[Manga]The Paths of Pain

[ZGoten]

In chapter 373 the Rin´negan was introduced as the third and most powerful doujutsu in the Naruto series.
One of Jiraiya´s students, Nagato, surprisingly achieved it and killed a foreign chuunin.

In the same chapter we learned about the Rikudou Sennin (sage of the six paths). According to Jiraiya´s statement he also possesed the Rin´negan and had also been the founder of the ninja world and ninjutsu itself.

In the following chapters we saw Jiraiya fighting Pain, the possible leader of Akatsuki. He possesed the Rin´negan but we couldn´t really see him using it in the battle.
In that fight we saw six different bodies. They all are said to belong to Pain´s mind. All of those bodies look like shinobis Jiraiya, Tsunade and Orochmaru had met before, probably in the second ninja world war and one of the bodies looks like Yahiko, another one of Jiraiya´s students and a friend of Nagato.

Right before Jiraiya sank into the waters of Akatsuki´s hideout, he wrote a message on grampa frog´s back: 9, 31, 8, 106, 7, 207, 15.
He told grampa frog to deliver this code to Tsunade, to tell her the true identity of Pain.


This entire story about the Rin´negan brings up many questions:
Who is Pain?
What is the code on grampa frog´s back supposed to mean?
Who is the sage of the six paths?
Are those "six paths" somehow connected to Pain´s six bodies?
What are the powers of the new doujutsu?

Also interesting in my opinion is that Pain said right after the battle was over: "If we haven´t kept our secret, we would never have won."
Did he mean the secret of his identity?

Let´s discuss about all this in this thread. I want to here your opinions and theories.
I´m looking forward to it.

[Sakuranbo]

I am most fasincated with the concept of Pein to be honest . I think the numbers code on Gramps' back was possibly a refference to the pages in Jiraiya's many novels, that's the only thing I can think of seeing as how the code in includes double-digit numbers, and Pein only has six bodies (5 minus Fuuma pein ).

So...I believe that it is more than just a coincedence that Pein "happens" to have six bodies, all of whom Jiraiya encountered before. I wouldn't be at all surprised if at some point in time, Nagato/Pein sent out spies on Jiraiya to determine who was the strongest opponent. It sounds kind of retarded but I can't imgaine why or how Nagato would possibly know this...unless Pein was someone Jiraiya had-had recent conversation with.

Which brings me to my next theory, I think pein's "real" identity are two things: 1) the order in which the bodies are to be destroyed (i.e. summoner was killed first, five remaining). and 2) the location of the 7th "actual" pein (Nagato). I think it's quite possible that Nagato at some point in time, integrated himself into Konoha society, and acted as a Konoha shinobi, or even an important figure, meanwhile using Rinnegan to control the six bodies in Amegakure. That's the only thing I can determine since there HAS to be a 7th real body (Nagato's) unless he somehow lost his original body and assimilated a new one. Which opens a new door of questions about the Rinnegan itself

[tkdtiger]

I think there's definately more to Rinnegan. Lot's of possiblilities can be made with the Rinnegan. Of course I would like to see how it relates to byakugan and sharingan...I think that would be pretty cool. We'vs already seen that it can have a similar ability to byakugan with its camera ability...

[Lendial]

i thought it was pretty funny how rinnegan was supposedly superior to even sharingan. i dont think its powers are anything near what MS(itachi) can do. time will tell but im not getting my hopes up for pein being anything more than a hyped up stepping stone.

[Rahan]

I don't think we have seen the true effects of the Rinnegan.
The 6 bodies seems more to be related to the piercings (and black weapon) all the Pein have. We have yet to see how chibi Nagato killed that Chuunin just by looking at him.

[HiroInazuma]

The black weapon is called Tensa Zangetsu.

[Sakuranbo]

Originally Posted by HiroInazuma

The black weapon is called Tensa Zangetsu.

It's not Bleach y'know.

It looks to me like they pull the weapons out from their sleeves/hands and project them towards the target. I wonder if young Nagato hacked his way into the guy's mind or used some sort of genjutsu?

[Icer]

Maybe Konan is Pain, and when Jiraiya met Nagato she was already controlling him. That's my only thought, since there's not much else to go right now for who it could be. Although she did get handled easily by Jiraiya and doesn't show the Rinnegan it could be a ruse. At least I think it makes a little bit of sense in the context of what we know and whats been revealed.

