Zombie Sage in Naruto

Chapter 80 Don't use that technique...

Jiraiya was completely numb.

The scenario he least wanted to see has occurred: Nagato's Rinnegan has been exposed to a dangerous person.

According to Jiraiya's original plan, he did not hesitate to withdraw from World War II and hide in the Land of Rain for three years in order to cultivate Nagato and at least enable Nagato to protect himself in a small country like the Land of Rain.

What is the power of self-preservation? To put it simply, as long as he doesn't encounter someone as ferocious as Hanzo, Nagato will definitely be able to escape if he is determined to do so. That is what it means to be trained and developed.

Jiraiya planned to train Nagato to this level within three years, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, three years would be more than enough to achieve this goal.

The Rinnegan granted Nagato innate mastery of all five elements, allowing him to easily learn and use common ninjutsu. This gave Nagato a wide range of tactics to choose from in battle, enabling him to unleash ninjutsu that countered his enemies at any time.

In addition, with the Rinnegan's powerful vision and perception, and the mysterious eye technique that Jiraiya was certain existed but which he was unaware of, Nagato was fully capable of thriving in a small country like the Land of Rain.

Yahiko is intelligent and decisive, which can compensate for Nagato's hesitation and timidity. With Konan's Paper Release as an aid, the three of them will definitely be able to gain a foothold in the Land of Rain, a neutral country, and stay away from the conflicts of the Five Great Nations and avoid the sight of many dangerous ninjas.

This should have been a perfect plan. Nagato was about to graduate and should have been accumulating experience and leveling up in the Land of Rain, this "newbie village." But why did things suddenly turn out like this?

Why would so many Root ninjas come to the Land of Rain in a group? Why did they notice Nagato's presence?

Jiraiya was filled with shock and anger.

Danzo was filled with mixed feelings of surprise and delight.

Logically speaking, at his age, having experienced both World War I and World War II, and having spent years in the shadows, there should be very few things in this world that could cause such a dramatic fluctuation in his state of mind.

The last time he was so surprised was when he discovered Kaedeji Tsukasa's Reincarnation Technique.

"It's the Rinnegan..." Danzo couldn't help but say in a suppressed voice.

Terai's ears twitched, and he immediately shifted his gaze to Nagato. He was startled by those strange eyes that still exuded an invisible pressure even in the dim rain.

Every Root ninja looked over, and a stir arose.

"Reincarnation Eye?"

"Isn't that just a story or legend? The eyes of the Sage of Six Paths?"

“It used to be a story or legend, but it isn’t anymore.”

Terai drew his sword, raised it horizontally, and stopped the Root ninjas from exchanging information. He looked at Jiraiya and said, "No wonder you would rather withdraw from the war and do something no different from a rogue ninja than stay in the Land of Rain. It all makes sense now. You were after the Rinnegan."

"Your mouth really stinks. Did you eat shit before coming to the Land of Rain? Remember not to pollute this neutral country," Jiraiya said. "I'm their teacher now."

"Whether it's a teacher or a superior, they're essentially just another manifestation of their ambition for the Rinnegan." Terai sneered, not believing that Jiraiya truly had no other desires.

In fact, Jiraiya initially didn't have any particular thoughts about Nagato and the other two.

Back then, after he, Tsunade, and Orochimaru were defeated by Hanzo, and Hanzo promised to lead Amegakure out of the war, the three of them planned to leave the Land of Rain.

It was at this time that Jiraiya encountered Nagato and his two companions. Unaware that Nagato possessed the Rinnegan, he was moved by something and, disregarding Orochimaru and Tsunade's advice, decided to stay and teach Nagato and his companions for a period of time.

At that time, Jiraiya may not have intended to stay for three years, since Konoha was still fighting against Sunagakure and Iwagakure. It wasn't until he confirmed that Nagato possessed the Rinnegan that Jiraiya recognized Nagato as the child of prophecy and decided to spend three years training him.

