- Dimensional Gods’ Selection: Only I Know Saitama is the Strongest
- OKSTS Chapter 177
Chapter 177: Nagato’s Pain
“Are you certain this is the place?” Fang Ye asked, gazing at the unremarkable tree before them, indistinguishable from the rest of the forest.
“Yes.” Jiraiya nodded, his expression serious. “This is the spot where Yahiko disappeared. But…” He glanced around—just trees, nothing else. Footprints and other signs had been meticulously erased.
“Could it be underground?” Jiraiya closed his eyes, focusing on sensing chakra in the area. After a long moment, he exhaled heavily and opened his eyes.
“There’s no chakra underground either. It’s completely hidden… How could this be?”
Fang Ye didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he inspected the surrounding trees intently.
“Jiraiya-sensei, do you think they could be hiding inside the tree?” Fang Ye asked, feigning curiosity even though he already knew the truth.
As someone familiar with the story, Fang Ye had a clear understanding of where Pain’s hideout was. He avoided pointing it out directly to keep from raising suspicion.
Jiraiya initially shook his head, but then his eyes widened as realization dawned.
“Perhaps… Pain might have some abilities we don’t fully understand. He could be hiding within the tree.”
He hesitated, then added with a defeated tone, “But with so many trees here, it would take forever to search each one.”
“Not necessarily,” Fang Ye said with a small smile. He gestured for Jiraiya to step back. Once Jiraiya retreated to a safe distance, Fang Ye turned his attention to the task at hand.
Fang Ye took a deep breath, steadying himself, before bending his knees and launching himself into the air with tremendous force.
Boom!
The ground beneath him cracked and crumbled as his leap left a massive crater. Fang Ye soared high, then twisted his body in midair, pulling his fist back to his waist, ready to strike.
Serious Punch!
Boom!
Fang Ye’s body shot downward like a meteor, slamming into the earth with devastating force. The ground split open, massive fissures spreading outward like the jagged lines of a shattered mirror.
Entire sections of the forest caved in, trees collapsing and splintering into flying debris. A whirlwind of wood chips filled the air, carried skyward by the powerful shockwave.
Jiraiya watched, his jaw hanging open.
“Such destructive power… No matter how many times I witness it, it’s always astonishing…”
As the dust began to settle, the devastation revealed itself. Most of the forest had been reduced to rubble—except for one tree. It stood tall and undisturbed, straight as an arrow amidst the destruction.
Both Fang Ye and Jiraiya turned their attention to the lone tree. It was impossible not to notice. Any doubts were now gone.
“This is it,” Fang Ye said confidently, dusting himself off before walking toward the tree.
As they approached, Jiraiya formed a Rasengan in his hand, ready to destroy the tree and whatever lay hidden inside.
“Wait, Jiraiya-sensei,” Fang Ye said, raising a hand to stop him. “Let me check it out first.”
Placing his hands on the tree’s surface, Fang Ye felt its toughness—it was far sturdier than any normal tree. No wonder it had withstood the shockwave of his Serious Punch.
But Fang Ye was unfazed.
“Let’s see if you can withstand this.”
Channeling his Armament Haki, Fang Ye’s hands turned a deep, glossy black. With a low grunt, he dug his fingers into the tree’s bark. Cracks spread outward, and with a mighty pull, Fang Ye tore the tree apart.
Rrrrip!
The tree’s surface split open, revealing a narrow, dimly lit interior. Flickering light from within cast eerie shadows, making the hidden hollow seem even more mysterious.
The bark began to regenerate, paper fragments rapidly stitching the split closed.
“Let’s go,” Fang Ye said decisively, stepping inside.
Jiraiya followed, and the two descended into the tree’s interior. Fang Ye conjured a flame in his hand, illuminating the dark passage.
A voice, calm yet familiar, echoed through the hollow. “Jiraiya-sensei, it’s been a long time.”
“Nagato? So, it’s you after all,” Jiraiya said, his voice heavy with emotion. His eyes fell on the frail, red-haired man before them.
Nagato sat at the center, his body gaunt and pierced with black rods. Despite his weakened state, he regarded the intruders with a serene smile.
Beside him stood Yahiko’s Deva Path and Konan, who looked on silently.
“I never imagined our reunion would happen like this,” Jiraiya said bitterly, his gaze filled with sorrow.
“What’s so wrong about meeting this way?” Nagato replied, his voice weak but steady.
“Nagato, what happened to you? To all of you?” Jiraiya asked desperately, his eyes searching Nagato’s face for answers.
Nagato shook his head, a faint, regretful smile on his lips. “It’s too late for those questions now.”
Nagato gestured to Konan, who nodded in understanding. Her body emitted countless paper fragments that began swirling in the air.
The paper folded and twisted, forming a vivid stage.
“Watch closely, Sensei,” Nagato said, his voice tinged with pain. “This… is the story of our suffering.”
On the stage of paper, scenes from the past began to take shape.
The first scene depicted a young Nagato amidst the chaos of the Third Great Ninja War. Jiraiya’s breath caught—he recognized the setting instantly.
The stage shifted to a humble house, where a starving Nagato sat with his parents. Suddenly, two figures clad in Leaf Village attire burst through the window.
Jiraiya watched in horror as Nagato’s parents confronted the intruders, gesturing frantically for their son to run. The skirmish was brief—Nagato’s parents were quickly overwhelmed, their bodies pierced by kunai.
The young Nagato knelt frozen, wide-eyed, as blood pooled around his parents’ lifeless forms. His world had been shattered in an instant.
The paper dissolved, scattering into the air.
Jiraiya stood silent, his expression pained. He had known about the war, but seeing the event unfold so vividly struck him deeply.
He had tried to save Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan, believing he had pulled them out of their despair. But this trauma, this unbearable pain, had left an unhealed scar in Nagato’s heart.
“Jiraiya-sensei,” Nagato’s voice broke through the silence, heavy with grief and accusation. “Have you ever watched your parents die in front of your eyes? Have you ever felt such pain?”
Jiraiya’s lips parted, but no words came. For the first time, he found himself unable to answer.