Naruto: The Primal Hyuga Pierces the Shinobi World

Konan's figure overlapped with that of the girl from back then, and Jiraiya's eyes finally softened a bit. Looking at Konan, who had grown into a beautiful young woman, Jiraiya couldn't help but smile:

"It's been so many years, Konan, you've grown into an excellent ninja!"

"Are you the only one here? Where are Nagato and Yahiko? Did they join Akatsuki like you?"

Although Jiraiya had already recognized that the Tendo he had fought before was Yahiko, he still pretended not to know and tried to extract information from Konan.

The bond between master and disciple from back then did not cloud Jiraiya's judgment; he was well aware of where he was and what he was doing.

"Yahiko...haven't you already met him?"

"Akatsuki was an organization founded by Yahiko and Nagato, so we are naturally all members of Akatsuki."

When Yahiko was mentioned, a trace of sorrow flashed in Konan's eyes.

Speaking of which... among those who killed Yahiko back then, there was a Konoha ninja. Jiraiya should be acquainted with that Konoha ninja, right?

However, Konan's thoughts did not wander far, and she did not lose her composure excessively when talking about Yahiko.

Shinichi noticed Konan's emotional fluctuations and couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "Yahiko is dead after all. Is he still connected to Danzo?"

"Some things are still unfolding according to their original trajectory. All I can change are the people and things around me..."

Sensing Konan's emotional fluctuations, Shinichi also felt a strange sensation. It seemed that fate was a real thing, guiding everyone along a predetermined path.

"I've already met Yahiko?"

"......"

"And what about Nagato?"

"What's the deal with those Rinnegan ninjas? Was it Nagato's doing?"

After receiving confirmation from Konan herself, Jiraiya finally understood many things. The only thing he couldn't figure out was why she was able to create so many "puppets" with the Rinnegan.

He had a vague idea that all of this was the work of Nagato.

"Nagato?"

"He's fine, but he doesn't want to see you right now."

Konan gave a casual, perfunctory answer, having no intention of revealing Nagato's location at all.

However, Jiraiya was not so easily fooled. He looked up at the "window" of the tower in front of him, his tone deep and serious:

"There it is..."

"Nagato!"

Jiraiya had already learned from Shinichi Hyuga how he controlled the puppets. Konan, who didn't have the Rinnegan, was clearly not the one controlling the puppets. Now, hearing from Konan that Nagato was also in Akatsuki, it would be easy for Jiraiya to conclude that Nagato was the one controlling the puppets.

The reason they came here was to find that "puppet master."

Noticing Jiraiya's gaze, Konan remained expressionless. With a wave of her hand, countless paper arrows shot out from her wings, raining down on Jiraiya, Shinichi, and the others.

Clearly, Jiraiya had touched on someone Konan didn't want him to touch.

.................

Chapter 155 "How Many Floors Must You Carry a Bag of Rice Up!" (Please Subscribe)

Konan's wings folded into countless paper arrows, which, as she swung her arm down, transformed into a rain of arrows that poured down on Shinichi Hyuga and Jiraiya.

Seeing this, Jiraiya made no attempt to dodge. His white hair, which had been hanging down his back, suddenly grew rapidly, quickly covering him completely, leaving only half of his face exposed.

Shinichi Hyuga, who had intended to use the Mini Tailed Beast Ball to forcefully break through the rain of arrows, saw this and quickly appeared behind Jiraiya.

Shinichi Hyuga didn't actually intend to force a fight against Konan. If possible, it would be better to let Jiraiya and Konan, the master and disciple, resolve their conflict themselves.

He could probably understand Jiraiya's conflicted feelings at that moment. Being forced to fight his former disciple was bound to be painful for Jiraiya. If Shinichi Hyuga were to overstep his bounds, it would only prevent Jiraiya from truly resolving his inner conflict.

“Ding ding ding ding!!”

The paper arrows fell, striking Jiraiya's white hair with a series of crisp sounds, as if hitting metal. Although the paper arrows lost their force and scattered around, Jiraiya, while dispelling the ninjutsu, said to Konan in a deep voice:

"Xiao Nan, I don't want to fight you."

"Go and call Nagato out. I want to talk to him."

This was the first time Jiraiya had ever considered negotiating with an enemy while fighting them. Perhaps... in Jiraiya's mind, Konan and Nagato weren't really "enemies" at all.

Although Akatsuki has developed rapidly in recent years, there has not been any irreconcilable conflict between it and Konoha at this stage. If we exclude the matter of "taking in" Obito Uchiha, the relationship between Konoha and Akatsuki has not actually reached a point of no return.

Of course, this is all on the premise that Akatsuki won't cause trouble for Konoha.

Jiraiya felt there was still room for negotiation. He believed his disciple's kind nature hadn't changed and wanted to try to salvage the situation.

"talk?"

“There’s nothing to talk about between you and him, Jiraiya-sensei.”

