The situation had reached ultimate danger!
Just as Kakuzu was about to be killed by the Third Raikage, a clear and emotionless voice suddenly resonated in everyone's ears.
"Shinra Tensei!"
A tremendous repulsive force descended from the sky, striking everyone with overwhelming power.
Whether it was Kakuzu bound by serpents, Orochimaru restraining his captive, or the Third Raikage charging relentlessly to pierce Kakuzu's heart—all were hurled away in an instant.
The terrifying repulsive force proved completely irresistible, directly overturning the ground as smoke and dust filled the air everywhere.
The balanced battle was instantly shattered by this sudden display of overwhelming power!
Whoosh!
A steel scorpion tail suddenly shot forth from the smoke, gleaming with cold light as it instantly pierced the Third Raikage, who had been knocked down and hadn't yet regained his footing.
The scorpion's tail slashed across the Third Raikage's body, severing him in half!
"Haha, you've finally arrived!"
The disheveled Orochimaru slowly rose to his feet, showing no intention of fleeing. Instead, he calmly dusted himself off, staring with snake-like eyes at the several figures emerging from the depths of the smoke.
Whoosh—
A gust of wind blew away the dissipating smoke.
The figures gradually revealed their true forms!
Standing at the front was the expressionless Tendo Pain, with Konan positioned close beside him, her blue hair stirring in the breeze. Uchiha Itachi stood quietly to the side, his profound eyes sweeping across the battlefield. The delicate-featured Haku radiated waves of cold that made observers shiver, while at the very back lurked Sasori of the Red Sand, concealed within his puppet Hiruko, his scorpion tail embedded in the Third Raikage's chest.
Counting Deidara, who continued battling the Third Kazekage in the sky above, Kakuzu, who remained in shock, and Hidan, who lay on the ground shouting curses...
Apart from Zetsu, who served as their intelligence officer, and the even more secretive and unknown Uchiha Obito...
All the primary combat forces of the Akatsuki organization had assembled!
"Konan? And... is that Yahiko?"
Jiraiya, concealed in the distance, widened his eyes as he stared at the newly appeared Akatsuki members in disbelief.
What drew his attention most were naturally Tendo Pain and Konan standing at the front!
Although they had changed significantly and matured considerably, Jiraiya still quickly recognized his former students.
Wait—aren't Yahiko and Konan supposed to be dead?
Jiraiya's brow furrowed deeply. Many years ago, he had received intelligence about Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan that clearly stated all three had unfortunately perished in battle!
So that intelligence had been false?
No, that wasn't right. Jiraiya stared into Tendo Pain's eyes—those familiar yet strange Rinnegan only deepened his confusion.
"The Rinnegan should belong to Nagato. Why does Yahiko possess them? And now only Yahiko and Konan have appeared—where is Nagato?"
Jiraiya found himself completely unable to organize his thoughts. When he considered the information he had learned about the Akatsuki organization, his confusion only intensified.
What exactly had happened?
What had befallen those three children back then, and why had they become like this?
Jiraiya was filled with questions that nearly drove him to distraction. He wanted to leap out immediately and demand answers from Yahiko and Konan about what had transpired.
Fortunately, his ninja instincts prevented him from acting rashly. He suppressed his inner turmoil and continued observing the scene before him.
Jiraiya's obvious unease was impossible to miss.
Both Uzumaki Naruto and the Konoha shinobi found his behavior strange. Was there something concerning about these newly appeared ninja?
Why was Jiraiya acting so unusually?
"Pervy Sage..."
"Jiraiya-sama?"
"It's fine." Realizing his reaction had been excessive, Jiraiya shook his head slightly and whispered, "I've noticed some issues. Please remain quiet for now."
They could only suppress their inner doubts and turn their attention toward the battlefield's center.
"The entertainment is about to begin!"
Shihouin Naraku, seated high in the sky, laughed with evident pleasure. He loved witnessing scenes like this.
"Jiraiya-sensei happens to be here as well, and the identities of Tendo Pain and Konan have been revealed. What will happen next?"
"I don't think they'll fight immediately. Even if Jiraiya-sensei recognizes Yahiko and Konan's faces, he won't become hostile right away."
"I wonder if the intelligence has reached Jiraiya. Logically, the information that Uchiha Itachi provided to Tsunade-sensei should have made its way to him."
The main issue was that Jiraiya-sensei had taken Naruto away for training, so Naraku didn't know whether the Akatsuki intelligence had been shared with him.
"But judging from the current situation, even if Jiraiya-sensei knows the information, it would be useless. There are too many Akatsuki members present. If they truly become involved and fighting breaks out, the odds of victory are extremely low."
"Even if Naruto goes berserk, there's probably no hope of winning."
"Now it depends on whether Nagato can be ruthless. If he truly intends to attack Jiraiya-sensei now, the result will be..."
Naraku's thoughts drifted as his eyes swept across a distant mountain, from which faint chakra fluctuations occasionally emanated.
Only Naraku could detect such subtle movements. Even other powerful shinobi with excellent sensory abilities might not notice such slight disturbances.
The reason Naraku focused on that location was because it housed Nagato and Konan's hiding place.
That's right—Nagato and Konan's true forms were concealed on that mountain.
Because Nagato couldn't move around easily and didn't want to reveal his true identity, he usually relied solely on Tendo Pain for external activities.
For Nagato's safety and to prevent any accidents, Konan often remained by his side for protection.
The Konan now accompanying Tendo Pain was naturally a special paper clone!
They had chosen an excellent hiding spot and employed skillful concealment methods, but unfortunately, under Naraku's Observation Haki, no matter how well they hid, it proved useless.
Naraku, who had been contemplating when to take action, suddenly raised his eyebrows and looked down.
"That Orochimaru..."
Hiss...
Orochimaru extended his long tongue, licking the corner of his mouth. His serpentine eyes fixed on Tendo Pain's Rinnegan with undisguised covetousness.
He had joined Akatsuki specifically to obtain those legendary eyes.
However, as he grew to understand Tendo Pain better, Orochimaru realized that with his current abilities, his chances of stealing the Rinnegan were absolutely zero.
So ultimately, he had shifted his target to the Sharingan. It had been convenient that Uchiha Itachi had also joined the Akatsuki organization.
Of course, he hadn't succeeded in that endeavor either.
"Rinnegan... Sharingan..."
Orochimaru's greedy gaze swept over Tendo Pain and Uchiha Itachi. The dojutsu of these two individuals were truly tantalizing.
Even when facing a life-or-death situation, Orochimaru couldn't suppress his inner avarice.
"Orochimaru!"
"Traitor to the Akatsuki organization!"
"In the name of God, I shall claim your life!"
Tendo Pain delivered his verdict on Orochimaru's fate in a tone resembling divine judgment. He raised his arm, palm facing toward Orochimaru.
"Wait—"
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