Nagato: "Because Yahiko was there, we managed to survive in that harsh environment. Like the sun, he comforted me and Konan, giving us hope to keep living."
Listening to the slug's long-distance transmission, Yahiko: ...
It's been too long—any longer and it would be awkward.
The spotlight on Yahiko made him squirm uncomfortably. If not for his Edo Tensei Reincarnation body, he'd likely be breaking out in a cold sweat. Fortunately, Nagato shifted the topic at that moment—
"Later, we encountered our mentor—Jiraiya-sensei."
"We witnessed the battle between Hanzō of the Salamander and the Konoha ninja. In that clash, Hanzō of the Salamander bestowed the title 'Konoha Sannin' upon Jiraiya-sensei, Tsunade-sama, and Orochimaru."
That battle!
Tsunade remembered it vividly. At the time, she hadn't noticed the three kids watching nearby, only realizing later they'd followed her and Jiraiya for quite a distance.
"The battle between the Sannin and Hanzō of the Salamander—the kunai and explosive tags that flew our way didn't cause me, Yahiko, or Konan serious injury. But 'Chibi ' died there."
Naruto's expression darkened.
"Who was this 'Chibi' you mentioned?"
Like Naruto, the Konoha ninja now turned to look at Yahiko, awaiting an answer.
"He was our family."
"He was the puppy we raised, very important to Nagato and us."
Two different answers emerged—one relayed by Katsuyu from Nagato, the other by Yahiko's own response.
Konoha Ninja: "....."
Inuzuka Clan Ninja: Complex emotions.
Naruto: "An important family member...?"
The slug in his arms quietly whispered, "It was his dog."
For now, the others here weren't told that the real Yahiko had been resurrected via the Edo Tensei Reincarnation. The little slug dutifully carried out its translation duties.
"Sorry, I've never owned a dog, so I can't quite grasp your feelings," Naruto said. "But if you call it family, it must be incredibly important."
Nagato said nothing and continued his story.
Beside him, Konan—whose mind was as clear as a mirror—noticed something amiss.
Nagato hadn't revealed the Chibi's identity, so how did Konoha's slug know it was a dog?
She kept her thoughts to herself for now, listening as Nagato recounted their story to the Naruto Uzumaki before them.
Nagato: "Because we wanted to change our country, Yahiko—who vowed to become a god—led us to seek help from Konoha's ninja, hoping they could teach us ninjutsu."
"So..." Naruto had already guessed the gist.
"Exactly. The only one who answered our plea was Jiraiya-sensei, one of the Sannin."
Nagato stated.
"Back then, Orochimaru even tried to kill us. He claimed he'd seen too many orphans like us—children who lost their families in war—meet tragic ends. He thought it better for us to die young."
Looking back now, he wasn't entirely wrong...
Tsunade could recall most of what Yahiko had shared.
During the Second Shinobi World War, she herself lost Nawaki and Dan, and witnessed countless innocent children left homeless, deprived of family care and basic education, enduring unimaginable suffering—yet still uncertain if they would even survive to adulthood.
Kiba listened to their conversation, his voice carefree: "We're fortunate to be born in Konoha. At least we can all grow up happily until adulthood."
"Only your generation," Minato Namikaze replied with a bitter smile.
His own disciples hadn't all been fortunate enough to survive.
Kiba looked puzzled at Might Guy, who had finally returned, and the members of Team Guy.
Team Guy's Neji Hyūga, Tenten, and Rock Lee quickly assessed the situation. Might Guy was startled to see the Fourth Hokage, but his shock deepened when he noticed Kakashi lying still in the ice coffin. He summoned immense self-control to hold back his emotions.
"The Fourth Hokage-sama's students were Kakashi, Obito Uchiha, and Rin Nohara," Might Guy said, his voice heavy with grief. He looked at Kakashi's calm yet weary face. "Though I don't know why you've all appeared here, or why Young Obito is here, the Obito and Rin from our world passed away long ago."
"....."
"No, Obito Uchiha is still alive. He was just here, but you missed him." Tsunade explained, "Obito Uchiha has been infiltrating Akatsuki all along, and somehow ended up becoming the mastermind behind the organization."
This left Might Guy completely stunned.
Minato: "We'll discuss this later. First, let's continue listening to the intelligence relayed by Katsuyu."
"Jiraiya-sensei's appearance allowed us to experience the warmth of home and family once more."
Naruto deeply understood Nagato's words.
Having grown up without family, he yearned for and cherished that feeling intensely. At this moment, both he and Nagato shared the same heartache.
"Unfortunately, not long after, remnants of the Iwa Village attacked us. To protect Yahiko, I once again activated the Rinnegan's power, countering and killing that Iwa ninja with a single strike."
"After that, Jiraiya-sensei, who had no intention of teaching us ninjutsu, began instructing us in its use. He also taught me how to control the power of the Rinnegan."
"Even so, I remained terrified of my own strength. Hatred and fear could make me lose control. The guilt of killing and wielding that power tormented me."
