"Naruto!" Sakura yelled as she arrived at his training area. Sets of two Naruto clones were scattered around and Tenzou was trying to keep everything under control.
"Sakura?" Naruto's face showed confusion
"Jiraya is fighting the leader of Akatsuki and is in danger." Sakura began. Naruto's mouth opened in shock as she continued "He has a friend called Akio helping him out right now and the odds of them winning are high…"
"Then there is nothing to be afraid of" Naruto said annoyed "Why did you scare me like that?"
"I'm not done" Sakura clenched her fists "Akio arrived a while later after the fight began so Jiraya might be injured"
"Oh" Naruto finally understood
"Let's go to the gate and wait for them" Sakura suggested
Naruto nodded seriously and Tenzou followed them to the gate. Once there they saw a team of medics ready for a full procedure if needed.
Tsunade was talking to a team of ANBU and they ran away from the village to Jiraya's aid with two medics with them for emergencies.
They all waited quietly each hoping for the best. More ninja began arriving soon after the rumors spread. They wanted to make sure that the legendary Jiraya would be alright.
"Reinforcements, huh?" Pein addressed the shinobi
There were only two bodies left. Jiraya managed to kill three bodies before Akio arrived and Ryuu killed off the fourth one.
"Akio, this guy isn't the real person" Jiraya whispered "These are just bodies he uses by sending some sort of signal"
"So if we find the real person…" Akio began
"We'll kill him" Jiraya continued for him as Ryuu blew a blue flame toward one of the remaining bodies
"Also, there is a girl aiding him" Jiraya noted
Akio nodded and jumped back on the back of Ryuu
"Ryuu, we need to end this fast" he told him in urgency
"What do you propose?" Ryuu asked
"Use the fire rings on him until he isn't able to dodge" Akio suggested
Ryuu began flying in all directions spitting out rings of blue fire at his opponent. The rings simply vanished as Pein stood unharmed
"What?" Akio muttered
"He absorbs jutsu" Ryuu said as he continued to pelt flames at Pain "What now?"
"You die!" Pain said as a missile projectile headed towards Ryuu.
Ryuu spun out of the way immediately as the missile crashed in a building. Jiraya tried to hit that Pain with a Rasengan but he simply absorbed it too and sent Jiraya flying into the very same building.
Ryuu began using his tail instead and Pain actually had to dodge this time. Ryuu's tail plummeted down with such force that it rattled the land. Pain formed some seals and a blast was sent towards Akio.
Akio cursed as Ryuu flew upwards at an alarming rate. His tail was hit and the dragon was now having trouble to coordinate with the same skill beforehand.
Akio stared at Jiraya and realized that the man was barely able to stand and his Sage mode was beginning to wear out. The other Pain was sending projectiles at Jiraya who dodged and went into attack mode.
Akio began forming the mini black hole of concentrated chakra
"Let's see if you can absorb this!" Akio shouted as he sent it spiraling at Pain. Ryuu grabbed Akio and flew high in order to avoid an extra injury.
After the blast the annoying Pain who kept sending projectiles was dead. The main Pain was in a mess afterwards. His clothes were torn from various places but he managed to surprise them even then.
Pain began hurtling rock at the dragon at a very fast speed while creating a ball of concentrated rock and soil. After having a rock the size of a lake he threw it at Akio.
Ryuu was hit and poofed away since he no longer had energy to stay in the fight. Akio soared down and the minute he landed on the ground, Pain attacked him from the behind. Akio was blown away while Jiraya managed to allow his Rasengan to collide with Pain.
After the dust cleared, the last body of Pain was unresponsive and so was Akio. Jiraya panicked and ran towards the man. He noticed a very nasty wound on his head that was spilling out too much blood.
"Damn it!" Jiraya cursed as he began tearing a piece of cloth and tie it around Akio's head in order to control the bleeding.
The Anbu reinforcements finally arrived and the medics began healing Akio.
Jiraya didn't linger and immediately began filling out orders
"I need two Anbu to come with me and defeat the real Pain while the others protect the medic and Akio." Jiraya ordered
The ANBU nodded and bounded away with Jiraya.
One of the medics began controlling the bleeding while the other stitched up the wound
Jiraya and the ANBU arrived at the tallest tower. Jiraya began forming Rasengan and crashed into the building.
