The Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant


Tsunade:
There’s no end to this offer rain.


Jiraiya:
Hahahahaha! I’m only kidding Tsunade! You know, I’m grateful to you.


Shizune:
I’m sure master Jiraiya is fine. He of all people wouldn’t…

Tsunade:
He is not coming back…

Shizune:
Uh?!

Tsunade:
That’s what I bet him before he left. Because he knows I never win any of my bets…

Shizune:
Oh, I see…


Jiraiya:
Rejection makes a man stronger… but that isn’t the entire story. Basically the pursuit of happiness isn’t for us.

Tsunade:
Humph... I always trying to be cool. Well, when he gets back… I won’t let him keep this cool anymore…

[Hidden Rain Village]

Jiraiya:
Pain… tell me already. Just what the hell are you?

Pain:
“Pain”… that is a designation that refers to the six of us as a group.

Jiraiya:
Hagh?! You… you’re… I know that face… Is that you Yahiko?


Pain:
Ah, yes. There was such a fellow once wasn’t there? But he died a long time ago.


Jiraiya:
Just what is going on here?! You said that Yahiko died! And those eyes!

Pain:
You see Yahiko’s image when you look at me. You really are his former teacher. But Yahiko has been dead for quite some time. All that remains is “Pain”.

Jiraiya:
Look! Just quite the word play! Tell me why you possess the Rinnegan?!

Hukasaku:
What are you talking about, Jiraiya boy?!

Jiraiya:
One of my former students is now among the six. But he didn’t possess eyes like that back when I taught him.

Shima:
What in tarnation is going on then?! Are you telling us that there are two children of prophecy?!

Jiraiya:
No, that’s not it either. When I saw the Rinnegan, I convinced myself that the first one with it was Nagato. But he slightly different from the Nagato I knew. Come to think of it, upon closer inspection, none of those six really remind me of Nagato all that much. On the other hand, one of them does resemble Yahiko. But he possesses Nagato’s Rinnegan. Are you Yahiko? Or are you Nagato? So just what exactly are you?!

Pain:
We are “Pain”. That’s all. We are God.

Hukasaku:
Jiraiya boy, just retreat!

Jiraiya:
A God…?

[Jiraiya face against Pain]

Jiraiya:
Yahiko! How is it possible you possess Nagato’s eyes?!

Pain:
Even if you knew, even if I told you, you’ll lose!

Shima:
Lad! Just give up already!

Jiraiya:
I must find the way to defeat them even if I die!

[One of Pain has dragged into the water]

Pain:
I don’t sense his presence…

Pain:
Is this… a barrier?

[Foothold collapse]

Pain:
Gastric fluid… Ugh?!

Jiraiya:
Rasengan!

Pain:
Guagh!

Hukasaku:
Yes! You did it, Jiraiya boy!

[Pain attacks Jiraiya]

Jiraiya:
Ugh…

Shima:
Is he dead?

Jiraiya:
I very managed to kill one. And only after drag him into my barrier…

Shima:
Are you alright, lad?!

Jiraiya:
Yeah… kind of… My body! My chakra is agitating!

Hukasaku:
Hold on! There… Their identity is a complete mystery. They seems to use odd weapons too.

Shima:
They are no longer mortals… they are something else completely.


Ryusui:
No one has ever seen him in close. Some people even go so far as to claim that he doesn’t really exist.


Jiraiya:
But that face… There’s no mistaking it! He is Yahiko. And yet… he possesses Nagato’s Rinnegan. Did Yahiko for some reason, steel them from Nagato? But even if he did, there are those other Rinnegan bears as well. So what is going on here? Plus…


Jiraiya [Past]:
But it is because one understand such pain, the generosity towards others become second nature. That’s what makes us human.

Nagato [Past]:
I don’t… what do you mean?

Jiraiya [Past]:
It’s a process called “growing up”.

Nagato [Past]:
It’s called “growing up”? I still don’t get it.

Jiraiya [Past]:
It’s about being able to think and make your own decisions.

Pain:
Too many people died in this land. All that "Pain" forced me to grow up.


Jiraiya:
In which case, does that mean he is Nagato after all…? Hagh?!


[Jiraiaya remembering the past]

Jiraiya:
That’s right! Now I remember! He is definitely not Nagato!

Hukasaku:
What’s wrong?!

Jiraiya:
This man in front of us… I’ve also battled him once before. He was a Huma clan member I encountered right after I set out on my journey fallowing the Great Lord Elder’s prophecy. I gave him that scar on his forehead.

Shima:
So why is such a fellow here in this place then?

Hukasaku:
Now I’m more confused than ever about this whole Pain mystery…


Great Lord Elder:
You will be the one to guide this revolutionary change and eventually, there will come a day you’ll be forced to make a critical selection.

Jiraiya:
What must I do? In order to make the correct choice.

Great Lord Elder:
In my dream, I see you travelling around the world and also writing books.


Jiraiya:
It can’t be… if this is the prophecy… I wanna go back and face them! In order to confirm a suspicion of mine! But the two of you need to go home, now.

Shima:
What’s that?

Hukasaku:
Absolutely not! You’ll be killed if you go back there! They have more eyes now! And that barrier trap is never gonna work on them a second time! That’s for sure! They’re not on to us yet. They don’t even know that we’re here. This is our only chance to run!

Jiraiya:
I know that I might very well be killed if I go out there. But I also may be able to deduce our enemy’s true identity. If I let this chance slip by, I don’t think there’s anyone else who could get us close to Pain. This is our only chance to uncover the truth. Plus… this is the time for selection that the Great Lord Elder prophesized for me! Boss, you and Ma’am. Please take back on the Intel on Pain we’ve gathered so far along with this corps. And please tell Tsunade, I…

Hukasaku:
Ma should be enough to handle all that stuff.