"But Jiraiya-sensei saved me at that moment."
Nagato's expression darkened as he spoke of Jiraiya's kindness. How could anyone unaware of the truth believe that this very youth had slain his own mentor?
"When you harm others, you incur their resentment. Simultaneously, your own conscience condemns you for the sin. This proves you possess a heart of kindness."
Nagato: "That's what Jiraiya-sensei told me back then. It's precisely because we know this pain that we treat others with kindness, and only then can people truly learn to grow."
Nagato: "I swore that no matter what suffering I endured, it wouldn't matter. As long as I could protect Yahiko and Konan, even if the path ahead was strewn with thorns, I would cut through them to find the true way out."
"Jiraiya told me then that the world is filled with hatred, war exists everywhere, and he was always searching for a way to truly bring peace to the world..."
"Back then, he said he had found the answer."
The words Nagato conveyed through Katsuyu pierced Yahiko's heart. How could such a Nagato have killed Jiraiya with his own hands?
"Hokage-sama, found it. This is it."
A Konoha ninja knelt before the First, Second, Fourth, and Fifth Hokage, holding a scroll high above his head.
Tobirama Senju took the scroll and unfolded it. Inside was a small summoning array.
Boom – –
Summoning its contents forth, it revealed a tuft of white hair.
Because ninja missions carry high risks, especially for those who once faced wars between ninja nations, they would leave a lock of hair as a symbol of their body before their first deployment. If they died in a foreign land and their body could not be recovered, the hair would be buried in place of the body before the Konoha Memorial Stone.
Seizing the White Zetsu left behind by Obito Uchiha, the Second Hokage unleashed several of his most formidable original ninjutsu techniques... one of which...
"Edo Tensei Reincarnation Jutsu!"
As White Zetsu gradually transformed into Jiraiya's likeness, the Konoha ninjas were stunned! When Jiraiya opened his eyes, he was immediately confused.
"Didn't I die?"
"Hmm." Tobirama Senju replied, "To be precise, you aren't exactly alive either."
"..."
Jiraiya stared at the white-haired youth before him, who stood a full ten centimeters shorter than himself.
"Hmm... I feel like I've seen you somewhere before?"
Tobirama Senju, already exhausted, sighed. "Just call me the Second Hokage." He was thoroughly defeated by the natural airheadedness of this trio (Jiraiya, Minato Namikaze, Naruto Uzumaki).
Before Jiraiya could even process how the legendary Second Hokage—the very mentor of old Sarutobi—could appear before him, or how Minato, who perished in the Nine-Tails incident, could also be present... Tsunade delivered a vicious punch that obliterated half of his body.
Fortunately, being an Edo Tensei Reincarnation, he swiftly restored his original form, only to be met with Tsunade's bear hug.
The First and Second Hokage were thoroughly baffled by this turn of events.
"Our business can wait," Tobirama Senju stated with a sigh. "Currently, Naruto is facing off against that youth named Nagato. If he can persuade him, then reviving you, Kakashi, and the ninjas who perished in this incident would be nothing more than a matter of chakra."
"Naruto and Nagato..." Jiraiya's expression immediately shifted.
"Jiraiya-sensei!"
When Yahiko spoke up, Jiraiya turned and only then noticed his student.
"Pain? No, Yahiko?!!"
Yahiko didn't know how to apologize to Jiraiya-sensei for Nagato's actions. Overwhelmed with guilt, he stood frozen in place, just as bewildered by the current situation as Jiraiya.
Just then, Katsuyu relayed a new message.
"Under Jiraiya-sensei's dedicated guidance, through three years of rigorous training, Yahiko, Konan, and I have all grown in body and spirit."
"Jiraiya-sensei placed his hopes for peace upon me, his disciple, upon my Rinnegan!"
Nagato's words were delivered by the slug to Konoha.
Jiraiya snapped into focus, his voice tinged with wistfulness.
"Indeed, before Naruto was born, I too wondered whether Minato and Yahiko might be the 'Child of the Prophecy' I sought—whether they could become the saviors of this ninja world."
"It's said that long ago, in an era when wars raged fiercer than today, a sage appeared. He first elucidated the truth of chakra, hoping to guide the world toward peace. He founded the ninshū, traveling the world to spread it…"
"Yet for some reason, as time passed, after that sage's death, the ninshū was replaced by the names 'ninjutsu' and 'ninja.' But chakra's original form shouldn't be like this. It should be the path that leads people to peace."
"And that sage possessed eyes just like Nagato's."
At the time, my belief that Nagato might be the Child of the Prophecy was largely due to those Rinnegan eyes.
Obito: "You're talking about the Sage of the Six Paths, right? That strange old man with the Rinnegan."
The others assumed Obito had merely heard the legend. But he continued, his tone casual, almost offhand:
"Speaking of it, Minato-sensei, if Naruto and Sasuke truly are the reincarnations of Indra and Ashura, then in a sense, wouldn't the Rikudō Sennin be your equal?"
"..."
Such an equivalence was really brilliant!