From a distance, Madara took notice of three children sitting by the lakeside, chatting idly while skipping stones across the water.
In a flash, his figure blurred—his speed as fast as lightning—as he appeared before them in an instant.
Just as he was about to raise his hand and seize Nagato's eyes, his movement abruptly halted.
"…Hm?"
The Sharingan beneath Madara's bangs gleamed with curiosity as he let out a low murmur of interest while examining the trio.
"Who are you?"
The sudden appearance of a stranger caused Nagato and the others to stop talking at once. They tensed, alert and wary, a hint of regret flashing in their eyes.
They had just returned from a reincarnator mission and were discussing details of the task with Konan—who hadn't participated—when this man appeared out of nowhere and caught them mid-conversation.
The Lord God strictly forbade leaking any reincarnation-related information to outsiders. If this man had overheard them, wouldn't that mean… they were facing Erasure?
But since no punishment had come from the Lord God, perhaps… maybe he hadn't heard much?
They were about to find out just how naive that hope was.
"You were chosen by that guy too?"
Madara, far more experienced than these recently trained newcomers, spoke in a way that, to normal ears, meant nothing—but to another reincarnator, the implication was clear.
Interesting. Incredibly interesting.
Madara studied the three of them with growing amusement. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
So he wasn't the only one selected by this mysterious "Lord God." Even weaklings like these had been granted the title of reincarnator. What kind of tasks could they possibly complete? Could they truly survive against real powerhouses without being instantly annihilated?
His original plan had been simple: retrieve his Rinnegan and leave without wasting a second.
But now, with such intriguing variables in play… how could he resist digging deeper?
The young trio glanced at one another, visibly shaken by the man's words.
He was a reincarnator too?
No wonder they hadn't been erased. The person who overheard their conversation was also one of them.
Realizing just how close they'd come to death, all three broke into a cold sweat.
When no answer came, Madara frowned slightly.
Then—his spiritual pressure flared.
In an instant, Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan felt as though they'd been hurled into an abyss of suffering—surrounded by mountains of corpses and oceans of blood. It felt as though a boulder was crushing their souls, choking off their breath.
The illusion came as fast as it went, vanishing in a blink.
Yet even after it faded, the dread it left behind was carved deeply into their minds.
They slowly lifted their heads, gazing at Madara in fear.
Defying this man meant death.
"Answer me."
The command came in a calm, almost indifferent voice.
Yahiko swallowed hard, feeling like he was face-to-face with a primeval beast. His legs trembled.
"We… we were also chosen by the Lord God to become reincarnators… Are you, um, a senior reincarnator too?"
"Naturally."
Madara replied flatly, then pressed them further.
"How exactly were you chosen by that guy? Did you meet anyone unusual before that? What kinds of missions have you done, what enemies have you faced? Which worlds have you entered? Speak—word for word, nothing left out."
"We…"
Yahiko hesitated, instinctively wanting to hold some things back.
But the moment Madara's Sharingan swept over him, his resolve collapsed. He spilled everything—down to the smallest detail.
Madara listened quietly, expression unreadable.
But inside, he was filled with questions. Rather than gaining clarity, the Lord God's behavior only became more shrouded in mystery.
Random recruitment? People of all strengths, ages, and villages? Entering any world, facing any enemy?
What exactly was the Lord God's goal?
Or rather… what even was the Lord God?
At this moment, Madara felt like the protagonist of a limitless survival novel, beginning to develop a deep wariness toward the unknown entity pulling the strings.
Watching all this unfold from afar, Nawaki smirked slightly, feeling a touch of pride.
He had anticipated this outcome.
He knew these restless types would eventually dig into the Lord God's identity, which was why he'd taken precautions from the start—layering deception after deception.
Who would ever suspect that a lowly chunin was the one behind the entire reincarnation system?
Sure, there were probably some flaws in his cover story.
But in the world of Naruto, how many true intellectuals were there? Most either worshipped strength, relied on cheat-like growth, or shouted their way through battle…
For now, no one would uncover Nawaki's identity.
By the time any real geniuses entered the Lord God System, he would have already patched every leak. In a world of asymmetrical information, even they wouldn't figure it out.
Take Madara right now—his face was full of confusion.
"Speaking of which… my reincarnator method allows participants to meet in reality. What if senior reincarnators start bullying the rookies in the real world? Should I add a rule forbidding such actions outside of missions?"
Nawaki mulled it over—then chuckled.
He wasn't their babysitter. That was their own problem to solve.
Either form alliances with the strong, or exchange points for concealment tools in the system… it wasn't his job to protect them.
If someone got themselves killed, then so be it.
Anyone that dumb had no place becoming a true powerhouse anyway.
---
Meanwhile.
As Yahiko finished recounting everything, he glanced nervously at Uchiha Madara.
All three of them were now steeped in regret.
They had been far too careless. Despite knowing they weren't the only reincarnators out there, they'd still openly discussed sensitive information out in the open… and now their identities had been exposed. Rookie mistake.
And who knew if this "senior" reincarnator was the murderous type…
After a long silence, Madara finally spoke in a flat tone.
"Not bad. Since you were so cooperative, I won't kill you."
…So he really had considered it!
Yahiko and the others broke into another cold sweat—another brush with death.
"But from now on, after every mission you complete, you will report everything to me—every detail. No lies. No omissions."
Madara's lips curled slightly as he spoke.
Of course he wasn't going to kill them. Why waste such valuable pawns?
This world didn't revolve around him alone.
Hashirama's grandson. A girl from the Uzumaki clan. Even they had been chosen to become reincarnators.
Keeping these kids alive meant they could scout for him—track down other reincarnators and deliver useful intel.
Killing them would be a complete waste.