After Jiraiya laid out the information about the Akatsuki Organization and Pain, the entire office fell into deathly silence.
Every one of them was Kage-level?!
Was the Konoha rogue ninja Itachi Uchiha still a member of the Akatsuki Organization?
Had several tailed beasts already fallen into the Akatsuki Organization's hands?
Had Jiraiya, Konoha's strongest ninja on the surface, nearly been beaten to death by the Akatsuki's leader?
If Jiraiya hadn't said all that himself, Tsunade and the others would have thought they were hearing things.
Unfortunately, it hadn't been a hallucination. It was the truth.
That left the Konoha higher-ups in the room unable to sit still.
Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage, was especially unsettled. The thought of such a powerful organization coveting Konoha made her feel completely at a loss.
After all, even Jiraiya hadn't been a match for him. Even if she joined the fight, she still might not be able to beat Pain!
And the Akatsuki Organization had other members, too.
Just as Tsunade was fretting, she happened to notice Hao Shuai sitting nearby, completely at ease. A thought struck her, and she smiled at him. "Hao Shuai, thank you for helping Jiraiya."
"No need to thank me. You can show your appreciation another way." Hao Shuai gave Tsunade a meaningful smile.
After three years, Tsunade knew Hao Shuai inside and out. How could she not know what he meant? She immediately felt like losing her temper, but remembering that she needed his help, she forced a smile instead. "If you faced that Pain, are you confident you could beat him?"
Tsunade's question made the already noisy office fall quiet. Everyone turned to Hao Shuai, waiting for his answer.
"Pain?" Hao Shuai shrugged, dismissive. "The so-called Rinnegan is nothing but a pack of weaklings in my eyes.