Kou: Retreat, Retreat!!

Following Kou's shout, Jiraiya's brain stalled for a brief moment.

The Blazing Flame Rasengan in his hand faltered slightly due to this abrupt interruption.

Kou, that brat, why did he suddenly yell?

Wait, what did he just call out?

Jiraiya's expression shifted gradually from confusion to contemplation.

However, before the bewilderment in his eyes could fade, a massive force struck him precisely in the side.

Before Jiraiya could even react, his body was sent flying by that invisible power, slamming heavily into the mountain wall in the distance.

The Blazing Flame Rasengan, having lost control during the flight, smashed violently into the rock face beside him.

Crimson energy erupted with a roar, and half the cliffside was torn to shreds by its terrifying destructive power in an instant.

Debris flew everywhere, clattering against the distant rock walls and raining down in a chaotic heap.

The rising dust slowly diffused into the air, shrouding that section of the cliff so completely that nothing could be seen.

Kou, having just escaped "danger," stood where he was, his Three Tomoe Sharingan peering through the swirling dust as he tried to discern Jiraiya's current state.

Hiss... Nagato, that kid, does he have to hit so hard?

He couldn't help but mutter to himself:

What a touching display of master-student bonding. I doubt there will ever be another pair of master and student quite like them...

In an instant, 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, alright, I guess there are actually quite a few.

Come to think of it... why does it feel like those "naturally evil" Uchiha brats are particularly prominent in this list?

Kou shook his head, casting aside these clearly ill-timed thoughts.

He steadied himself, the focus of his Sharingan re-centering on the dust-choked cliff in the distance.

Just as he tried to make out Jiraiya's condition, a low voice drifted slowly from behind him.

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

Hearing that familiar voice behind him, the light in Kou's Sharingan flickered slightly.

The corners of his mouth curled upward, forming an "as expected" arc.

But that expression lasted only a second before he switched it to one of pure surprise.

Kou turned around to face the orange-haired figure that had appeared out of nowhere, his voice filled with astonishment:

"Whoa! Leader!! So you really were here after all!!"

As Kou spoke with exaggerated flair, he swept his slowly rotating Three Tomoe Sharingan across the figure before him, betraying no emotion.

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

It's the Animal Path.

He confirmed silently in his heart.

It seems Nagato's arrangements are quite thorough. The Animal Path's abilities are indeed perfectly suited for covert observation and long-range support.

It doesn't expose the most vital combat power of the Six Paths of Pain too early, yet it's enough to intervene in the battle when necessary.

He murmured internally, the light in his eyes growing deep and inscrutable.

Kou shifted his gaze away from Pain, using his peripheral vision to scan the area not far behind where Jiraiya had originally been standing.

There was nothing there—just empty space, save for grass blades swaying in the wind and scattered gravel.

Yet, Kou could sense that something was amiss.

I see, so it's a Chameleon.

Kou recalled the moment Jiraiya was sent flying, analyzing the situation rapidly in his mind:

While Jiraiya's attention was entirely focused on me and he had no time to use his sensory abilities, he summoned a Chameleon nearby and used its camouflage to lurk in the vicinity.

The one that seized the opportunity to knock that old pervert Jiraiya away must have been the Chameleon's transparent tongue.

Kou couldn't help but sigh internally, with a hint of genuine admiration:

What a useful summoning creature, in every sense of the word.

"Answer my question."

Pain's low voice sounded once more, his purple Rinnegan fixed upon Kou.

There was no emotion in his gaze, yet it carried an oppressive weight that could not be ignored:

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

The Animal Path's Rinnegan glinted with a cold, eerie light under the sun as he stared at Kou, his heart filled with vigilance.

With his own concealment techniques combined with the Chameleon's invisibility, even a sensory-type Kage-level powerhouse would find it nearly impossible to detect even the slightest trace of his presence.

"When did Uchiha Kou notice? Has his sensory ability... truly reached such a level?"

Pain analyzed the situation calmly in his heart, his gaze toward Kou growing significantly more solemn.

Watching Pain play the victim first, Kou couldn't help but mutter in his heart:

"666, what a guy. I haven't even asked why you followed me yet, and you're already interrogating me? How shameless."

How can a person's heart be this rotten!!

On the surface, however, Kou feigned a look of confusion, the gaze within his Sharingan becoming as clear and foolish as Young Kenji's.

He furrowed his brows slightly, spread his hands, and said with a look of utter bewilderment:

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

Pain: ...눈_눈

"Ugh~~"

Seemingly disgusted by himself, Kou gagged internally, his expression nearly cracking.

Yet, he forced down the nausea, quickly adjusted his features, and put on a beaming, cheerful smile.

He pressed his palms together, the light in his eyes turning devout and fervent, his tone filled with adoration:

"It's like this, Leader!!

Just as I was trapped in a desperate situation, your reassuring and magnificent figure appeared in my mind!

Facing an unbeatable enemy, I instinctively called out to the light that emerged within my heart..."

He took a deep breath and continued righteously:

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

It's just like my summoning beast... no, wait, I mean it's just like..."

"...Shut up."

Pain's voice was soft, but the chill within it was like a wind blowing from the frozen wastes, instantly icing over Kou's incessant chatter.

"Yes, sir!"

Kou responded immediately with a full-throated shout.

