Those Faces…!!

Confronted by the Six Paths of Pain, Jiraiya picks out one figure who wears Yahiko's likeness. Studying the group more carefully, he realizes that not a single one matches the Nagato he remembers, even though he had already talked himself into believing his old pupil stood among them. Pain strikes before the sage can make sense of the mystery, refusing to give him room to sort out which body belongs to whom.

In another location, Hebi presses toward the place where Itachi waits. Kisame steps into their path and permits only Sasuke to move forward, so the rest of the group is left behind while Sasuke goes ahead to face the brother he has sworn to kill. Elsewhere, the combined efforts of Team 7 and Team 8 to keep chasing Sasuke run into Tobi, who halts them cold. Naruto throws an attack at the masked figure and it accomplishes nothing.

Jiraiya spots Yahiko's face among the Six Paths of Pain and recognizes that none of them are actually Nagato. Pain opens his assault before Jiraiya can investigate. Kisame intercepts Hebi and lets Sasuke pass alone to reach Itachi. Tobi appears and stops Team 7 and Team 8 from continuing their pursuit, shrugging off Naruto's opening strike.

The installment belongs to the Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant storyline and appeared in the forty-second collected volume. It carries the Viz title Faces…!! and reached print in Japan on January 1, 2008.