Disclaimer: I am just a fan. I do not own Naruto
Chapter 19: Jiraiya and the Trial of Pain
Jiraiya's mind wandered to Naruto and he wondered if he made it on time to help Kakashi and the others, but he was on a covert mission to gather intelligence on Akatsuki who had begun to increase there movements after learning of Naruto's dealings with Kisame and Itachi, bringing them more into the open than usual. Naruto would be upset when he learned that Jiraiya had not disclosed everything, but this chance to learn more about the secretive organization might have passed if he had waited for him to finish helping his friends.
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Inside the Hokage's office Naruto stood in front of the Hokage inquiring about Jiraiya. "Tsunade-sama, have you heard anything from Jiraiya?"
"No, Naruto he has yet to check in with me but that doesn't mean anything. You know how he gets from time to time."
"Yeah, but he promised he would be here to help me finish training after my mission to help Shikamaru was over. I haven't heard from or seen him since. That was two weeks ago, and it doesn't take that long to travel from were we where staying to here."
"Perhaps he is running late because he found new research material, perverted old codger." Tsunade lied to Naruto. Jiraiya had asked her to keep his mission a secret from the boy for fear of his wrath, but she to worry about his whereabouts. He had neglected to report in and they had agreed on intelligence reports twice a week so she wouldn't be stressed to tell Naruto, who would never forgive them for keeping him in the dark if Jiraiya was in danger. The reports usually came in on time but the first of his weekly reports was late. She would give Jiraiya a little more time before spilling the beans to Naruto. "Kami give me strength," she mumbled to herself as she stared at Naruto.
"What was that Tsunade-sama," Naruto asked when Shizune walked in saving Tsunade from having to dig up a response.
"Hokage-sama, the elders would like a word," Shizune said coming to stand beside Naruto.
"What do those old geezers want from me now," Tsunade said annoyed. She would rather deal with her current situation than have to deal with those old farts who took it upon themselves to question her every movement.
"Shizune inform them I will be there shortly."
"Hai, Hokage-sama," Shizune answered before taking her leave.
"Naruto, I have to take care of this pain, but I wouldn't worry about Jiraiya just yet. I was told that you were taught some healing arts by your late grandfather?"
"Yes, that's true."
"How far have you gotten?"
"I can mend some broken bones and medium to minor injuries, but I am afraid that I might not have the knack to take it beyond that."
"Hmm, I see. Well, I want you to give it a try anyway. Here," Tsunade said tossing him a scroll. "Sakura will help you in your learning. If you can master that, then you should be able to heal all but the most serious of wounds."
"Hai," Naruto said excitedly and gratefully he bowed before taking his leave.
"Well, Jiraiya you have until he has mastered that scroll to respond, after that I will have to tell him that which you did not want him to find out." Tsunade spoke the words aloud into the empty room as a prayer to hasten Jiraiya's report. She loathed the idea of telling Naruto something she promised not to tell, but he had a right to know. And she could not keep defying the look of concern on the boy's face.
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"Tsunade-sama wishes for me to teach you the medical arts contained in this scroll does she," Sakura asked retrieving the scroll from Naruto. "You truly have changed to be able to perform this type of art."
"Was I really that bad back then?"
"It doesn't matter you are someone completely different now."
"I was that bad."
"Let's just say you could be a little overbearing at times, but regardless of how annoying you could be, you never gave up and after that day when you had been severely injured in your attempt to bring Sasuke home, I realized that maybe it wasn't you that had the problem, it was me and then you disappeared….." Sakura said staring blankly at some distant spot beyond unable to continue.
"You know I used to have a really bad crush on you." Naruto said to Sakura's mortification snapping her out of her sudden melancholy state.
"And now," Sakura asked meekly.
"Sometimes I think my crush on you was because of my rivalry with Sasuke. Besides, I saw how you looked at him that day, and I'm happy to be your friend. I'm just sorry I wasn't able to keep my promise to bring him home."
