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"Lady Tsunade, are you absolutely certain that doing this is the right call?" Mangetsu walked at the very front of the group as they navigated through the sewer passage.
His own injuries were by no means light, but after a period of recuperation within the Hidden Leaf Village, his condition had improved markedly.
However, the prognosis Tsunade had delivered to him was that his illness would likely persist for the rest of his life.
Mangetsu understood full well that this assessment was a very tactful way of stating the grim truth—that this very illness would eventually be the death of him.
Since that was the case, he reasoned, it was far better to accomplish as much as possible while he was still alive. Furthermore, Midorima had arranged through Shikaku for the blade Samehada to be delivered into his hands, granting him a means to fight again. He had thus volunteered himself for this mission.
The sole reason Hiruzen had approved his participation was that Mangetsu hailed from the Hidden Mist Village and specialized in Water Release techniques.
Their destination was the Hidden Rain Village, a place where Water Release would find ample opportunity to be utilized effectively.
"What problem could there possibly be?" Tsunade asked, pinching her nose.
Even though Mangetsu was using his jutsu to deliberately carve out a pocket of space around them, ensuring that the filthy water did not directly touch their bodies, the putrid stench of the sewage was still unavoidable.
"If Lord Jiraiya discovers that we came in after him, he will likely be furious," Mangetsu explained.
Anyone with eyes could plainly see what Tsunade meant to Jiraiya. Therefore, having Tsunade follow them deep into the Hidden Rain Village was an exceedingly dangerous gamble.
"I will explain it to him myself," Tsunade said, her brow furrowed in distaste.
Every time she opened her mouth to speak, the rotten, decaying odor of the sewer would rush into her throat, making her feel sick to her stomach.
"Can we please get out of here?" Kurotsuchi asked.
She was positioned in the middle of the group, and being half-immersed in the filthy sewage gave her an indescribable sense of revulsion.
The nauseating fumes of the waste were trapped within the narrow confines of the tunnel, utterly unable to dissipate.
In order to "keep her distance" from the foul odor, she was forced to minimize her breathing as much as possible.
"We can't. Jiraiya mentioned it before—aside from exceptional circumstances, it never stops raining in the Hidden Rain Village. Pain has infused his chakra directly into the rain itself. So, the moment a stranger is touched by a single raindrop, Pain will detect their presence," Tsunade stated.
Kurotsuchi's brow furrowed deeply, and she let out a heavy, frustrated sigh.
Suddenly, Mangetsu came to an abrupt halt.
Kurotsuchi, who had not been paying close enough attention, nearly smacked her face directly into Samehada's wrapped form.
"What is it?" Kurotsuchi demanded.
"Ahead is the sewer's exit," Mangetsu said, pointing forward.
"Didn't you hear what Lady Tsunade just said?" Kurotsuchi countered.
"I heard her, yes. But what if it isn't raining right now? If no water is coming down from above, that means the rain has stopped," Mangetsu replied with a grin.
Tsunade's eyes lit up instantly. She had more than had her fill of the sewer's stench.
The moment the sewer grate was pried open, a rush of clean, cool air flooded in, jolting her senses to full alertness.
Sure enough, it was not raining outside.
Although something about this felt distinctly unnatural, Tsunade, having just been liberated from the sewer, had no time to dwell on such considerations.
Just then, a violent collision of powerful chakra erupted from the distance.
Tsunade lifted her head, her gaze fixed on the far-off clash. A gnawing sense of dread welled up from deep within her heart.
This was Pain's domain. There was only one person who would be clashing with him here—Jiraiya.
"We have to help him!" Tsunade was ready to charge directly toward the site of the conflict, but she was immediately stopped when Mangetsu seized her firmly by the wrist.
"What?!" Tsunade shot him a questioning glare.
"We need to formulate a plan first," Mangetsu warned.
"If we keep stalling, Jiraiya is going to die!" Tsunade shouted in distress.