However, Terai obviously wouldn't believe it. Who would do something without a benefit? Besides, Jiraiya, the Hokage's disciple, was willing to withdraw from the war to stay in the Land of Rain, precisely because he discovered the Rinnegan and wanted to possess it.
"Controlling the owner of the Rinnegan is also a good way to plot for the Rinnegan. Jiraiya, it seems I really underestimated you before."

Terai gave a coded signal, instructing everyone to prepare for battle.

Jiraiya was enraged and assumed a fighting stance.

Yahiko roared angrily, "You bunch of Konoha bastards, do you even know what you're saying? You're always talking about scheming and selfishness. There's still genuine affection in this world. Not everything has to be considered in terms of profit like you guys do!"

"Yahiko, prepare for battle. There's no reasoning with these guys." Jiraiya's killing intent continued to rise.

Nagato, whose senses were most acute, trembled and whispered, "Teacher, what are you planning to do..."

“That’s right, I plan to kill all of these people. I won’t let a single one of them go back alive.”

Standing at 1.9 meters tall, Jiraiya's broad and imposing back gave Nagato a strong sense of security. There was practically nothing that made Nagato feel more at ease than the murderous aura emanating from Jiraiya.

As expected, Jiraiya-sensei wasn't plotting anything as those people said, and he certainly wouldn't be after his Rinnegan, Nagato thought to himself.

Yahiko forced a smile onto his ugly face: "As expected of Jiraiya-sensei. Although I know it was very difficult for you to make this decision, after careful consideration, it is indeed the best course of action. It's just that you've had to suffer, having to take action against your own comrades from the same village."

Jiraiya must have been in great pain. Yahiko was certain of this. Killing so many fellow village ninjas was a complete act of treason, especially since the victims were Root ninjas with powerful connections.

Once we take action, there will be no turning back. Our only option is to ensure that no one escapes back to Konoha alive.

Swish!
Jiraiya quickly formed hand seals.

Ninja Art: Lion's Mane Technique!

Jiraiya's long white hair suddenly began to grow rapidly, piercing towards the Root ninja opposite him like vines.

"Get out of the way."

Terai shouted, and the Root ninjas scattered and moved, but when they moved to the ground around them, they found that traps had already been set up on both sides.

It was a very crude trap; a hole was dug, spikes were inserted inside, and some detonating tags were attached.

But it's very practical; any flesh and blood that falls in will surely die.

Not only that, Jiraiya hardened his heart, wrapped his hair around two Root ninjas, and strangled them to death on the spot. Then he flicked his head, causing his hair to slam horizontally, forcing the Root ninjas falling from mid-air into the trap.

Bang bang bang!

Several explosions rang out, and another Root ninja was killed.

"Is that all? Is this the level of your setup?"

Terai imbued his chakra into his blade and severed Jiraiya's hair with a single stroke, his voice icy, showing no concern whatsoever for his subordinate's death.

Of the Root ninjas who entered the Land of Rain, there were ultimately twenty-five. Ten of them were sent to confuse Hanzo, and of the fifteen present, three of the weakest died, which was nothing to worry about.

At this moment, Yahiko and the other two also made their moves, especially Konan's Paper Release, which made Danzo take a second look.

"No wonder you were able to set up so many explosive tags. It turns out you have a special type of ninja who fights using talismans." Terai landed on the ground and pointed his sword straight at Jiraiya's neck.

Many Root ninjas also gathered around, but they didn't mindlessly use various ninjutsu; they needed to capture Nagato alive.

Aside from Nagato, let everyone else die. Even Jiraiya, they could kill him if given the chance.

Danzo granted Danzo special permission to act unilaterally, acting first and reporting later.

As for what would happen if the Third Hokage found out about this, there's no need to worry. After capturing Nagato and killing Jiraiya, Danzo would never let the Third Hokage know what had happened.

Danzo wanted to take control of the Rinnegan!

"If the three-tomoe Sharingan can use a dojutsu like Izanagi, it is said that the Mangekyou Sharingan also has its own exclusive dojutsu... I am very much looking forward to seeing what the dojutsu of the Rinnegan will be."