"It wasn't your fault. I should have never allowed you to make that promise in the first place. I'm sorry I was so blinded by my own heartache that I wasn't able to recognize that I wasn't the only one suffering."
"There is nothing for you to be sorry about Sakura-chan. I made that promise because Sasuke is like my brother, and because we are a team, more than that, we're family. Anyway, what's past is past."
"You're right, we should get down to business. I promise you with me on your side, you will have this scroll mastered in no time."
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Jiraiya finally reached the village of Rain where Konoha had lost their Anbu spy. True to its name, inside the village borders it was raining and he sought cover. Jiraiya thought the way it rained within the village was a little peculiar, but there was nothing he could do about it, so he let it pass; his main goal was to gather as much intelligence as he could on Akatsuki, rain or no rain. Fortunately for him, two unsuspecting rain ninja were headed his way. "Kuchiyose: Gama Mise no Jutsu," (Summoning: Toad Shop Technique) Jiraiya said calling forth a toad which hengen itself into a large tavern. Completing his trap, Jiraiya hengen himself into a middle aged shop keeper with a mustached and waited for his opportunity to put his plan into action. Seeking refuge from the rain, the two unsuspecting rain ninja enter the toad shop.
"What can I do you for," Jiraiya asked.
"We'll have a bottle of sake and two glasses," the ninjas answer in response.
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"Pain what bothers you," Konan asked curious as to what could disturb him.
"A dangerous and powerful chakra has just crossed into my domain. Konan, I'll stop the rain; I want you to go investigate."
"Right."
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"So are you going to tell me more about this pain or am I going to have to resort to more drastic measures," Jiraiya asked the ninja as he came before them.
"We'll never talk; we are loyal ninja of rain." One of the ninja Jiraiya had captured voiced defiantly.
"I guess you have out lived your usefulness then," Jiraiya said as he walked up to the defiant ninja and laying his hand upon him transformed him into a toad.
"WHA….what did you do," his fellow ninja asked in fear.
"You didn't think I would allow you to leave here as you are did you, and since I don't feel like killing anyone today, I have decided to let you live on. You will just be doing it as a toad is all. I hope you like eating flies," Jiraiya said coolly placing his hand on the ninja.
"No, no wait….. Pain is said to reside in the tallest tower in the city. He is rumored to be from the Fuuma clan and no one knows what he looks like. His power is not of this world. He is a true, heartless shinobi. He not only killed our old leader Hanzou but Hanzou's family, friends and business associates, all as punishment, like a god."
"I see, so what are your god's plans?"
"I don't know that."
"Then what can you tell me of Akatsuki?"
"I don't know anything about this Akatsuki."
"You better not be lying to me or I swear you will spend the rest of your days eating bugs!" Jiraiya said menacingly.
"Do what you will, I already told you all that I know. I will tell you no more, my loyalty lies with the village of rain and lord Pain."
"Well, if that's all you have to say then I guess there is no need for any further discussion."
The ninja from rain flinched awaiting his new doomed existence as an amphibian. The wall beside the ninja opened allowing Jiraiya to exit leaving his capture behind to ponder his impending doom. Summoning a toad, Jiraiya gives the toad instructions to find Naruto handing the toad a scroll containing a sealing key.
"What's this? You can't be serious," the toad said disbelieving what he heard and saw. "The last time you messed with the seal you wound up injured. The Fourth created that key to reinforce the seal that imprisoned the Kyuubi. Naruto is not ready to handle what you proposed."
"Your wrong, Minato made this key for Naruto with a reason. He must have foreseen some time when Naruto would need its power. Do as I ask please."
"I'll do as you ask, but really, what would that boy need with this type of power?"
"Thank you, now if you will excuse me, I believe I have left my guest waiting long enough." Jiraiya said exiting the safety of the toad's domain.
