In the sky.
A wooden dragon flew towards the lake.
The massive wooden dragon arrived with despair at this lake.
Just as Konan and Sage Fukasaku were escaping with Nagato, with Orochimaru setting up a Tandem Paper Bomb trap, a shadow appeared above Orochimaru's head.
Orochimaru looked up at the sky.
The wooden dragon slowly lowered its head, revealing Akihara Kagura standing at the top.
"Where's Jiraiya?"
Orochimaru looked up at Akihara Kagura and smiled, "Kagura-kun, have you finally killed your teacher too?"
"Just about!"
Akihara Kagura seemed unconcerned about Jiraiya's fate, speaking casually, "However, it should... not be too good, right?"
On the distant battlefield.
Jiraiya's body was still floating along the river.
In this battle between teacher and student, Jiraiya was utterly powerless, being knocked into a river by Akihara Kagura's wooden dragon, his fate unknown.
However...
Jiraiya's body floated downstream rapidly.
A figure wearing a gas mask quietly emerged from the river.
It was the leader of the Hidden Rain Village, Salamander Hanzo, the former Ninja Demigod had been secretly watching the battle from nearby.
Salamander Hanzo dragged Jiraiya's body to a safe place, carefully tending to his injuries.
"Cough cough cough..."
Jiraiya spat out a mouthful of blood.
"The Hidden Rain Village's medical ninja techniques aren't enough."
Salamander Hanzo finished bandaging him, speaking in a muffled voice, "I heard the new Hokage of Konoha is Tsunade, I'll immediately send someone to take you back to Konoha, she should be able to heal your wounds..."
"Thank you."
Jiraiya opened his eyes, hearing a familiar voice, seeing the figure before him, feeling an inexplicable relief.
"Lord Salamander Hanzo?"
"After all, this is the territory of the Land of Rain."
Salamander Hanzo helped him sit up, speaking softly, "I sensed Chakra fluctuations at the Akatsuki Hideout and thought Nagato was in trouble, wanted to see what was happening, and found you almost being killed..."
"Hoo..."
Jiraiya showed a hint of remorse on his face, sighed, "Didn't expect that obedient child always had dark thoughts suppressed within..."
This matter cannot remain a secret.
Because the Ninja World is about to face a catastrophe.
Jiraiya is keenly aware of Salamander Hanzo's significance, and unlike the Hidden Rain Village's leader, he must also face the imminent catastrophe in the Ninja World.
"Um..."
Salamander Hanzo lifted his head as if recalling the past, "Before, he seemed to have visited the Land of Rain with you, that Wood Release one..."
"Yes..."
Jiraiya quickly nodded.
"I've heard of his name."
Salamander Hanzo nodded too, continued, "Many in the Ninja World know of him and Root's name, he's much stronger than that Danzo fellow..."
"Yeah..."
Jiraiya could only smile wryly in agreement.
Indeed.
Akihara Kagura is far stronger than Danzo.
Just the ability to create trouble is something Danzo couldn't match.
"What's going on here?"
Salamander Hanzo seemed clueless, asking, "Where's Nagato? Why haven't I seen Nagato?"
"I just saw Nagato's Summoned Golem there, the golem that nearly killed me before had its limbs ripped off..."
"Yes... Nagato!"
Jiraiya immediately recalled another extremely important pupil, looking at Salamander Hanzo, pleading, "Lord Hanzo, please help me find Nagato quickly, Kagura must not find him first!"
"I understand."
Salamander Hanzo nodded and agreed, "I once considered entrusting the Hidden Rain Village to Nagato, and naturally won't stand by on his situation..."
"But..."
"What's happening?"
Salamander Hanzo looked at Jiraiya, questioning, "Why would your Konoha's Wood Release genius come to attack you, the teacher?"
"If he was battling Nagato, I could understand because Nagato's capturing of Tailed Beasts creates bigger problems than the three big nations starting a war..."
"Lord Hanzo knows Nagato is capturing Tailed Beasts?"
Jiraiya cast a surprised glance at Salamander Hanzo, instinctively asking, "Doesn't Lord Hanzo realize that this could bring disaster to the Land of Rain?"
"I know."
Salamander Hanzo lowered his head, continued seriously, "For the Land of Rain to survive, it needs methods beyond ordinary imagination..."
"Back then, to stop Konoha and The Hidden Rock Village and The Hidden Sand Village from slaughtering in the Land of Rain, I had no choice but to fight against you, right? But for the civilians of the Land of Rain, I had no other options..."
"Nagato's ideas..."
"I could perhaps guess some as well..."
Salamander Hanzo sighed, shook his head, "But for the Land of Rain, what could be worse than being an enduring battlefield?"
"..."
Jiraiya fell silent.
"Konoha kid..."
Salamander Hanzo patted Jiraiya's shoulder, considering his age and status, treating Jiraiya casually, spoke softly, "Although I'm unclear what's happening, clearly your Konoha's Wood Release genius seems set to create problems beyond Nagato's extreme ideas..."
"Hoo..."
Jiraiya rubbed his chest and sighed, "Nagato just wants to use the Tailed Beasts to create a war weapon to maintain peace in the Ninja World, but Kagura wants to use the war weapon to destroy the entire Ninja World..."
