In the depths of the Akatsuki base, old friends, who hadn't seen each other in years, were finally reunited. The atmosphere should have been warm.
But Jiraiya's words turned what should have been a warm atmosphere into one of seriousness and tension.
"'Eye of the Moon'?"
"Yes, based on the guesses made by myself, Minato, Orochimaru, and others, this plan is most likely aimed at the moon hanging in the sky. Otherwise, there would be no need for such a name."
"The moon?"
"Mhm, this is just our guess for now. We still don't know exactly what they're planning."
At this point, Jiraiya didn't want to reveal more information.
As he said, it's just a guess.
What if they're wrong? He didn't want to tell everything, only to find out they were mistaken.
If possible, Jiraiya also wanted to maintain some of his authority as a teacher in front of Konan and the others, not just appear as a clown.
"As for the Rinnegan, it's probably not as simple as just giving it to Nagato."
The three of them nodded, understanding what Jiraiya was saying.
If Uchiha Madara really had some unknown objective, he wouldn't give away the Rinnegan, an eye with immense power.
Seeing Nagato, whose body had become frail and decayed from using the power of the Rinnegan, Konan had a vague guess.
But this guess was still too vague and hadn't yet formed a clear chain of suspicion in her mind.
"So, Nagato, after learning that the Rinnegan is not your eye, and considering that you might be a pawn in Uchiha Madara's game, do you still want to stick to your beliefs?"
Jiraiya's purpose in coming to Amegakure was to dissuade Nagato from his extreme idea.
Capturing all nine tailed beasts and sealing them in the outer path statue… that was obviously too extreme.
Back then, Hashirama Senju captured the tailed beasts because they were still free. Even if he captured them, no one would have blamed him.
But now, it's different.
All the tailed beasts, except for the Three-Tails which is in the process of revival, are sealed within the bodies of the jinchuriki.
To capture the tailed beasts now would undoubtedly anger the villages that possess the jinchuriki.
One look at the current pressure from the Five Villages shows just how dire Nagato's situation is.
But luckily, Nagato had not yet had the chance to capture the Nine-Tails, and Konoha and Nagato had not yet reached a point of no return.
With Jiraiya's connection, Konoha was more than willing to take in the three of them.
"Jiraiya-sensei."
After hearing so much from Jiraiya, even Nagato fell into confusion.
From the moment he gained the Rinnegan to the task of capturing the nine Tailed Beasts, was all of this a path someone else had arranged for him?
Then, was it also false that sealing the Tailed Beasts into the "Gedo Statue," to create a military deterrent against the ninja world, making the major ninja villages hesitate and afraid to use force on a large scale, thus bringing peace to the world?
As he thought about it, Nagato suddenly remembered something, and his gaze shifted from confusion to determination.
"Even if my life and everything I've done so far have been arranged by others, I still want to give it a try."
"You stubborn little brat, why are you so set in your ways?"
Hearing that Nagato was still clinging to that idea, Jiraiya immediately became anxious.
"Nagato, don't you want to think this through again?"
"Yeah, Nagato, capturing the Nine Tailed Beasts might just be part of the 'Eye of the Moon' plan. You better not fall for it."
Konan and Yahiko also became anxious.
The plan to capture the Tailed Beasts was clearly unreliable, so why wouldn't Nagato listen?
"I understand what you both are saying, but now the Rinnegan is with me. As long as I don't make a mistake, everything will be fine. Don't talk to me about Uchiha Madara being dead. Even if he's revived, what can he do? If he dares to make a move, I can kill him."
"Nagato… since you're so determined, I won't hold you back."
"Nagato, you know, no matter what decision you make, I will support you."
Nagato's confident words inspired Konan and Yahiko, and they immediately stopped trying to persuade him, choosing instead to support him.
But Jiraiya felt awkward hearing this.
The three of them didn't know how terrifying Uchiha Madara was. Jiraiya, however, knew at least a little.
In his view, even though Nagato possessed the Rinnegan, the Six Paths of Pain would still be very difficult to deal with without others knowing the information.
But what he was facing wasn't just any random person, it was the shinobi world's legend, Uchiha Madara.
With Madara's strength, even without the Rinnegan, just giving him a pair of ordinary eyes would make him someone ordinary people couldn't handle.
Moreover, Uchiha Madara had been scheming for many years and even specifically found an heir like Obito. Could he not have some sort of backup plan?
Seeing Nagato, full of confidence, and Konan and Yahiko, both full of fighting spirit, Jiraiya thought to himself: You're still too young.
He had been young once, and he knew that trying to persuade them at this point would most likely backfire, triggering the three of them to rebel against him.
So, Jiraiya decided not to persuade them.
"Since you've made up your mind, Nagato, I won't try to change it. But you and Konan need to give me some blood."
"Thank you, Jiraiya-sensei."
Nagato and Konan understood that Jiraiya was worried they might die and was preparing to be able to revive them later.
"I'm your teacher, there's no need to be so polite with me." Jiraiya chuckled and then turned to Yahiko, saying, "Yahiko, with your current strength, it's difficult for you to help Nagato. Come back to Konoha with me later."
"...Okay."
Yahiko knew that his current strength was the weakest among the three.
If he went to the battlefield, not only would he not be of help, but just not slowing them down would be an achievement.
"It's been many years since we last met, I'm sure you have a lot to say. You can talk, I'll go outside for some fresh air."
After saying this, Jiraiya didn't wait for the trio's response and left the room.
He went to a well-ventilated area, sat cross-legged on the ground, and started thinking about the future situation of the shinobi world.
Looking at the current situation, unless something unexpected happened, Nagato and Konan were most likely doomed.
Don't underestimate the Fourth Raikage of the Hidden Cloud Village.
A while ago, he suffered a huge loss at Nagato's hands. This time, he must have made thorough preparations.
Once Nagato dies, the Rinnegan will become a leaderless object. Who knows, it might stir up another bloody storm.
Even if the Fourth Raikage A, doesn't recognize its value, Obito and that Black Zetsu definitely won't let these eyes slip by.
Jiraiya wasn't worried about the Rinnegan itself.
What he feared most was someone using the Rinnegan to resurrect Uchiha Madara.
If Uchiha Madara is resurrected, with the current strength of the Shinobi world, who could stop him?
Even with all his confidence, Jiraiya wouldn't think he could defeat Uchiha Madara.
"The Second Hokage and the others can only come once a month, and each time they can only stay for an hour."
"Distant water can't quench near fire."
"Looks like it's time to resurrect the First Hokage from our timeline."
Half an hour later, Yahiko found Jiraiya and handed him two small bottles containing blood and a larger bottle containing a Rinnegan.
Jiraiya: ???
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