The Edo Tensei Fourth Hokage had no knowledge of the turmoil deep within Naruto's heart, yet an instinctive sense of foreboding gripped him.
In a faintly golden, ethereal world, Naruto Uzumaki's pupils remained black and red—a vision of a soul already consumed by darkness. Even the words spoken to him by Minato Namikaze were twisted by his own agitation and rage.
"What the hell is peace?! You, the Pervy Sage, Pain—what kind of peace are you chasing?!"
"Why leave this problem for someone like me when even you couldn't solve it?!!"
Tears overflowed from his eyes as Naruto Uzumaki demanded:
"More than any of this, I wish you could have stayed by my side to watch me grow up; to attend my Ninja Academy entrance ceremony and graduation; to be there every day when I came home, saying 'Welcome back!'
Waaah…"
These words caused even the lingering chakra of Minato Namikaze deep within his psyche to lower its eyelids.
"Just because you're the Fourth Hokage, you sealed the Nine-Tails inside me without considering my wishes? Made me the village's pariah, a Jinchūriki targeted by evil organizations like Akatsuki?!!"
Minato tried to speak, but Naruto cut him off.
"Why leave all the problems to me?! Why keep saying you trust me?! Why won't you help me even now?!"
"Why didn't you save the Pervy Sage? Why didn't you save Kakashi-sensei? Why didn't you save Iruka-sensei, Sage Grandpa, and Hinata?!!"
...
As his outburst reached its peak, Naruto's rage intensified. Had Minato Namikaze not pulled him into this pale golden space, the Nine-Tails might have driven him further into hatred, shattering the seal entirely.
Minato sighed deeply, his voice heavy with regret.
"As you know, I died twelve years ago to seal the Nine-Tails. As your father, I'm sorry for the painful childhood I gave you."
He paused, preparing to recount the events of that night—the Nine-Tails incident—to Naruto.
At that very moment, Minato Namikaze and Tobirama Senju, both gazing at the Chibaku Tensei technique, simultaneously sensed an unusual distortion in the space-time energy. Suddenly, for reasons unknown, they were all swept into a golden void!
What they saw was Naruto, gradually succumbing to darkness, and Minato Namikaze trying to guide his son.
"You guys..."
Upon seeing the young Obito Uchiha and the three Hokage brought back through Edo Tensei, Minato's chakra stirred with surprise. Young Obito, equally confused, turned to the Edo Tensei Minato beside him and asked, "What's going on?"
"It's the spatial power of the mission scroll."
Young Obito hastily opened his ninja pouch, but found no new mission scroll inside.
"Could it be..."
"That the other Obito completed the mission on his own scroll, right?"
'The other Obito' naturally referred to the adult Obito from the mission scroll world—the masked man!
Chakra Minato: "My apologies. I'm merely a fragment of chakra left behind in Naruto's body all those years ago. I'll dissipate soon, so I won't have time to properly greet everyone. I must first relay the information that should be told to Naruto."
"Information?" Naruto's dark red eyes widened in surprise.
"Twelve years ago, during the Nine-Tails' Rampage, an extremely powerful enemy emerged. He posed a tremendous threat to Konoha and the entire ninja world. Without special powers, no one could stand against him. That's why I sealed half of the Nine-Tails within you. I hoped that if he ever truly attacked the world, you would have the strength to confront him."
"The Nine-Tails Incident?! A powerful enemy?!"
Naruto was stunned by this revelation. "You mean... Pain?!"
"No. One of the Akatsuki members—that masked man! But I suspect his true identity might be the legendary Madara Uchiha."
Edo Tensei First Hokage : "...."
Edo Tensei Second Hokage : "...."
Edo Tensei Fourth Hokage: "...."
Young Obito Uchiha: "....." Holy shit! Cold sweat!!
Naruto Uzumaki recalled the man wearing that eerie orange swirl mask.
"Pain was probably being manipulated by that man too."
"How could that be?! Pain was so powerful! How could he be manipulated?!!"
The young Obito Uchiha was formulating his words, deciding to simply reveal the identity of his other self at this very moment.