Danzo's heart was burning with excitement. He was convinced that this would be his most powerful weapon to officially step into the limelight and lead Konoha to defeat other villages.

What could a mere red-haired brat possibly know about the Rinnegan? He probably hasn't even figured out the Rinnegan's eye techniques, let alone how to use them.

With many figures attacking at once, Jiraiya's side initially gained the upper hand, but quickly fell into a disadvantageous position.

Unfortunately, it would be easier for him to deal with so many Root ninjas by himself. But now that he has to take care of Nagato and the other two, he can't unleash his full strength.

Nagato's performance surprised everyone. He was adept at using ninjutsu of various attributes and had a very clear mind. He could always use the appropriate attribute ninjutsu at the first moment, forcing all the Root ninjas who attacked him to retreat.

Jiraiya was extremely pleased.

"Alright, in that case, I can go a little more freely now. Summoning Jutsu!"

Jiraiya summoned several toads to join the battle, which immediately stabilized the situation briefly.

His strength was already at the Kage level, and his tactical system was complete, including ranged attacks, close combat, taijutsu, ninjutsu, and more. Moreover, the toads of Mount Myōboku fought for him, so he was never in a passive situation of fighting alone. It can be said that Jiraiya had no weaknesses except for his lack of proficiency in using genjutsu.

This was the kind of perfect ninja that the Konoha ninjas had hoped for, but this perfect ninja with Kage-level strength was caught in a fierce battle with a Root ninja.

Occasionally, Root ninjas would fall, but Yahiko and Konan were also injured, so the numerical disadvantage was real.

Danzo unleashed a barrage of Water Release, Lightning Release, and Earth Release techniques, creating a huge commotion. This gradually eroded Danzo's patience, and he finally stopped playing it safe and pulled out his signature ninjutsu—Wind Release.

"Wind Release·Vacuum Wave!"

Danzo unleashed a Wind Release attack, piercing through the toad blocking his path. He then stomped on the toad's head, using the force to propel himself towards Nagato's location.

"This Wind Release technique... You're Shimura Danzo! How could someone like you even show up?" Jiraiya was shocked, which gave Terai the opportunity to lunge at his face with his knife, forcing Jiraiya to use Ninjutsu: Needle Jizo.

The hair transformed into sharp, needle-like objects that continued to grow, protecting itself and extending outwards to block attacks from one direction for Yahiko and the others.

Snapped!
Danzo removed his mask and threw it on the ground: "Jiraiya, your actions are no different from betraying the village. You discovered the Rinnegan but did not report it to the village. Instead, you made me come to the Land of Rain to investigate. Hiruzen should be ashamed to have raised a disciple like you."

"You immediately label me and put yourself on a moral high ground. That's typical of you... Whether I'm a rogue ninja or not can only be determined by the Third Hokage. You're not the Hokage, so you don't have that right. I don't need to report any of my actions to you. The war is over, and I'm no longer your subordinate."

Jiraiya wasn't buying it at all, and the coldness in his eyes grew stronger: "I should be proud of forcing someone as proud as you to hide your true face?"

"Don't misunderstand, I didn't do this because of you, or even because of the Rinnegan, but for Kaede Tsukasa. But that's not important anymore. With the chance to obtain the Rinnegan, neither you nor Kaede Tsukasa are as important as before," Danzo said.

"Kaedeji, it's that guy again... Among the intelligence my toads gathered in the Land of Rain, there are some rumors about this kid. It seems he has become a pretty good ninja? What, is he also 'betraying the village' like me, and does he need you, the leader of Root, to do something personally?"

Jiraiya was spouting trash talk, his brain racing as he hesitated over the consequences of killing Danzo, but then he was dumbfounded.

He saw the three-tomoe Sharingan in Danzo's other open eye.

"...Sharingan? And the three-tomoe Sharingan? Even within the Uchiha clan, these eyes are incredibly rare, so why did they end up in your hands! Shimura Danzo, you madman, how could you—"

Jiraiya quickly stopped talking, because he was currently doing the same thing—"attacking his comrades"—and there was absolutely no way he would back down.