Jiraiya:
Uh? But you…

Shima:
You’d just better be back by dinner time.

Hukasaku:
Yeah. If we’re all done here, I’ll bring Jiraiya boy on over for dinner.

Jiraiya:
Thank you… so much…

[Jiraiya checks each Pain’s face]

Jiraiya:
It’s just as I thought! They’re all Shinobi I’ve encountered before in my journeys. That’s it! I figured out who Pain is! Hagh?!

[One of Pain attacks Jiraiya]

Jiraiya:
Agh! My throat!

Hukasaku:
Jiraiya boy!

Pain:
You’ve figured it out too late!

[All Pain attack Jiraiya]

Jiraiya:
I… have to relay this news of Pain’s identity… to the Boss…

Hukasaku:
Jiraiya boy! Hang on!

Jiraiya:
Ugh… ugh… It’s no good… my throat was crushed by that attack… Damn it! At this rate… it’s useless… I’m passing out… am I… really going to… die now? Have I… failed?


Jiraiya:
In the Shinobi world, it’s not how you live. It’s how you die. Shinobi’s life is not measured by how they live. But rather it’s measured by what they managed to accomplish before their death. And looking back, my life is really have been full of nothing but failure. Continually rejected by Tsunade… unable to stop my friend… and unable to protect either my student… or my mentor… Compare to the great and celebrated deeds of the Hokage… my actions are trifling insignificant things indeed… I wished that I could have died like each of the Hokage. Tail is only as good as it’s final turn of events. The plot list. And mistakes are unimportant plot too. I lived my life always believing at the lessons I’ve learned and went honed me. I swore I’d accomplished a deed, so great that it would blow obliterate all of my failures. I die as splendid Shinobi. At least that’s how it supposed to go. Huh… But this… my plot list, my tail ending like this. The Great Load Elder prophesized that I would be the one to guide a revolution. A person who will make a great choice that would bring either peace or destruction to the world of the Shinobi. I thought I would defeat Pain… Stop the Akatsuki… And save the world from destruction. But in the end, I failed that too. How pitiful… How sad that this would be the ending twists of the Tail of Jiraiya the Gallant. What a worthless story it turned it out to be…

Minato:
Oh, no. I don’t believe that at all. I think that this tail is wonderful. Every chapter reads like one of the numerously legendary exploit to told me about. It’s like it’s almost autobiographical. The main character in here, I thought that his determination of never give up was pretty awesome. He is actually quite a lot like you, sensei.

Jiraiya:
Yeah? You think so?

Minato:
So, I was thinking…

Jiraiya:
Um?

Minato:
I really hope my soon to be born child can become an amazing Shinobi just like the main character in your book. So that’s why I’d like to ask you a permission to name my son after him.

Jiraiya:
You… What? Are you sure about this? I mean I randomly came up with it while I eating Ramen…

Kushina:
NARUTO… I think it's a wonderful name.

Jiraiya:
Kushina… Haha… Wow… so will that make me his godfather then? Are you really sure? You sure about this?

Minato:
You’re my sensei, Jiraiya. You’re a great Ninja who possesses true talent. There’s no one else like you in a whole world.

Jiraiya:
Yes… that’s right… I gave that child…

Naruto:
Someday, I’m gonna be Hokage and you’ll look up to me! My name is Naruto Uzumaki! Remenber it! No way I never go back on my word! That’s the way of the Ninja!

Jiraiya:
Naruto… now that I think about it… you are just like that novel’s main character. You inherited Minato and Kushina’s wishes. Their hopes… and yet… and yet I…

Minato:
You’re my sensei, Jiraiya. You’re a great Ninja who possesses true talent. There’s no one else like you in a whole world.

Jiraiya:
A real Ninja is one who endures no matter what gets thrown at him. Let me explain something to you. There’s only one thing that matters if you’re Shinobi. And it isn’t the number of Jutsu you possess… or you do need is the guts… to NEVER GIVE UP!


Jiraiya:
Never going back on your word, no matter what… and never giving up despite what the odds may tell you to do. Naruto, if that is a truly your Ninja way, then as your teacher… I have no business at all wining… Because as everyone knows, a student inherits his Ninja way from his teacher… Right, Naruto? It isn’t that so?

Hukasaku:
He fought his way back by sheer will alone?! Jiraiya boy!

Pain:
I was certain that his heart has stopped…

Hukasaku:
Right!

[Jiraiya writing words on Hukasaku’s back]

Jiraiya:
NEVER GIVE UP… NO MATTER WHAT… THAT WAS THE TRUE CHOICE THAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO MAKE…

Pain:
Obstinate isn’t he? Let’s finish him.

Hukasaku:
Alright! Massage received!

Pain:
A dying message… he wrote it in code.

Jiraiya:
Naruto… you are the child of prophecy… I’m sure of it now. I'll leave the rest to you.

[Bomb]

Pain:
That frog… The frog got away…

Jiraiya:
"The Tail of Jiraiya the Gallant". Well, now it will end up bit better I hope. The final chapter… I’ll call it… flog the bottom of the well drifts off into the great ocean… Haha… Just barely glorious. But glorious indeed. Now, I suppose it’s about time I put down my pen. Oh, that’s right… What should I name a sequel? I wonder. Let’s see… “THE TAIL OF NARUTO UZUMAKI”. Hum… Yes… That was a nice lactone.


<Preview>

Sasuke:
Itachi Uchiha, you haven’t change at all. But I’m no longer the same as before. You know nothing about me. You have no idea how much hatred I hold for you in my heart. And how strong does it made me. Next time on Naruto Shippuden, “Banquet Invitation”. Don’t miss it.



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