Naruto: In Konoha Village, I awakened Wood Release at the start.

The land of rain.

Jiraiya, like a gray ghost, sped through the buildings of Amegakure.

His mood was extremely depressed.

Amegakure has changed.

The dilapidated yet vibrant bungalows of my memory have been replaced by cold, steel towers.

There was neither crying nor laughter here.

The whole village is like a huge, emotionless machine.

midair.

Countless white pieces of paper gathered in the rain.

They weren't wet by the rain; instead, they solidified into a graceful human figure.

Konan stared coldly at Jiraiya below.

The pale purple eyeshadow complemented that lifeless face.

Jiraiya stopped in his tracks.

He looked up, his gaze complex.

"Xiao Nan".

Jiraiya's voice was a little hoarse.

He tried to find the gentle, origami-loving girl in that cold face.

Xiao Nan remained unmoved.

She simply looked down at her former mentor.

"What are you doing here?"

Xiao Nan's voice was even colder than the rain.

"Where's Nagato?"

Jiraiya never took the other party's attitude to heart.

"How is Yahiko?"

I heard Yahiko's name.

Xiao Nan's pupils suddenly contracted.

That deeply buried painful memory resurfaced in my mind.

She forced down her inner turmoil and turned away expressionlessly.

"Come with me."

"Nagato is waiting for you."

After saying that...

Xiao Nan transformed into countless pieces of paper and flew towards the tallest steel tower.

Jiraiya followed closely behind.

He keenly sensed the fluctuation in Xiao Nan's emotions.

Yahiko is in trouble.

This thought flashed through Jiraiya's mind, causing his heart to sink.

He just hoped things wouldn't get too bad.

Step into the tallest steel tower.

The light dimmed instantly.

A dull hum of liquid flowing could be heard coming from the pipes on the wall.

Jiraiya followed behind Konan, walking through a long corridor.

Ahead was a huge iron gate.

The iron gate slowly slid open to both sides.

A dark and empty hall came into view.

The first thing that came into Jiraiya's view was six figures dressed in black robes with red clouds.

They stood there quietly.

Each person had a black receiver inserted into their face.

The person in the very center has bright orange hair.

Jiraiya suddenly stopped in his tracks.

His eyes were fixed on that face, and his breathing even paused briefly.

"Yahiko?"

Jiraiya cried out in disbelief.

But soon, he realized something was wrong.

Although the person in front of me has Yahiko's face, he has no trace of human life.

Those eyes.

The purple ripples, ring after ring, emitted a chilling, icy light.

That's the Rinnegan!

But the Rinnegan, it's clearly Nagato's!

Just when Jiraiya was in a state of utter confusion.

A hoarse, metallic sound came from the depths of the hall.

"It's been a long time, Jiraiya-sensei."

The owner of that voice was hidden in the deep shadows.

Jiraiya suppressed the turmoil in his heart and looked past Pain.

He finally saw the scene in the shadows.

What a terrifying scene that was.

A huge and ferocious withered wooden statue, with ten thick fingers spread out.

Below the statue.

A emaciated man was pinned to his wheelchair by countless black receivers.

The man's red hair was dull and lifeless, and his ribs were clearly visible on his chest.

But his eyes revealed an arrogance that suggested he was in control of everything.

Nagato.

"How did you end up looking like this?"

Jiraiya clenched his fist.

He couldn't reconcile the dying monster before him with the shy, red-haired boy he once knew.

Nagato did not answer the question.

He merely raised his Rinnegan slightly.

"You brought the Hokage of Konoha with you."

"Does it mean you want to completely destroy the Land of Rain?"

Jiraiya shook his head.

"I left the group because I wanted to find out what you guys were doing."

"The Akatsuki organization is recruiting S-rank rogue ninja everywhere."

"Nagato, what exactly do you want to do?"

Nagato's withered lips twitched slightly.

He looked like he was laughing, but it was more painful than crying.

"I am fulfilling Yahiko's dream."

"I want to bring true peace to this world."

Nagato's voice echoed in the empty hall, carrying a morbid fanaticism.

"Peace?"

