Kou: Retreat! Retreat!!

At Kou's shout, Jiraiya's mind went blank for a moment.

Even the Blazing Flame Rasengan in his hand faltered at the sudden interruption.

Why did that brat Kou start shouting out of nowhere?

Wait, what did he just shout?

Confusion in Jiraiya's eyes gave way to thought.

Before he could make sense of it, a tremendous force struck him squarely in the side.

Jiraiya had no time to react. The invisible force hurled him away and slammed him into a distant cliff face.

The Blazing Flame Rasengan finally slipped from his control as he flew, smashing into the rock beside him.

Crimson energy erupted, its terrifying power tearing half the cliff face to pieces.

Shattered stone sprayed outward, bounced off the rock walls farther away, and clattered to the ground.

Dust billowed through the air, shrouding that section of the cliff completely.

Kou, freshly escaped from "danger," stood where he was. His Three Tomoe Sharingan peered through the dust, trying to make out Jiraiya's condition.

Yikes... Nagato really didn't hold back, did he?

He couldn't help muttering to himself:

What a touching bond between teacher and student. Bet there'll never be another pair quite like them...

Several faces flashed through his mind.

Orochimaru and the Third Hokage, Sasuke and Kakashi, Sasuke and Orochimaru, Obito and Minato, Obito and Prisoner Madara...

Uh, okay. There are actually quite a few.

Come to think of it... why do the inherently evil Uchiha brats stand out so much on that list?

Kou shook his head, pushing aside the ill-timed thought.

He steadied himself and refocused his Sharingan on the distant, dust-shrouded cliff.

Just as he tried to see how Jiraiya was doing, a low voice sounded behind him.

"How... did you know I was here?"

Hearing the familiar voice, Kou's Sharingan glinted.

The corners of his mouth rose in a brief just as I thought smile.

It vanished at once, replaced by an expression of surprise.

Kou turned toward the orange-haired figure who had appeared behind him without his noticing. "Whoa! Leader! You really were here!"

As he spoke with exaggerated astonishment, Kou discreetly swept his slowly spinning Three Tomoe Sharingan over the figure.

Orange hair, purple Rinnegan, black rods in his face, the features of a tall, lean man...

The Animal Path.

He silently confirmed it.

Nagato planned this thoroughly. The Animal Path's abilities are perfect for covert observation and support from a distance.

He can avoid revealing the Six Paths of Pain's most important fighting power too soon, while still stepping in when necessary.

As the thought passed through Kou's mind, his gaze deepened.

Kou looked away from Pain and glanced out of the corner of his eye at a spot not far behind where Jiraiya had stood.

There was nothing there but windblown grass and scattered stones.

Yet Kou sensed something strange about it.

I see. The Chameleon.

He recalled the moment Jiraiya had been sent flying and quickly pieced it together.

While Jiraiya's attention was fixed on me, leaving him no room to use his senses, Pain summoned the Chameleon nearby and kept it hidden here with its invisibility.

That old pervert Jiraiya must have been knocked away by the Chameleon's invisible tongue when the chance came.

Kou couldn't help feeling a touch of genuine admiration.

What a useful summon. In all sorts of ways.

"Answer my question."

Pain's low voice sounded again. His purple Rinnegan fixed on Kou.

There was no emotion in his gaze, but its pressure was impossible to ignore.

"How... did you know I was here?"

The Animal Path's Rinnegan gleamed coldly in the sunlight. He watched Kou with his guard up.

With his own concealment and the Chameleon's invisibility combined, even a Kage Level sensory ninja would have had great difficulty detecting anything.

When did Uchiha Kou notice? Has his sensory ability become that strong?

Pain analyzed the matter calmly, his gaze growing more wary.

Looking at Pain, who had the nerve to question him first, Kou grumbled inwardly:

Unbelievable. I haven't even asked why you followed me here, and you're already interrogating me. Shameless bastard.

How could anyone be this rotten?

Outwardly, Kou put on a baffled look. The gaze in his Sharingan turned as clear and foolish as Young Kenji's.

He furrowed his brow, spread his hands, and asked in utter confusion:

"Huh? What are you talking about? Little Kou doesn't know."

Pain: ...눈_눈

Urgh...

Apparently disgusted with himself, Kou retched inwardly. He nearly lost control of his expression.

He forced down the nausea, quickly adjusted his face, and beamed.

Clasping his hands, he filled his eyes with fervent devotion and spoke with open admiration:

"Here's what happened, Leader!!

"When I was cornered just now, your reassuring, magnificent figure appeared in my mind!

"Facing an enemy I couldn't defeat, I instinctively called out to that light in my heart..."

He drew a deep breath and continued with righteous conviction:

"Ah, Leader!! I never imagined you'd actually hear my call and come to my side!