At this moment, the Edo Tensei version of Minato Namikaze was also at a loss for words.
Seeing everyone fall silent, Naruto Uzumaki roared in fury:
"Forget all that! The people I cared about are all dead! At this point, I don't even know what the meaning of protecting peace is anymore!"
"......"
With time running out, Minato lowered his gaze. Ultimately, he had placed too much responsibility and pressure on Naruto...
Just then, a voice suddenly echoed through the golden space.
["The Great Toad Sage said I am the guide for that 'Change-Maker'."]
Naruto and Minato froze. That voice...
"Pervy Sage!"
"Jiraiya-sensei?!!"
["One day, I will be forced to make a significant decision. I believe that moment has come now. If I miss this opportunity, no one will ever get this close to Pain again. Please, take the current information about Pain, as well as this body, back with you."]
["Leave that to Shima."]
["Be back with Jiraiya-chan before dinner!"]
Naruto: "Grandpa Sage... and Grandma Shima's voice?!"
[Jiraiya: "No... thank you..."]
After uttering those unfinished words of gratitude, the group, trapped within a golden void, was suddenly pulled into a powerful genjutsu!!
This was the territory of the Land of Rain. Like the Land of Water, the Land of Rain adhered to a policy of isolationism, making its internal affairs largely unknown to outsiders.
"It's Pain!"
Within the illusion, several of the Pain clones were searching for a particular figure.
Then...
"Whoosh—Boom!"
A shuriken flew through the air. Hidden beneath the water, Jiraiya deliberately exposed his position.
Tap, tap, tap-tap-tap!
The Pain bodies, each peering out from different directions, immediately surrounded him.
Jiraiya, submerged in the water, allowed Naruto and the others to see his current state.
His body was covered in battle wounds. His missing left arm stained the ragged bandage with crimson. Lying hidden in the water, he looked utterly disheveled.
"Pervy Sage…"
Naruto Uzumaki's pupils contracted in shock. "Pervy Sage!!"
He leapt forward, forming a Rasengan, and launched it directly at Deva Path Pain!
The Rasengan passed straight through Pain's body! Naruto followed up with a swift kick that also sailed through him!
It was just like when he had fought the masked man—every attack seemed completely ineffective!
"This is an illusion!"
Minato Namikaze spoke up, his voice urgent. "Although I don't know why, what we're seeing must be the scene before Jiraiya-sensei's death!"
As he said, Jiraiya and the Pain entities didn't seem able to see them.
Jiraiya, still reeling from the shock, realized that all the Pain clones were people he had once met! The smiles of those three adorable Amegakure disciples flashed through his mind again and again!!
Boom--!
At that moment, Preta Path Pain launched a sneak attack on Jiraiya!
"Guhh----"
The ninjas trapped within the illusion could clearly see Preta Path Pain's strike, which locked Jiraiya's throat and left him gravely wounded once again, blood spilling from his mouth!!
"Pervy Sage!"
"Jiraiya-sensei!!"
Unfortunately, trapped within the illusion, and with Jiraiya already dead, there was nothing they could do.
They could only watch helplessly as multiple Pain entities, each wielding the black chakra rods that had once pierced Naruto's body, leapt above Jiraiya and slammed the rods down with brutal force!!
His white hair stained with blood.
Jiraiya lay motionless on the ground, pierced by several chakra rods.
Naruto Uzumaki stood there in a daze, staring.
Knowing that the Pervy Sage had died was one thing. But watching him pinned to the ground by Pain, clinging to life with no way to help, was something entirely different.
Aaargh!
Deva Path Pain, who hadn't been pulled into Naruto's subconscious, watched as the Nine-Tails, which had previously been silent, roared once more!
"A Chibaku Tensei of that level couldn't suppress him?!!"
Deva Path muttered in disbelief.
Meanwhile, the golden space created by Minato Namikaze's remaining chakra began to break apart. The illusion flickered like an old television, filled with static.
Minato: "!!"
Naruto was about to lose control of the Nine-Tails!