"Nagato!" Jiraya yelled out. Jiraya's eyes widened in surprise when he set his eyes on Nagato. His body was extremely slim and his ribs were sticking out. The woman he saw earlier was crouched in defensive mode now that they stopped her from unbinding Nagato from whatever contraption held him into place
"Jiraya sensei" Nagato acknowledged "Long time no see"
"I thought you were dead" Jiraya commented "What have you done to yourself?"
"I learned that ninja only bring hate and war to the world." Pain explained "I will create peace in this world whether I have to rule by fear or not"
"This isn't how you find peace" Jiraya debated as the ANBU's fight with Konan filled the sound in the background
"Then what way is there?" Pain mocked "This is the only way"
"This is not what I taught you" Jiraya said
"You abandoned us" Pein coughed due to his body's extreme lack in energy "What do you think happened after you left?"
"Like I said, I heard you died" Jiraya clarified "If I had known you were alive I would've helped you"
"It's too late now" Nagato said "I will make you feel pain"
"I'm already in Pain" Jiraya sighed as he looked at his once cherished student "Seeing you like this hurts me more than anything else"
"Those are just empty words" Pain began coughing again. His body ached with every word he uttered.
"It's not too late" Jiraya tried to convince him "Come to our side"
"Akatsuki seek world peace" Pain answered
"Nagato…" Jiraya began
"ENOGUH!" he yelled "time to feel pain"
His eyes stared coldly at Jiraya.
"Nagato!" Konan yelled trying to stop him. This jutsu could kill him. Was he this willing to kill Jiraya sensei?
"Answer me this, Jiraya sensei" Nagato asked "How will you find peace in a world that only breeds hatred"
"I don't know" Jiraya answered truthfully "But I have entrusted another and I am positive he will find the answer"
"Who is that?" Pein asked "A pity Konoha ninja?"
"My new subordinate, Uzumaki Naruto!" Jiraya said his name with pride
"The Kyyubi container" Nagato acknowledged
"He never gives up and he will find the answer" Jiraya said
Nagato's body began shutting down due to exhaustion. "What's going on?" Pein muttered
"Nagato!" Konan cried as she fled he battle with ANBU and held him close to her
"What's happening" an ANBU operative asked in confusion
"His body appears to have taken a blow from Akio's earlier jutsu" Jiraya explained "This jutsu slowly destroys the body if some contact is reached since it sends spikes of chakra"
"What do we do with the girl?" the ANBU asked
"The only reason I joined Akatsuki was because I wanted Nagato to have somebody close to him" Konan explained "If I give you information would you just let me live on in peace"
"Why would we trust and Akatsuki?" the ANBU retorted
"I hate the organization and begged Nagato to leave multiple times but he believed this is the only way to find peace. My goal in life is to help him stand and achieve his goals and since he's dead I no longer have ties to this organization" she replied
"I don't believe…" the ANBU began but Jiraya nodded. "Give us information and you will be free"
"Jiraya sama?" the ANBU was surprised
"I know her" Jiraya smiled sadly "and I believe her"
"To trust the enemy no matter what is foolish" the ANBU thought "But I trust Jiraya"
"Let's go back to Akio" Jiraya ordered
Konan covered Nagato with paper and decided to bury him next to Yuhiko (the other member of their group).
While Konan buried Nagato, Jiraya checked up on Akio. He was currently Akio cursing at his forgotten non used abilities
Jiraya laughed and patted him on the back.
An ANBU appeared and gave a report "We sent a message back to Tsunade sama. The woman, Konan, is currently being escorted by my teammates as you requested."
"Good" Jiraya nodded and the ANBU disappeared "We should head back"
Akio nodded and they both rode a frog back to Konoha.
Kakashi was almost at Konoha. He could see the gates and was wondering why there were so many people at the gate
"Kakashi?" Tsunade asked surprised once he arrived
"What's with all the people?" he asked suspiciously
"Sensei!" Naruto and Sakura yelled as they joined them "We're here to make sure ero senin is alright!"
"Oh" Kakashi nodded "Any news?"
"Not yet" Tsunade answered. Just as she said that a messenger bird came down. Tsunade opened the letter:
Pein is dead. Akatsuki female Konan captured peacefully and coming for interrogation. Jiraya and Akio have several injuries but can manage after medical help from team.
The letter burned after being read and Tsunade nodded in satisfaction
"Everything is fine" Tsunade sighed and the people, currently in relief, left happy to know that Jiraya is unharmed