Morkel glanced back into the dense forest behind him.
For a moment, he thought he saw Jiraiya-sensei's silhouette standing there—eyes full of pride and unspoken expectations.
A tear silently slipped down the corner of Morkel's eye.
The breeze stirred his red hair and brushed gently across his cheek, almost as if Jiraiya himself were wiping away his tears.
When Morkel opened his eyes again, they had transformed into blood-red Mangekyō Sharingan.
The windmill-shaped pattern in his pupils spun rapidly—evolving.
---
The Land of Water
On a winding path through misty terrain, Naruto suddenly clutched his chest, a sharp pain tearing through his heart.
Mizuki, walking just behind him, noticed the change.
"Naruto… there's an uncle behind you," she said hesitantly.
"Huh? What do you mean—?"
Before Naruto could finish his sentence, he dropped to his knees, his breath shaky.
Sasuke rushed forward, kneeling beside him. "Naruto! Are you okay?"
Naruto's voice trembled, his hands over his chest. "I don't know… I just felt like Pervy Sage… he was here just now…"
---
The Land of Fire – Konohagakure
The setting sun cast golden light across the Hidden Leaf Village. Tsunade sat alone on a park bench, her shadow long and still.
Though her expression was calm, the sorrow in her eyes was unmistakable.
Children laughed and played in the distance, their energy a faint reminder of happier days.
A sudden breeze passed through the park.
A toad jumped gently to Tsunade's feet.
Her lips tightened. Her body trembled.
"Bastard… I should've gone with you…"
---
As Morkel reached the border between the Land of Fire and the Rain Country, a masked Anbu agent appeared in front of him.
"Yamato-sensei?" Morkel blinked in confusion.
Yamato removed his mask with a stiff smile. "Long time no see, Morkel."
"This a coincidence… or something official?" Morkel asked.
"Hokage-sama needs you back. Immediately."
"Can you tell me what for?"
Yamato hesitated, visibly uncomfortable.
Finally, he replied, "The Fifth Hokage will explain everything herself."
Without another word, Morkel disappeared, activating the Flying Thunder God seal he'd left in the Hokage's office.
Yamato sighed. "Could've taken me with him. I am his teacher… kind of…"
---
Hokage's Office – Konohagakure
Morkel reappeared in the center of a crowded room.
Toads from Mount Myōboku were gathered, along with Konoha's top officials.
"You're here, finally," Tsunade said tiredly, resting her head on her hand.
"What's the emergency, Tsunade-sama?" Morkel asked calmly.
Tsunade avoided his gaze.
She lowered her head and whispered, "Jiraiya… fell in battle."
Even though he had guessed it, hearing it confirmed made Morkel's chest tighten.
Memories of Jiraiya's laughter, voice, and eccentric ways surged through him.
"I'm sorry," Morkel murmured, his voice hoarse.
"You don't need to apologize," Tsunade said softly. "Jiraiya didn't want either you or Naruto involved."
"He even destroyed the Flying Thunder God seal you'd left on his robe. He didn't want help."
Still, Morkel clenched his fists. If only he'd reached Rain Village sooner—maybe it wouldn't have ended like this.
"I'll take care of Pain myself," Morkel said, voice low but resolute.
He turned to leave, but Tsunade called out, "Wait!"
"You're talking about fighting someone with the Rinnegan. Even with Wood Style and Mangekyō, it's dangerous."
"I called you back to help decipher Jiraiya's final message."
Fukasaku the Sage Toad stepped forward and turned around, revealing a code written on his back.
"At the end, Jiraiya couldn't even speak," Fukasaku said. "He carved this using his last bit of chakra."
Tsunade added, "The code department couldn't crack it. We think it might be a message only you or Naruto could understand."
Morkel nodded. "I'll help with the decryption."
"And one more thing," he added. "I want to examine Pain's body."
Tsunade nodded. "Of course. You're the best medical-nin in Konoha—even better than me."
---
Over the following days, Morkel worked closely with the codebreakers.
They cracked the message Jiraiya had left:
[The real one isn't among them.]
