The Heart's Transformation

Since his rebirth, Yuehua Ai had rarely known a day of peace.

Though he was under the care of an old man during his infancy, the precarious nature of their existence left him devoid of any sense of security. Born into the shadow of war, he was constantly accompanied by battle and death.

For this world, Yuehua Ai's feelings were less of an uncontrollable repulsion or hatred, and more of a bone-deep trepidation and fear.

In his previous life, the social environment had been safe and stable. Even though he suffered from a terminal illness, he knew he still had time—he even had the opportunity to struggle against his fate and pursue his own studies.

But this world of Naruto was different. As a child in a chaotic era where human life was cheaper than grass, he could only drift with the tide, lacking any ability to care for himself. Although he was lucky enough to be found and raised by an old man, a commoner in such times was like a tiny ripple, liable to vanish at any moment. With no guarantee of life, no hope in sight, and an endless journey of flight, death could descend at any time. Even while in his swaddling clothes, Yuehua Ai lived in constant anxiety, lacking the time to grow and the strength to fight his destiny.

Wherever there are people, there is oppression and resistance. Even among groups of refugees, people schemed, robbed, killed, and struggled; these remained the unchanging themes.

When the old man died suddenly, his body was discarded by the roadside by the others. No one offered to bury him, and aside from Yuehua Ai, no one was willing to spare him a second glance.

The crowd's footsteps would not pause for a dead man or a child. By the time Yuehua Ai had dug through the mud with his bare hands to bury the old man, the others had long since vanished, leaving behind only a few footprints filled with rainwater.

Why did Yuehua Ai continue to pursue the tracks of the group after the old man died and he had been abandoned? It was not because he was spineless or masochistic, but because it was the only effort a four-year-old child could make to survive.

Survival is a human instinct. For that sliver of hope, whether it was a raging river or a sheer cliff, he had no choice but to press forward, even if it meant being crushed to pieces.

He had to live on, carrying the weight of his loneliness and the name the old man had left him.

Yuehua Ai was the name given to Lu Beichen in this life. "Yuehua" was not his surname; in this world, commoners were not permitted to have surnames. Surnames were the exclusive domain of the nobility.

The old man had told him that in their village, people customarily added either "Yuehua" (Moonlight) or "Mingri" (Tomorrow) to their names.

"When the moonlight shines, tomorrow is destined to be a clear day"—these eight characters were the reason villagers habitually added those terms to their names.

The meaning of these eight characters was simple, just as it appeared: when the moonlight shone, the next day was guaranteed to be sunny.

Legend had it that in the Land of Rivers, while it had always been rainy, it had not been as incessant as it was now. The hatred for the rain and the longing for clear skies had become an obsession for the villagers for over a century. The words "Yuehua" and "Mingri" embodied the villagers' yearning and hope for a beautiful tomorrow.

The old man had weathered many storms throughout his life, experiencing the warmth and coldness of human nature, and he had seen through the greed and desires of the world.

Though war and tragedy seemed endless, the old man still hoped and prayed for the arrival of a peaceful, stable era where people understood one another. He believed that only love could suppress the desires of the world, that only love could allow people to understand each other, and that only through love could a peaceful situation emerge.

Love represented the old man's lifelong insights and pursuits. He practiced love and chased after it, which was why he adopted an orphan of war and, on his deathbed, bestowed upon him the name of love.

For a long time, Yuehua Ai felt his name was not quite fitting; it should have been "Yuehua Ai" (Moonlight Sorrow) instead of "Moonlight Love."

However, after meeting a group of youths and experiencing much together, he had gained a new perspective on his name just half a month ago.

Through a chance encounter, Yuehua Ai had met Konan, Yahiko, and Nagato, who were also war orphans.

Drawing on his knowledge from his previous life, while gaining a preliminary understanding of this world, he also saw hope for his future. Nagato, the child of prophecy who possessed the supreme Rinnegan, one of the ultimate bosses of the Naruto world—a pure and resilient boy who would give everything to carry on the will of his companions.

