Land of Rain~
Fuma jogged leisurely along the border, like a lion patrolling its territory.
He expanded his [Predator's Malice] domain to the maximum, and a faint, drizzling blood mist covered the ground, meticulously probing every living being's chakra.
On his shoulder, however, there was a vacuum zone devoid of any blood mist, where a cute little girl was sitting obediently with her legs crossed.
Fuma squinted his eyes, feeling a slight sense of disappointment.
"I didn't expect to find Konan when I intended to directly seize Nagato's Rinnegan."
He glanced at the adorable young Konan and consoled himself, thinking this journey wasn't entirely in vain.
"Well, it's still a gain. Nawaki is currently researching explosive tags, and now we've got a future master."
"If Nawaki can't seize this opportunity, he can't blame his brother-in-law for not finding him a wife."
This was already Fuma's third round around the Land of Rain, and the Rain Ninja forces had been so terrified that they didn't dare to cross the border.
After all, the blood mist filled with malice was far too conspicuous, and Hanzo was extremely wary of him, especially since Fuma was not afraid of poison.
Hanzo had clearly informed the Sand Ninja that if Fuma wasn't being held up on other battlefields, he would never take action.
Affected by Fuma, the Rain Ninja had set up an impenetrable defensive formation, leaving Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya speechless.
Even though Fuma repeatedly emphasized Hanzo's might, the three of them still looked forward to facing him.
After all, this was the first major battle where the Sarutobi team fought against a nation, and in their minds, their team was unbeatable by Hanzo.
Because of this, Tsunade had already contacted Fuma, expressing her slight dissatisfaction.
"If you don't help them attack the Rain Ninja, then retract your blood mist. Don't be so high-profile and disrupt their battle plans."
Feeling his blood mist retract, Fuma still didn't sense any high-level special chakra and had no choice but to stop his plan to seize the Rinnegan.
He originally thought he could use his foresight to complete the first strike on Uchiha Madara before Black Zetsu, but it turned out to be wishful thinking.
"It shouldn't be like this. Nagato should have the Rinnegan by now. I remember he revealed it when his parents were killed."
"Was it transplanted during the war? No, it should have been replaced at birth, otherwise, Nagato's parents would have discovered it."
"So, he should have it... How could this be?"
Fuma racked his brain, thinking about where things went wrong.
As a man who pursued extreme violence in taijutsu but was very steady at heart, he didn't want Nagato to grow up like this.
Even though he didn't practice dojutsu, he firmly believed in his path of taijutsu, but who would want to let such a treasure slip away?
Aiming to become the freest man in the ninja world, Fuma had no interest in following the plot.
Now that he was here and possessed deep blue chakra and a golden finger, he had to carve out his own story.
Besides, he was living quite comfortably in the ninja world and might get married and have children in the future.
Leaving such a hidden danger would only create trouble for himself.
Moreover, Nagato was just an eight or nine-year-old child and didn't need to bear the burden of the Rinnegan.
As a legitimate Uchiha descendant with a noble lineage, it was his duty to help his old senior safeguard this precious pair of eyes.
But now, his plans had fallen through, leading him to deeply question his youth, feeling a rare sense of gloom.
After all, when he was a kid, he scrubbed floors for a month just to buy a comic book.
Actually, Fuma hadn't misremembered. Uchiha Madara indeed gave Nagato the Rinnegan before the Second Shinobi War.
He had simply forgotten a variable and underestimated himself. Uchiha Madara had always been watching him, even slightly wary of him.
...........
Two years ago, at the border of Konoha.
"Nagato, come help mom carry the vegetables. These are good things bought from Konoha. I'll make you some meat tonight!"
"Okay!"
A warm family of three carried baskets full of vegetables, basking in the evening sun, walking home hand in hand.
His father was a doctor from the Land of Rain, named Ise. His mother was from the Uzumaki clan, named Fusane. She had beautiful red hair and was an excellent cook.
Nagato looked at his family with joy, feeling incredibly content at this moment.
Little did he know, a nightmare was about to descend in the next second.
"Boom—!"
With a loud bang, a fierce Great Fireball suddenly appeared, engulfing the family of three.
The sudden appearance of Konoha ninjas had inexplicably killed his parents. Nagato himself was gravely injured and on the brink of death.
In his dying moments, Nagato barely opened his eyes, remembering the scene he would never forget.
A bearded ninja and a tall, thin Konoha ninja were chatting and smoking while slitting his parents' throats.
Their casual demeanor was as if they were shopping for meat at the market just like Nagato's family earlier.
"Ah, that Uchiha guy isn't taking contracts anymore. My special jonin problem isn't resolved yet, it's really frustrating."
"Yeah, well, it can't be helped. Elder Danzo already hinted that we shouldn't go too far. We are ninjas, after all."
"Hmph, you're a special jonin now. You get 10% more commission for each mission, right? Nice and comfy, huh?!"
"Well, whatever. The Elder also said to be lenient. These two Rain Country ninjas can be turned in as spies. The Elder will credit you for it."
"Yeah, and how did he become the Elder? As if everyone doesn't know. I hope he gives us civilian ninjas some breathing room."
Then, the two of them carried his parents and slowly walked away.
Nagato screamed in rage, but, burned by the fire, he couldn't make a sound. Overwhelmed by grief and fury, he passed out.
When he woke up again, he was in a dim cave.
An old man had saved him, surrounded by a group of white creatures.
Nagato thanked the old man, but he said it wasn't necessary, that it was his duty, part of his destiny.
This old man was Uchiha Madara.
All of this was Madara's plan. He used the Sharingan to provoke the greed of these two Konoha ninjas, forcibly creating this tragedy.
Having awakened the Rinnegan, Madara was already very old, only able to sustain his life through the Gedo Statue, hiding underground.
To pass the time and select his "successor," he had always been watching the significant events involving the Uchiha through White Zetsu.
In the past two years, Madara began to focus on Fuma, initially dismissing him as mere entertainment, but later being shocked by his rapid growth, deeply regretting for Fuma.
He should have been his best successor, without the Sharingan but with a body more akin to the Sage of Six Paths.
After observing for two or three years, Madara saw Fuma's resilience, perseverance, greed, and even his love for the world, along with his formidable strength that was not yet fully developed.
What impressed him the most was Fuma's deep-seated desire for power.
From the age of twenty, he saw Fuma repeatedly enduring powerful ninjutsu with his body and even leaping off cliffs hundreds of times to strengthen his physique.
As a legendary hero from the Warring States period, Madara had a keen eye for people and extensive knowledge, but he had never seen such a scene.
For someone capable of such madness, Madara was convinced that if he followed his original plan and let Nagato roam the ninja world, he could only hope Nagato would not encounter this clan member of his.
If they did meet, he would bet his bond with Hashirama that Nagato would definitely have his eyes taken by Fuma.
Facing such an outstanding clansman, Madara sometimes felt a tinge of regret, thinking he should have guided or killed him earlier.
However, Nagato couldn't be abandoned. He was the vessel Madara had White Zetsu search for years, possessing the excellent bloodlines of the Senju and Uzumaki clans, with outstanding potential.
In his estimation, Nagato could fully wield the power of two Rinnegan, unleashing terrifying might.
To prevent any mishap, Madara had staged a drama before the war, securing Nagato's loyalty.
Due to Fuma's sudden rise and Madara's caution, Nagato ended up experiencing Obito's storyline.
At this moment, Fuma was listening to Konan's story, while Madara was explaining his understanding of the ninja world and war to Nagato.
The two who were supposed to rely on each other were taken away by two Uchiha, embarking on different lives.
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