Konan immediately engulfed Jiraiya in her origami jutsu, but Jiraiya countered her technique with Katon: Goukakyuu no jutsu causing her to retreat before she could do more.
"I am surprised to see you. I thought I would be confronting Pain. You have grown into a very beautiful woman and your jutsu has come along as well. Since I have you here, why don't you tell me who Pain is?" Konan responds to Jiraiya's request by taking to the air and releasing a barrage of paper shuriken. Jiraiya rolled to the side avoiding the attack; he sprung up, and quickly pinning Konan's arms down in oil he captured her with his Hari Jizo technique.
"All this time and I thought you three had died. You always loved origami and you used to be so kind. What happened? Tell me which one Pain is Konan."
"Do you regret not listening to Orochimaru all those years ago? We will make his plan a reality."
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"Please sir, do you have anything to eat?"
"What of your parent's child?" Jiraiya asked handing the boy some crackers.
"They died in the war. Hey you guys, get over here, look at what I have." The boy said calling to his friends who lay hidden amongst the ruble of a nearby destroyed building.
"Mister, you're a ninja right?"
"Whoa, ho, ho I am no mere ninja, boy. I am one of the greatest!"
"Do you think you could teach us ninjutsu?" The small blond hair boy asked. Konan, the little girl took the wrapper from the crackers and transformed it into an origami flower. She handed it to Jiraiya in gratitude for the food.
"It would be a kind act for us to kill them here and now, nothing but pain awaits there future." Orochimaru said walking up beside Jiraiya.
"Nonsense, their life may be hard for a time, but it doesn't mean that pain need be the only thing they experience in this world. I can watch over them for awhile and help them out. You go on ahead, and tell sensei I'll return after a short while."
"Foolish as always, but then that is to be expected from someone such as you." Orochimaru said as he disappears in a whirlwind of leaves.
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"I came to check up on you three once, but instead of finding you I met an old man who told me tales of you guys fighting in many dangerous battles. Is that why you have changed so much?"
"You have no idea what we went through."
"I may not have, but that doesn't make Akatsuki's goals any less erroneous. Why would you join such an organization?"
"That's your opinion old man!" Pain shouts down from above. Jiraiya looks up to find the man he was searching for standing on the branch of a huge tree in front of him.
"Your features may be different but you can not hide those eyes. Nagato, what happened?"
"That's none of your concern outsider." Pain said as he summoned a crustacean. The crustacean appeared suddenly from behind Jiraiya and spewed a blast of water forcing Jiraiya to dodge and freeing Konan from Jiraiya's grasp.
"Konan return to the tower. I shall handle this personally."
"As you wish," Konan said retreating.
Pain leapt from the tree landing on the crustacean summons; Jiraiya whirled around binding Pain and destroying his summons with his Hari Jizo technique.
"Where is Yahiko?"
"Yahiko is dead."
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Night fell and Jiraiya was by the camp fire cooking a fish. His three new wards, waited anxiously for the fish to be done. A young Nagato sat crying on a log.
"What's wrong with you?" Yahiko asked Nagato.
"This reminds me of my family." Nagato whimpered unapologetically.
"Crying doesn't do a thing; you need to start acting like a man Nagato." Yahiko said to Nagato unexpectedly drawing a momentary gaze from Konan, who quickly returned to her neutral and impassive state.
"Soon this war will end, and hopefully when you are older, war will be a thing of the past and you will be able to live in a time of peace."
"No way, first the world will have to live through the pain we have." Yahiko stated fervently. "You know it always rains here. It's like this country is crying all the time, but one day I am going to be powerful enough to change all that. Please won't you train us, I want to become strong."
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"Is that how you lost your way, Yahiko's death? The Nagato I remember never liked to hurt anyone."
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Konan was running toward Jiraiya screaming for help. Jiraiya bolted outside and found an injured Yahiko and Nagato next to the body of a dead ninja from Rock country.
"What happened?" Jiraiya asked them.