"If we go in without a plan, we are all going to die. The Akatsuki managed to invade the Hidden Leaf Village and withdraw completely unscathed. Do you genuinely believe that, against opponents of that caliber, we can simultaneously rescue Jiraiya and escape from the Hidden Rain Village?" Mangetsu countered sharply.
"He's right. For once, I agree with Mangetsu on this," Kurotsuchi said, crossing her arms and nodding firmly.
Thanks to Mangetsu's pointed reminder, Tsunade managed to forcibly rein in her panic.
Though her heart still burned with urgency, she forced herself to ask Mangetsu calmly, "What is your suggestion, then?"
"We split into two groups. Kurotsuchi and I will go and provide backup for Lord Jiraiya. You, meanwhile, will head to the village's outer walls and prepare an exit. Once we return, your job will be to smash their gates wide open," Mangetsu outlined.
"With just the two of you, will that really be enough?" Tsunade looked at his plan with open skepticism.
"Under ordinary circumstances, perhaps not. After all, the Akatsuki is terrifyingly powerful. But do you realize where we are right now?" Mangetsu asked.
"The Hidden Rain Village. What of it?"
"There is an abundance of water here." A grin spread across Mangetsu's face, filled to the brim with unwavering confidence. "Where there's water, there's room to cause serious trouble. And while the Hidden Rain Village is drenched in constant rainfall, the Water Release techniques of the shinobi who live here are decidedly inferior."
Kurotsuchi nodded in agreement.
The Hidden Mist Village had suffered catastrophic blow after catastrophic blow. If they did not possess some truly unique strengths, they could never have maintained their status as one of the Great Shinobi Villages.
"However, to be on the safe side, I'm going to need to borrow some of your chakra," Mangetsu said, reaching back to pat the hilt of Samehada. "So that we can all make it out of here alive."
Tsunade did not hesitate for even a second. She nodded her assent.
...
Konan hovered in the air, observing the fierce battle unfolding between the Deva Path and Jiraiya.
Jiraiya, having entered his Sage Mode, had initially caused the Deva Path considerable difficulty. But after the Deva Path executed his Almighty Push, the threat posed by Jiraiya's senjutsu had been drastically reduced.
Gazing at the heavily panting, visibly exhausted Jiraiya, Konan concluded that this battle was rapidly drawing to a close.
The Deva Path was like a seasoned hunter, toying with his prey. The moment he confirmed that Jiraiya no longer posed any real threat, he would deliver the final, fatal blow.
That moment should not be much longer now.
Konan mused silently. But then, without her noticing, a dense fog had begun to creep into the air around her.
Such mists were common after heavy rainfall and typically would not have been cause for concern. However, the fog was growing so thick that it was beginning to obscure her view of the critical battle.
Just as irritation began to prickle at her, the Deva Path executed his Almighty Push once more. The colossal concussive force blasted away the thick fog blanketing the immediate vicinity.
It would probably hold clear for about a minute.
A minute later, the fog would inevitably roll back in and shroud the area again.
But that should be more than enough. The Deva Path would likely finish Jiraiya off within that single minute.
Konan speculated internally.
"Hey, Jiraiya-boy, can you still hold on?" Fukasaku asked urgently.
Jiraiya shook his head weakly.
A sudden gravitational pull had earlier caught him off guard, allowing Pain to seize him. A black chakra rod had been brutally driven through his abdomen.
Now, blood was steadily seeping from the open wound.
However, this injury was not the most fatal problem. The crux of the matter was that the prolonged, grueling battle had left him utterly drained, both physically and mentally.
He did not know how much longer he could endure.
"If this fog hadn't been dispersed by him, we might have had a chance to slip away. But now, I fear the opportunity is lost," Shima speculated grimly.
"Don't worry. Even if I can't get away myself, I swear I will send the two of you out of here," Jiraiya promised.
"What nonsense are you spouting... We aren't so afraid of death," Shima retorted, clearly displeased.
"Have you finished your little chat? This time, I will finish you all. You... have no more chances." The Deva Path spread his five fingers wide. "Universal Pull!"
Jiraiya was horrified. His entire body was yanked helplessly through the air, hurtling straight towards the Deva Path.