Board Thread:Theories and Speculation/@comment-36512555-20200202084241/@comment-34656247-20200208234944

Squinty97 wrote: Jiraiya went toe to toe with Pain, if you think for some reason Itachi is stronger than Pain and wouldn't let him go into Sage Mode, that's your opinion lol. Toe to toad is more accurate, these guys will murder the summoning that buys Jiraiya time to enter SM.

Itachi doesn't need to make Pain an exception to Kisame because Kisame knows. Kisame didn't make any exceptions, so why wouldn't backup include the entire Akatsuki or all of Zetsu? Because Kisame and hopefully the readers can use a bit of inference. Question: If pein is nearby won't he backup his members?

Where did it come from in the manga? I must have missed it. Jiraiya could deal with gravity probably better than Kakashi could, and Kakashi had plans that nearly killed it. Here. How exactly? A single shinra tensei would foil Jiraiya's plans of entering SM and put his summoning out of commission, the deva path wasn't even there yet he was running for SM early on.

Are you one of those people who think Itachi match KCM Naruto in speed because of sparring? Again, Kakashi's attention was elsewhere and Hidan never managed a single cut with his massive scythe. He was not matching Kakashi in speed. Needle Jizo can counter Amaterasu, sealing can counter Amaterasu, Oil Flames can just carry Amaterasu back to Itachi, Needle Jizo counters Tsukuyomi, Sensing barrier to know when Itachi gets in close counters Tsukuyomi, and just your average dodging counters SoT. Naruto vs Itachi is totally different, we both know this.
 * He had time alone with Hidan yet.. The panels clearly shows him focused on his clash. Besides Hidan didn't get injured either so the scale is balanced.
 * Needle Jizo will just make Jiraiya and easy Target dude lol.
 * The sealing process is too lengthy to try in battle, it's like trying to enter toad SM infront of your opponent
 * Amaterasu>>>oil in terms of speed. Doubt he'll use needle Jizo against a visual atk...
 * Sensing barrier is used to detect opponent who are not within the barriers vicinity, indicating to the user when they enter, so irrelevant.
 * Jiraiya dodges like a 12 yr old dutch girl, SOT solos, especially with summonings out. And this is only 1 akatsuki member, 3 more standing by laughing. Doesn't this seem absurd yet man?

Huh, I think I've been in the forums too long. I coulda sworn that there was an instance right after Itachi says he could only tie Jiraiya that Kisame doubted him. I think @FLatzone gave me that perception. Looking in the manga, can't find it. Although Itachi still had other truthful alternatives other than lying to get Kisame to leave. So no doubt, he bought it and obviously it worked fine.