Jiraiya slipped into the empty tower. Suddenly, hundreds upon thousands of sheets of paper flew at the Rain Village ninja he had disguised himself as.
Jiraiya immediately knew his infiltration had been exposed.
Before he could wonder where he had gone wrong, the square sheets of paper Konan had transformed into covered his body.
These sheets had powerful binding properties, and anyone wrapped in them would fall asleep.
At the critical moment, Jiraiya turned into a half-bodied shadow and escaped the restraints of Konan's paper.
Then he unleashed a ninjutsu.
"Fire Style: Flame Bullet!"
Jiraiya spat out roaring flames, burning away the paper Konan had released.
Konan stood off to one side. The paper had not finished forming her entire body; only her upper half had taken shape.
She looked at Jiraiya and named the technique he had used. "Was that the Toad Flat Shadow Manipulation Technique?"
Hearing this, Jiraiya knew she was someone very familiar with him.
A paper-like transformation technique brought a girl to Jiraiya's mind. She had short, pale blue hair, with a pale blue paper flower she had folded herself pinned beside her bun.
Konan!
One of the disciples Jiraiya had taken in during his time in the Land of Rain.
She had been a girl with gentle eyes, always carrying a quiet tenderness uniquely her own amid the war-torn Land of Rain.
Jiraiya looked at Konan. She had grown considerably and now wore the Akatsuki uniform, her expression icy.
Jiraiya noticed a purple flower on the right side of her hair.
That confirmed it.
"I set out bait to lure that fellow called Pain, but I never expected you to be the one who took it."
"Your skill with your techniques has improved, and you've grown into a beautiful woman, too... Konan."
"..."
Konan said