A Deep Bond Between Master and Disciple

Nagato and Konan were also disguised at this time, and for the time being, only the squad leader knew their identities.

"Bai Rong, you and Zero Burial are both so old, and you're still only Genin. When there's a battle, remember to hide in the back. I'll protect you!"

Another kid in the group, around thirteen or fourteen years old, was fawning over Konan.

"Shut up!"

Upon hearing the little brat's words, the captain, who was walking in front, immediately turned around and roared at him fiercely.

He then glanced at Konan with a guilty conscience, and only breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Konan's expression was relatively calm.

After glaring fiercely at the little brat again, he led the group forward once more.

Was I too fierce just now? Will I leave a bad impression on the two adults?

The squad leader, still reflecting on his earlier actions, suddenly heard a voice behind him again. He was about to reprimand the kid when he realized it wasn't his voice.

"Someone is approaching rapidly. Yes, it's that person. Let's go, Bai Rong!"

After saying that, Nagato pulled Konan away from the group, leaving at a speed that was barely noticeable to the two of them.

The little kid was initially shocked by Nagato and Konan's speed, but then seemed to remember something.

"Captain, Zero Burial is trying to desert with Sister Bai Rong! We must go after them!"

Have the two gentlemen left?

The middle-aged ninja snapped out of his daze at the brat's words, and seeing the kid trying to leave to chase after the two, he felt a surge of anger.

It's all your fault, you wretched brat.

"Kid, you're dead meat, I told you!"

The middle-aged ninja then began to subject the little boy to inhumane punishment.

"Ah! Captain, no... Ah!"

Meanwhile, Nagato and Konan were rapidly moving away.

Besides wanting to observe more closely, Nagato chose to infiltrate the front-line squad for another reason:

"Gurgle~"

A Toad the size of a palm appeared in the path ahead of the two.

In Nagato's perception, the figure that had been rapidly approaching the two vanished instantly.

The Toad opened its mouth, and a thick arm stretched out, followed by a head of spiky white hair.

In just a moment, Jiraiya stood in front of Nagato and Konan.

"Nagato, and Konan, we've finally found you!"

Just by listening to the voice, one can sense the joy in the speaker's heart.

Konan and Nagato also removed their disguises at this moment. Konan smiled slightly at Jiraiya and nodded slightly.

Nagato's face fell completely.

That's right, the reason Nagato and Konan concealed their identities and infiltrated the group was to avoid Jiraiya's harassment.

To be precise, it was Nagato who was overwhelmed by the disturbance.

Last time Jiraiya brought up Yahiko in a foolish way, which led Nagato to kill him.

But less than three days later, Jiraiya, still bandaged and injured, came knocking again.

Completely oblivious to the fact that he was almost beaten to death, he approached the two with a grin, wanting to renew their master-disciple relationship.

Nagato did indeed hate Jiraiya, teaching them wrong and naive ideas, which indirectly led to Yahiko's death.

But that hatred had mostly dissipated by that angry strike.

Even though Nagato completely rejected all of Jiraiya's ideas, Jiraiya did not deliberately mislead them, because Jiraiya himself was such a naive and somewhat foolish guy.

Most importantly, it was precisely because of this naiveté that Nagato spent those three dreamlike, beautiful, and happy years.

Nagato wanted to refuse Jiraiya, who shamelessly came to him, but Jiraiya, relying on his status as the commander-in-chief of the Allied Forces, clung to him like a leech.

Having learned from his previous mistakes, and with Konan saving his life, Jiraiya changed his approach.

He stopped mentioning Yahiko and no longer focused solely on Nagato; Konan also became Jiraiya's target.

Jiraiya practically lived with the Amegakure unit afterward, carrying on the shamelessness he had cultivated since childhood.

Finally, Konan succumbed.

Konan did not persuade Nagato to accept Jiraiya, but Konan herself was not opposed to it and did not want to get involved in the entanglement between Nagato and Jiraiya.

One doesn't hit a smiling face, let alone a teacher who has given them a second life. There's no deep-seated hatred between them; at most, it's just a difference in their philosophies.

Jiraiya patiently pestered Nagato, not rushing to discuss serious matters, but instead reminiscing about fond memories of the past.

When Nagato realized his feelings were wavering, he didn't hesitate and ran away with Konan.

If you can't afford to offend them, can't you at least avoid them?

It wasn't that Nagato couldn't defeat Jiraiya, but rather that Nagato had no reason to make a move.

People are complex; Nagato, unlike Obito, didn't have anything to lose.

Moreover, even Obito felt a stirring in his heart when facing Kakashi.

Even Madara, who claimed to have severed all cause and effect in the world in the original work, was still talking about Hashirama before he died.

This shows that some causes and effects in this world cannot be severed.

Just like Nagato and Jiraiya at this time.

Seeing that he couldn't shake Jiraiya off no matter what he did, Nagato's subsequent actions fully demonstrated the bond between master and disciple.

"Jiraiya- sensei, please don't come any closer!"

At the same time, Nagato's right hand changed again, with a faint blue light flashing above the black muzzle of the cannon.

What a touching scene of deep affection between teacher and student.