[Adediran242]

Originally Posted by Icer

Maybe Konan is Pain, and when Jiraiya met Nagato she was already controlling him. That's my only thought, since there's not much else to go right now for who it could be. Although she did get handled easily by Jiraiya and doesn't show the Rinnegan it could be a ruse. At least I think it makes a little bit of sense in the context of what we know and whats been revealed.

Interesting thought, although Konan wasa taken out quite easily by Jiraiya, while destroying the other bodies took a significantly laarger ammount of time.

[Ichimaru]

For every blood limit that was introduce, there will be a weakness, there is no such thing as a perfect blood limit/line.

[tatami]

i wonder what ems weakness is

[Tettsuo]

Originally Posted by tatami

i wonder what ems weakness is

The 1st Hokage!

[tatami]

Originally Posted by Tettsuo

The 1st Hokage!

who is dead now

[DrunkenRyder]

Originally Posted by ZGoten

This entire story about the Rin´negan brings up many questions:
Who is Pain?
What is the code on grampa frog´s back supposed to mean?
Who is the sage of the six paths?
Are those "six paths" somehow connected to Pain´s six bodies?
What are the powers of the new doujutsu?

Also interesting in my opinion is that Pain said right after the battle was over: "If we haven´t kept our secret, we would never have won."
Did he mean the secret of his identity?

Let´s discuss about all this in this thread. I want to here your opinions and theories.
I´m looking forward to it.

Well you basically listed all the known facts about Pein. But about his ability, I remember when the Rinnegan was first introduced, we searched the meaning of it and we came across transmigration eye, which means it has something to do with reincarnation.

[9TailsOfDestruction]

What if Pein is actually Rikudou Sennin (sage of the six paths) and Rikudou reincarnated himself into Nagato.

But can Kishi actually pull another Madara/Tobi and Rikudou/Pein/Nagato plot into the story. That would be funny Madara thinking he is in control of Pein when Pein is actually Rikudou, the ultimate ninja.

[Adediran242]

Originally Posted by 9TailsOfDestruction

What if Pein is actually Rikudou Sennin (sage of the six paths) and Rikudou reincarnated himself into Nagato.

But can Kishi actually pull another Madara/Tobi and Rikudou/Pein/Nagato plot into the story. That would be funny Madara thinking he is in control of Pein when Pein is actually Rikudou, the ultimate ninja.

Again Interesting, but unlikely. Kishi has already hyped the sharingan up to the point of no return. Though it would be an excellent twust.

[Sakuranbo]

Originally Posted by DrunkenRyder

Well you basically listed all the known facts about Pein. But about his ability, I remember when the Rinnegan was first introduced, we searched the meaning of it and we came across transmigration eye, which means it has something to do with reincarnation.

I wonder if its at all possible for Pein to have split up parts of his consciousness into six separate bodies?

[Last of the Uchihas]

Originally Posted by ZGoten

In chapter 373 the Rin´negan was introduced as the third and most powerful doujutsu in the Naruto series.
One of Jiraiya´s students, Nagato, surprisingly achieved it and killed a foreign chuunin.

false, the most revered, not the most powerful.

In the following chapters we saw Jiraiya fighting Pain, the possible leader of Akatsuki.

Madara is the founder and real leader of Akatsuki, not Pein.

[ZGoten]

Originally Posted by Last of the Uchihas

false, the most revered, not the most powerful.

No, in the translation of MS it is stated as the "without a doubt most powerful."

Originally Posted by Last of the Uchihas

Madara is the founder and real leader of Akatsuki, not Pein.

EDIT: Ok, I just reread chapter 386, Madara is the founder of Akatsuki. But still it is not clear if he is also the leader of it. We saw him giving a few orders to pain, which is not the same thing as leading the organization. Pain is still the one who gives orders to the rest of Akatsuki, so there is a possibility for him to be de actual leader, while Madara is more like an influence from the outside.

[Sakuranbo]

Madara started Akatsuki I think sometime after being defeated by Shodaime, and leaving Konoha. Iirc it was mentioned during the first few chapters of the Sasuke Vs Itachi fight. But again that does not mean that he is necessarily superior to Pein as far as skill goes