The terrace.
Outside, the rain continued to fall—soft, steady, unending.
But unlike before, two more figures now stood beside the sofa:
a black-haired woman, and a man with spiky white hair.
"Konan—and you people… Nagato, is it?"
Jiraiya finally spoke, his voice heavy with confusion.
"What exactly is going on here?"
"Simple," Kaito said lazily, waving a hand.
"Danzō's death was my plan. I just made it reasonable and by the rules—and while I was at it, I let him experience what it feels like to be the so-called Child of Prophecy~~"
Jiraiya paused, then asked carefully,
"So… Kashin Koji was also your clone?"
"But the toads—how did you manage that?"
That was the part he truly couldn't understand.
Clones were one thing.
But clones that could turn into toads—and not just any toads, but ones that fought exactly like the two Great Sage Toads?
In the projected battle footage, the toads beside Kashin Koji had unleashed perfectly synchronized combo techniques—
Sage Art: Toad Tongue Slap,
Sage Art: Water Severing Wave—
The two techniques overlapped, slicing through walls in one clean motion.
The massive green chameleon was cleaved in half, dark red blood splashing everywhere—
Only for everything to vanish the moment the summon dispersed.
"So that's the Rinnegan…"
Shima said quietly, awed.
"No wonder it's called the legendary eye."
Fukasaku followed with a grim tone.
"An ominous eye indeed. To think this child would become the Child of Prophecy…"
The Kashin Koji clone almost wanted to say Wasn't the prophecy supposed to be about Danzō?—
But the main body had strict instructions.
Commit to the cosplay.
"So…" Koji said solemnly.
"Isn't this the moment where I must make my choice?!"
"Summoning Technique!"
This time, two more Paths of Pain appeared on the terrace—
Human Path,
Preta Path.
Jiraiya finally snapped.
"Someone explain this already!"
Hell Path spoke calmly,
"You don't need to know that much, Jiraiya-sensei."
Then his gaze shifted to Kaito.
"What exactly is your objective?"
Kaito smiled.
With Konan tucked under his right arm, and Yūhi Ryūun under his left, he leaned back against the sofa like this was a casual afternoon.
"It's a game."
"You play according to my script."
"If it's entertaining enough—"
"the Rinnegan stays yours."
"But if not…"
His smile widened.
"Then those eyes will go to someone more suitable."
"You—!"
"Kaito, is your goal the Rinnegan?" Jiraiya asked sharply.
"You look righteous, but you carry shadows of Orochimaru and Danzō."
"If that's the case—
I won't just stand by!"
"Sensei…"
Konan lowered her head slightly, biting her lip.
Nagato hesitated as well.
The movements of Pain slowed—just for a moment.
Then—
The battle resumed.
Human Path rushed forward, only to be kicked away by Kashin Koji using enhanced Sage movement.
Immediately after—
An S-rank classic:
Sage Art: Goemon!
Wind, fire, and oil fused into a vast sea of molten flame.
Human Path and Animal Path leapt away.
Preta Path stayed behind.
"Sealing Technique: Absorption!"
Watching from above, Jiraiya sighed.
"So even that got blocked…"
He could tell—
Koji's strength wasn't inferior to his own.
If anything… it was higher.
Which only made one question more terrifying:
How strong is Kaito's true body?
And that was exactly why Pain hadn't moved yet.
A clone should disappear when injured—
yet Kashin Koji, clearly wounded earlier, still stood firm.
After prolonged exchanges and rapid analysis, Nagato realized—
Dragging this out was dangerous.
Inside a tunnel, the two toad clones exchanged glances and nodded.
They puffed up their cheeks.
They'd been conserving chakra for this moment.
At the same time, three Paths of Pain—focused on the Kashin Koji clone—saw flashes of orange flame.
"Fire Style: Flame Bullet!"
Preta Path began absorbing.
The other two realized—
The real clone is on the other side.
"Fire Style: Flame Bullet!"
Human Path jumped upward—
straight into a swamp Koji had prepared in advance.
"Summoning—!"
BOOM!!!
Animal Path was smashed into the wall.
At that instant—
The toads completed their technique.
All three Rinnegan eyes spun wildly out of control.
Sage Art: Demonic Illusion — Toad Confrontation Chant!
Also known as—
Genjutsu: Inescapable Prison!
