The terrifying power contained within the Great Rasengan in Sage Wind Mode was enough to frighten even someone like Jiraiya.
Fukasaku and Shima's eyes widened even further.
"That chakra... That power..."
"It probably surpasses even the Tailed Beast Bomb by far!"
"How did little Naruto manage to achieve this...?"
For a moment, it was as though time itself had frozen in the eyes of Pain Tendo, Konan, Nagato, Jiraiya, Fukasaku, and Shima.
The massive Sage Art: Wind Release Rasenshuriken violently blasted upward.
Whoosh—
Boom!!!
It shattered everything in its path and slammed directly into the already-formed Chibaku Tensei.
Suddenly, an enormous explosion erupted, completely engulfing the sky.
Above them, the violently dispersed natural energy tore through the heavens like a raging whirlwind. Everything in its path was shattered. The earth, rocks, and trees that had been drawn toward Chibaku Tensei were obliterated.
Even the dense, black hole-like core at the center of the technique instantly disintegrated and vanished.
Between heaven and earth, amid the flames and shock waves of the explosion, pieces of wood, dust, and shattered rocks were sent flying in every direction, filling the air.
Jiraiya was also caught in the shock wave produced by the collision between the two immense forces.
Naruto's explosive power was simply too great. It had surpassed even the gravitational pull of Chibaku Tensei, and the resulting shock wave struck Jiraiya head-on.
The object that had initially been launched toward the sky was suddenly sent crashing back down.
Fortunately, Jiraiya was still a top-tier shinobi of the Ninja World. He immediately surrounded himself with chakra to protect his body and landed safely on the ground together with Fukasaku and Shima.
The entire battlefield had already been reduced to ruins.
Debris filled the sky.
Then, the sunlight finally broke through once more.
High above, Naruto's silhouette reflected the sunlight, his body shimmering with a golden glow. He stood in the sky like a god looking down upon the world.
Pain Tendo silently watched the scene.
All the light seemed to disappear from his eyes.
Far away, Nagato was gasping for breath. His chakra—and even his life force—had been nearly exhausted. Blood flowed from more than seven of his orifices, and he looked far older and weaker than before.
He was like a candle flickering in the wind, as though even the slightest disturbance could extinguish his life.
Konan, too, collapsed to the ground in complete despair.
Pain Tendo stared in astonishment at the shattered Chibaku Tensei and Naruto's figure, which seemed to be looking down upon everything from the heavens.
"How is this possible...?"
"Did Nagato really destroy the Chibaku Tensei he created by sacrificing his own life and pushing himself to this point?"
"This..."
High in the sky, Naruto suddenly turned his head and looked down at the earth.
Pain Tendo also looked up.
Their eyes met instantly.
Naruto asked in a deep voice,
"Where is the main body?"
Pain Tendo's expression changed slightly.
"Hmm?"
Naruto continued,
"I can sense that your true body isn't here. Something else is controlling you."
"But even the Rinnegan can't freely control something from an unlimited distance. Your true body must be somewhere nearby."
"Even if you refuse to tell me, I can find it myself. So it's better if you tell me."
Pain Tendo remained silent.
Jiraiya understood the implication as well.
"So that's it..."
"Nagato really is controlling everything from behind the scenes?"
"In other words, Yahiko's body is merely a puppet..."
Pain Tendo said indifferently,
"What difference does it make if you know?"
Naruto replied,
"The Perverted Sage said that you were his students. That makes you my seniors."
"Your plans have already failed."
"I want you to explain everything in front of the Perverted Sage."
Jiraiya's heart trembled.
"Naruto..."
Pain Tendo nodded.
"Meaningless."
Naruto suddenly descended from the sky.
His figure moved so quickly that he looked like a dazzling streak of golden lightning.
Boom!
Pain Tendo suddenly appeared in front of him.
"Whether this is meaningful or not isn't up to you. It's up to me."
"You no longer have the right to negotiate with me."
Pain Tendo's Rinnegan remained cold and emotionless.
However, he knew that Naruto was telling the truth.
Although Naruto was visibly exhausted as well, it was obvious that using the Great Rasengan had taken an enormous toll on him.
But Pain Tendo was in an even worse condition.
He had already used Shinra Tensei earlier, and after barely recovering some strength, he had used Chibaku Tensei once more.
Not only was Pain Tendo's body approaching its limit, but Nagato's main body had also reached the absolute limit of what it could endure.
He silently looked at Naruto.
The determination in Naruto's eyes was unmistakable.
Konan struggled to stand again.
"Pain..."
