area51novel Page 336
Page 336
"Xiao Nan?!"
The moment Jiraiya saw the person's figure clearly, a storm raged in his heart!
How could it be her? !
The woman before me had a cold demeanor and belonged to the Akatsuki organization.
She was clearly one of the three war orphans he had adopted and raised for three years in the Land of Rain.
That quiet little girl who loves origami!
Countless fragments of memories flooded into my mind in an instant:
A child crying in the rain
A warm campfire,
Clumsy ninjutsu practice
And those reluctant glances when we parted...
All of this contrasted sharply with the "Angel of Dawn" before him, who exuded a dangerous and cold aura, making it difficult for him to accept for a moment.
After the initial shock came an even deeper sense of vigilance!
Jiraiya forcibly suppressed the turmoil in his heart and the questions that welled up on his lips.
His body was firmly fixed in the hidden shadows like a rock, and even his breathing almost stopped.
He didn't go out, nor did he answer.
His years as a ninja and his fighting instincts told him that this was very likely a trap.
Emotions are one of the ninja's greatest enemies.
Especially in situations where friend and foe are unclear, and one is venturing deep into the lion's den.
Any act of recklessness or wavering of emotions could plunge one into an abyss of no return in an instant.
The silence in the shadows was the best response to Xiao Nan's words.
After waiting for a while, seeing that Jiraiya still did not make any move, Konan seemed to sigh softly.
"It seems I need to do something about hospitality."
As soon as he finished speaking, a sudden change occurred!
Konan didn't even turn around or form any hand seals; her chakra fluctuated slightly around her.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh——!!!
Countless pure white, sharp shuriken made of folded paper.
Like an enraged swarm of bees, they appeared out of nowhere, with astonishing speed and density.
It instantly covered the shadowy area where Jiraiya was hiding!
These paper shuriken may seem fragile, but they contain powerful chakra and penetrating force, easily tearing through metal pipes and piercing through hard walls!
The corner where Jiraiya was hiding was instantly destroyed and exposed!
There is no longer any possibility of hiding!
Jiraiya cursed under his breath, knowing his whereabouts had been completely exposed.
He could only leap out from behind the damaged cover and land lightly on the open ground, facing Xiao Nan who had turned around.
He patted the dust off his clothes.
She forced a seemingly relaxed smile: "Oh my, Xiao Nan, it's been so many years! You've become so beautiful, I almost didn't recognize you."
However, Xiao Nan's face remained expressionless, her eyes like cold amber, as she simply repeated the words of expulsion indifferently.
His tone was colder than the air inside the tower: "Master Jiraiya, this is our village. Please leave."
Jiraiya's smile faded slightly, and his sharp gaze swept over Konan's signature red-cloud black robe.
His tone became certain: "The clothes you're wearing... it seems this is the Akatsuki's base, no doubt about it."
These words seemed to have triggered a switch, and Xiao Nan's expression turned completely cold.
A faint killing intent began to emanate from his body, and the surrounding air seemed to become even more stagnant.
She issued her final ultimatum, word by word:
"One last time. Please leave."
Jiraiya shook his head, his expression turning serious: "Konan, bring out the leader behind you."
"You are no match for me, and I don't want to fight you."
His words carried a hint of elder's admonition and a complex feeling of reluctance to engage in armed conflict.
But what responded to him was Konan's unleashed murderous intent and chilling declaration:
"Then, I now represent the will of God! I will kill you!"
Before she could finish speaking, a pair of enormous, magnificent wings made of countless white sheets of paper suddenly unfurled behind Xiao Nan!
With a flap of her wings, she was lifted lightly into the air and suspended in mid-air.
Like a celestial judge descending to earth, only this angel brings with it the sharp edge of death!
"Shikizhi Dance!"
With a sudden flap of its wings!
More dense and more violent paper shurikens than before.
Like a torrential downpour, it poured down on Jiraiya as he stood on the ground!
They blocked all his possible escape routes!
Faced with this familiar yet deadly technique, Jiraiya sighed inwardly, but his hands moved without hesitation!
"Ninjutsu: Needle Jizo!"
His long white hair instantly grew wildly and hardened.
Like a living silver armor, it completely enveloped his entire body!
Ding ding ding ding—!
Countless paper shurikens struck the hair, which was as hard as iron.
It emitted a dense sound like a torrential downpour hitting a tin roof, sparks flew everywhere, but it couldn't penetrate this absolute defense at all!
"Ninjutsu: Hair Needle Senbon!"
The silver hair that enveloped him suddenly exploded.
Countless hardened, needle-like white hairs shot out like a storm towards Xiao Nan, who was suspended in the air!
In an instant, it was as if a strange metal storm was unfolding in mid-air!
The white paper shuriken and the silver-white hair senbon collided, cut, and annihilated each other wildly!
It emitted a continuous series of crackling sounds, and scraps of paper and broken hair flew everywhere!
The situation reached a brief stalemate.
However, in this seemingly balanced battle of offense and defense, Jiraiya secretly prepared a real killing move!
He spotted a tiny opening in the attack of a paper shuriken and suddenly spat it out!
"Toad oil bomb!"
A thick, transparent toad oil with a strange odor sprayed out like a water cannon.
It pierced precisely through the gaps in the paper shuriken, pouring down on Konan's body and paper wings!
The toad oil instantly soaked through the paper!
Konan's Shikigami Dance was fatally restrained!
The once light and agile paper wings became incredibly heavy and difficult to flap.
Even maintaining its shape has become extremely difficult!
The papers all over her body became slippery and sticky, and her movements instantly slowed down!
"Oh no!" Xiao Nan's expression changed.
But Jiraiya will not give her any chance!
"Ninpo Technique: The Technique of Random Lion's Hair!"
The next moment, Jiraiya's long white hair shot out like a giant, living python.
Taking advantage of the moment when her movements were hindered, they easily seized her along with her heavy wings.
Bind tightly, entangle, and completely restrain!
Xiao Nan was pulled down from mid-air and crashed heavily onto the cold metal ground.
Covered in sticky toad oil, he was completely immobilized, with only his cold orange eyes still fixed on Jiraiya.
Jiraiya slowly walked up to Konan, who had been completely subdued, and knelt down.
Looking at the woman in front of him, who was both familiar and unfamiliar.
I can't help but recall how that kind and quiet child has turned into this cold-blooded killing machine.
Jiraiya's heart was filled with indescribable sorrow and heaviness.
He asked in a deep voice, a slight tremor in his tone:
"Konan, tell me... why did you become like this? What about Yahiko and Nagato? How are they? What happened to you?"
Chapter 357 Battle and Peace
The tall tower of Yuyin Village, an open area.
Facing those eyes filled with unfamiliarity and determination, Jiraiya felt a mix of emotions.
In the end, he softened his tone, trying to use their past relationship to open a crack in the wall: