Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant, Vols. 40–42

Jiraiya decides to scout the Village Hidden in the Rain alone, where the Akatsuki leader is hiding. In disguise, he learns this Pain is tied to three orphans he trained years before. Pain shows up with six bodies sharing one field of vision, and Jiraiya enters Sage Mode with the two elder toads to fight him. He works out the truth too late: the six bodies are controlled by someone else. Mortally wounded, he uses his last strength to write a coded message on the toad Fukasaku's back and sinks into the lake. Fukasaku carries the message to Konoha, and Naruto learns he has lost his teacher.

1. Behind the scenesThe favorite pairing

   Of all the master-student pairs he created, Kishimoto said Naruto and Jiraiya was his favorite. At NYCC 2015 he named Jiraiya his favorite after Naruto and, having forgotten how to draw him, used a cosplayer in the crowd as reference.

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2. Behind the scenesStraight from Kabuki

   Kishimoto built Jiraiya from Kabuki: a frog-like wizard who talks in the grand style of old plays.

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3. Behind the scenesThe piercings

   The piercings on Pain's body are a metaphor for inflicting pain on himself. A discarded sketch gave him a half mask with feather- or horn-like accessories.

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4. ReferenceThe last message

   Kishimoto gave weight to Jiraiya's death because, with his last strength, he uncovers the secret of Pain's bodies and sends the clue to Konoha. IGN ranked the fight the series' second best.

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