"This world is crazy. Is that the Sharingan that the teacher once mentioned? It's appeared on this old man. It makes me feel that everyone's identity is ambiguous." Yahiko was also surprised. Anyway, he didn't believe that Danzo would obtain this Sharingan through legitimate means.

Upon hearing this, Danzo slowly said, "There's no need to be surprised. Young man of the Land of Rain, the world is inherently gray, and everyone is gray. You've just been immersed in the beautiful dream that Jiraiya wove for you, and you haven't truly seen what the outside world is like. But I can give you this opportunity."

"Hmph, that sounds nice, but aren't you just after Nagato's Rinnegan? If we listen to you, it won't be long before your normal eye turns into the Rinnegan!" Yahiko stood in front of Nagato, knowing that Nagato was a person without much of his own opinion, and he would never give the enemy a chance to mislead Nagato with words.

Jiraiya was very pleased to see this, as this was the configuration he most wanted to see: comrades trusting each other and actively using their strengths to make up for the weaknesses of others.

"shallow."

Danzo shook his head: "That Rinnegan user is named Nagato? If I could take such a person as my disciple, why would I need to gouge out his eyes? Why not train him directly and let him do what I did with his Rinnegan?"

He really had no intention of gouging out his eyes.

The Rinnegan, the foremost of the three great dojutsu and a legendary eye, has reappeared, seemingly confirming that the Sage of Six Paths was a real person and not merely a mythical figure.

Is there a hidden connection between Nagato and the Sage of Six Paths? Reincarnation? Father and son? Master and disciple? Whatever the possibility, there must be some crucial clue.

Before figuring out this hidden storyline of the world, and before confirming whether Nagato was capable of wielding the power of the Rinnegan, Danzo would not easily resort to the short-sighted act of gouging out Nagato's eyes.

The premise is that he can actually bring Nagato back to Konoha.

If it really comes down to gouging out eyes, there are only a few possibilities.

First, the power of the Rinnegan isn't limited to Nagato; anyone who obtains the eye can use it. However, Danzo knew absolutely nothing about the Rinnegan, and there was no historical record of Rinnegan transplantation in Konoha, so he couldn't just act rashly.

Secondly, Nagato's thinking had gone astray, and Danzo couldn't bring him back to his senses. Since he couldn't get Nagato to do things according to Danzo's wishes, the only option was to gouge out his eyes.

Thirdly, the Rinnegan possesses a certain eye technique that would make Danzo willing to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs in order to gouge out his own eye.

However, Danzo thought about it and felt that this was impossible. His greatest needs were nothing more than immortality and strength.

As long as Kaede Tsukasa is around, he can theoretically have a long lifespan and maintain his current physical condition of fifty years old, which is perfectly acceptable. With enough lifespan, his strength will naturally increase little by little over time through continuous cultivation.

Even if the Rinnegan truly possesses the ability to reincarnate and revive the dead, as its name suggests, it is not a necessity for Danzo.

Moreover, Danzo knew even with his toes that activating such a dojutsu would come at an enormous cost. If he truly needed it, he would rather train Nagato and have Nagato do it.

"Come on, Nagato, what's the point of following a fool like Jiraiya? Come to me! I am a high-ranking official in Konoha. Once you become my only disciple, the entire village of Konoha will belong to you."

Danzo extended his hand to Nagato: "You are proficient in ninjutsu of all elements, but you can only learn so few techniques. If you wish, I can teach you all the techniques of Konoha, including even dangerous but powerful forbidden techniques! With the Rinnegan, you should be able to learn all techniques. Your dreams, everything you cherish, will be protected by all the ninjas of Konoha; your will will be carried out by tens of thousands of ninjas of the Land of Fire, even at the cost of their lives. Just nod, and you will receive all of this."

For a fleeting moment, Nagato's heart did flutter—Danzo's vision was truly wonderful—but it was merely a flutter, not even a stirring of the heart.

