"As expected of Master Jiraiya, even at such close range, you can still resist my power."
In the dark chamber, Nagato channeled chakra into Jiraiya's body through the black receiver rods. However, he was surprised that despite their proximity, he couldn't easily take over Jiraiya's body, and the Sannin was actually contending with him for control.
Even though they were now enemies, Nagato still praised Jiraiya's strength.
Hearing Nagato's "compliment," Jiraiya's face showed no hint of a smile. The battle with the Six Paths of Pain had already drained a significant amount of his chakra. With Fukasaku locked in "his" grip and Shima having left his shoulder, his Sage Mode was entering its final countdown.
The only reason he could still wrestle with Nagato was that he was still in Sage Mode and possessed a vast chakra reserve. But once Sage Mode faded, he wouldn't be able to withstand Nagato's control at all.
"Damn it!"
Now that he was in a predicament, Jiraiya realized he might have underestimated Nagato. He had been deceived by Nagato's frail appearance, believing that someone in such a state could pose no threat to him while in Sage Mode. However, the truth was that Nagato, possessing the Rinnegan, held the power to instantly change the tide of battle even in his current condition.
Feeling his strength slowly diminishing, a sense of regret welled up in Jiraiya's heart.
He wasn't overly concerned about his own safety. What he regretted was that his own mistake and negligence had put the two Sages, Fukasaku and Shima, into danger. That was the main reason for his remorse.
"It seems the medium for chakra transmission is still too scarce."
Nagato looked at Jiraiya's struggle, his face unnaturally flushing slightly. As he spoke, he manipulated the machine, causing several more black rods to bypass Jiraiya's vital points and shoot directly towards his body.
At this moment, Jiraiya could not evade Nagato's attack and could only watch helplessly as the black rods approached.
Although Shima was concerned for her husband, she also sensed the attack directed at Jiraiya. Resolutely, she immediately moved in front of Jiraiya, extending her tongue to sweep at the black rods.
Shima's tongue was a powerful "weapon" capable of strangling large summoning creatures, and its speed was incredibly fast. Numerous tiny slugs were parasitic on her tongue, allowing her to perceive the surrounding environment.
Despite the dark environment, Shima accurately struck every black rod, blocking Nagato's assault.
If Nagato's previous attack on Jiraiya hadn't been so sudden, an attack of this level normally wouldn't have threatened them.
"You've been a great help, Lady Shima!"
Seeing the black rods swept away by Shima, Jiraiya inwardly sighed with relief. However, before he could feel happy, Nagato suddenly reached out from the machine he was in, pointing at Shima.
"Bansho Ten'in (Universal Pull)!"
A powerful gravitational force suddenly acted upon Shima. Only now did Jiraiya and the two Sages realize that Nagato could still use the power of the Rinnegan even in this state.
A smile appeared on Nagato's face. He operated the machine, firing several black rods at the incoming Shima.
"Lady Shima, Lord Fukasaku, you two must leave first!"
"I'll figure out a way to hold on until that guy Shinichi arrives with support!"
"Go!!!"
With the tables turned and Shima about to be pierced by Nagato's black rods, Jiraiya urgently warned them.
At the same time, upon hearing this, Shima didn't hesitate for a moment. She immediately dispelled her summoning jutsu, her body turning into a puff of white smoke and instantly vanishing.
The black rods passed through the space where Shima had been, shooting straight toward Jiraiya.
"Don't die, little Jiraiya..."
Fukasaku was held motionless by Jiraiya. Seeing his wife had already left, he knew that staying would no longer offer Jiraiya any help. After struggling to open his mouth to issue a reminder, Fukasaku also turned into a puff of white smoke and instantly disappeared.
Simultaneously, the black rods were closing in on Jiraiya, about to pierce his body.
It was at this very moment that the ground beneath Jiraiya's feet suddenly broke open, and a giant white snake rapidly shot out of the hole. The white python coiled around Jiraiya's body, firmly shielding him.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!!!"
The incoming black rods sparked upon hitting the snake scales before being flung onto the ground.
The white python wrapped around Jiraiya, only leaving his head exposed. Just as Nagato and Jiraiya were both stunned, the white python suddenly opened its mouth.
At the same time, a pale hand slowly reached out from the serpent's mouth. To the astonishment of both Nagato and Jiraiya, Orochimaru slowly "flowed" out of the snake's maw.
