Who are you?! How did you get in?!" Amado suppressed the turmoil in his heart and asked sharply, while his brain was working at high speed, trying to figure out the other party's identity and purpose.

Was it an assassin sent by their enemies?
Or were they ninjas hired by a competitor?
Mianma didn't answer his question. He calmly extinguished the flame of the lighter, then walked up to Amado and, under the other's wary gaze, gently stuffed the lighter back into the breast pocket of Amado's white coat.

"Don't panic, Dr. Amado." Menma's voice was calm, carrying a peculiar soothing power, yet also containing an air of authority.

"I'm just a ninja passing by. I'm here to help you solve some... troubles you haven't even realized yet."

"Trouble? What trouble?" Amado forced himself to calm down, pushed up his glasses, and tried to analyze the situation.

The fact that the other party was able to sneak into this heavily guarded place without anyone noticing, and even knew my name, shows that their intelligence work was excellent.

However, the other party did not seem to have any intention of taking immediate action.

Menma didn't answer directly. Instead, he turned and walked to Amado's computer terminal, his gaze sweeping over the complex data streams on the screen about the life maintenance and gene sequences of the clones.

His gaze seemed to pierce through the cold data, revealing the unwavering dedication that Amado had poured countless hours of effort into.

"It seems that your cloning experiments..." Menma slowly began, his voice carrying a hint of understanding, "have been led astray by Jigen."

"What?!" Amado was struck dumb, his composure shattered instantly, replaced by extreme shock and disbelief!
Does the other party know Cixian?
His biggest sponsor and technical supporter, though mysterious, provided theories and some techniques that far surpassed the current level of the ninja world.

“Deviated from the intended course… What does that mean?!” Amado noticed the other person’s choice of words and couldn’t help but start recalling his experimental steps.

With his arms crossed, Mianma turned his head to the side, looking at Amado with his deep blue eyes, his tone calm yet every word piercing:

"Whether it is cloning technology or artificial human technology, their essence is to try to create life from nothing."

Mianma leaned against the control panel: "As for Cixian, he told you some knowledge about the essence of life and Yin-Yang Escape, but he didn't tell you, or rather, deliberately misled you about the most crucial point."

"Life is far more than a perfect replica of the physical body."

"The direction he gave you was destined to fail."

Menma pointed to the data of the failed experimental subjects on the screen and continued, amidst Amado's shock: "A clone will spontaneously generate its own completely new soul and personality. Your daughter Akabby's original soul has already followed the laws of this world and entered the Pure Land of Death."

"If you cannot find a way to bring her soul back from the Pure Land, then no matter how many clones you create, what you will ultimately get is just another person who has the appearance of your daughter, but whose inner self is a completely unfamiliar soul that has nothing to do with you."

Is this really what you want?

These words were like a cold, sharp knife, piercing deep into Amado's heart.

Amado was struck dumb, his composure shattering instantly. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and he instinctively retorted, "No...this is impossible...souls...pure lands...these are just folk superstitions..."

“Superstition?” Menma chuckled softly, his eyes deep. “When the chakra you use is itself the energy that connects the body and the spirit, even life and death, doesn’t the word ‘superstition’ seem too arrogant, Dr. Amado?”

Amado, who was usually calm and collected, froze on the spot, his mind flashing back to countless times the strange expressions and inexplicable life reactions of the clones when the experiments failed.

The doubts that had been deliberately guided by Cixian and masked by his own absolute confidence in science surged into his mind like a tide.

Could it be that... Cixian was exploiting his love and obsession with his daughter from the very beginning?
Under Cixian's guidance, he conducted so many experiments, but Cixian never mentioned anything about the realm of the soul to him!
Looking at Amado, who was in a state of great shock and confusion, Menma knew that he had achieved his goal.

'That Jiraiya guy, he'll draw attention away from things.' Outside the office window, the commotion in Amegakure seemed to be growing more intense.

Mianma walked towards the door, preparing to go and have a talk with Cixian.

(End of this chapter)