Everyone was quietly considering the credibility of Hyuga Gakuya's theory.
Suddenly, Jiraiya broke the silence.
"Hold on... I once had a student who awakened the Rinnegan, but he was an Uzumaki. How do you explain that?"
Gakuya fell silent, thinking for a long moment before finally responding.
"That part... I honestly don't know. But are you absolutely sure what you saw were the Rinnegan, Lord Jiraiya?"
Everyone turned their eyes to Jiraiya, puzzled. If someone in the shinobi world had awakened the Rinnegan, how could none of them have heard of it?
Jiraiya nodded firmly. "Yes. They were the Rinnegan. Exactly like the ones we saw in that footage."
Ōnoki was the first to speak.
"Then where is he now? If someone like that exists, we could train him to become another Sage of Six Paths. That way, we'd have a real shot at resisting those aliens."
Jiraiya fell into a somber pause before saying, "He's most likely dead by now."
Ōnoki sighed. "What a shame... he might've been our next Sage of Six Paths."
...
Just then, a sudden disturbance erupted outside. Screams rang out, followed by the heavy sound of footsteps approaching.
A voice came from beyond the door.
"It's been a while, Jiraiya-sensei."
The six guards behind them immediately moved into combat stance, ready to face the intruder.
Hyuga Gakuya's lips curled into a subtle smile. The very person they'd been discussing had arrived.
The door to the conference room shattered violently. A man stepped inside at a slow, deliberate pace.
He wore the signature black cloak with red clouds, his face riddled with black receiver rods. Most striking of all were the Rinnegan glowing in his eyes.
The Raikage, A, locked his gaze on those eyes. "The Rinnegan... Jiraiya, didn't you say he was dead?"
"And that cloak… He's with Akatsuki," Gaara added, sand already flowing from the gourd at his side, prepared to strike at any moment.
Jiraiya didn't answer A's question. He stared at the figure before him. This wasn't Nagato—he recognized that immediately. This was Yahiko, the man who had once dreamed of becoming a god.
"You're... Yahiko? How did Nagato's eyes end up with you?"
Ōnoki murmured thoughtfully, "So that's what happened... A comrade coveted the Rinnegan and took them by force. Tragic."
Pain replied coldly, "Yahiko? That man is long dead. What stands before you now is Pain."
Jiraiya clenched his fists, quickly piecing things together. The Yahiko he knew would never steal his comrade's eyes for power.
"This is just a puppet, isn't it? Nagato's the one pulling the strings from behind. I don't know what happened to twist you like this, but don't lose yourself any further!"
Pain remained emotionless. "As expected of Jiraiya-sensei—you saw through it instantly. As for my goal... it is to bring true peace."
He began to tell his tale with an unnerving calm.
"In the ancient past, there was a Tailed Beast known as the Ten-Tails. With a single blow, it could wipe entire nations off the map."
"Even the Sage of Six Paths feared its power and sealed it within his own body. As his death approached, he divided its chakra into nine parts, which became today's Tailed Beasts."
"And its body was sealed away on the moon... the statue we now know as the Gedo Statue."
Jiraiya pressed further. "So your plan is to resurrect the Ten-Tails?"
Pain nodded. "Exactly. Hand over the final four Tailed Beasts. With the Ten-Tails, the shinobi world could finally have the power to resist alien threats—and achieve lasting peace."
He made no effort to hide his goal.
"When the world trembles before the Ten-Tails... when all feel the pain of war... there will be no more wars."
"When billions lie dead, people will finally understand the meaning of suffering. Humanity is too foolish. They need a god to open their eyes to reality."
But that was nonsense. If the Ten-Tails truly returned, what would be left of their great nations? Nothing. The true ruler would be whoever controlled that monster.
Jiraiya's expression darkened. He never imagined that the student he once cared for would become like this.
"This is just your twisted delusion!" Chiba Mokushū slammed the table. "Peace built on fear isn't peace at all!"
A stood up as well. "You're dreaming if you think I'll hand over my brother!"
Without another word, he activated his Lightning Release Armor and dashed forward, aiming to stop Pain before he could sway anyone further. If Pain managed to convince even one of them, Killer B would be doomed.
In a flash, A appeared before Pain, hand extended in a deadly chop aimed straight for his neck.
But just as he was about to land the blow, a powerful repulsion exploded from Pain's body, fracturing the floor around them.
A was sent flying. Gaara reacted swiftly, summoning a cushion of sand to catch him.
Everyone's eyes widened in disbelief. The Raikage's full-force strike had been deflected effortlessly—and Pain hadn't even lifted a finger.
It was no exaggeration. This truly was the legendary Rinnegan.
No one dared make a move after that.
Pain scanned the room with calm indifference.
"Looks like you've made your decision."
"In that case... we'll settle this on the battlefield."
He turned his back and began to leave. But no one present was about to let such a dangerous enemy walk out unharmed. This was the perfect chance to strike him down.
Tsunade shouted, "Don't hold back! Everyone—attack now! Don't let him get away!"
In an instant, a barrage of ninjutsu flew toward Pain. Still, he didn't move. He simply stood there as the attacks rained down on him.
A massive cloud of smoke burst from the spot where Pain had stood.
...
"Did it work?"
Someone sensed that the chakra signature within the smoke had vanished.
As the smoke cleared, all that remained was a twisted, unrecognizable corpse. The signature red cloud cloak was gone. The black rods had vanished. It was just a ruined husk.
Hyuga Gakuya frowned. "As expected. He knew we were here—there's no way he'd send his real body. Just a clone."
"What do we do now, Lord Mokushū?" Mei Terumi asked. All eyes turned to Gakuya. As the host of the summit and the one responsible for security, the next step was his call.
"This was indeed a failure on our part," Gakuya admitted. "We'll dispatch forces immediately to track Akatsuki. You'll have an answer."
"But we have urgent matters to discuss. Let's move to a more secure location. We also need to plan how to defend against Akatsuki going forward."
"Agreed," the Five Kage nodded. No one blamed Gakuya for the breach. After all, their enemy wielded the Rinnegan.
"This way, please. There's no point in hiding it anymore," Gakuya said, taking the lead.
They arrived at an elevator in the main government building. Gakuya pressed several buttons, and the elevator began its descent—deep underground.
A minute later, the doors opened. What greeted them was not a cavern or tunnel, but a pristine white corridor filled with scientists in lab coats hurrying to and fro.
It was a massive research facility.
"This is the hidden world beneath Otogakure," Gakuya said. "Everything here is a federal secret. Please don't wander off."
"I've heard the Federation's tech was impressive, but seeing it firsthand... it truly lives up to the rumors," Mei Terumi said in awe.
Gakuya smiled modestly. "We simply prioritize it more than others."
As he led the way, every staff member they passed greeted Gakuya with respectful bows, letting the group pass without question.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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