"He tried to take our money and food but Nagato stopped him." Yahiko answered.
Jiraiya looked at Nagato who was still in shock and crying.
"Why are you crying Nagato?"
"Yahiko was hurt, and I loss control, I'm scared. What have I done?"
"You saved the life of your friend, and that is something to proud of. The fact that you feel the pain of what you have done means you have the capacity to understand others, and that makes you human."
"I just want to protect my friends. I don't care how much pain I have to endure so long as they're safe."
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"You can't begin to comprehend how much death and pain I have seen, but I am grateful. Because of what it taught me, I was able to transform myself into a god. What I have learned a mere human could never understand. And my greatest benevolent act will be to end all wars. Through Akatsuki I will collect and then use the Bijuu to create a powerful Kinjutsu, and I will use it to wipe out one of the Five Great Shinobi countries. The pain and suffering from such a loss will be so great that war will cease and the world will grow like I have."
Jiraiya unable to listen to anymore of Pains madness extends his Hari Jizo and impales Pain. Poof, the figure of Pain disappears and is replaced with a log.
"Kawarimi," Jiraiya said as he spun around to find Pain standing on top of a huge scared and battle tested Chameleon.
"I figured a child like you could not appreciate this wonderful thing I am trying to do for this world as a god of peace."
"I would have thought in the short time you spent with me you would have at least learned to respect your elders." Jiraiya said as he summoned forth a battle harden summons of his own. Poof, Gamaken rose from the ground underneath Jiraiya's feet. Jiraiya with his usual flamboyant nature decided to strike what he thought was a heroic pose, but fell instead.
"You are supposed to hold still while I strike fear into the heart of my enemies with the pose of a hero, not cause me to fall; I look like an idiot now!" Jiraiya rebuked Gamaken accusingly.
"I was still, it was your clumsy feet and your impractical need for poses that made you look like an idiot!" Gamaken quipped.
"I didn't call you here so that you could argue with me; I called you here so you could help me deal with them. Let's get back on track shall we."
The Chameleon swallowed Pain and turned invisible. Jiraiya formed a barrier and asked Gamaken to keep Pain busy as he transformed into Sennin mode. Pain analyzed the barrier and theorized that Jiraiya must have created it to negate his invisibility. Instead of attacking directly, Pain performed another summon. A huge two headed dog appeared and leapt on Gamaken. Gamaken blocked the dogs fore paws and rolled back kicking the dog with his hind legs. The dog flew a few feet away and twisted its body to face the frog as it landed on its feet and charged Gamaken once again. Gamaken summoned forth his sasumata and shield bracing himself for the dog's onslaught. The dog clawed and snapped at Gamaken but could not reach thanks to his shield. Gamaken decapitated one of the dog's heads only to have it grow back. Again and again the dog lunged only to lose its head to Gamaken's sasumata, with each decapitation its attacks grew fiercer. Gamaken seeking reprieve and a chance to regroup to find another avenue of attack jumped into the air, only to find he had to defend against a huge bird called forth by Pain, while he was dealing with the dog. The bird sent Gamaken plunging to the ground, and Pain summoned a Ram. Gamaken outnumbered three to one prepared himself for the battle of a lifetime, when Jiraiya done with his transformation stepped forward and told Gamaken to leave the rest up to him.
"As you wish, be careful."
The ram charged Gamaken but he disappeared in a puff of smoke. Pain and his summons try to peer into the smoke but cannot. Suddenly, the ram was hurling head over hoofs. It slammed into the bird and dog summons and all three summons poof out of existence. Out of the Gamaken's dissipating smoke a transformed Jiraiya stood with two elderly looking toads on his shoulders. One male and one female, the male sat on his right and the female sat on his left.
"Why does he only call on us during battle?" an old female toad asked.
"This probably why Gamabunta is always crossed with him," retorted an old male toad across from her.
"Forgive me, I didn't want to call on you but my adversary is the wielder of the Rinnegan." Jiraiya offered apologetically."
