Master Jiraiya

On one of Amegakure's towers, the Animal Path stood high above the village, looking down over it. Rare good weather had come to this village perpetually shrouded in rain, and it seemed somewhat different.

Countless paper butterflies circled the Animal Path. As they fluttered, they pieced together Konan's form.

"How is it?" the Animal Path asked.

"It's Jiraiya," Konan said calmly as she looked at his back.

"Is that so? Master Jiraiya... How nostalgic." The Animal Path gazed into the distance, his voice taking on a touch of humanity.

"What should we do, Pain?" Konan asked expectantly.

"He was never going to be our companion anyway," the Animal Path said evenly.

"Probably..." Konan's voice returned to its usual icy tone.

"Then kill him. At this point, there's nothing left to cling to. I deployed this body precisely to kill intruders. Lead the way." The Animal Path looked at Konan and spoke slowly.

"I understand." Konan separated a sheet of white paper from her body and folded it into a paper airplane in midair. "Pain, I'll hold him off until you arrive."

"If you can kill him, do it." With that, the Animal Path leaped down from the platform and followed the paper airplane.

Meanwhile, Jiraiya was controlling an Amegakure genin as he moved through the village, probing for intelligence unknown to outsiders. Just as he reached a hidden passage, he saw countless sheets of white paper fluttering toward him. The next instant, they surged forward and plastered themselves one by one onto the rain ninja's body.

After wrapping the rain ninja into a ball of paper, Konan appeared before him with a paper spear in hand. Seeing that she was about to strike, Jiraiya could no longer afford to remain hidden. He emerged from the rain ninja's shadow, formed Hand