"It's just like you're my summon... No, wait, I mean it's as if..."

"...Shut up."

Pain spoke softly, but the chill in his voice froze Kou's torrent of words in an instant.

"Yes, sir!"

Kou answered at once, loud and clear.

Pain stared at the man playing the fool before him, his deadpan expression finally beginning to crack.

The corner of his mouth twitched so quickly it was almost as though nothing had happened.

Pain took a deep breath, and calm returned to his Rinnegan.

He gave Kou a long look and murmured inwardly:

Forget it.

His gaze deepened.

I've achieved part of what I came for. It isn't much, but I've seen a little of what this man can do.

And I learned about Uchiha Kou's connection to Teacher Jiraiya... That's an unexpected gain.

His eyes settled on Kou's face, a complicated emotion flickering through his Rinnegan.

Would that make him my junior fellow student?

"Hm? What's wrong, Leader? Why have you gone quiet? Is your connection lagging?"

Kou's "concerned" voice pulled him from his thoughts.

That irritating face had moved right up to his, with one hand waving dramatically before his eyes.

Pain looked at the hand almost touching his face. His expression twitched again.

"What exactly are you trying to say?"

Kou gave him a sheepish smile, equal parts ingratiating and sly.

"Well... Leader, it's getting late, and I still have a mission I can't put off. So, if you could handle things here..."

As he spoke, he looked toward Jiraiya in the distance.

The dust was thinning, revealing a deep crater in the cliff and a battered figure slowly rising before it.

Pain studied him for a moment before replying flatly:

"...Go."

"Awesome! Long live the Leader!"

Kou threw both hands up and cheered for Pain's generosity.

After spending 0.01 seconds as the Son of the Sun, he took one last look toward Jiraiya and sighed inwardly.

Goodbye, Teacher Jiraiya.

Kou silently said his farewell.

Electricity hissed through the air, and he vanished from where he stood.

Pain remained there, watching the spot where Kou had disappeared. A faint light flickered in his Rinnegan.

A mountain wind blew from behind him, stirring his orange hair and the hem of his Black Cloak with Red Clouds.

Even Pain, accustomed to spending his days among a collection of eccentrics, felt a little weary.

He sighed inwardly.

Compared with that oddball Uchiha Kou, even Teacher Jiraiya, whom he had just sent flying with an elbow, seemed positively pleasant.

He extended his senses once more, past the ruined cliff face, and found a presence rapidly approaching.

He's back...

Sensing Jiraiya's chakra nearby, Pain murmured:

"There's a great deal I'd like to discuss with you. But now... isn't the time to reveal who I am, Teacher Jiraiya."

Pain placed a hand on the ground. His Rinnegan sharpened.

He stared toward Jiraiya and called out:

"Summoning Technique!!"

Far away, Jiraiya hurried toward him, covered in dust and looking thoroughly battered after climbing out of the cliff.

Falling stones had torn several holes in his clothes, and dust coated his long white hair. He was a mess.

But his eyes were sharper than before.

Jiraiya thought back over what had happened, analyzing it calmly.

That attack... Someone was watching my fight with Kou from the shadows all along?

His expression grew grave, and he quickened his pace.

Even with most of my attention on Kou, anyone who could evade my senses is no ordinary opponent.

His gaze swept the surroundings, a keen light flashing in his weathered eyes.

The leader...?

He recalled Kou's shout, his grave expression turning thoughtful.

The leader of the Akatsuki? If that mysterious powerhouse is here, taking Kou away will be far more difficult.

Jiraiya's gaze turned resolute.

But this is also an opportunity. A rare chance to gather intelligence on the Akatsuki.

Growing ever more wary, Jiraiya prepared to pick up speed toward Kou.

His body reacted before his mind could.

His feet stopped without warning, almost on instinct. His wooden sandals scraped two pale streaks across the rock.

Years of combat experience sounded an alarm in his head.

Sensing the danger about to strike, Jiraiya's pupils contracted, and he leaped backward.

He became a blur as he cleared the place where he had stood.

An instant later, countless bubbles engulfed the empty ground.

They came in a dense, overwhelming wave, like a white sea.

Jiraiya stood at a distance, staring grimly at the ground swallowed by bubbles.

His eyes moved from the white sea to its source.

It was an enormous reddish-brown crab that had appeared from nowhere.

A hard shell covered its body like natural armor.

It held two huge pincers high, bubbles still dripping from their tips.

Its eight legs supported its heavy body, casting an enormous shadow in the sunlight.

"What is that..."

Jiraiya stared at the giant crab in surprise and cried out:

"A giant summon?!"

(Sorry, I had a lot of classes yesterday and only just finished writing this. I have class this afternoon too, so the next chapter will be out tonight ꒦ິ^꒦ິ.)