"Slap~~"
A "lump of Orochimaru" landed on the ground with a viscous sound. As Orochimaru slowly stood up, Jiraiya finally couldn't help but complain:
"Orochimaru!!"
"You finally showed up! I thought you were dead!"
The person who saved Jiraiya in this critical moment was none other than Orochimaru, who had disappeared earlier. When Pain used the summoned bird to bomb their group, Orochimaru took the opportunity to hide.
He had been silently observing the battle, waiting for a chance to enter the fray.
And now, Orochimaru felt, was the optimal moment to intervene!
He had witnessed the entire battle between Shinichi, Jiraiya, and the Six Paths of Pain, and he now had a clear understanding of Nagato's abilities. Although he was slightly surprised by Nagato's combat strength in his current state, as far as Orochimaru was concerned, Nagato had already played his hand. Orochimaru felt confident he had a way to deal with him.
The situation was now under his control!
"Hehehehe~~~"
Hearing Jiraiya's complaint, Orochimaru chuckled softly, ignoring Jiraiya, who was still being controlled by Nagato. Orochimaru merely tightened the white python's grip around Jiraiya. His snake-like eyes were fixed on Nagato, filled with intense greed.
"The Rinnegan, is it—"
"It is truly powerful, truly outstanding."
"I am very interested."
Saying this, Orochimaru extended his long tongue to lick his somewhat dry lips. Nagato's body had no development potential due to years of extraction by the Gedo Statue, so Orochimaru would not use it as a transfer vessel. But that didn't matter; all he wanted was Nagato's eyes.
Orochimaru began to fantasize about the level his ninjutsu mastery could reach once he acquired those eyes.
The eyes of the Sage of Six Paths... could obtaining these eyes allow him to glimpse the secret of eternal life?!
Fūshi Tensei (Immortality Technique) was ultimately a false longevity. What Orochimaru truly craved was immortality in the true sense!
"Orochimaru..."
Facing Orochimaru, who was once a member of the Akatsuki organization, Nagato was certainly not unfamiliar. Seeing Orochimaru appear, Nagato's face darkened considerably.
With the Six Paths of Pain completely destroyed, he still had some chakra remaining, but facing a powerhouse like Orochimaru, Nagato wasn't sure if it would be enough.
Perhaps... use Chibaku Tensei (Planetary Devastation) to seal himself and everyone else together?!
This thought flashed through Nagato's mind, but was immediately rejected by him. Chibaku Tensei was the last resort; he should avoid using it unless absolutely necessary.
He still had chakra and "maneuvering room" in his body.
Sen'ei Jashu (Shadow Snake Hands)!
Orochimaru was not Jiraiya; he had no "old times" to reminisce about with Nagato. His first move was aimed at controlling Nagato. Orochimaru stretched out his hand, and countless white snakes surged toward Nagato. Their sheer number was far too massive for Nagato to resolve just by firing black rods from the machine.
The dense swarm of white snakes almost obscured Nagato's vision. He had some understanding of Orochimaru's abilities and probably knew that these white snakes might contain terrifying neurotoxins. Nagato had always been wary of this "disgusting scientist."
Faced with an attack of this scale, Nagato had no other recourse but to use Shinra Tensei (Almighty Push)!
Raising a hand, Shinra Tensei was activated, unleashing a repulsive force upon the many white snakes. The range of Nagato's activation was not small; even the slightly distant Orochimaru and Jiraiya felt some of the impact.
"Boom!!!"
The power of Shinra Tensei directly snapped the tower in two. While blocking Orochimaru's attack with Shinra Tensei, Nagato also performed hand seals and activated the Summoning Technique.
"GEDO STATUE!!!!"
Nagato quickly completed the hand seals, letting out a resolute roar. At the same time, due to excessive chakra consumption, blood flowed from Nagato's nose. The slight flush that had appeared on his face was long gone, replaced by a ghastly paleness.
"BOOM!!!!!!"
A massive sound erupted from the base of the tower. The entire iron tower began to shake violently. As the tower structure peeled away, the body of the Gedo Statue emerged from within.
The Gedo Statue, sitting cross-legged, opened its mouth and caught Nagato as he fell from the shattered tower. Simultaneously, countless black rods emerged from the Statue's mouth, instantly connecting with the black rods in Nagato's back.
With the black rods connected, and as Nagato's chakra surged out, the Statue let out a chilling roar before slowly rising to its feet.
