The Origin of the Rinnegan, The Chosen Child!

Nagato gazed out the window at the night view of Konoha. Thousands of lights flickered in the darkness; there were no explosions, no screams, only the chirping of summer insects and laughter drifting from afar.

"Is it true that there will never be war here?"

Qi Luna's heart tightened, and he couldn't help but think of the future from the original story.

Setting aside Orochimaru's Konoha Crush Plan, the invasion by Pain was something you carried out yourself...

However, Qi Luna didn't show anything on his face. He walked over to Nagato's side and patted his head.

"I cannot guarantee it will always be this way, but the original intention behind founding Konoha Village was to end the endless slaughter of the Era of War and to provide a place where children could grow up carefree and happy. The First Hokage and the predecessors of Konoha paid a tremendous price to exchange for this precious peace."

Nagato's Rinnegan flickered with a faint light under the moonlight. "If... if people in other places also wanted to have this kind of peace?"

Qi Luna didn't know how to answer for a moment.

Just then, the door was gently knocked, and Uzumaki Mito's voice came from outside: "Qi Luna, come out for a moment. I have something to tell you."

They walked together to the courtyard, where a pale golden chakra rippled outward, silently unfolding a sound-dampening barrier. Looking at the koi in the pond, Uzumaki Mito got straight to the point: "That child's eyes are not natural, are they?"

"I suppose I couldn't hide it from you after all..." Qi Luna offered a bitter smile.

"We of the Uzumaki Clan have a strong ability to perceive chakra; you should know that well yourself, shouldn't you? Combined with the Nine-Tails' chakra and the experience I have gained over these many years, I can feel a strangely familiar aura emanating from his eyes."

"That's right. Those eyes were transplanted onto Nagato by someone else. They likely took a fancy to Nagato's constitution and are using him to nurture them..."

Qi Luna let out a deep sigh, voicing his sorrowful "speculation."

Uzumaki Mito tossed a few fish pellets into the pond, her chakra tracing six ripples on the water's surface.

"The Rinnegan is the bloodline limit of the Sage of Six Paths and should not appear on an ordinary person. But those eyes were not only forcibly grafted, there are also traces of a binding curse seal within them..."

"It is like trying to force the ocean into a stream..."

Footsteps echoed from the corridor along the edge of the courtyard; it was Kushina dragging a sleepy-eyed Yahiko toward the restroom.

The two remained silent, listening to the footsteps slowly fade away, while the atmosphere within the barrier grew increasingly heavy.

"How much time does he have left?"

"I don't know."

Uzumaki Mito took an ancient bamboo scroll from her sleeve.

"According to the ancient records of the Uzumaki Clan, the Rinnegan has never appeared on anyone other than the Sage of Six Paths. However, judging from Nagato's condition, it is not hard to see that the Rinnegan is gradually devouring the child's life force. For him to grow up safely, he would have to be the reincarnation of the Sage of Six Paths, or perhaps his descendant!"

The night breeze brushed against their sleeves, stirring their flowing red hair. Under the moonlight, Qi Luna heard his own heart pounding violently.

Why is the situation even worse than in the original story? Is this the butterfly effect I triggered? In this life, Nagato might not even be able to grow up safely...

"Should I tell the Hokage?" Qi Luna asked, knowing the answer.

"No."

Uzumaki Mito's voice was exceptionally clear in the moonlight.

"If the Monkey and his lot find out, they will only turn Nagato into a cold-blooded weapon!"

Uzumaki Mito reached out and pressed her hand onto Qi Luna's shoulder. "There are only two things you must do now!"

The moonlight scattered across their faces, illuminating the red slit pupils in Uzumaki Mito's eyes.

"I will take responsibility for resolving the curse seal in Nagato's eyes, and you..."

"First, from now on, you are responsible for teaching him our Uzumaki Clan's sealing techniques. At the very least, he must learn how to suppress his rampaging chakra."

"Second, you must spend more time with him and use the Yang-attribute Nine-Tails chakra I gave you to resist and neutralize the erosion of the Rinnegan."

Qi Luna looked down at his own hands. Without any prophecy resting on his shoulders, was he truly worthy of being entrusted with a secret capable of overturning the Ninja World?

"Why choose me? Whether it is the Nine-Tails jinchuriki or Nagato's Rinnegan, why did you choose me, Grandmother?"

"I had my hesitations about you at first, until you told Kushina that Nagato and the others are our family."

Uzumaki Mito smiled, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes hiding a calmness that saw through fate.

"Just as you asked Nagato back then, it was 'Are you willing to come with me?' rather than 'Become my power'!"

At the corner of the corridor outside the nearby room, a pair of ripple-patterned eyes slowly opened, then silently closed.

Qi Luna remained silent for a long time, tears streaming down his face.

"But, I don't want you to leave, Grandmother..."

Uzumaki Mito was stunned, and after a long while, she let out a soft laugh.

"People always have their time of birth, aging, sickness, and death. Before I leave, I can still protect you all one last time. Qi Luna should be happy for me instead~"

Uzumaki Mito reached out and gently rested her palm on Qi Luna's shoulder. Her voice was like a gentle breeze on a summer night, always giving off a tender feeling.

"But..." Qi Luna started, then stopped.

Uzumaki Mito shook her head gently. "There are no 'buts.' This is the best arrangement. I believe that Qi Luna will protect Nagato well, will protect our family well, and will also protect Konoha."

Qi Luna bit his lip and nodded firmly. "I understand, Grandmother."

Just then, a rush of footsteps came from outside the barrier. It was Kushina, running over with an anxious look on her face. "Grandmother, Qi Luna, it's bad! Nagato has suddenly fainted!"

Qi Luna and Uzumaki Mito exchanged a glance and immediately followed Kushina as she rushed into the room.

Nagato lay on the bed, his face deathly pale, his forehead beaded with cold sweat, and his body trembling slightly.

Uzumaki Mito stepped forward immediately to examine him, her brows furrowed tight:

"The original owner of the Rinnegan is activating his contingency. The power of the Rinnegan within him will soon spiral out of control; we must suppress it at once!"

Qi Luna took a deep breath and immediately joined Uzumaki Mito, channeling Yang-natured Nine-Tails chakra into Nagato's body according to the method she had taught him.

Gradually, a hint of color returned to Nagato's face, and his breathing steadied.

"It seems we don't have much time left; we must accelerate our plans," Uzumaki Mito said gravely.

Qi Luna clenched her fists, swearing to herself:

Old Man Madara! You dare to make Nagato suffer so much, and force Grandma Mito to depart so many years earlier than in the original story? You had better pray you never fall into my hands, or I will make sure you learn the true meaning of cruelty!

Supplementary Note:

In the original story, Kushina became the jinchuriki at around fifteen years old. However, because of the need to resolve the curse seal Madara left on Nagato's Rinnegan, and because she diverted some Nine-Tails chakra to Qi Luna, Uzumaki Mito's physical state is now worse than it was in the original work, forcing the Nine-Tails jinchuriki transfer ceremony to be moved up.