Rain Still Falls

"Shinra Tensei!"

Just as Jiraiya's hand burst from the earth and grabbed Deva Path Pain's right foot, a massive repulsive force formed a spherical force field that collapsed the ground. Jiraiya, still underground, was uncontrollably crushed into the soil and hurled backward.

[Deva Path Pain's weakness: there was a gap of at least five seconds between uses of Gravitational Manipulation and Repulsive Force Manipulation.]

At the same time, a steel wire burst from the ground beneath Deva Path Pain's feet. Following it to its source, Jiraiya, even as he was being flung away, yanked tight on the wire in his hand. With a snap, Deva Path Pain's body was bound by the steel wire.

He had already planted it while he was underground...

Deva Path Pain's expression did not change. Hell Path Pain stepped forward with a Black Rod, intending to cut the steel wire. Jiraiya rolled to his feet, and the two toads on his shoulders instantly formed the hand seals for Fire Style and Oil Style.

"Fire Style: Toad Oil Flame Bullet!"

Dragon-like flames shot toward the bound Deva Path Pain and the approaching Hell Path Pain.

Hungry Ghost Path Pain stepped forward and opened an absorption field.

A row of kunai coated in Wind Style Chakra followed in the flames' wake.

At the same time, Asura Path Pain fired a barrage of missiles.

"Too slow." Deva Path Pain spoke coldly. Shinra Tensei! The immense repulsive force instantly blasted away the steel wire wrapped around him and sent the kunai and missiles flying toward Jiraiya at even greater speed.

"You're the slow one." In Sage Mode, Jiraiya moved like an afterimage. He dodged the incoming barrage and reached Hungry Ghost Path Pain in less than a second.

A fist came crashing down.

Deva Path Pain leaped back several meters.

Facing Jiraiya's fist, Hungry Ghost Path Pain only had time to tilt his head aside. Just as he narrowly avoided it... Bam! His face instantly caved in, and he was knocked straight to the ground.

Frog Kumite!

"You seem very confident in the strength of your body in this state, Jiraiya-sensei." Asura Path Pain pressed his face close to Jiraiya's. He actually had three faces: the one in front was smiling, the one on the right was enraged, and the one on the left was cold and emotionless.

The smiling Asura Path Pain's body shifted with a series of mechanical clicks. His arms wound around Jiraiya's arms, while mechanical limbs tore through his clothing and reached out to embrace Jiraiya.

Jiraiya hurriedly retreated, but his left arm was still caught.

Asura Path Pain's face was utterly cold as dazzling light shone through the mechanical seams all over his body.

Could it be!? Jiraiya sensed danger. In that split second, he activated Needle Jizo, using his white hair to cover his body as much as possible.

Boom...

A small mushroom cloud rose above the forest.

The smoke and dust gradually dispersed.

Jiraiya crouched on the ground, covered in wounds. His clothes were torn to shreds, and his left arm had been severed at the elbow, blood pouring from the wound... The two toads lay on his shoulders, seemingly unconscious.

"Hah... hah..." Jiraiya panted heavily. His injuries were severe, and he could barely maintain Sage Mode. Looking ahead, he saw the charred, naked Asura Path Pain lying on the ground, his eyes still glaring at him.

"He actually used a Self-Destruction Tactic..." Jiraiya did his best to recover his strength.

"You're not the only one who knows how to make use of smoke, Jiraiya-sensei." Pain's voice rang out behind Jiraiya.

Smack.

Hungry Ghost Path Pain grabbed Jiraiya from behind, locking Jiraiya's arms in place and leaving him unable to move.

Deva Path Pain and Hell Path Pain emerged from a hidden spot ahead. Hell Path Pain stepped forward, broke off the long metal saw blade from Asura Path Pain's back, then brought his hands together. Asura Path Pain's body vanished, and shortly afterward, he stood up again completely unharmed.

So that was Hell Path's revival ability...

Jiraiya watched helplessly.

Hell Path Pain held the saw blade while Deva Path Pain pointed a Black Rod at Jiraiya. At that moment, Human Path Pain appeared at Jiraiya's side from somewhere unknown and said coldly, "Will you choose to have your soul extracted, or will you choose..."

Behind Jiraiya, Hungry Ghost Path Pain frantically absorbed his Chakra.

"Oh, I get a choice?" Even trapped in such a desperate situation, Jiraiya still had the strength to laugh. He stared coldly at Deva Path Pain before him, at Yahiko's face. "The Nagato I knew was a gentle, thoughtful boy. He wasn't someone who would say things like that."