Pain looked at the man playing the fool with black lines across his forehead, his usually stoic, zombie-like face struggling to maintain its composure.

The corner of his mouth twitched slightly—a movement so fast it was as if nothing had happened at all.

Pain took a deep breath, his Rinnegan returning to a state of calm.

He gave Kou a long, deep look and muttered to himself:

"Forget it."

The light in his eyes grew profound:

"The objective this time has been partially achieved. Although it wasn't much, I did manage to gauge some of this guy's strength.

Besides, knowing the relationship between Uchiha Kou and Jiraiya-sensei... that counts as an unexpected gain."

His gaze landed on Kou's face, a flicker of complex emotion passing through his Rinnegan:

"He... should be considered my junior disciple, right?"

"Hmm? What's wrong, Leader? Why have you been silent for a while? Is your connection lagging?"

Kou's "concerned" voice pulled him back to reality.

That punchable face was thrust right in front of him, one hand waving exaggeratedly before his eyes.

Pain looked at the hand nearly pressed against his face, and his zombie-like expression couldn't help but twitch again:

"What exactly are you trying to say?"

Kou gave a sheepish grin, his smile filled with a mix of ingratiation and cunning:

"Well... Leader, you see, it's getting late, and I still have a mission to attend to. I can't delay it, so if you don't mind..."

As he spoke, his eyes drifted toward the direction of Jiraiya in the distance.

The dust had begun to settle, revealing a deep crater in the rock wall and a somewhat disheveled figure slowly pulling himself up in front of it.

Pain looked at him deeply, pondered for a moment, and replied indifferently:

"...Go."

"Yay! Long live the Leader!"

Kou raised his hands high, excitedly cheering for Pain's benevolence.

After being the Son of the Sun for 0.01 seconds, he took one last look at the direction of Jiraiya and sighed inwardly.

"Goodbye, Jiraiya-sensei."

Kou whispered his farewell in his heart.

Accompanied by the hiss of electricity cutting through the air, his figure vanished from the spot in an instant.

Pain stood there, watching the direction in which Uchiha Kou had vanished, the light within his Rinnegan flickering ever so slightly.

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

Even for Pain, who spent his days surrounded by a group of god-like individuals, a trace of exhaustion could not help but surface at this moment.

He let out a silent sigh in his heart.

Compared to that freak Uchiha Kou, Jiraiya, whom he had just sent flying with an elbow strike, suddenly looked quite refined and agreeable.

He expanded his sensory range once more, sweeping past the ruins of the cliffside and landing on a presence that was rapidly approaching.

"Back already..."

Pain gazed toward the chakra signature he sensed in the distance—that of Jiraiya—and murmured in a low voice:

"Though there is much I would like to discuss with you, now... is not the time to reveal my identity, Jiraiya-sensei."

As he spoke, Pain placed his hand upon the ground, the light in his Rinnegan sharpening into a piercing glare.

He stared toward the direction of the approaching Jiraiya and shouted in a deep voice:

"Summoning Jutsu!!"

In the distance, Jiraiya, covered in dust and looking quite disheveled after having just crawled out of the rock wall, was rushing toward the scene with a grave expression.

His clothes were torn in several places by jagged rocks, and his long white hair was coated in dust, leaving him looking thoroughly battered.

Yet, the light in his eyes was sharper than it had been moments ago.

Recalling the events that had just transpired, Jiraiya analyzed the situation calmly in his mind:

That attack just now... was there someone watching the battle between me and Kou from the shadows all along?

He muttered to himself, the intensity in his eyes deepening as he quickened his pace:

Even though most of my focus was on Kou, for someone to evade my perception, they are certainly no small fry.

His gaze swept across his surroundings, a flash of keen insight crossing his clouded eyes:

The leader... is it?

He repeated the words Uchiha Kou had spoken, his bold face shifting from gravity to contemplation:

Is it the leader of that Akatsuki organization... If that mysterious powerhouse is truly here, then taking Kou away is going to become quite difficult.

Jiraiya muttered in his heart, the light in his eyes turning solemn:

But this is also an opportunity—a once-in-a-lifetime chance to gather intelligence on the Akatsuki.

Jiraiya's expression grew increasingly grim as he prepared to accelerate toward the direction where Uchiha Kou had been.

However, his body reacted faster than his brain.

Almost instinctively, he slammed on the brakes without any warning, his wooden sandals carving two white streaks into the rock beneath his feet.

Years of combat experience sounded an alarm in his mind.

Sensing the impending danger, Jiraiya's pupils contracted sharply, and he retreated instantly.

His figure blurred into a phantom, distancing himself from his previous position.

The next second, countless bubbles flooded the clearing.

The bubbles were dense and overwhelming, blanketing the area like a white ocean.

Jiraiya stood in the distance, watching the clearing being swallowed by the foam, his clouded eyes filled with gravity.

He shifted his gaze from the white ocean to the source of the bubbles.

It was a massive Brown-Red Crab that had appeared out of thin air.

Its entire body was covered in a hard shell, as if it were wearing a suit of natural armor.

Its two enormous pincers were raised high, foam still dripping from their tips.

Its eight legs supported its heavy frame, casting a massive shadow under the sunlight.

"This is..."

Jiraiya stared at the giant crab with a grave expression, his eyes full of astonishment as he couldn't help but exclaim:

"A large-scale Summoning beast?!"