110 Chapter 110

Yugakure

A Konoha ANBU flickered next to the Toad Sage, who was flashing through the trees, followed by two little ANBU members.

"Jiraiya-sama, it's confirmed. It's Hidan," the ANBU captain declared, their movement blindingly fast over the treetops. Jiraiya acknowledged the message as they continued their rapid pace.

"Remember, we cannot let him escape. Hidan's capture is important for the village, and we cannot afford any mistakes," Jiraiya commented. The Toad Sage, followed by four ANBU members, quickly moved in the direction of their target.

In a secluded clearing deep within the forests , Hidan, adorned in his ritualistic robes, began setting up the sacrificial altar. The air was thick with an eerie stillness, broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves and the distant calls of nocturnal creatures.

As Hidan worked, his captured rogue ninja, bound and gagged, watched with a mixture of fear and resignation. The rogue's eyes darted nervously around the clearing, taking in the sinister surroundings and the chilling aura emanating from Hidan.

"So, you're finally awake," Hidan said with a twisted grin as he approached the captive, his voice dripping with malice. "You should feel honored. You're about to become a part of something truly divine."

The rogue ninja struggled against their restraints, but Hidan merely chuckled darkly, unfazed by their feeble attempts at resistance. "Don't bother trying to escape. There's no way out of this," he taunted, his eyes gleaming with fanatic zeal.

With a flourish, Hidan produced a wickedly sharp blade, its surface glinting in the dim moonlight. "Now, let's get started, shall we?" he said, his voice low and menacing. "You're going to help me commune with our Lord Jashin, whether you like it or not."

The scythe fell, piercing through the rogue ninja's chest as the blood began to seep into the symbols laid out on the ground. Just as Hidan was about to commence the ritual, multiple shurikens and kunai targeted him from different directions. However, Hidan, a formidable shinobi who could be classified as Kage-level, especially to those unaware of his secret, he proved to be a nightmare.

With swift movements, Hidan swung his scythe, deflecting the incoming projectiles and creating some distance between himself and his assailants. He needed to identify the enemies who had dared to interrupt his sacred ritual. This was a familiar scenario for him, as he was constantly hunted by hunter-nin due to the trail of death he left behind in the name of Jashin.

"[Fuin: Shishienjin]" (Sealing: Four Violet Flames Formation), the four ANBU who had been following Jiraiya for this mission immediately created a massive barrier made of purple flames. They didn't want to take any chances and let Hidan escape.

"You are Hidan?" Jiraiya casually walked out from behind the tree, already aware of Hidan's powers. He was confident in taking Hidan alive, especially with the sealing tags Kazuki had provided.

"You... you are one of the legendary Sannin. Why are you here? Did someone place a bounty on my head? No, that's not possible. I haven't targeted any of the major villages," Hidan murmured, seeking clarity on why such a formidable Shinobi from a major village was after him. He understood there was no means of escape when he saw the purple flame barrier surrounding him.

Suddenly, without any indication, Hidan flickered forward, swinging his blade to slice off Jiraiya's head.

Jiraiya simply ducked, and in the next moment, he created a blue chakra ball and plunged it into Hidan's midrib.

"[Rasengan]"

"Boom!" The attack connected with pinpoint accuracy, sending Hidan flying through the air until he crashed into the barrier. Hidan quickly screamed in pain as his back was scorched by the purple flames, and despite his attempt to defend against the Sannin's attack, there was a dent in Hidan's chest.

Eyeing his enemy wearily, he stood up, brandishing his scythe again. Hidan spat out blood and wiped the side of his mouth that was stained red as he realized that the man he was facing was of a totally different caliber than the people he normally dealt with. The infamous toad sage was in a league of his own. He was going to have to fight with everything he had if he wanted to survive this encounter.

With a roar of defiance, Hidan lunged forward once again, his scythe gleaming in the moonlight as he aimed to draw blood from Jiraiya. But the toad sage was too quick; his reflexes had been honed through years of training and countless battles. With a swift movement, Jiraiya sidestepped Hidan's attack and delivered a powerful kick to the back of Hidan's knee, sending him crashing to the ground.

Hidan gritted his teeth, refusing to admit defeat. With a fierce growl, he sprang back to his feet, his eyes burning with rage as he charged once more. But Jiraiya was ready, his hands crackling with chakra as he unleashed his signature technique.

"[Rasengan]!"

The swirling sphere of blue energy collided with Hidan's body with devastating force, sending him hurtling backward through the air. The impact was bone-jarring, leaving Hidan gasping for breath as he struggled to regain his footing.