Four massive toads formed from cherry-blossom light sat at the four directions, hands raised toward the center—
a flowing, sealed illusionary space.
"So I was set up," Nagato muttered.
He hadn't expected a mere clone to pull off this level of genjutsu.
"I'd like to say this is just sage chakra plus sound-based illusion,"
Koji said calmly, looking at the trapped Paths—
"But in reality…"
"This is the power of the Sharingan."
"That's how I fooled Danzō the entire time."
"I see," Animal Path said softly.
"Hypnotic guidance via Sharingan… truly worthy of the Uchiha eyes."
On the terrace—
Jiraiya froze.
"Sharingan…?"
"Since when do you have—wait."
He turned sharply toward Kaito.
Kaito smiled.
His eyes were open.
Three-tomoe Sharingan.
"In the past," Kaito said lightly,
"I used to call you Jiraiya-senpai."
"But why do you think a junior like me couldn't master something as trivial as the Sharingan?"
"Three tomoe the moment you open it?" Jiraiya muttered.
"No."
Kaito's pupils rotated—
Transforming into a ring-and-triangle pattern.
The Sage Seal eye mark.
"To be honest," Kaito sighed,
"I didn't expect my limit to be only the Mangekyō."
Jiraiya: "..."
This guy is begging to be punched.
Ignoring the reactions, Kaito continued.
"I have two dōjutsu abilities."
"The first allows me to freely reshape the contents of an illusionary space. With enough chakra, the time dilation inside skyrockets…"
He grinned at Jiraiya's expression.
"As long as I have chakra, the illusion can last indefinitely—
while the real world passes in a single instant."
"I call it—"
Ultimate Tsukuyomi.
"The second one is…"
"Omnipotence."
He scratched his chin.
"In short—
I can convert my chakra into any state I want."
"Even make chakra-constructed things become real."
"…."
Jiraiya was more confused than ever.
One eye rewrites illusion and time.
The other rewrites reality?
"Then—"
"Doesn't that make you a god?!"
Jiraiya finally blurted it out.
"Even if he isn't," Ryūun said sweetly from Kaito's arms,
"he's already god-like."
Jiraiya: "..."
I'm not discussing metaphysics with a love-brain.
"Of course not," Kaito replied calmly.
He knew his limits.
He couldn't create planets with one eye,
nor trap people in a fully autonomous Infinite Tsukuyomi-level world forever.
Everything required structure, intent, and cost.
Every additional concept inside the illusion increased consumption.
As for converting chakra into real resources—
he wasn't interested in becoming some divine laborer.
Overall?
"Pretty useless abilities," Kaito concluded.
The Sharingan itself came from absorbing three-tomoe cells.
Hashirama cells? He'd eaten those too—inside ROOM.
Wood Release included.
Yet even with absurd chakra reserves—
awakening the Rinnegan directly was still beyond him.
While Jiraiya and Kaito spoke—
The remaining Paths of Pain vanished.
The information had been obtained.
Now it was time to end the play.
The fake Jiraiya—Kashin Koji—had to fall.
After defeating three Paths, even the toads were "exhausted."
(Acting, of course.)
"So… this is the end," Koji muttered.
He really was tired.
Even with chakra reinforcements from other clones,
spamming so many high-level techniques left him gasping.
Then—
A shadow appeared behind him.
"You taught me never to let my guard down, didn't you—Kashin Koji."
BOOM!
Koji was sent flying, smashing through the building in a circular blast of water.
He landed shakily.
Fukasaku looked down.
"…Kid. Your left arm."
Gone.
Blood soaked the stump—terrifyingly real.
Watching from afar, Tsunade and Nawaki fell silent.
Even with everything… he still lost?
If this were the real Jiraiya—could he really defeat Pain?
The real Jiraiya stared, unmoving.
Konan remained calm.
If this clone truly equaled Jiraiya's strength—
then death was inevitable.
"Next—"
Six black silhouettes emerged through the circular opening.
All landed.
Deva Path spoke calmly.
"The Six Paths of Pain are present."
Jiraiya's lips trembled.
"Six…?"
"What kind of ability is this…?"
"And why does Yahiko have the Rinnegan?!"
The scene mirrored canon perfectly.
The toads spoke the same lines.
A performance—by design.