"..." Deva Path Pain remained silent.

Inside a tower somewhere in Amegakure, a gaunt red-haired youth sat in a large chair. His thick hair covered his brows and eyes, hiding his face. Only his cold voice could be heard.

"When we needed you most, you never came to preach these grand principles to us. What meaning is there in saying them now, Jiraiya-sensei? Just obediently go and die. This world has rotted beyond all cure... A world that does not understand true pain cannot understand the meaning of peace. And I, as a god, will make the entire world feel pain deep in their bones. Only then will true peace have soil in which to grow."

"God? Pain? Peace?" Jiraiya smiled bitterly, a trace of regret and guilt appearing in his eyes as the Sage Chakra within him was frantically absorbed by Hungry Ghost Path Pain behind him.

"That's right. With these eyes, I am a god." Deva Path Pain's gaze grew even colder. "And you will die at the hands of a god."

"That... I cannot accept..." Jiraiya frantically drove the Sage Chakra within his body... into Hungry Ghost Path Pain behind him!

This is... The other Pains discovered in shock that Hungry Ghost Path Pain's face, as he absorbed Jiraiya's Chakra, was turning into that of a frog!

"It seems Sage Chakra is dangerous as well... But this ends here." Human Path Pain reached out and grabbed the top of Jiraiya's head!

Thump! Thump!

Jiraiya's heart convulsed violently. Something innate was gradually slipping out of his control... his soul.

Ninja Academy.

Shikamaru yawned, tears even gathering at the corners of his eyes. Still looking as lazy as ever, he passed the classroom's back door and happened to see Naruto sitting alone in the empty classroom, seemingly reading something.

Curious, and feeling that Naruto had changed somewhat over the past few days, Shikamaru walked in and said, "Hey, Naruto, outdoor class is about to start, hurry up... Hm? '300 Basics of Ninja Knowledge'? Since when did you start reading textbooks?"

"Ah... huh?" Naruto suddenly snapped awake. Seeing that it was Shikamaru, he hastily stuffed the scroll into his bag and said in embarrassment and anger, "Why don't you make any sound when you walk?"

"Huh?" Shikamaru made a bizarre face, one eye wide open while the other squinted at Naruto.

Naruto grew a little embarrassed under his stare. Scratching his head, he said, "I just thought... these things should still be important if I want to become a qualified ninja."

"You really are different..." Shikamaru said thoughtfully.

"Ahaha, really?" Naruto awkwardly changed the subject. "Let's go to outdoor class!"

"Just in case..." Deva Path Pain flicked his hands, sending two Black Rods shooting toward the two unconscious toads lying on Jiraiya's shoulders... Pfft! Pfft! They pierced through them and nailed them to Hungry Ghost Path Pain's shoulders behind Jiraiya.

Hungry Ghost Path Pain gradually began turning into a stone frog.

Jiraiya's soul was struggling against Human Path Pain's Chakra, but his consciousness was still gradually drifting away.

At that moment, all the Pains, including Deva Path Pain, suddenly froze. For an instant, their minds lost focus.

Now!

Poof! Poof! The two toads on the Black Rods turned into white smoke and vanished.

Behind Deva Path Pain, Fukasaku and Shima emerged from the ground with their palms pressed together! Jiraiya had bought them so much time to gather Sage Chakra for this technique!

"Sage Art: Duet!"

Massive sound waves propelled by enormous Sage Chakra swept toward the five Pains like a raging storm and tsunami.

Heaven and earth overturned.

The five Pains were instantly trapped in a genjutsu-created cage, collapsing to the ground in reality.

"Huff... cough, cough..." Jiraiya panted violently and coughed up a pool of blood.

"Are you all right, Little Jiraiya!" Fukasaku and Shima maintained the genjutsu with all their strength while worrying about Jiraiya's condition.

"I'm fine." Jiraiya bandaged the stump of his left arm and staggered over to Deva Path Pain.

Looking at Yahiko's face as he lay there, Jiraiya lowered his eyes in silence. After a few breaths, Jiraiya crouched down, took the Black Rod from Deva Path Pain's hand, and stabbed it into his own right shoulder.

Sage Chakra flowed backward along it!

"There..." Jiraiya threw away the Black Rod, stood up, and turned to look toward a tower deep within Amegakure.

The sky was growing dark, and visibility was poor. He could only vaguely make out a tower in the distance, but Jiraiya knew Nagato was there.

The rain was still falling.