Crack—
Nagato instinctively took a step back, only to accidentally snap a dry branch underfoot. His heart skipped a beat. Not good.
Uchiha Kaien had already turned his head toward the source of the sound. That one glance made Nagato panic even more, and a strong urge to flee surged up within him.
But Kaien had no intention of letting young Nagato slip away. He'd been waiting here long enough—he was waiting specifically for this moment.
Now that the target was right in front of him, Kaien's movements seemed slow at first but carried surprising speed. In the blink of an eye, he was standing before Nagato.
Even though his chakra had been sealed by that damned old man Madara, the stat boosts from the system were still very much in effect. Chakra or not, he could still fight.
Caught off guard, Nagato stumbled right into Kaien's arms, crashing into his chest like a fledgling bird returning to its nest.
"Oh my, little one. In such a rush, are we?"
The voice that followed was soft, lively, and clear as a bell. [False Voice] was finally proving its worth.
"I-I…"
[Affection from Nagato +1]
Nagato's brain just about short-circuited. He couldn't get a word out, his face turning a deep crimson—ears included. With that flaming red hair of his, he looked just like a tomato.
Actually… even more like a tomato now.
"Little Tomato, did you get lost?"
Kaien squatted down smoothly and patted Nagato's head, feeling quite pleased with himself.
He'd always been the one getting patted on the head. Finally, it was his turn. And he had to admit—giving head pats? Pretty satisfying.
As he crouched, the hem of his kimono brushed the ground and picked up some dirt and mud.
Nagato, still looking down, noticed the mud on the fabric. That little detail made everything feel more real—not just something his panicked mind had imagined.
"I'm not a tomato… I-I have a name. It's Nagato."
Timid by nature, this was the first time Nagato had ever felt compelled to push back against someone.
But the angel-like big sister in front of him felt so warm, so familiar. Like family. That comfort gave him a bit of courage.
Of course, that was the effect of [Affinity]. At such a close range, its impact was no joke.
"So your name's Nagato, huh? Still doesn't sound as cute as Tomato. How about this—I'll keep calling you Tomato until the day you can talk to me without blushing."
Kaien grinned, giving Nagato no chance to protest. Then he reached out and brushed aside the bangs covering Nagato's eyes.
What he saw filled Nagato's entire gaze—those concentric-ringed eyes.
How could a child's face accommodate a full-sized adult Rinnegan so seamlessly? Could the Rinnegan just resize itself to fit? Kaien was genuinely curious.
"Wow… Your eyes are really something special," he said, feigning surprise and acting like it was his first time seeing them. He rested his chin on his hand, pretending to ponder.
His smooth, fair fingers gently traced his chin, like someone trying to recall a distant memory.
The peaceful setting and the sudden appearance of this angelic girl made everything feel like a dream. What had started as an ordinary trip to the back hills had taken a surreal turn.
Nagato didn't know why his eyes looked different from other people's. When he told his parents, they'd just made him cover them with his bangs and said nothing more.
Everything had gone back to normal after that.
Or so it seemed.
That, of course, was thanks to Madara. Nagato's parents were ordinary civilians. A basic genjutsu to dull their perception was child's play for someone like him.
Even this seemingly random encounter had been carefully arranged under the illusion. Otherwise, how could Nagato just happen to get lost and then happen to run into Kaien?
"…Okay," Nagato mumbled.
Now that she'd responded to him, he wasn't so hung up on the Tomato nickname anymore. What really intrigued him now was who she actually was.
"Are you from Amegakure too, Angel?"
Angel?
Kaien's expression twitched. What kind of weird titles do people in this village come up with?
Still, he didn't press the issue. All he needed was to leave a lasting impression on the boy for future contact. The rest didn't matter.
His shamelessness—honed through plenty of trait training—let him brush off the strange nickname without a second thought.
"Me? I came from the moon," he said with a serene smile. "Just call me Tsuki."
"Actually, it was your eyes that drew me here."
"Those eyes… they're the eyes of a god. And you, because you possess them, have the potential to become a god. Understand, Little Tomato?"
Kaien kept a straight face as he spun the tale.
Children remember fairy tales better than anything else. So why not give him a fantasy he'd never forget—a fable that would stay with him for life?
"When the day comes that you've transformed into a god… I'll return to you."
Smiling, Kaien gave Nagato's head one last gentle pat. Then his figure began to shimmer, slowly fading out of sight.
His chakra had returned—meaning shinobi were nearby.
Time to disappear.
With his presence concealed and his mission here complete, Kaien melted into the mist with the Mist Concealment Technique, vanishing without a trace.
...
Now, it was time to deal with the incoming ninja.
Nagato still stood rooted in place, dazed, unsure if what had just happened was real.
God's eyes? What did that mean?
And that angel… Tsuki, was it?
"Nagato… Nagato…"
A familiar voice called out from nearby. Snapping out of his trance, Nagato turned—Mom!
He ran toward her voice, picking up speed.
Only the faint scent lingering in his hair reminded him that what he'd seen wasn't just a dream.
...
"Amegakure shinobi?"
Kaien, still clad in a kimono, eyed the small squad of Ame-nin in front of him with mild curiosity.
How had they found him?
Did that old man Madara send them?
Still… were these few nobodies really meant to test him?
"A kid?"
The leading Ame-nin let out a breath of relief. The sudden commotion in the hills had set them on edge. With war on the horizon, the patrols around Amegakure had become much more aggressive. Any suspicious activity immediately put them on alert.
But seeing only a harmless-looking little girl before them, their tension eased.
Must've been nerves, the squad leader thought.
"Get home quickly, kid. It's dangerous out here."
"Dangerous?"
Kaien tilted his head slightly, a pleasant smile on his face.
"Oh, it's definitely dangerous. But the ones in danger…"
"…are you."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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