Seeing the look on Jiraiya's face, both Fukasaku and Shima were stunned.
"Little Jiraiya, do you know that person flying in the sky?"
"Yes…" After a long pause, Jiraiya nodded heavily. "He… is my student."
"What?" the two sages were instantly stunned. "When did you take on students like these? Why didn't we know?"
Jiraiya's expression was grim. "It's a long story, too long to explain now. They… they should be dead."
What Jiraiya cared about most now was the Rinnegan. Why does Yahiko have those eyes? Are Nagato and Konan alive or dead? And who are the other five? A flood of questions overwhelmed his mind.
Jiraiya refused to accept the two sages' suggestion to escape. I have to figure this out!
Jiraiya gritted his teeth and shouted, "Yahiko, come down here! I need to ask you something!"
The Deva Path glanced at Jiraiya coldly, completely ignoring him, and descended directly beside Uchiha Itachi. The red chakra armor slowly dissipated, and Itachi asked softly, "Why are you here too?"
"The organization has made a temporary decision. Now is the best time to capture the Tailed Beasts. The One-Tails and the Nine-Tails are both in Konoha, and the village is in turmoil. There will be no better opportunity."
"I see…" Uchiha Itachi's expression remained unchanged, as if he had already guessed the Deva Path's answer.
Thump!
The other five Paths of Pain descended one after another. The Asura Path waved his hand, placing the person he carried on his shoulder at Itachi's feet. Itachi frowned slightly. It was Kisame. His body was covered with scars, his outer clothes were long gone, and his pants were in tatters.
The Animal Path placed the great sword Samehada beside him. "We found Kisame at the bottom of the valley. He is very weak. He must have gone through a fierce battle…"
"Itachi, I have injected a large amount of chakra into Samehada. This chakra should be enough for Kisame to recover from his injuries. Once Kisame is back to full health, you two are to head to Konoha…"
Uchiha Itachi seemed puzzled by this behavior. "With your personality, you would normally go directly to Konoha to capture the Tailed Beasts. Why come and save us?"
The Deva Path replied calmly, "Someone asked me to do this. Itachi, instead of talking to me here, you should take Kisame and hurry to Konoha. Your brother is in a very dangerous situation…"
"!"
Upon hearing this, the look in Uchiha Itachi's eyes changed instantly. A flock of crows suddenly appeared, lifting the weak Kisame into the air. Itachi said nothing more, taking Kisame with him and quickly heading toward Konoha.
Watching Itachi's figure gradually disappear from sight, the Deva Path turned his head and glanced at Jiraiya.
"Next, we will be your opponents, teacher…"
"You are indeed Yahiko!" Hearing the Deva Path call him teacher, Jiraiya shouted, "Where is Nagato? What happened to your eyes—to the Rinnegan? Answer me!"
Facing Jiraiya's anxious questioning, the Deva Path remained calm. "You are naive. There is no need for you to know."
"Today is the day you, one of the Sannin, will die."
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Poof, poof, poof!
As the Animal Path slapped the ground with its hands, several huge summoning beasts appeared one after another, surrounding Jiraiya in an instant.
Sage Shima cried out, "Look, old man, little Jiraiya! The eyes of these summoned beasts… they also have the Rinnegan!"