"Shimura Danzo... it was you who led the Konoha forces into the Land of Rain, triggering the Second Shinobi World War, right?" Nagato suddenly asked.

Danzo nodded: "That's right, it was me who did it. Konoha should conquer other villages, and everything should belong to Konoha. That way, there will be no more conflict."

"Then that's it. My parents died in the war that your Konoha started. They were killed by your Konoha ninjas... Originally, because of Jiraiya-sensei, my impression of Konoha changed, and I even planned to give up revenge and strive for a greater dream. But you made me realize that Konoha is still the same Konoha, and those who committed the sins are still high above."

Nagato's face twitched. He recalled that nightmarish day when his parents, desperate for food to survive, risked their lives to venture out, only to be discovered by Konoha ninja and killed on the spot. Although the Konoha ninja immediately apologized, claiming they hadn't expected civilians to be hiding in the combat zone, what good was it? They were already dead!

“Nagato…” Jiraiya looked at Nagato’s state with concern, his heart conflicted. He hoped that Nagato would walk his own path, free from external interference, and bring about change to the world, but he also did not want Nagato to attack Konoha in order to achieve this goal.

Not to mention, Nagato and Konoha Village have a blood feud involving the murder of his father and mother.

"I see, is that all there is to it?" Danzo said expressionlessly, his eyes even showing obvious disappointment. "You, who possess the Rinnegan, who are suspected to be the second Sage of Six Paths, actually question me for such a reason?"

"Isn't that reason enough?!"

Nagato suddenly became agitated, his face contorted in rage, his heart pounding, and he gasped for breath: "Those are my mom and dad!"

"Just your former parents. Judging from your appearance, you are probably a descendant of the Uzumaki clan. At least one of your parents must have fled to the Land of Rain after the Land of Whirlpools was destroyed... Although I don't understand how you, as a descendant of the Uzumaki clan, obtained the Rinnegan, it is definitely unrelated to the Uzumaki bloodline in your body."

Just kidding. If the Uzumaki clan has the bloodline limit of the Rinnegan, then the Senju clan should have it too. After all, these two ninja clans are extremely close in bloodline and can be considered as one clan to a large extent.

Even though Hashirama Senju was incredibly powerful, he only mastered the Wood Release bloodline limit, which had absolutely nothing to do with the Rinnegan. Danzo felt that his analysis made perfect sense, as a mere descendant of the Uzumaki clan could not possibly have obtained the Rinnegan through the Uzumaki bloodline.

The Rinnegan is probably not a bloodline limit. Obtaining this kind of eye might be related to something like destiny.

It looked like Nagato was about to go berserk and roar as he formed hand seals to unleash some dangerous technique.

Before Jiraiya could stop him, Danzo coldly said, "Your dead parents still have remains, right? Even just a bone? Why not just revive them? Such a simple thing has become your excuse to throw a tantrum at this old man. You really are a young man with little sense, led astray by Jiraiya."

Nagato froze, his expression hardening.

Resurrection? Is that even possible?
"Hey, Danzo, talking about resurrection so casually, using such a childish trick to deceive Nagato, isn't that going too far?"

Jiraiya said in a deep voice, "You said that as long as there are remains, you can be resurrected. Are you talking about the resurrection method using the technique left behind by the Second Hokage? You're crazy. That's not resurrection at all, Nagato. He's lying to you!"

"The Impure World Reincarnation Technique is a good forbidden technique that can bring the soul of the dead back to the mortal world from the Pure Land, thereby achieving the purpose of resurrection. However, the resurrection I am talking about is not this, and I do not think much of this technique."

Danzo spoke with utter calmness, making the matter of resurrection sound as simple as casually pulling up a roadside weed.

Anyway, he can't learn the Impure World Reincarnation technique. The difficulty of learning this technique is too high. Even Orochimaru, who has been studying it for several years, still doesn't seem to have mastered it.

Danzo's performance did briefly shock Jiraiya, Nagato, and the others.