At the same time, Morkel performed an autopsy on the body Jiraiya had recovered. It was covered in black rods—chakra receivers.
The body had long since lost all signs of life.
"Already dead… and controlled remotely," Morkel whispered.
He confirmed with Fukasaku that each of the six Pains carried similar rods.
Back in the Hokage's office, Morkel presented his conclusion:
"They're all puppets," he explained. "These bodies—these Pains—are just shells. Controlled by someone else… someone using Rinnegan."
"You mean...?" Tsunade asked.
"Yes," Morkel replied. "The real Pain is Nagato, hiding in the shadows and controlling everything."
The room fell silent.
Although the theory seemed wild, it made too much sense.
Fukasaku hesitated. "But their abilities were real. Each one different…"
"Please," Morkel said. "Tell me everything you remember about them."
---
Elsewhere – Orochimaru's Southern Base
Sasuke, Naruto, and their team had arrived to recruit Karin.
Shuiyue frowned. "She's the head of this outpost. You sure she'll just leave with us?"
"She will," Sasuke said, confident.
He turned to Naruto. "You've met her before."
"I have?" Naruto looked puzzled. "You better not mean using me as bait!"
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "No. Ye—Morkel saved her during the Chūnin Exams."
"Ohhh," Naruto said. "That makes sense."
Sasuke nodded. "She's obsessed with Morkel. She even bought some of his old clothes at auction."
Mizuki groaned. "Ugh, people are crazy."
Sasuke glanced at her. "You literally carry the sword Morkel once chipped."
"I admire his skill," she muttered, blushing.
Soon after, the team entered the base.
Karin, upon hearing that Morkel might be joining them, signed up without hesitation.
"Mission accomplished," Naruto whispered, giving Sasuke a thumbs-up.
Suddenly, a hawk landed nearby with a letter tied to its leg.
Sasuke unrolled the parchment.
[Jiraiya, one of the Sannin, has died. Killer: Pain. Location: Rain Shinobi Village.]
Naruto's hands trembled.
"So… it's true. Pervy Sage is really gone…"
He stared at the sky for a long moment, then said, "I'm going to Rain Village."
Sasuke put a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "I'm coming with you. But I won't die before I find Itachi."
He turned to the others. "You two stay and collect intel on Itachi."
"No," Karin said. "Jiraiya was Morkel's master. That means… I'm going with you."
---
Back in Konoha
After hearing Fukasaku's full description of Pain's abilities, Morkel stood in silence, absorbing everything.
"I understand now," he said finally.
Tsunade tried one last time. "Please, Morkel. Don't do anything reckless. Rain Village is full of traps."
Morkel smiled.
"Master, you underestimate me."
He activated his Mangekyō Sharingan.
A jade-green Susanoo armor wrapped around his body, growing larger and more complete by the second.
In moments, he stood encased in a perfect Susanoo—200 meters tall, wielding a spiral sword and wings of chakra.
The elders stared, stunned.
Tsunade looked both proud and exasperated. "Really?! In the office?! I just fixed the ceiling!"
Still, she relented. "Be careful. Don't die."
"I won't," Morkel said simply, then soared into the sky.
Tsunade turned to her Anbu.
"Send Teams One and Two to follow him. Ensure he returns alive."
Fukasaku bowed. "I'll notify all of Mount Myōboku. This is Jiraiya's last wish."
---
Rain Shinobi Village – Outskirts
Sasuke, Naruto, and Karin surveyed the heavily guarded entrance.
Rain poured continuously, controlled by chakra.
"No one can sneak in," Karin said. "The rain itself detects you."
Naruto grumbled. "If only I'd learned Jiraiya's stealth techniques…"
Sasuke sighed. "We could blast through the wall, but we'd be dead before we got inside."
Karin added, "If only Morkel were here—he'd know what to do."
Just then, she sensed something in the distance.
She turned.
A massive green figure flew through the clouds toward them.
"It's him…" Karin whispered. "It's Morkel!"
As Susanoo approached, Naruto and Sasuke stared in awe.
Even with all they knew, this level of power was still shocking.
"Morkel… who are you really?" Sasuke muttered.
---