Nagato spoke casually, "She's out shopping with Konan. What, do you want to see her? Should I summon her here right now?"
Watching the scene in the crystal ball, Obito's gaze darkened. "That won't be necessary. You really have no sense of urgency, do you? If you'd sent her into battle against Jiraiya sooner, perhaps Jiraiya wouldn't have been able to turn the situation around."
At that moment, within the world manifested by the genjutsu, sword-wielding toad warriors stood in all four directions. With their webbed hands pressed together, the dark purple liquid barrier in the gaps imprisoned the consciousnesses of Pain's Three Paths!
"Uwaaah...!!!"
Suddenly, their eyes widened, their consciousnesses began shutting down uncontrollably, and bubbles continuously rose from their mouths.
In reality... Jiraiya had used a massive blade summoned from a scroll to stab through their bodies!!
Kakupai in particular... Having concluded that he possessed four hearts, Jiraiya gave him several additional stabs.
Other than the left arm carrying the wind heart, which had been destroyed in their earlier battle, he watched as the three remaining hearts—lightning, fire, and water—emerged from the wounds alongside masked monsters formed of black tendrils, then stopped beating.
Jiraiya... finally relaxed.
Walking over to Deva Path Yahiko, whose chest was pierced by a greatsword and who had yet to draw his last breath, he said gloomily, "I never imagined things would come to this."
Deva Path Yahiko spoke weakly. "Things often happen suddenly, and the reasons are always found afterward... Teacher."
Jiraiya gripped the sword hilt tightly and said in a low voice, "Then what reason did you find afterward for attacking Konoha? Let me hear it."
Deva Path Yahiko said, "Konoha shinobi killed my parents during the war. Is that reason... sufficient enough?"
"So that was it..." Jiraiya said heavily. "You never