"Is that so, well where is he?" asked the male toad.
"He is hidden in the belly of a chameleon summon who has the ability to cloak itself in invisibility."
"Interesting, I guess the next question is why are we fighting him?" The old male toad asks.
"He is my responsibility. I trained him when he was young and somewhere along the way he turned from the path that I had wished for him."
"I suppose that we have no choice in the matter then, he must be defeated, no matter the cost."
As the old male toad finished his comment the female toad uncoiled her tongue like a snake and bound the chameleon. The old male toad followed the females attack with a powerful blast of water dissipating the chameleon to reveal Pain, who indeed wielded the power of the legendary Rinnegan, just as Jiraiya had said. Pain called forth two figures that also seemed to own the Rinnegan doujutsu to the confusion of Jiraiya and the elder toads. One was a wide man the other was of average height. The smaller of the two Rinnegan users charged Jiraiya. He leveled the Rinnegan user with a well placed side kick to the face. Jiraiya seized the momentum of his counter attack to perform an oil and fire combo attack aimed at Pain, but the wide Rinnegan user deflected the attack. Jiraiya placed some distance between them by climbing a tree. Deciding to try his opponents out in close combat, Jiraiya formed an Oodama Rasengan and hurled himself off the tree. The fat Rinnegan user moved in and took Jiraiya's attack head on somehow managing to absorb the attack without taking any damage. Jiraiya leapt over the huge Rinnegan user and struck out at the original Pain with Hari Jizo, but Pain blocked Jiraiya's attack without batting an eye, and Jiraiya was forced to retreat as the small Rinnegan user attacked him with a fly kick.
"They have countered every one of my attacks without so much as breaking a sweat. Whenever I attack one, they block while another attacks with perfect precision each time."
"Yes, it's as if they can see through each others eyes." The old female toad offered.
"You're absolutely right," Jiraiya said as he began to formulate a plan of attack. "I think it is time to take a page out of my thick skulled but brilliant apprentice's book. If we are to stand any chance against them, first we will have to split them up. How are your singing voices?"
"You know there is no way to hide if we use that technique they will know our exact location."
"I'm sorry that I have to ask this of you, but it's the only way." Jiraiya tells the two old toads.
"Nonsense, Gamabunta may not be happy about this when he finds out, but it is for the good of the world." The old male toad offers in consolation. Jiraiya nods his head in appreciation and they set his plan in motion.
The Pains hearing the toad's voices rush through the forest after them leaping through trees when Jiraiya appears behind them and sends a huge fireball to engulf them. The large Rinnegan user moved to absorb the blast, but the enormity of the blast engulfs him, and sends the other Rinnegan users scattering. The average Rinnegan user leapt to the ground only to be caught in Jiraiya's Doton: Yomi Numa (Earth release: Swamp of the Underworld). Pain looks back and notices that he has been separated from his fellow Rinnegan users. He searches for Jiraiya who appears before him landing a fly kick straight to his chest sending him reeling back slamming into a tree. The toads finished with their genjutsu song, trapped the three Rinnegan users in dimensional cubes.
"I'm sorry it had to come to this." Jiraiya told the Pains as he impaled them with his Hari Jizo one by one. "Now that this battle is over I think you two should go home and have a rest, thank you for your assistance."
It was nothing, but it would be nice if you would try to call us for something other than life or death situation. Perhaps for something like a nice picnic or a good soak in a hot spring," offered the female toad.
"I will keep that in mind for next time. I promise." Jiraiya said as the two toads disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
"I guess I should at least afford you a decent burial." He said looking at the three unmoving bodies of his former pupil.
"What happened to the lesson of never letting your guard down?" Pain said as he stabbed his hand through Jiraiya's back.
"You have truly become a fine ninja. It's a shame you lost your way," Jiraiya said coughing up blood before being replaced by a kawarimi. Pain howled in frustration that he was fooled so easily but calmed himself when he saw the blood on the ground that told him his former master had not escaped unscathed.