"You think you can defeat me with mere tricks, Jiraiya? I am a servant of Lord Jashin, and I will not be defeated by the likes of you." Hidan snarled, his voice tinged with madness as he wiped blood from his lips.

But Jiraiya remained unfazed, his resolve unwavering as he continued to press the attack. With lightning-fast movements, he closed the distance between them, his fists a blur as he delivered a barrage of blows to Hidan's body.

"You can't defeat me, Jiraiya! Lord Jashin will grant me victory!" Hidan shouted, his words bordering on madness, as he swung his scythe wildly in an attempt to ward off Jiraiya's relentless assault.

But Jiraiya was relentless, his attacks coming faster and harder with each passing moment. With a final, decisive blow, he delivered a powerful uppercut that sent Hidan flying backward, his body crashing to the ground with a resounding thud.

As Hidan lay sprawled on the ground, battered and broken, Jiraiya approached slowly, his gaze cold and unwavering. "It's over, Hidan. You're simply pathetic. If I hadn't had a use for you, I would have already killed you."

Hidan's eyes burned with hatred as he struggled to rise, his body battered and bruised. But before he could mount another attack, Jiraiya reached out and placed a hand on his chest, channeling his chakra into a powerful sealing technique.

"[Fuinjutsu: Eight....]"

But before Jiraiya could channel the chakra required to complete the seal, a shockwave ripped through the purple flame barrier laid down by the four ANBU.

"[Shinra Tensei]!" A domineering voice echoed throughout the night forest, resonating like a god descending upon the mortal world.

The four ANBU quickly regrouped next to Jiraiya, who now stood ready to face the new enemy. With a gesture from Jiraiya, a little ANBU injected a serum into the unconscious Hidan and then placed more than half a dozen tags on Hidan's now unconscious form.

In the night sky, two figures appeared against the bright moon as their backdrop, exuding a majestic presence. Jiraiya quickly recognized his opponents.

"Yahiko... Konan," Jiraiya murmured softly, but the ANBU surrounding him could clearly hear it, sensing a fluctuation in the Toad Sage's tone.

The two figures descended from the moonlit sky, their presence commanding respect and awe. Jiraiya, flanked by his ANBU guard, stood his ground with an air of determination, while Pain and Konan approached with an aura of power and authority.

"Jiraiya-sama," Konan's voice was calm but carried an undeniable weight: "It seems our paths cross once again."

Jiraiya's gaze hardened as he surveyed his adversaries. "Indeed, it seems fate has brought us together once more. But what business does the puppet leader of AKatsuki have in these parts?"

Pain's eyes narrowed dangerously when Jiraiya mentioned the word "puppet." Even Konan seemed a bit flustered.

"Nagato! How far have you fallen?" Jiraiya's voice carried a mix of disappointment and disbelief. "I believed you could change this world for the better, but now you desecrate the body of your own friend, using it like a mere puppet. I know you're hiding nearby. Why don't you come and greet your sensei?"

Jiraiya's tone remained neutral, betraying none of the emotions swirling within him. Behind his back, he subtly gestured and issued commands to his ANBU, instructing them to retreat with the captured Hidan while he confronted Nagato. He knew he had to hold Nagato back, at least for a while, to ensure the safety of his team.

Konan, realizing that Nagato's secret was exposed, dispersed into thousands of paper sheets, despite the risk of revealing Nagato's location.

However, Pain, his eyes still hidden beneath his cloak's hood, spoke with unwavering authority. "We are here for Hidan. He is a valuable asset to our organization, and we cannot allow him to fall into your hands."

"[Banshō Ten'in]" (Universal Pull) Without warning, Pain aimed his arm at the fallen Hidan, intending to draw his unconscious form toward him. However, Jiraiya reacted swiftly.

"[Doton: Doryū Jōheki]" (Earth Release: Earth-Style Rampart) Jiraiya raised a massive earthen rampart to intercept the suction force. Though Jiraiya knew he couldn't completely stop the attack, he aimed to buy enough time for his ANBU team to retreat. Under the onslaught of the suction force, the massive earth wall crumbled, but Jiraiya continued to knead more chakra, reinforcing the barrier with additional layers of earth.

It took mere seconds for the rampart to be completely destroyed, but it provided enough time for Shisui and the ANBU team to retreat, carrying Hidan with them.

As the ANBU flickered through the forest, Shisui made a quick decision and turned to Itachi. "Weasel, fall back. Stay in the shadows and provide support to Jiraiya-sama. There's a second enemy; we can't allow that kunoichi to interfere with Jiraiya-sama's fight," Shisui declared, prompting Itachi to turn back and head toward the ongoing battle.