"!!!"
Salamander Hanzo's eyes revealed a hint of astonishment.
"We must find Nagato now."
Jiraiya struggled to stand up and spoke of what they must do: "Only Nagato can save the Ninja World, let's go now..."
"Your injuries..."
"It's not a big deal."
Jiraiya shook his head, unconcerned about his injuries.
"Alright."
Salamander Hanzo agreed with Jiraiya and then inquired, "By the way, the Chakra of the other traitorous Sannin kid seems to be still there. I heard that Sannin kid had long been dead, how is he resurrected? When I was secretly saving you, I sensed he seemed to be fighting with your Konoha's Wood Release genius..."
"Orochimaru?"
Upon hearing Salamander Hanzo's words, Jiraiya's face flashed with a hint of surprise.
Because in his impression, Orochimaru wasn't someone who would be willing to stay behind, how could he stay behind for Nagato!
"Now Orochimaru is with us..."
Jiraiya stroked his chin, pondering his old friend's life-saving means: "Kagura may not be able to kill him... but, is that guy staying behind alone up to some conspiracy?"
Whatever.
This is not important.
Finding Nagato is the most important thing now.
Whatever.
Orochimaru is somewhat important after all.
Jiraiya glanced at Salamander Hanzo beside him, seeming a bit embarrassed: "Hanzo, can you sense what is happening with Orochimaru now?"
"Cannot."
Salamander Hanzo shook his head and continued solemnly, "Konoha's Wood Release genius has strong perception ability, I didn't dare use Chakra while saving you..."
"Whatever..."
Jiraiya felt somewhat helpless, he ultimately had to consider the bigger picture and could only put aside his worry about Orochimaru for now: "Let's find Nagato first, then see what's going on with Orochimaru..."
"In which direction would Nagato and Konan escape?"
Jiraiya raised his head to look at the cloudy sky.
"I'll send someone to help search..."
Salamander Hanzo didn't mind at all.
As the leader of The Hidden Rain Village for so many years, Salamander Hanzo was very familiar with the terrain and location of the Land of Rain. He took Jiraiya and headed to the nearest Hidden Rain Village base to order all the Hidden Rain Ninja to launch immediately and help search for Nagato's whereabouts.
On another side.
On the lake surface of the Akatsuki Hideout.
Akihara Kagura pressed the head of the Wood Dragon lower and lower, yet still managed to look down on Orochimaru: "Lord Orochimaru, are you blocking me here to cover their escape, intending to outright betray our treaty?"
"Kagura-kun."
Orochimaru watched Akihara Kagura, with a smile at the corners of his mouth: "All along, hasn't it been you, Kagura-kun, constantly betraying our treaty?"
"You tricked me into coming here. I don't know a bit of your plan. I don't know at all about your plan to destroy the Ninja World, I also want to ask, in your plan to destroy the Ninja World, am I on your kill list too?"
"..."
Akihara Kagura brushed his hair, thought for less than a second, and gave an answer: "Lord Orochimaru, you are the one who raised me, I have always respected you as much as I respected Lord Danzo..."
"Kagura-kun!"
Orochimaru interrupted Akihara Kagura's words, reminding him: "Haven't you been showing in front of others that you respected Danzo too much? To the point where you've already forgotten, I personally watched you turn Danzo into a sacrifice for the old man's Reanimation..."
"Well, there's been a lot going on recently..."
Akihara Kagura rubbed his brows, taking the initiative to promise: "Rest assured, at least I won't let you end up like Lord Danzo..."
"..."
A shadow appeared in Orochimaru's eyes.
This damn kid!
Shimura Danzo's end has been the worst, right?
"The Rinnegan is hidden at the lake's bottom."
Orochimaru pointed to the pond below, coldly said: "Before Nagato and Konan escaped, they took down the Rinnegan and hid it at the lake's bottom..."
"What lake?"
Akihara Kagura looked down at the lake surface, as if speaking lies with open eyes: "Aren't there stacks of paper and explosive tags below? Where's the lake?"
"..."
A coldness appeared on Orochimaru's face!
The trap set by Konan on this lake surface was detected by this kid!
"You really saw through it..."
The coldness on Orochimaru's face flashed away, and a smile returned: "They used the Rinnegan as bait, intending to lure you into this trap..."
"Then destroy me and the Rinnegan together?"
Akihara Kagura manipulated the Wood Dragon to descend again, almost nearing the lake surface, with a hint of playfulness in his eyes: "Since it's so dangerous, might as well destroy the Rinnegan here, anyway I already have another way to get the Rinnegan..."
"What way?"
Orochimaru couldn't help but raise his head.
In this Ninja World, is there another way to obtain the Rinnegan?
"The Rinnegan is the ultimate form of the Sharingan evolved..."
Akihara Kagura looked at Orochimaru, yet casually revealed this secret: "Now I've arranged for Uchiha Sasuke and Uchiha Itachi to duel on the other side, their battle is not just to attract others' attention..."
"The most important goal is to obtain, from their victor, an Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan capable of evolving into the Rinnegan..."
"Interesting..."
Akihara Kagura snorted coldly, grinning contemptuously: "Nagato wouldn't think that I couldn't obtain the Rinnegan, so he has no other backup plan, would he?"