Naruto: Cultivating to Immortality

Chapter 384 The Death of Jiraiya (End)

Konan looked at Jiraiya with a wistful gaze, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside her. She remembered the time she had spent with Jiraiya, the many battles and adventures they had shared. Yet, now, facing Jiraiya, she felt somewhat lost.

But when she thought of Yahiko's death, a sharp pain pierced her heart. Yahiko was one of her most important companions, and his departure deeply affected her. His last wish, however, became her motivation to keep going.

Konan clenched her fists tightly, tears welling in her eyes, yet also a resolute light shining through them. She knew she couldn't let Yahiko down; she had to complete his unfinished work. No matter how many difficulties and challenges lay ahead, she was determined to forge ahead.

Konan took a deep breath, composed herself, and then said to Jiraiya, "It seems that Jiraiya-sensei has forgotten our existence, but I will not forget our past friendship. So, Jiraiya-sensei, leave Amegakure immediately, or I will not show any mercy!" Her voice was firm and resolute, as if she were saying goodbye to the past.

Jiraiya's face showed surprise upon hearing Konan's words. After carefully observing her appearance, he finally recognized her; he still vividly remembered the three children he had cared for in Amegakure. However, it now seemed that Konan and the others had joined the dangerous Akatsuki organization. Jiraiya respected her choice, though his heart was filled with regret, he knew this was reality.

"So it's Konan! You've grown into a beautiful young woman! I lost contact with you after hearing you were in danger, and I thought something had happened to you! But how did you end up joining the dangerous organization 'Akatsuki'?" Jiraiya looked at the woman before him, his eyes filled with surprise and confusion. He still remembered the little girl who used to follow him; now she had grown into a beautiful and powerful ninja. However, the uniform of the small organization she wore made him feel uneasy.

Konan paused slightly, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes. She sighed softly and said, "Jiraiya-sensei, you're still so naive. Yahiko died because he firmly believed in the dream you taught us. The Akatsuki's plan was the true path to peace for the ninja world!"

Jiraiya frowned, clearly not entirely convinced by Konan's explanation. He was well aware of the organization's danger and harmfulness; their actions often violated justice and morality. But faced with Konan's resolute gaze, he couldn't help but wonder if there truly was some unknown truth behind it all.

"Konan, no matter what, I hope you understand that the existence of Akatsuki poses a serious threat to world peace. As ninjas, we should uphold justice and protect innocent people. If you wish, you can leave Akatsuki at any time and return to Konoha Village; it will always be your home," Jiraiya said earnestly.

Konan was silent for a moment, then slowly shook her head. "Jiraiya-sensei, thank you for your concern, but we cannot leave Akatsuki now. We have our own mission and goals, and we must continue. Everything we do is for the sake of achieving true peace." She finished speaking, her eyes fixed firmly on Jiraiya, who stood lost in thought. She would not let anyone stop Yahiko from fulfilling his dream, even at the cost of his life.

Hearing Konan's resolute words, Jiraiya felt a surge of helplessness. He knew that words alone could not persuade this stubborn woman. He began to ponder what kind of suffering and torment these children had endured to be so steadfast in their stance.

However, Jiraiya understood that he couldn't easily abandon his purpose in coming to Amegakure. He had to see Nagato and Yahiko, not only to complete the mission, but also because he knew Nagato possessed both Rinnegan, and he was filled with curiosity and anticipation about Nagato's current level of development. He firmly believed that if he could persuade them to leave Akatsuki, perhaps a greater disaster could be averted.

Therefore, Jiraiya decided to stop wasting time arguing with Konan and take direct action. He took a deep breath, focused his mind, and prepared for the possible battle. At the same time, he silently prayed that Nagato and Yahiko had not been completely swallowed by darkness and that there was still a chance to salvage the situation.

Konan fell silent. She knew from Jiraiya's secret infiltration of Amegakure that he wouldn't give up until he achieved his goal. They were no longer master and student, but enemies. The former bond between them was shattered in that moment, leaving only indifference and hostility.

Konan stood rooted to the spot, her gaze fixed firmly on Jiraiya. She knew this battle was inevitable, and only one could emerge victorious. She took a deep breath, bracing herself for Jiraiya's attack.

Jiraiya silently watched Konan, his heart filled with conflict and pain. He didn't want to be enemies with his student, but he also knew that this was a battle he couldn't avoid. He gripped his sword tightly, ready to fight Konan to the death.

