Reviving the Uchiha Clan: Starting with a Legacy of Many Descendants

"Wait, Shima-sama! We can't kill them. The key is to find the person controlling them from the shadows!"

Jiraiya raised his hand, stopping Shima from acting.

Shima glared at him. "Why are you stopping me? Didn't you summon me to end this?"

Fukasaku chimed in, "Calm down, dear. You'll get more wrinkles if you're this worked up. Speaking of which, Little Jiraiya, how did you figure out the Rinnegan was involved? And why are you fighting them?"

Jiraiya sighed and spoke softly. "The one hiding behind them—the true wielder of the Rinnegan—is one of my former students."

"What?"

Shima and Fukasaku's eyes widened in shock.

"We've never heard you mention a student like that! If this is true, then could it be…!"

Jiraiya's students were no trivial matter.

The Great Toad Sage had once prophesied that Jiraiya would become an extraordinary ninja and have a disciple who could stand on their own and bring about great change in the shinobi world.

This student was known as the Child of Prophecy.

The prophecy spoke of immense change, which could lead to either salvation or destruction for the world.

Everything would depend on this individual.

The Great Toad Sage's predictions had never been wrong, and both Fukasaku and Shima held them in absolute faith.

Shima furrowed her brow and whispered, "He possesses the legendary Rinnegan, and he's your disciple? That means he's likely the Child of Prophecy the old geezer mentioned. Why are you fighting him?"

Jiraiya replied, "Because he hasn't grown in the right direction. As it stands now, he has the potential to destroy the world, and he has the power to do so."

Hearing this, both Fukasaku and Shima's expressions darkened, and their eyes filled with murderous intent.

This was no small matter.

They could never allow the world to be destroyed.

Fukasaku said sternly, "If that's the case, then there's nothing more to discuss. If he's strayed from the right path, we'll find him and take him down!"

Shima nodded. "Understood. Let's get started. Let's fry them up—literally. Jiraiya-boy, you handle the oil, and the old man will use Wind Style."

"Got it!"

"Sage Art: Bath of Boiling Oil!"

Fukasaku unleashed Wind Style, Shima used Fire Style, and Jiraiya spewed oil. In an instant, thousands of degrees of scalding hot oil surged toward the Six Paths of Pain.

The Preta Path stepped forward with large strides, raising its hands. A transparent barrier formed around its body, absorbing all of the boiling oil.

"What just happened? Did it disappear?"

"No… it was absorbed!"

"Damn it. So it's just as I suspected..." Jiraiya narrowed his eyes. "I've figured out some of their abilities now."

While preparing the Sage Art, Jiraiya had been carefully observing the movements of the Six Paths of Pain.

Through his experimentation, Jiraiya concluded that each of the six had its own distinct abilities.

"Boss, Ma'am, listen to me..."

"The fat one at the front—his Rinnegan's primary ability is absorbing ninjutsu."

"The long-haired one with the braid specializes in summoning jutsu."

"The bald one is all about physical and technological attacks."

"The short-haired middle-aged man seems to have the ability to revive dead puppets. I saw him revive the bald one earlier."

"The short-haired young man can repel all attacks."

"As for the last guy, the one who stands out… I haven't figured out his ability yet. He hasn't shown it."

Fukasaku snorted. "Hmph, each of them is a specialist in something. The legendary, ominous Rinnegan truly lives up to its reputation."