Even after gaining power, a bottom-ranker remains a bottom-ranker in some ways. Had Itachi been here instead, he'd never have allowed Anya to get this close.
Obito had been personally trained by Madara Uchiha and had mastered several forbidden techniques. However, due to his lack of actual combat experience against top-tier fighters, he always relied recklessly on Kamui to get by. Thanks to Anya's tactical mind, he quickly analyzed the ability. Space–Time Ninjutsu was indeed difficult to counter, but not unbeatable.
Back when he first awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, Anya had already cracked Minato's Flying Thunder God technique. Now, he used the same method again—left eye dojutsu "Eternity," Time Freeze.
With a perfectly awakened Mangekyō combined with his newly reconstructed perfect body, the ocular techniques no longer burdened his physical form. Against Obito's Kamui, it was an absolute counter. Even if Anya preemptively used Intangibility, the right eye's Time Acceleration could rapidly deplete his intangible duration. One strike would be fatal.
Lying on the ground, Obito caught the scent of death. A flicker of unwillingness flashed in his eyes.
Actually, he wasn't afraid of dying—it was just that his mission wasn't complete yet. His ideal world remained unfinished, yet it was already within reach. He couldn't give up. Rin, wait for me. I'll come to be with you soon.
After finishing this internal struggle, Obito opened his mouth with difficulty: "I have no reason to play games with you. Hakuto was indeed with me at first, but she has already escaped. She used a power I didn't know about and successfully broken free from my control."
Anya looked at the battered Obito, uncertainty flickering in his gaze. Whether he believed him or not remained unclear, as internal conflict gripped his heart.
Rewinding time back to the day Jiraiya fought Pain.
When six Pains appeared before Jiraiya at once, he felt an overwhelming pressure. Through cooperation with the toads, he managed to capture one of the Pains. In his heart, he already had suspicions about these Pains, but he needed one final confirmation. Therefore, risking his life, Jiraiya observed the Pains once more.
Just as Jiraiya was nearing the truth, one of the Pains instantly crushed his throat. Several others descended, wielding black receivers and extinguishing Jiraiya's last spark of life.
All of this happened in an extremely short period—from defeating three Pains, to the appearance of six, all the way until Jiraiya's death. Hakuto couldn't believe what she had just witnessed.
Seeing that even in his final moments Jiraiya was trying to send intel, Hakuto finally understood what it meant to be a ninja—to carry the weight of sacrifice. She also realized why Anya had always insisted on having Yugao protect her.
No, Jiraiya must not have died in vain.
Hakuto used the Spirit Transformation Technique to enter Jiraiya's spiritual space.
The nearly-dead Jiraiya felt a surge of chakra replenishment, his mind clearing instantly. His eyes fell upon Hakuto's figure, startling him: "Hakuto? Why are you here?"
Hakuto gave a bitter smile: "Jiraiya-sama, I came with you."
Jiraiya angrily exclaimed: "Nonsense! Hurry and run away now, go as far as you can, and whatever you do, don't look back!"
*"Dying is fine,"* Jiraiya thought. *"But I must not drag Hakuto into this. She's Tsunade's last remaining relative in this world. In fact, Tsunade values Hakuto more than her own life. If anything happened to Hakuto, even I couldn't imagine how Tsunade would go on."*
"Don't worry," Hakuto quickly whispered. "I came in using the Spirit Transformation Technique—they won't find me. Jiraiya-sama, release your soul; I can use a jutsu to take your soul with me. At the very least, your soul will survive."
"Really?" Hope flickered in Jiraiya's eyes. If he succeeded, he could deliver the intelligence about Pain to Konoha. Without hesitation, he said firmly, "Do it."
Time was running out. Jiraiya's body had already lost all vitality, and his soul's power was fading rapidly. Hakuto didn't dare to slack off. She pushed her Spirit Control Technique to its full capacity. Finally, just before Jiraiya's soul dissipated, she successfully pulled his soul free from his body and swiftly left Rain Country.
Meanwhile, Pain—who had just killed Jiraiya—seemed to sense something and looked toward the sky.
Konan walked over and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Pain calmly replied. "The Legendary Sannin Jiraiya has finally died. Without this secret of mine, it wouldn't have been easy to win. He was once my teacher after all—deserved praise. Speaking of which, you should come out now too."
White Zetsu and Black Zetsu slid out from the wall. White Zetsu said, "Took you long enough."
Pain responded, "Indeed, he proved to be a formidable opponent. I've received orders from Madara to hunt the Nine-Tails. Get ready—it's time we set out."
Black Zetsu chuckled darkly. "Still, you were somewhat careless this time. The infiltrators weren't just one person."
"What?" Pain's eyebrows furrowed slightly in surprise.
"Fortunately, someone already dealt with the problem."
Outside Rain Country, after rescuing Jiraiya's soul, Hakuto returned to her original body and let out a sigh of relief. Just as she turned to leave, a figure wearing a vortex mask suddenly appeared and activated Kamui.
Taken completely off guard, Hakuto had no time to resist before being pulled into the Kamui dimension.
Obito, having landed a decisive blow, couldn't help but feel delighted. *"Never thought she'd walk right into my hands. This time, not only have I eliminated the biggest obstacle to capturing the Nine-Tails early, but I've also gotten hold of that person's weakness. Looks like fate itself is on my side."*
White Zetsu and Black Zetsu appeared again and said, "The result of the fight between Sasuke and Itachi is in. Itachi is dead, and Sasuke emerged victorious."
"Is that so?" Obito remarked calmly. "Expected, really."
"What about this girl? What will you do with her?"
Obito grinned sinisterly. "She'll be an ace I keep in my hand forever."
Inside the Kamui space, Hakuto quickly calmed herself and immediately entered her spiritual space to consult Jiraiya.
"This seems to be a special space created by someone," Jiraiya explained. "It's not connected to the outside world. Unfortunately, you're trapped here forever."
Jiraiya's face changed, his expression turning anxious. At this point, Hakuto's life and death were completely controlled by the enemy, which would lead to immense danger.
Hakuto, now calm, paused briefly before speaking. "Jiraiya-sama," she asked, "you should know sealing techniques, right? I remember from what my father told me that your sealing techniques are also very powerful."
Jiraiya replied in astonishment, "This should be an independent space, not a sealing-type barrier; even if you learn it, you can't get out."
"No," Hakuto interrupted, pointing at the crescent moon on her forehead, "I want to undo my own seal. My Rinnegan was sealed by my father. If I can break this seal, I will be able to escape. My Rinnegan ability is [Otsutsuki Teleportation]. Through this ninjutsu, I can open a void gateway out of nowhere and move freely between different spaces—I'm just not fully mastered it yet."
Jiraiya's face lit up with surprise and delight. He quickly responded, "I'll teach you right away."
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