The two faced each other silently, the atmosphere thick with tension. Time seemed to freeze, and the world shrunk to just the two of them. No one knew how this battle would end, but they both knew it would be a fight to the death.

Konan launched the first attack, her wings pointing towards Jiraiya. The paper pieces that made up the wings instantly folded into shuriken that whistled as they rained down on Jiraiya, showing no mercy whatsoever.

Seeing the oncoming attack, Jiraiya retaliated by quickly forming hand seals. He took a deep breath, his chest heaving violently, as if gathering all his strength for this moment.

Fire Release: Great Flame Bullet!

With a low growl, Jiraiya's chest suddenly swelled, and a burst of scorching heat erupted from his mouth. A raging fire, roaring like a fire dragon, swept towards the incoming paper shuriken with unparalleled power.

The flames and paper shuriken met in mid-air, instantly triggering a fierce collision. The flames engulfed the paper shuriken, burning them completely and turning them into ashes that drifted through the air. However, Jiraiya did not let his guard down.

He keenly sensed that Konan hadn't stopped her attacks after this one was neutralized. On the contrary, she increased the number and frequency of her shuriken attacks, making her subsequent attacks even more ferocious and sharp.

Faced with this situation, Jiraiya did not hesitate to dodge. He quickly turned to the side and dodged the second, more concentrated wave of paper shuriken attacks with incredible speed.

He knew he couldn't afford to be passive; he had to remain vigilant and respond flexibly to the enemy's attacks. At the same time, he began to consider how to break this stalemate and find an opportunity to counterattack.

Jiraiya quickly devised a plan, his figure flashing as he closed the distance to Konan. Then, he sprayed thick toad oil from his mouth, covering Konan's entire body and preventing her from splitting into pieces. Immediately afterward, his flowing hair suddenly grew into a long snake, binding Konan tightly.

Seeing that Konan was trapped, Jiraiya prepared to have another good talk with her and try to persuade her.

Suddenly, a giant crab summon appeared and sprayed countless bubbles in Jiraiya's direction, completely submerging the area.

Jiraiya could only quickly untangle the hair binding Konan and dodge the countless bubbles that were covering her. After standing up again, he saw that there was another figure next to Konan. When Jiraiya saw the other person's eyes, he gave a bitter smile.

The first to arrive was the Animal Path of Pain. Standing next to Konan, he also fixed his gaze on Jiraiya. He then turned to Konan and said, "Konan, you go first. Leave Jiraiya-sensei to me!"

Upon hearing this, Konan knew that Nagato didn't want her to face any danger with Jiraiya, nor did he want her to bear the stigma of killing her master. Although she didn't want Nagato to shoulder everything, she knew his personality and that he would never let her suffer any harm. She could only turn and leave, not wanting to distract Nagato.

After his confrontation with Hyuga Kanan, Nagato no longer maintained his aloof attitude. Although he still harbored feelings for Jiraiya, he would not let anyone who tried to thwart his plans get away with it.

Like Yahiko, Jiraiya's dreams were filled with naivety. He believed that true peace would require paying a price in blood and fire. The Five Great Shinobi Villages were the biggest obstacle to peace, and the wars of the past few decades had been largely caused by their struggle for power. Given Jiraiya's feelings for Konoha, he was destined to become an enemy when he attacked Konoha in the future.

Moreover, Jiraiya's visit to Amegakure was undoubtedly to gather intelligence on the Akatsuki organization for Konoha, so Jiraiya has now become an obstacle to his plans.

"After seeing Jiraiya-sensei, you haven't truly explored the real path to peace; you'll only become an obstacle to it," the Animal Path said calmly, looking at Jiraiya. He wouldn't abandon his plan to bring peace to the ninja world just because of his gratitude towards Jiraiya.

Jiraiya looked at the unfamiliar disciple before him, knowing that further words were futile. Their ideological differences were irreconcilable; only strength could prevail. Continuing to argue would only result in verbal abuse.

The battle commenced immediately, with neither side willing to back down. This was not merely a clash of strength, but also a clash of ideologies.

Nagato had no intention of hiding his strength and directly mobilized all Six Paths of Pain. He needed to prove his strength in order to continue to deter those restless members of the Akatsuki from submitting.