The dawn had appeared unexpectedly. Since joining Yahiko and the others, this was the first time Yuehua Ai had felt a sense of security since his rebirth. But this stability did not come from the life they led or the companions he had gained; it came solely from his contact with Nagato.

The presence of the Rinnegan gave Yuehua Ai immense peace of mind. Although Nagato could not yet control the ocular power of the Rinnegan, Yuehua Ai knew from his past life about the eye's reactive nature.

In his mind, if they were to encounter an irresistible danger, Nagato's Rinnegan would surely erupt. After all, Uchiha Madara was a master schemer; having laid out Nagato as such an important piece, he would never have failed to consider protecting his safety.

Because the other youths did not understand Nagato's eyes, Yuehua Ai's envy of the Rinnegan was something they could not comprehend.

Unfortunately, Yuehua Ai was just an ordinary person; the idea of transplanting the Rinnegan was nothing but a delusion.

Born in an obscure village in the Land of Rivers, he was not a reincarnation of Indra or Asura. He possessed neither the Sage Body nor the Sage Eyes, let alone any special Kekkei Genkai. It was questionable whether any of his ancestors eight generations back had even been a ninja.

Given his current environment, he was just a brat lacking ability and unable to rely on anyone. Though he had some knowledge of the future, it was useless. But at least he had Nagato by his side. Even if he didn't have the Rinnegan, being near Nagato and benefiting from his protection was a great way to ensure his own survival.

Therefore, Yuehua Ai always felt particularly at ease when following the group, and he even made various plans for the future. After all, with an ultimate weapon like Nagato by his side, it would be a disservice to fate if he didn't reap some benefits.

Yes, a weapon. Initially, in Yuehua Ai's eyes, Nagato was merely a weapon that could protect him. When planning his path, he had even calculated the possibility of using the knowledge from his past life to seize the Rinnegan.

Companions? Sorry, but whether in his past life or this one, the concept of "companions" held no meaning to him. Just like the only friend he had in his previous life, who had provided him with childhood memories and friendship—as time passed, their life experiences and differences grew. Without a shared language or the binding of mutual interests, they were destined to be two intersecting lines that, after crossing, would drift further and further apart on their own paths.

As for the trio of Yahiko, Yuehua Ai rarely interacted with them after joining, because in his view, they were just ignorant children—naive and simple.

Yahiko, who cared for his companions and was optimistic and proactive—though he had grand ambitions, he was ultimately just a child who, upon finding a kunai, couldn't help but want to play ninja games. Moreover, he was destined to be a pitiful sacrifice; in the scripted play, his only value was to serve as the Deva Path for Nagato's Six Paths.

Then there was Konan. Yuehua Ai held special feelings for her.

Although his experiences had made him somewhat indifferent, he was not a heartless person. Konan had not only saved his life but had also opened the door to his destiny.

A love for beautiful things is something no one can avoid. As for girls, although Yuehua Ai had never had a real girlfriend in his previous life, he had encountered many, and there were several he had liked.

Though he liked them—perhaps even loved them—he could not offer them a future in his past life, so he could only watch them silently. His simple view of love had changed due to long-term suppression, shifting from initial devotion to indifference. The only thing that hadn't changed was his heart, which loved beauty and appreciated it.

Although Konan was only a teenage girl, she was pretty and cute, and had grown into a charming young woman. Yuehua Ai was naturally inclined to like cute girls, let alone an angel who had saved his life.

Yuehua Ai's affection for Konan was very complex: it was a fondness for a friend, an appreciation for a young girl's beauty, gratitude toward a savior, and a sense of doting like one would for a younger sister. There were so many complex emotions that, in the end, he found it hard to describe his feelings for her.

Though he couldn't describe it, Yuehua Ai knew he liked being with her. And given the chance to spend time with a girl, who would want to go find rough men—oh, rough boys—like Yahiko and Nagato?