Konan shook her head and resolutely refused. Unlike Jiraiya, Konan already regarded Jiraiya as an enemy who had intruded into Amegakure. She did not want Jiraiya to see Nagato in his current state, as this would put them in a dangerous situation.

Konan once trusted and admired Jiraiya, her former teacher, but after Yahiko's death, she developed a prejudice against Konoha ninjas, and even Jiraiya could not gain her trust.

Now, Nagato is the only trustworthy partner left in Konan's life, and she would never let her partner be in danger.

Konan's decisive refusal caused a slight sigh to appear on Jiraiya's face.

He sensed Xiao Nan's distrust of him. Once upon a time, he was the teacher that the three children admired and relied on the most.

Looking back on those days, Jiraiya sighed inwardly.

Upon reflection, it's understandable that the other party doesn't trust their teacher. When their disciple faced a life-or-death situation, the teacher couldn't be there to help. Plus, after not seeing them for so many years, the teacher barged into Amegakure right away, so it's reasonable for the other party to be wary.

only...

This matter concerns the future safety of Konoha, as well as the lives of Konan and Nagato. Jiraiya ultimately did not want to give up easily.

He had feelings for Nagato and Konan, but Shinichi Hyuga, who was standing behind him at this moment, had no feelings for either of them.

It wasn't that Jiraiya underestimated Konan and Nagato; after witnessing Shinichi Hyuga's current strength firsthand, he simply didn't believe that Konan and Nagato could survive against this kid.

Jiraiya knew Shinichi well, and he knew Minato even better about sending Shinichi to lead the investigation. If Minato didn't have complete trust in Shinichi, Shinichi wouldn't have entrusted such a difficult task to him.

If Shinichi Hyuga didn't have enough confidence in his own abilities, the other party wouldn't have accepted this mission so easily.

Jiraiya learned a lot from the battles between Shinichi and Pain, as well as the battles between Shinichi and Obito Uchiha.

Flying Thunder God Technique, Eight Gates, and Byakugan—when these two secret techniques are combined with the Hyuga clan's Byakugan, the power that Hyuga Shinichi can unleash is exceptionally terrifying.

Konan's technique is unique, but it's not enough for her to pose a threat to Shinichi Hyuga.

In Jiraiya's eyes, Shinichi Hyuga was a typical prodigy, a prodigy even more terrifying than Orochimaru, who was his contemporary, and Minato Namikaze, who was his disciple.

Not only are they strong enough, but they also know how to conceal their strength when facing enemies. They don't make a move unless they are ready to end the battle.

Just like when facing Konan's paper arrow attack, did Shinichi Hyuga have no other way to deal with it? Probably not.

The other party simply subconsciously chose the easiest way to hide themselves and reduce their presence in Xiao Nan's field of vision.

If Konan ignores Shinichi because of the way the opponent dodges, she might not even know how she died.

Jiraiya didn't want Shinichi to dictate the course of this matter. He wanted to know the truth behind Nagato and Konan's "abnormalities" and also wanted to find a way for his two disciples to survive.

However, Konan's attitude made things very difficult for Jiraiya.

"Xiao Nan, what exactly has happened all these years?"

Tell me, and I'll find a way to help you.

Jiraiya frowned deeply, his brows furrowing into a deep frown, and continued to strive.

Just as Xiao Nan was about to speak, a phantom suddenly appeared behind her. The phantom's face was unclear, and its body shimmered with iridescent colors in the rain. However, the phantom's pair of round eyes seemed to indicate the person's identity.

The Illusionary Body Technique!

One of the abilities of the Rinnegan is that Nagato can use this technique to transform his chakra into the form of "Nenpa" and project it into physical space as a phantom regardless of distance.

The illusory image created by the Illusionary Body Technique can even use some of the original's abilities. In the past, Akatsuki used this method to conduct "meetings" over extremely long distances. Through this technique, they could transmit information and issue orders regardless of distance.

The moment this phantom appeared beside Konan, Jiraiya's spirits lifted, and he whispered, "Nagato... is that you?"

Rinnegan...

The illusory Rinnegan was so distinctive that Jiraiya naturally had some guesses about its identity.

"Nagato is dead..."

"My name is Payne!"

When he mentioned his name, a strange light flashed in his Rinnegan eyes, and his gaze toward Jiraiya took on a different meaning.

"Payne?"

When Jiraiya heard the other person identify himself as Pain, he paused, seemingly unsure if the other person was indeed his disciple Nagato.

However, Shinichi's words seemed to awaken the somewhat confused Jiraiya from his dream:

Payne?

"I've given myself a painful name!"

The name Pain is actually an extension of the word "pain". Shinichi Hyuga knew the origin of the name, and Jiraiya, after being reminded by Shinichi, also understood that Pain was not the other party's real name, but more like a code name.

No one knows what Nagato has gone through over the years; "pain" seems to be branded onto him like a mark.