"I possess a technique that can also revive the dead. Nagato Uzumaki, if you wish, I will revive your parents and dispel your resentment towards me. In a few years, when you are strong enough, you can even become the next Hokage of Konoha. At that time, you can revive whomever you want, undo all regrets, and realize all your dreams."

"There's no way such a technique exists! It's not even in the Book of Sealing!" Jiraiya said in disbelief.

"That's because you're ignorant. The art of reversing life and death has already been mastered by me."

Danzo extended his hand to Nagato again: "Come on, come to my side."

"I am a descendant of the Whirlpool...? And..."

Nagato was overwhelmed by the amount of information he received and looked at Jiraiya helplessly.

Jiraiya didn't trust Danzo either. No matter how he thought about it, he believed that Danzo was talking nonsense. A resurrection technique that reverses life and death, such a thing is really... wait!
"Danzo, the technique you mentioned, could it be related to that Corpse Release ninja, Kaede Tsukasa? You came to the Land of Rain in person because you wanted to gather information about him and obtain his resurrection technique, right?"

Jiraiya recalled the scene when he met Kaede Tsukasa. The two had a rather unpleasant encounter and almost came to blows.

Even now, Jiraiya remains extremely wary of Kaede Tsukasa. He still hasn't figured out who Kaede Tsukasa was fighting back then; there are just too many suspicious points.

Now Danzo is involved too, and may be eyeing Kaedeji Tsukasa...

In the two years or so since he left the village, less than three years, has such a remarkable person appeared? It's hard to say how strong he is, but his mastery of the Corpse Escape Technique is particularly eye-catching.

Danzo ignored Jiraiya and stared intently at Nagato.

Yahiko said bluntly, "Reject him, Nagato. I don't believe that this sneaky guy is more reliable than Jiraiya-sensei. Even if we really wanted to revive your parents, we could ask Jiraiya-sensei to find that Kaedeji Tsukasa, instead of relying on Danzo! As for the idea of ​​becoming Hokage in Konoha, you don't really believe it, do you?"

Yahiko didn't believe Danzo's nonsense.

“Fine, then I refuse,” Nagato said immediately.

"...You, who possess the Rinnegan, actually listen to the words of an ordinary mortal. Your mind has been filled with too many chaotic thoughts, making it impossible for you to make a clear judgment with your eyes. In that case, I have no choice but to use force to take you back and force you to see the scene I'm describing to you with your own eyes. You will understand in the future."

Danzo glanced at Yahiko, wanting to use Sharingan genjutsu to control the kid, but Jiraiya was on guard against that.

"Terai, make your move. You can ignore everyone else, whether they live or die doesn't matter, but you must bring Nagato back to the village alive." Danzo gave the order and personally rushed to the front.

When he got serious, and with his body not yet incorporating Hashirama's cells and a large number of Sharingan, Danzo displayed the decisiveness of the Dark Ninja and was the first to rush to the front.

"Teacher, I want to use a spell, but I'm not sure what the effect will be."

Nagato said, intending to follow the instincts granted to him by the Rinnegan and summon something.

Everything seemed to have reached a point of no return.

Just then, Hanzo arrived with hundreds of ninjas, surrounding Jiraiya, Danzo, and the others.

"Hanzo the Salamander, it seems you still haven't learned your lesson. Do you want to start a war between Konoha and Amegakure? Then I'll play along to the end."

Danzo remained indifferent; even now, he regretted not having been able to control Nagato first.

He was telling the truth and was indeed willing to groom Nagato as his successor—although he needed to brainwash him first, since Nagato had already been stuffed with too many messy ideas by Jiraiya.

He could have become Danzo Shimura's only disciple, and he could have competed for the Fourth Hokage in the future by virtue of his Rinnegan, and he would have had a high probability of succeeding. Why didn't Nagato agree?
Nagato doesn't know anything. It's all Jiraiya's fault for messing things up, which is why Hanzo had to come.

"How exciting! The higher-ups of Konoha are actually fighting with the Hokage's disciple, and people have even died... Has one of you betrayed the Hokage?"