"How far do you think you will get with your injury before I or death finds you!" Pain screamed aloud into the surrounding forest. Silence was all that greeted his question.
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Naruto was sweating profusely, as he made his way to the lake. His concentration was focused absolutely in sustaining the life of the fish he held in his hand. Too much chakra and the fish would explode too little chakra and the fish would die. Either outcome, would force him to start his two mile trek to the lake from the beginning. Sakura walked a ways behind so as not to disturb Naruto while tracking his progress. Sakura was truly impressed with Naruto's abilities. It had only taken three weeks of total dedication to the studying of the scroll for him to prove his doubts about learning such a difficult scroll wrong.
Naruto had put everything he had into his training because of the unease he felt. Three weeks had passed and still no word from Jiraiya. Naruto's stomach ached; he had a bad feeling about Jiraiya's lack of contact.
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Tsunade felt a chill down her spine. Before her stood one of Jiraiya's frog summons he handed her a scroll. An unknown seal was held inside the scroll.
"What is this," she questioned the toad.
"Jiraiya asked me to report to you and to make sure Naruto received this key should he fail to check in with me after his battle."
"What," Tsunade said in a mixture of fear and anger. "What battle; he was supposed to be performing recon only that irritating…When I get my hands on him I am going to beat the definition of reconnaissance into his addled brain!" She said her anger winning over the fear "Where is he now?!" She demanded of the toad.
"I told you, I was to report to you and ensure this key reached Naruto. I have no idea where Jiraiya is."
"Surely someone on Mount Myouboku knows something," Tsunade offers the toad.
"I'm sorry but the life force that resides on Myouboku that is designated as Jiraiya's has disappeared. No one knows if he is suppressing his presence or if he has…" the toad refused to finish the last statement. "Jiraiya is one of the most powerful beings I know. I am sure he is fine."
"I can no longer hide this from Naruto. I will have to tell him everything. So start at the beginning and spare no detail of what you know."
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"There is nothing else for you to learn Naruto. You have completed the scrolls training."
"Thank you for your help Sakura, I could not have done it without you."
"Nonsense, you have truly transformed yourself into a world class ninja Naruto. I'm sure if you still are considering becoming Hokage that you will definitely succeed."
I said I would, and I never go back on my word, remember." Naruto said smiling and rubbing his head when Shizune found them.
"Naruto, Hokage-sama wishes to see you. She said it is important." The look in her eyes was enough to send a chill down Naruto's spine.
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Rain ninja scoured the forest in search of Jiraiya to no avail.
"We have searched everywhere my lady and found nothing." One of the ninja said reporting in to Konan.
"I see so you wish me to tell lord Pain that his ninja's are incompetent and can not find one severely injured ninja."
"Konan, that is enough," Pain said appearing from behind her. "Regardless if they find him or not, the trail of blood he left behind says he is as good as dead. Tell them to call off the search and return to the village."
"As you wish my lord," Konan said bowing as Pain faded into the ether.
Turning to the ninja Konan barks "You heard lord Pains order. So why are you still here?" The ninja quickly retreated from Konan's sight to relay lord Pain's orders.
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Nearby a well camouflaged toad which blended into a tree watched while the rain ninja receiving their orders left the forest as quickly as they had appeared. Once they had disappeared, the shadow of the toad began to slowly warp and grow until it transformed into a still bleeding and barely conscious Jiraiya. Digging into a pouch Jiraiya pulled out and consumed four soldier pills. Afterward, he tore a long stretch of clothe from his shirt and used it to wrap his seriously injured shoulder before getting up and staggering through the forest plotting a route which led him back to Konoha only stopping to pick some medicinal herbs that would help to staunch the flow of blood from his wound before continuing on his way.
Next Time: Chapter 20: Sasuke's Revenge, Akatsuki's Hawk