What Jiraiya's failure to enter Sage Mode meant was already painfully clear.
If entering Sage Mode would have given him a fifty-fifty chance of defeating the enemy, his chances of surviving now were less than one in three.
But he had had no choice. In that situation, if he had kept his palms pressed together to absorb natural energy, he would have been blown to death before he could enter Sage Mode.
With two pops, the two summoned toads returned to Mount Myōboku.
Now Jiraiya was alone. He rose to his feet with a grim, resolute expression to face his powerful enemies.
The Deva Path, Asura Path, Naraka Path, Preta Path, and Animal Path stood in separate positions, surrounding Jiraiya completely.
"Revived again?"
Seeing the Animal Path standing before him without a scratch, Jiraiya had no idea how his opponent had been restored so quickly.
He had been battered so badly by the bombardment that he had had no opportunity to see the Naraka Path summon the King of Hell, who had placed the defeated Animal Path in his mouth and chewed to restore him.
Jiraiya was now a disheveled mess, panting heavily as he looked at the five men with Rinnegan gathered before him, his thoughts somewhat jumbled.
Even now, Jiraiya had not forgotten to figure out what was going on with these people before him.
Why did so many people have his student Nagato's Rinnegan?
"Jiraiya-sensei, the judgment of a god is beyond question!"
"Please die!"
"A god?"
"So that's how it is... Since you call me your teacher, that means you're either Yahiko or Nagato!"
"So you're Nagato!"
"Aren't you?"
As Jiraiya looked at the men with Rinnegan before him, that sense of familiarity grew clearer and clearer, and he suddenly understood.
These people are all puppets!