Hanzo glanced at the scene and almost burst out laughing.

Both Jiraiya and Danzo were old acquaintances and had certain grudges against each other. For Hanzo, seeing these two guys kill each other was undoubtedly a wonderful treat.

Only then did Hanzo spare a little attention for Nagato and the other two, and once he saw Nagato, he couldn't take his eyes off him.

"Reincarnation Eye?!"

Hanzo was shocked. This thing actually existed?

"Step back, Hanzo. This is not something you are qualified to covet. It belongs to Konoha. The person who possesses these eyes is also a member of Konoha."

"Don't make it sound so obvious. This person should be a citizen of my Land of Rain. Although I don't know when he started following Jiraiya, I still want to thank you, Jiraiya. You helped me find a remarkable ninja."

A hint of greed arose in Hanzo's heart, and he instinctively wanted to bring Nagato back, but he couldn't make up his mind for a long time.

The reason is simple: Hanzo at this time had begun to become more cowardly.

As the leader of a small country, having witnessed firsthand the scale of the war between the great ninja villages and the endless stream of geniuses, Hanzo's ambition began to wane.

In a few years, Hanzo will become even more cunning and will completely close off the Land of Rain, strictly prohibiting any outsiders from entering and forbidding any Rain Villager from leaving. Anyone who violates this prohibition will die.

Hanzo, despite possessing top-tier strength in the ninja world, will be extremely strict about his own safety in the future. Even his closest confidants will not be allowed to approach him and can only report to him from outside the designated area.

Of course, it can also be understood from another perspective—Hanzo is the pillar of the Land of Rain. For the sake of the Land of Rain, Hanzo would not allow himself to fall, so he would try his best to eliminate all risks and not reveal any flaws.

However, Hanzo is not yet at that extreme level, which is why he personally went out to search for Jiraiya's whereabouts and investigate Danzo's movements.

Danzo coldly said, "The owner of the Rinnegan is Jiraiya's disciple, so he is a person of Konoha Village and the grand-disciple of the current Hokage! You have no right to detain him in any way, otherwise it will be a declaration of war against Konoha, and I will definitely lead the ninja army to conquer you."

Having fully confirmed Danzo's resolve, Hanzo decided to give up on possessing the Rinnegan and wanted to get rid of this troublesome person.

Yes, the Rinnegan is a problem for Hanzo. Obtaining it might not be a good thing, as it would attract endless scrutiny from major ninja villages. Losing it, on the contrary, would make him safer.

This is Hanzo's political creed.

"Fine, then I won't get involved in your Konoha ninja disputes. In the end, no matter who gets the Rinnegan, you will all have to leave this country." Hanzo compromised.

Danzo said sternly, "No, you must help me seize the Rinnegan!"

"...? Didn't you just say this was a matter for your Konoha ninjas and that I wasn't allowed to get involved?"

"By assisting me, aren't you helping Konoha?"

"Wouldn't that mean I'm standing on the opposite side of the Hokage's disciples? Who knows if Jiraiya will become the Fourth Hokage?"

"Why don't you help me kill Jiraiya and then help me and my disciple become the Fourth Hokage?"

"???"

Hanzo glanced at Danzo, then at Jiraiya, his blood pressure rising.

Not participating is not an option, but if you get involved and help Danzo kill Jiraiya, won't that ultimately attract the attention of Konoha Village?
"Lord Hanzo, you should know very well how credible Ninja's words are, but I am different; I will keep my word. As long as you help me hold off Danzo, I will immediately leave this country with my disciples," Jiraiya said, seizing the opportunity.

Hanzo fell silent. After a few seconds, he sighed and said, "Alright, then I'm sorry... Jiraiya!"

He pulled out his scythe and swung it towards where Jiraiya was.

"Hanzo, you're insane!"

"Yes, I'm crazy. Maybe I shouldn't have gotten involved in this mess. If I had just let you outsiders fight to the death in my country, we wouldn't be in this mess now."