"Pain is our collective name," Deva Path explained.
After brief combat, Koji dragged one Path underwater.
He played his role.
Pointless dialogue.
Recognition.
"They're all people I know…"
The recording toad captured everything perfectly.
Jiraiya finally understood—
Every Pain… was someone he knew.
Thrust—
Before he could speak—
Ashura Path pierced Koji's throat from below.
"Ghh—!"
Koji looked skyward.
"Guess it's my turn," he thought.
Konan's restraints vanished.
At the same moment—
Kaito disappeared from the sofa.
Ryūun leaned back—into empty air.
"Eh? Where did Kaito go—"
BOOM!!!
A blond boy appeared beside the fallen Koji, blasting several Paths away in an instant.
"Jiraiya-sensei."
"Sorry I'm late."
"Naruto?!" ×N
Kaito—wearing Naruto's form—placed a hand on Koji.
Koji chuckled.
"You're really strict about the script, huh."
Kaito smiled.
Sometimes, the only way to deal with regret…
was to rewrite reality yourself.
"Good work."
Puff.
The clone dispersed.
Even Pain was shaken.
The blood, the wounds—
all fake.
"Next—"
Kaito turned back.
"It's my turn."
Light blue chakra erupted around him—far denser than anything before.
The Six Paths watched carefully.
"Now then."
"Let me show you—"
"—how the All-Powerful God fights."
Naruto's form faded.
Kaito stood revealed.
He rolled his shoulders.
"That's enough acting."
"I came for the Rinnegan—
and to erase a few regrets."
"Come."
"Pain."
Deva Path moved first.
Instant movement.
A hand reached for Kaito's throat—
"Afterimage?"
Kaito crouched.
A seemingly casual punch landed.
"This is Tsunade-senpai's monster strength."
"And I'm hitting you for betraying your teacher."
BOOOOM—!
The lake exploded.
Deva Path vanished.
Hidden underground, Nagato vomited bile.
—Deva Path, one-shot.
"Impossible…!"
"This can't be happening!"
The other Paths rushed forward.
Summons erupted—
Hellhound, Eight-Headed Bird, Rhino—
Hell Path restored Deva Path through the King of Hell.
All Six Paths advanced together.
Elsewhere—
Obito Uchiha and Black Zetsu arrived.
They witnessed Deva Path's defeat.
"What terrifying power," Obito muttered.
"Zetsu—could Madara or Hashirama do this?"
Black Zetsu hesitated.
"…Yes. Even more so."
Re-forming chakra missiles—
"Five-Finger Missiles!"
Kaito mirrored the motion.
Chakra reshaped.
Missiles formed.
"Five-Finger Missiles."
BOOM!!!
Explosions tore across the water.
"So you're just copying?" Jiraiya muttered.
"Then what about Kakashi?" Ryūun laughed.
"He's literally called the Copy Ninja."
Kaito shrugged.
"Exactly."
Nagato snarled.
"Then how will you handle this?!"
Asura Path transformed—
multiple arms, saw blades deployed.
Deva Path raised his hand.
"Universal Pull."
Kaito's surroundings warped.
"Not bad."
Wind chakra compressed into a barrier.
His hands drew together.
Energy built.
"Stop him!" Deva Path shouted.
The Rhino charged—
BOOM!
Kaito leapt—unscathed.
The Eight-Headed Bird rushed him mid-air.
"Shinra Tensei."
White light erupted.
The bird and Hell Path were obliterated.
Buildings shook.
Radius—about 100 meters.
A "basic attack."
Absorption failed.
Preta Path was blasted into the lake.
Nagato stared.
"Pure chakra… but this strong?"
Black Zetsu was silent.
"I have no info," he thought.
Obito clenched his fist.
So Konoha hid this power… and Rin still died.
As they prepared to retreat—
Kaito grabbed Obito's mask.
Obito phased just in time.
"Found you at last."
"Obito."
Obito froze.
Zetsu froze.
"You are…?"
"I fed Danzō to dogs earlier."
"You think I'm Root?"
Obito went silent.
"Unknown identity…"
"Perfect."
"I'll capture you and interrogate you myself!"
Zetsu fled instantly.
Below, Deva Path looked up.
"He's above us."
"And…"
"…He's facing Madara."
To read advanced Chapters, head over to p@treon:
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