Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 424 Battle Against the Immortal Eye

Chapter 424 Battle Against the Sage's Eye

While the pursuit in the Land of Fire continues, the battle in the Land of Rain is also gradually reaching its climax.

One person actively intervened in this master-disciple duel. Although his appearance had changed drastically, his unique eyes were impossible to ignore. Those purple eyes, with ripples like tree rings within them, were none other than the Sage's Eyes he had seen on Nagato—the Rinnegan!

"So you really are Pain? Nagato, it seems you've gone astray. What happened?" Seeing his disciple, so different from before, Jiraiya truly wanted to know the truth. Images of the three children in their youth flashed through his mind, warm memories shattered by the cold reality, making it hard to accept.

But his questioning only earned him a dismissive reply from Nagato. The child who had once told him in the rain about his determination to protect his comrades now said, "Ah, there was such a guy, but he's long dead, that kind of guy."

A giant shrimp-like summon burst forth from the wall, its foam engulfing the area where Jiraiya had just stood. The foam washed away the toad oil, and Konan quickly escaped. But this surprise attack was no match for Jiraiya; the giant shrimp was instantly sliced ​​apart by his wild lion-like mane and vanished into foam. Jiraiya then used the same method to trap the completely unfamiliar Nagato with his hair, trying to extract more information and hopefully find the root of the problem so that the children could turn back to the right path.

However, Nagato also refused to cooperate. His mind was so firm that he only revealed a little emotion when talking about Yahiko's death.

"What exactly happened? The you from before...?"

"It's nothing... I just went through war. Many people died here, and that pain made me grow."

“Ignorant and foolish children will grow into adults after they learn about pain.”

"So you think giving up your feelings for your friends is what growing up is all about!" Having experienced countless losses, Jiraiya was qualified to ask such a question, but his words could no longer touch Nagato's heart.

“Teacher, you are still just a mortal, while I, after experiencing infinite pain, transcended mortals and became a god.”

This logic was completely unexpected. If loss is painful, then wouldn't his own turbulent life be considered the ultimate pain? But he never separated himself from the world and looked down on humanity from a superior position.

“After becoming a god, everything I say and think will be considered from a divine perspective. Teacher, you are still a mortal after all, and you can't understand what I'm saying.”

Nagato was still talking. He was right. Jiraiya really couldn't understand him and just thought he was crazy.

Jiraiya patiently listened to Nagato's speech and then asked the question he most wanted to know.

What exactly do you want to do?

Nagato said, "It is God's duty to bring an end to this world filled with war."

But how did he achieve this goal?

It involves capturing Jinchūriki from various countries, collecting the Tailed Beasts, and then using their power to create new forbidden techniques. These forbidden techniques are capable of instantly destroying a city or even a major power. Only by providing such weapons to both sides in a war, causing hundreds of millions of casualties, will people experience pain and fear, and only fear can suppress war.

"The world will grow through pain, just as I once did."

"To make the world grow, you teach it pain? Is that your mission?" Jiraiya laughed in anger, because he had seen a truly stable and peaceful world, which made him even angrier at Nagato's twisted logic!

However, Nagato clearly didn't sense his emotions and continued, "That's right, because I am a god who believes in pacifism."

"You've become quite the joker, Nagato."

Is peace something that can only be achieved through suffering? Nagato, have you even gone out to see for yourself? Have you seen what a truly peaceful and prosperous place looks like, one that thrives without war? What gives you the right to so arbitrarily deny the efforts of others based on your own suffering, and even threaten to easily erase the life's work of countless people with destructive weapons? Is the pain others have endured less than the suffering "given" by "God"?!

But Nagato still didn't understand his anger and continued, "A joke? This is no joke, my ideal is..."

Jiraiya's emotions surged, and Jiraiya's assassin, Jizo, launched a spontaneous attack... no, it was Nagato's increasingly outrageous remarks that finally ignited his murderous intent. Nagato had become a monster, dangerous in thought and ability, and as the mentor who created this monster, he... had to take full responsibility!

The surprise attack was evaded by a substitution jutsu; the real battle had only just begun.

Facing the Sage Eyes, Jiraiya had no confidence whatsoever; he knew nothing about Nagato's current abilities. To be on the safe side, it would be better to use his ultimate technique directly. To buy time, he summoned Gamaken, a reliable all-rounder, to assist him. At this moment, he inevitably thought of Naruto; that kid possessed the most perfect Sage Mode and didn't need to go through the trouble of summoning two sages from Mount Myōboku like he did. But the battlefield allowed no distractions. Nagato jumped into the mouth of the strange behemoth he had summoned and vanished right before his eyes.

Jiraiya immediately used a sensory barrier, which, while not as efficient as true perception, was perfect for this confined environment. Nagato knew that they would be discovered sooner or later if things continued this way, so he immediately released a new summon. A strange, giant dog with three heads and small wings descended from the sky, baring its fangs and claws as it charged towards them.

Hamaken nimbly used his fork to immobilize the giant dog, but the thing was too bizarre; it spontaneously split into three giant dogs, each with only one head. Although they were smaller, they were also more agile. They could even continue to split, breaking into two whenever attacked, and so on. Moreover, not only could they split, but they could also merge back into one!

Fortunately, it was Gamaken who arrived. He brought a shield and a trident and repelled the first wave of attacks from the monsters, but he was also injured. By this time, the giant dog had fused into a monster with ten heads, which would frighten most people, but Jiraiya quickly came up with a solution.

Just as they were devising their Haottung strategy and beginning their operation, Jiraiya's sensory barrier also detected Nagato's hiding place. As Gamaken leaped into the enemy's blind spot, their battle plan unfolded.

The restriction on their hands did not affect their spellcasting. The giant dog's split puppies, seemingly cornering them, were actually falling into a trap tailor-made for them. As all the puppies squeezed into the narrow passage, desperately biting at Gamaken, Jiraiya released his hands and used a reverse summoning technique to send them all into the Great Toad Sage's stomach! These puppies, who had been so arrogant for so long, disappeared one by one under the pressure of the fleshy walls.