Hanzo said, "You're right. Shinobi's words may not be credible, but Shinobi does have the ability to lead a ninja army to attack the Land of Rain, and he really can do such a thing, but you don't."

"Danzo is not the Hokage! My teacher is!"

"Danzo was able to get things done first and then get the Hokage's approval. Can you do that?"

"What kind of bullshit logic is this!"

Upon hearing this, Jiraiya knew that the conversation was completely deadlocked, and he felt even more helpless. Who would have thought that the way to make a top-level powerhouse like Hanzo bow down was through extremely low moral standards and an excellent relationship with the Hokage?

As expected, Jiraiya once again felt from the bottom of his heart that he was not suitable to be the Fourth Hokage. Politics is such a troublesome thing. It turns out that maintaining a good relationship with the highest leader is more important than justice, stance, ability, and so on.
Danzo coerced a powerful ninja of Hanzo's caliber with just a few words, leaving Jiraiya speechless.

"Nagato, Yahiko, Konan, I'll create an opportunity for you to escape in a moment. If you stay, not only will you die, but you'll also become a burden to me." Jiraiya spoke slowly, his back to the three of them.

"teacher……"

The three of them knew that Jiraiya wanted to fight to the death to hold off the enemies and buy them time to escape.

Immediately, tears welled up in her eyes. She hated her own weakness and even more the trouble she had brought to Jiraiya-sensei!
Xiao Nan said, trembling, "Teacher, you're facing so many enemies, what if...? How can we abandon you and run away? Even if we die, we'll go together—"

"No, Konan, I'm the Toad Sage! These guys won't kill me. Who will kill whom is still uncertain." Jiraiya tilted his head and smiled through the heavy rain.

"...Understood, teacher. Nagato, Konan, remember to stick close to me. We must find a way to survive." Yahiko was the first to make up his mind. In their current desperate situation, there was really no other good way. If a sacrifice had to be made, everyone except Nagato could be sacrificed.

"Oh la la la!! Next is the glorious moment for Jiraiya-sama to show his divine power! Whether it's the Dark Ninja or a demigod, they will all fall at my feet. It's a pity there aren't enough spectators to witness this scene."

Jiraiya stood on a toad, tossing his hair and striking a pose.

Everyone stared at him, no one spoke, the atmosphere was incredibly heavy and sorrowful, and the three of them, including Yahiko, felt extremely grief-stricken, as if their hearts were about to break apart.

"In that case, I'd better try using that summoning spell... just to see what it can summon?"

Nagato remained silent, but under the watchful eyes of everyone, he resolutely began forming hand seals.

His actions attracted everyone's attention.

Jiraiya asked in confusion, "Nagato, what's wrong with you...?"

"Teacher, I want to try. If I succeed, I'm sure I can turn this situation around. I want to believe in my eyes and the power they give me," Nagato said loudly.

"Interesting, could it be a Rinnegan eye technique?"

"Judging from the seal, could it be a summoning technique? But what does the Rinnegan's eye technique have to do with summoning techniques?"

Danzo and Hanzo were also keeping a close eye on the situation.

Finally, at the moment when Nagato was about to perform the technique.

boom!
A dark figure suddenly sprang out from the ground, its violent act further shattering the already decaying body. As it fell, the person used its last remaining hand to form a hand seal.

Immediately afterwards, the battered figure vanished.

A figure dressed in a divine robe suddenly appeared on the spot, the wide robe slowly fluttering down. He stretched out a hand and grabbed Nagato's hands, which were forming hand seals, stopping Nagato from casting the spell.

“It’s not time to use that technique yet, Nagato… I guess you can call me that. We’re not in dire straits yet, and you’re not in a position to control that technique right now. If you force it, you might face a result that’s worse than death.”

Nagato stared blankly at the person before her, then asked in confusion, "Who... are you?"

"Me? Well, how should I explain it? I guess I sensed something interesting was happening here, so I came here specifically to check it out."

Kaede looked at everyone present and said, "But I didn't expect it to be even more lively than I anticipated."

(End of this chapter)