Jiraiya pointed at Pain, who was standing in front of him.

"Is this what you call peace?"

"Turning your comrade's corpse into a puppet?"

"You don't understand at all."

Nagato's tone was indifferent.

"The ninjas of great powers always talk about peace from a high and mighty position."

"You slaughtered your way across the land of the Rain Kingdom, leaving behind countless orphans, and then you just packed your bags and left."

"The Land of Fire has ushered in peace, but the Land of Rain is left with only suffering."

Nagato's emotions gradually became agitated.

The demonic statue connected to it even emitted a low rumble.

Konan stood in front of Nagato, watching Jiraiya warily.

She would not allow anyone to harm Nagato.

Jiraiya fell silent.

Nagato is telling the truth.

Konoha's prosperity was built on the bloodshed of small nations.

"So, you want to take revenge on Konoha?"

Jiraiya asked in a deep voice.

"revenge?"

"That's the thinking of mortals."

"God does not favor any side."

Nagato began to explain his ultimate plan.

"I want to collect the nine tailed beasts scattered throughout the ninja world."

"Using the Gedo Statue, we created the ultimate weapon capable of destroying a nation in an instant."

"Who dares to start a war!"

"I'll use my ultimate weapon on him!"

"Tens of millions of people were destroyed in an instant."

"That kind of heart-wrenching despair can instill a deep fear of war in everyone."

The hall was deathly silent.

Xiao Nan lowered her eyes, the paper rustling between her fingertips.

Jiraiya stared intently at Nagato, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"Peace through fear?"

"Nagato, you've gone mad!"

"This world is insane!"

Nagato interrupted Jiraiya sharply.

"People can never truly understand each other."

Only by experiencing extreme suffering together can we truly appreciate peace!

"Decades later, when people had forgotten the pain, war broke out again."

"Then let's use the weapon one more time!"

"Only through endless cycles of suffering can the world find a brief moment of peace!"

After hearing this utterly absurd theory...

Jiraiya suddenly laughed.

His smile was bitter, and tears welled up in his eyes.

He once searched the world for the prophesied son.

He believed that once he found that person, people could understand each other.

He always pinned his hopes on a vague and uncertain future.

Nagato frowned as he watched his laughing mentor.

What are you laughing at?

Jiraiya's smile faded, and he let out a heavy sigh.

I laugh at how naive I was.

"I thought love could change everything."

Jiraiya's gaze toward Nagato carried a hint of pity.

"Minato is dead."

"You've become this extreme person."

"The old man's Will of Fire has completely rotted in the quagmire of Konoha."

Every time Jiraiya said a word...

His heart felt like it was being cut by a knife.

"Nagato".

"You're just as naive."

Jiraiya criticized without any politeness.

"I possess the Rinnegan."

"I am the god of this world."

"God has no need for mortals to point fingers at him."

Nagato's eyes turned cold.

Stop fooling yourself!

Jiraiya shouted sternly.

"Using weapons to intimidate? Ruling with fear?"

"How are you any different from those ambitious war-mongers!"

"You've simply put the butcher's knife in your own hands!"

In Jiraiya's mind, the image of Chiba's young yet domineering face appeared.

Both are pursuing peace.

Both involve the use of force.

Chiba's approach was a million times better than Nagato's.

"I brought Chiba with me today because he has a more practical solution."

Jiraiya stared directly at Nagato's Rinnegan.

"Chiba wants to unify the entire ninja world."

"Abolish all daimyo and break down the boundaries between large and small countries."

"There is no Land of Fire, nor Land of Rain, only a unified regime."

Nagato was slightly taken aback.

Xiao Nan also looked up in surprise.

Unify the ninja world?

Even Nagato never had such a crazy idea.

Jiraiya continued.

"Without national boundaries, there would be no border conflicts."

"Chiba will manage all ninjas and resources in a unified manner."

"He made ninjutsu public, so that ordinary people could also gain power."

"He promised to treat everyone equally, whether it was Konoha or Amegakure, as long as they submitted, they would enjoy the same treatment."

"Those who are starving due to the war will receive supplies from the unified government."

"..."