"No, Nagato..."
Pain Tendo's eyes suddenly filled with despair.
He shook his head.
He knew that he had failed.
He had lost.
Without saying anything else, Pain Tendo turned around and walked away.
Naruto understood that this meant Nagato had accepted his demand, so he followed closely behind.
Jiraiya and Konan followed the two of them.
Nagato's true body was indeed on a small mountain peak not far from Konoha.
It was hidden inside the trunk of a massive tree, concealed by Konan's Paper God Technique.
Pain Tendo passed through the tree trunk, and the group entered the hidden space within.
At last, Nagato's true body appeared before Naruto and Jiraiya.
Jiraiya looked at his former student.
Unlike Pain, who had just claimed to be a god, Nagato now looked utterly miserable and frail.
Although Jiraiya understood the terrible things Nagato had done, he still couldn't stop himself from trembling inwardly.
"Nagato... Why?"
"Why did you become like this?"
Naruto quietly stepped aside.
He wasn't the right person to have this conversation with Nagato.
This was the Perverted Sage's moment.
This was their final conversation as master and student.
Nagato took a deep breath, struggling to steady his breathing.
His thin, withered body looked as though it could collapse and die at any moment.
He looked at his former teacher, and a trace of humanity returned to his eyes.
"Jiraiya-sensei..."
"It's been a long time."
Jiraiya's emotions surged.
He couldn't bear to see his former student in such a state.
He closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again.
"Tell me what happened."
Konan and Pain Tendo stood on either side of Nagato.
At that moment, Jiraiya felt as though he had returned to the past.
He saw the Hidden Rain Village, where it seemed to rain endlessly.
He saw the battlefield ravaged by war.
Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan...
Three war orphans holding hands as they ran through the rain just to survive.
They walked barefoot through the muddy streets, their bodies constantly covered in dirty water.
Nagato seemed to be remembering the same things.
He remained silent for a moment before finally beginning to tell his story.
Naruto said nothing.
He had already accomplished his mission.
He had saved the Perverted Sage and the entire village of Konoha.
What came next belonged to Jiraiya and his former students.
So Naruto simply stood to the side and listened quietly.
Nagato recounted everything that had happened.
From the days after bidding farewell to Jiraiya, when he and his companions dreamed of creating the Akatsuki Organization...
They traveled from place to place, gathering comrades and attempting to achieve peace through dialogue and negotiation.
Everything continued until Hanzo set a trap to kill Nagato and the newly established Akatsuki Organization.
Yahiko ultimately sacrificed himself to save Nagato and Konan.
After that, everything changed.
The nature of the Akatsuki Organization changed completely.
Nagato began cooperating with the mysterious masked man known as "Uchiha Madara."
He started the plan to turn the Tailed Beasts into weapons.
He recruited members into the Akatsuki Organization.
He hunted down the Tailed Beasts and their Jinchuriki.
Step by step.
Little by little.
Until everything had reached the point it was at today.
Everyone silently listened to Nagato's story.
Finally, his words came to an end.
The story was over.
As soon as Nagato finished speaking, he suddenly began coughing violently.
A large amount of blood spilled from his mouth.
"Nagato..."
Konan hurried forward to support him, but Nagato stopped her.
"Don't waste your strength, Konan. I know I've already reached my limit."
"Jiraiya-sensei, my story is over."
"Do you have anything you want to say?"
"Do you still believe that everything I did was wrong?"
Jiraiya spoke in a deep voice.
"I'm just a failure who has accomplished nothing. I have no right to decide what is right or wrong."
"Nagato, Konan, and..."
His eyes shifted toward Pain Tendo's lifeless body.
"Yahiko."
"Even if I believe that what you did was wrong, ultimately, I'm not you."
"I can't put myself in your position, experience everything you went through, and then make a judgment."
"Moreover..."
Jiraiya's eyes involuntarily reddened.
"I'm your teacher."
"If a student makes a mistake, then perhaps it is because the teacher failed to guide them properly."
"Even if the entire Ninja World accuses you and curses you, as your master, I am the least qualified person to do the same."
"Because I was the one who abandoned you back then."
________________________________________
⚡ Enjoying the story? Don't stop here!
The adventure continues on Patreon:
👉 patreon.com/Obito_uchiha
🔥 Read up to 50 chapters ahead
📚 Get access to 20+ fanfics with a single membership
Be among the first to experience new chapters weeks before they're released publicly.
Join today and start reading ahead!
40% offer going on patreon Obito_uchiha. last 3 hours only left. claim yours as soon as possible.