Nagato gazed out at Konoha's nighttime streets. Thousands of lights glittered beneath the dark sky. There were no explosions, no screams—only the chirping of summer insects and laughter drifting from afar.
"Will there really never be war here?"
Qi Luna's heart tightened as she couldn't help thinking of what the future held in the original story.
Never mind Orochimaru's Konoha Crush Plan. You were the one who personally carried out Pain's invasion...
But Qi Luna showed no sign of anything amiss. She walked over to Nagato and patted his head.
"I can't promise it'll always be this way. But Konoha was founded to put an end to the endless slaughter of the Era of War and give children a place where they can grow up carefree and happy. The First and the founders of Konoha paid a tremendous price to bring us this precious peace."
Nagato's Rinnegan glimmered faintly in the moonlight. "If... if people in other places wanted to have this kind of peace too, what then?"
Qi Luna didn't know how to answer.
Just then, someone gently knocked on the door. Uzumaki Mito's voice came from outside. "Qi Luna, come out for a moment. There's something I want to talk to you about."
The two walked into the courtyard. A pale golden wave of chakra rippled outward as a soundproof barrier silently formed. Looking at the koi in the pond, Uzumaki Mito got straight to the point. "That child's eyes weren't natural, were they?"
"I knew I couldn't hide it from you..." Qi Luna gave a wry smile.
"Our Uzumaki Clan has a strong ability to sense chakra. You should know that from experience. Add the Nine-Tails Chakra to all the years of experience your grandma has accumulated, and I can sense a strangely familiar presence in his eyes."
"That's right. Someone transplanted those eyes into Nagato. They probably chose him for his constitution and wanted him to nourish them..."
Qi Luna let out a deep sigh and voiced her sorrowful "guess."
Uzumaki Mito scattered a few fish pellets into the pond. Her chakra traced six ripples across the water.
"The Rinnegan is the Sage of Six Paths' bloodline ability. It shouldn't appear in an ordinary person. But those eyes weren't merely forcibly transplanted; there are traces of a binding Cursed Seal on them, too..."
"It's like stuffing the ocean into a stream..."
Footsteps sounded along the veranda by the courtyard. Kushina was dragging a sleepy Yahiko off to the bathroom.
The two listened in silence as the footsteps gradually faded, while the air inside the barrier grew heavier.
"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 in anyone besides the Sage of Six Paths. But Nagato's condition makes it easy to see that the Rinnegan is gradually consuming that child's life force. For him to grow up safely, he would have to be the Sage of Six Paths reincarnated—or one of his descendants!"
The night breeze brushed past their sleeves, stirring their flowing red hair. Beneath the moonlight, Qi Luna could hear her heart pounding.
Why is this worse than in the original story? Is this a butterfly effect I caused? This time, Nagato might not even grow up safely...
"Should I tell Lord Hokage?" Qi Luna asked, though she already knew the answer.
"No."
Uzumaki Mito's voice rang clear beneath the moonlight.
"If Monkey and the others find out, they'll turn Nagato into a heartless weapon!"
Uzumaki Mito placed a hand on Qi Luna's shoulder. "There are only two things you need to do now!"
Moonlight fell across their faces, illuminating the red slit pupils in Uzumaki Mito's eyes.
"I'll take care of the Cursed Seal in Nagato's eyes. As for you..."
"First, you'll be responsible for teaching him our Uzumaki Clan's Sealing Jutsu. At the very least, you must teach him how to suppress his rampaging chakra."
"Second, you need to spend more time with him. Use the Yang Release Nine-Tails Chakra I gave you to resist and counter the Rinnegan's erosion."
Qi Luna lowered her gaze to her hands. She hadn't been burdened with any prophecy. Did she really deserve to be entrusted with a secret powerful enough to overturn the Ninja World?
"Why did you choose me? Why me, when it comes to becoming the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki or helping Nagato with his Rinnegan? Why did Grandma choose me?"
"I still had my doubts about you at first. Then you told Kushina that Nagato and the others were our family."
Uzumaki Mito smiled. The wrinkles at the corners of her eyes held the calm of someone who had seen through fate.
"Just like when you asked Nagato, you asked, 'Would you like to come with me?' You didn't say, 'Become my strength!'"
Around the corner of the veranda outside the nearby room, a pair of ripple-patterned eyes slowly opened, then silently closed again.
Qi Luna remained silent for a long time. Tears trickled down her cheeks.
"But I don't want you to leave, Grandma..."
Uzumaki Mito froze. After a long moment, she gave a soft laugh.
"Everyone has to face birth, aging, sickness, and death. And before I go, I still get one last chance to watch over you all. You should be happy for Grandma, Qi Luna~"
Uzumaki Mito gently rested her hand on Qi Luna's shoulder. Her voice was like a soft summer breeze, always bringing a feeling of warmth.
"But..." Qi Luna hesitated.
Uzumaki Mito gently shook her head. "There's no 'but.' This is the best arrangement. Grandma believes you'll protect Nagato, your family, and Konoha."
Qi Luna bit her lip, then nodded firmly. "I understand, Grandma."
Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside the barrier. Kushina ran over with a worried look on her face. "Grandma, Qi Luna, something's wrong! Nagato suddenly fainted!"
Qi Luna and Uzumaki Mito exchanged a glance, then immediately followed Kushina into the room.
Nagato lay on the bed, his face pale and his forehead covered in cold sweat. His body was trembling slightly.
Uzumaki Mito hurried to examine him, her brows furrowing.
"The Rinnegan's original owner is making a move. The power of the Rinnegan inside him will soon run wild. We have to suppress it at once!"
Qi Luna took a deep breath and immediately joined Uzumaki Mito in slowly channeling Yang Release Nine-Tails Chakra into Nagato, following the method she had taught her.
Gradually, some color returned to Nagato's face, and his breathing steadied.
"It looks like we're running out of time. We need to hurry," Uzumaki Mito said gravely.
Qi Luna clenched her fists and swore to herself:
Old Man Madara! How dare you make Nagato suffer so much, and force Grandma Mito to leave years earlier than she did in the original story? You'd better pray you never fall into my hands. Otherwise, I'll show you what cruelty really means!
Additional note:
In the original story, Kushina became a Jinchuriki at around fifteen. But now, because Uzumaki Mito has to deal with the Cursed Seal Madara left on Nagato's Rinnegan, and because Kushina took some of the Nine-Tails Chakra for Qi Luna, Mito's health is worse than it was in the original story. The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki transfer ceremony will have to happen earlier.
Before you continue