Just as the earth rampart crumbled, the Toad Sage was already prepared for his next attack.

"[Doton: Dosekiryū]" (Earth Release: Earth and Stone Dragon) A massive dragon emerged from the earth, its powerful form charging vertically with its maw wide open, intent on engulfing Pain entirely.

Pain couldn't help but smirk at these seemingly futile attempts.

"[Shinra Tensei]" (Almighty Push) Another powerful shockwave erupted from Pain as the center, the invisible force colliding with the dragon. The earth and stone construct began to crumble, reduced to nothing before it could reach its target.

"Hehe, such a futile struggle. Do you think just because they ran, you think they are safe?" Pain taunted mockingly.

As Pain's almighty push obliterated Jiraiya's earth and stone dragon, the Toad Sage remained unfazed, his resolve unwavering even in the face of such power.

"You plan to rely on your other five puppets, don't you, Nagato?" Jiraiya's voice was calm, but beneath it lay a hint of disdain. "If that's your strategy, you might want to rethink it. Holding me back with just one of your puppets won't work. You might as well call upon all six if you want to stand a chance. Otherwise, I'll have no choice but to destroy Yahiko's body, so he can finally rest in peace."

Pain's anger flared at the mention of Yahiko's body being destroyed. "How dare you threaten to defile Yahiko's memory?" Pain's voice reverberated with fury. "I'll bury you here today!"

Jiraiya met Pain's anger with a calm resolve. "You can try," he said simply, his eyes narrowing in determination.

Internally, Pain couldn't help but feel a twinge of worry. How had Jiraiya managed to uncover all his secrets? How did he know about the exact number of paths? Today was not a day he had anticipated encountering his old master. Originally, they had simply come to recruit Hidan into Akatsuki because of his rumored immortality. But now, faced with Jiraiya's unexpected interference, Pain realized the gravity of the situation.

"You sure seem to know how to boast, Sannin." Pain declared with pride and arrogance etched in his voice. "Your attacks haven't even reached me once. If I wanted to, I could defeat you in mere seconds. Remember, I am a god, and no one can stop me from achieving my dream."

"Tch, Puny God," Jiraiya retorted, his tone laced with disdain. "A god who is a chicken. You're not even brave enough to face me head-on, and you call yourself a god? Since when did you develop this God complex, Nagato? If Yahiko knew, he would be ashamed of you."

"You have no right to utter Yahiko's name." Pain seethed, his anger bubbling beneath the surface. "You left us to our own devices. Yahiko wouldn't have died if you hadn't fed him your naive ideals."

Before Pain could launch another attack, Jiraiya unfurled a scroll, and a massive amount of nature energy poured out, enveloping him in a cloak of power. With a surge of determination, Jiraiya entered sage mode in an instant, ready to face Pain's wrath head-on.

As Jiraiya tapped into Sage Mode, the forest seemed to react to his newfound power. His chakra surged, intertwining with the natural energy around him in a seamless dance. The lines on his face deepened, and his eyes transformed into a piercing golden hue, resembling the sun's radiance amidst the shadows of the forest.

Unlike the standard Sage Mode, Jiraiya's version was enhanced by the intervention of the fuinjutsu scroll provided by Kazuki. This refinement allowed him to achieve a level of mastery far beyond what was previously thought possible. His sensory abilities were heightened to an extraordinary level, allowing him to perceive the slightest disturbances in the environment around him.

As he stood there, bathed in the glow of his newfound power, the very earth seemed to acknowledge his presence. Vines and roots intertwined around his feet, forming a symbiotic bond with the toad sage. The air crackled with energy, and the leaves rustled in anticipation of the impending clash.

With Sage Mode at his disposal, Jiraiya exuded an aura of invincibility. His movements became more fluid and precise, as if guided by the ancient wisdom of the natural world itself. Every step he took resonated with power, leaving behind a trail of reverberating chakra that echoed through the forest.

Pain, witnessing Jiraiya's transformation, couldn't help but feel a twinge of uncertainty. The Toad Sage had become a force to be reckoned with, a living embodiment of nature's fury. Despite his godlike powers, Pain couldn't shake the feeling that he was facing something beyond his comprehension.

As the two adversaries faced off amidst the swirling maelstrom of energy, the forest held its breath, awaiting the outcome of their inevitable clash. Jiraiya, now fully immersed in his Sage Mode, stood tall and resolute, ready to confront the god before him with all the strength and wisdom that nature had bestowed upon him.