The Gedo Statue's rising seemed to disturb the underground waterways of the Hidden Rain Village, and the previously clear city began to flood.
Orochimaru and Jiraiya, who had been thrown back by Shinra Tensei, landed on the water's surface. Seeing Nagato summon the Gedo Statue, Orochimaru's eye twitched slightly, and he suddenly felt that his timing for striking might have been a bit too early.
The white snake restraining Jiraiya quickly loosened its grip. At the same time, the snake used its mouth to help Jiraiya remove the black rods that restricted his movements.
Orochimaru faintly sensed that Nagato in this "form" was the most difficult opponent.
The roar of the Gedo Statue was deafening, and the collapse of the tower was visible even from a thousand meters away.
Hyūga Shinichi, observing the situation with his Byakugan, naturally noticed the Gedo Statue's appearance. Holding Konan with one hand while observing, he couldn't help but be stunned by this sight.
He had never expected Nagato to retain this level of power even after losing the Six Paths of Pain.
However, the truth was... neither he nor Jiraiya had pushed Nagato to true desperation like Naruto would.
Or rather, Shinichi and Jiraiya had cleared the Six Paths too quickly, and Nagato still possessed a vast amount of chakra.
He hadn't used the "Chō Shinra Tensei (Super Almighty Push)" that would destroy Konoha, nor the "Chibaku Tensei" that could restrain Tailed Beasts, nor the life-for-a-life "Gedo: Rinne Tensei no Jutsu (Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique)" to resurrect the tens of thousands who died in Konoha.
The current Nagato was determined to fight the enemy to the death. The real battle, in fact, had just begun.
"What... what is that thing!!!"
Jiraiya, who had just regained mobility and was now withdrawing from Sage Mode, felt his throat dry up as he looked at the towering Gedo Statue.
"It's beautiful!"
"Hahahaha!"
Unlike Jiraiya, Orochimaru's eyes burned with even more fanaticism as he watched the Gedo Statue slowly unfurl its body. Not only did he gain a deeper understanding of the Rinnegan's power, but his desire for it increased.
"So..."
"What should we do next, Jiraiya!"
Orochimaru licked his lips and suddenly looked at Jiraiya, asking.
Facing such a behemoth, ordinary ninjutsu and attacks would be meaningless. Orochimaru thought about it—he didn't seem to have any ninjutsu that could pose a threat to such a thing either, so he simply tossed the problem to Jiraiya.
Orochimaru had ample patience. At this point, he was actually already leaning toward retreat and didn't want to fight Nagato in this state. He clearly knew that this "form" of his opponent couldn't be sustained for long.
He could completely hide and continue to search for an opportunity.
More than completing his objective, Orochimaru was somewhat worried that Jiraiya would act impulsively, which prompted the question.
Orochimaru had only recently defected from Konoha, and the bond between him and Jiraiya hadn't faded so quickly.
In fact, for this "fool" who kept tracking him, trying to bring him back to the village, Orochimaru harbored a certain "indulgence."
"This..."
Looking at the gigantic Gedo Statue, even Jiraiya was speechless, unsure what to do.
His energy reserves were greatly depleted, and even at full strength, he might not have the means to deal with such a thing. Furthermore, he didn't know if this "ghost thing" possessed any special abilities besides its enormous size.
Truthfully, Jiraiya was also struggling with how to proceed.
Just as the two were silent, space rippled beside Jiraiya.
Hyūga Shinichi appeared next to Jiraiya with Konan using the Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique). Seeing the Gedo Statue up close only intensified Shinichi's shock.
Glancing at Orochimaru not far away, Shinichi was unsurprised. He handed Konan to Jiraiya and suggested:
"Let's retreat first. We have a hostage, which gives us a chance for negotiation."
"His condition won't last long, and I can tell that fellow won't live much longer after using this technique..."
As he spoke, Hyūga Shinichi's Byakugan penetrated the Gedo Statue's mouth, revealing Nagato within.
The current Nagato was so weak he could barely keep his eyes open, and the sight of blood flowing from his nose was utterly miserable. This guy was completely overdrawing his life force.
Facing a powerful enemy, avoiding the clash for now was naturally the best option.
Minato, who also mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, didn't understand the power of "going home," but Shinichi clearly understood the value of the Flying Thunder God Technique: Returning Home."
"Minato Returning Home" is a top-tier (T0) version in the Naruto series, and Shinichi is naturally well-versed in this!
.........
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