Naruto: The Tale of an Otsutsuki

Walking along the road back to Konoha, Jiraiya carefully examined a small piece of the black rod in his hand, his expression filled with intrigue. "I see now. So this is the tool they use to operate their techniques?"

Kirito, walking alongside him, responded, "Exactly. Within a certain range, the caster can use these black rods to control specially modified puppets—even if the puppets are corpses."

"This material is fascinating," Jiraiya murmured, turning the rod over in his hands. "It looks like metal—something akin to steel—but it's much harder. Could this be a unique resource from the Land of Rain?"

When Kirito first explained that Nagato controlled Pain remotely through these rods, Jiraiya had been skeptical. Now, he fully understood that the relationship between Nagato and Pain was like that of a puppeteer and his puppets, but Nagato's method far surpassed traditional puppet mastery.

Even in Sunagakure, the epicenter of advanced puppetry, puppet masters required close-range control through chakra strings. Nagato's "wireless communication" method was unprecedented.

"If the puppet masters in Sunagakure learned about this technology," Jiraiya remarked, "they'd stop at nothing to obtain it—whether through collaboration, apprenticeship, or outright theft."

Kirito shook his head. "It's a compelling idea, but ultimately a futile one."

"Why's that?"

"This black rod is tied to the powers of the Rinnegan and is essentially a product of Yin-Yang Release." Kirito held up another rod, identical to the one in Jiraiya's hand. "Anyone capable of using Yin-Yang Release can create these rods. But without that talent, it's impossible."

Jiraiya stared at the rod in disbelief. "You're saying this was created with ninjutsu?"

"Yes," Kirito confirmed.

The realization surprised Jiraiya. Normally, chakra-based creations dissipated after the caster stopped maintaining them, yet the black rod in his hand remained stable, as if it were ordinary metal.

After a moment of thought, Jiraiya turned to Kirito. "Wait… are you saying you can create these rods yourself?"

Kirito nodded. Without hesitation, he opened his palm, and a black rod slowly emerged from it.

"Amazing." Jiraiya took the newly formed rod from Kirito, comparing it to the one from Nagato. Despite their identical appearance, he couldn't help marveling. "But does this rod serve any purpose beyond being a control tool? How exactly does Nagato use it to control Pain?"

"Hold the two rods in separate hands and see for yourself," Kirito suggested.

Following his advice, Jiraiya gripped one rod in each hand. Immediately, an overwhelming surge of chakra flowed from the rod Kirito had created, coursing through his body. The invasive chakra disrupted the normal circulation of his own, causing dizziness and a sense of powerlessness.

Struggling to resist, Jiraiya realized that if he stopped fighting, this foreign chakra could take control of his body. Stabilizing himself, he muttered, "I see now… Nagato uses these rods to transmit his chakra and manipulate Pain."

This revelation also gave Jiraiya insight into Nagato's immense chakra reserves. Controlling the powerful Six Paths of Pain simultaneously was a feat only someone with extraordinary chakra could achieve.

As Kirito retracted the chakra flow, Jiraiya held up the original rod and mused, "Now I understand why you said others wouldn't be able to replicate this. These rods are bound to their creator's chakra. Without the original caster, they're practically useless."

He sighed, organizing his thoughts. "So, we now fully understand Pain's secret. If he attacks Konoha, the best strategy would be to assign a team to hold him off while an elite squad searches for Nagato's hiding spot.

"For Nagato to control Pain, he needs a location suitable for transmitting his chakra. If we can identify such a place, we'll find Nagato."

Jiraiya frowned, recalling the destructive power of the Chibaku Tensei. "But we can't allow him to use that jutsu anywhere near the village. The damage would be catastrophic."

"That's something you should tell Lady Tsunade," Kirito replied flatly.

Jiraiya folded his arms, his expression serious. "I will, but you need to hear this too. You're the only one in the village capable of taking on Pain. Whether Tsunade sends you to fight him directly or to locate Nagato, the success of the plan hinges on you knowing every detail."

"And what about you?" Kirito asked.

"I'll likely be training Naruto in Sage Mode at Mount Myoboku when the time comes. If we finish in time, we'll rush back to help. If not, the decision will be up to Tsunade."

Jiraiya understood the weight of Tsunade's choice. Sending Kirito to face Pain would protect the village but leave the team sent after Nagato vulnerable. On the other hand, assigning Kirito to eliminate Nagato could leave the village exposed to devastating attacks.

Either way, it would be a difficult decision. The elite shinobi required to take on Nagato were critical assets to the village, and losing even one would be a significant blow.

As the gates of Konoha came into view, Kirito responded calmly, "I'll follow Lady Tsunade's orders. The choice is hers to make."

(End of this chapter)

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