"No problem!"
Yahiko and the other two quickly nodded. Information? It didn't matter—what mattered was staying alive.
Yahiko couldn't help but feel a pang of grief deep down.
If only sensei were here...
A legendary Sannin like him could definitely defeat this man...
Far away in Mount Myōboku.
Having just returned from a Reincarnation Mission, Jiraiya was seated cross-legged on a rocky outcrop, immersed in his training to master Sage Mode. Suddenly, he sneezed.
"Huh? I wonder how Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan are doing... Once I finish this Sage training, I'll go check up on their progress."
He had no idea that, at that very moment, his three students were facing a terrifying figure.
Seeing how obedient the three kids were, Madara's lips curled into a faint smirk.
"Good. Next… it's time to reclaim what's mine."
Without another word, his right hand flashed out like lightning, swiping past Nagato's face.
A spray of blood burst into the air.
Before Yahiko and Konan could even react, they saw Madara's bloodstained fingers now holding two strange, purple eyes.
Beside him, Nagato's bright red bangs lifted in the wind, revealing terrifying bloody holes where his eyes had once been.
Only then did the pain nerves finally register the agony, sending a sharp jolt through his brain.
Nagato clutched at his face, collapsed to the ground, and let out a blood-curdling scream.
"AAAHHHHHH!"
Seeing Nagato kneeling, blood pouring between his fingers—
Yahiko and Konan froze for a few seconds.
Then, rage erupted from the base of their spines straight to their heads. Without hesitation, they turned red-eyed toward Madara, forgetting entirely how terrifying he was.
They drew kunai and shuriken, launching themselves at Madara with reckless fury.
It didn't matter how strong this man was. He had hurt their friend. That was unforgivable!
"To charge blindly at someone leagues beyond your level… That's not bravery. That's stupidity."
Madara spoke indifferently, not even lifting a hand.
His Sharingan spun, casually casting a genjutsu.
Mental pressure surged outward.
Yahiko and Konan's bodies froze in place, as if bound by invisible chains. No matter how hard they struggled, they couldn't take a single step forward.
Even under such a crushing presence, the two children glared at Madara, teeth clenched, eyes burning.
"Give Nagato's eyes back!"
"His eyes?"
Madara chuckled dismissively.
Then, without a change in expression, he reached up to his own eye.
With a slight pull, he gouged out the blood-red Sharingan.
Not even a twitch of pain.
He calmly placed the pair of purple, ripple-patterned eyes into his own sockets, replacing the voids.
Closing his eyes, he channeled chakra to connect the optic nerves and begin the healing process.
Even while transplanting eyes, Madara multitasked, speaking to the three kids beside him.
"The Rinnegan… One of the Three Great Dōjutsu. Known as the most supreme of all, capable of controlling life and death itself. With it, the wielder can use the legendary Six Paths abilities, just like the Sage of Six Paths once did…"
"Do you honestly believe eyes like that could awaken in just any child from the Uzumaki Clan?"
The procedure would take some time. Madara didn't mind explaining to these three—after all, he still hoped they could be of use.
"These Rinnegan were originally mine."
He spoke calmly.
In a few brief words, he described how he had transplanted the Rinnegan into Nagato long ago.
Yahiko and Konan were forced to listen, their faces twisted with fury.
So these eyes had always belonged to the man in front of them, only later implanted in Nagato?
Ridiculous!
If that were true, why did he give them away in the first place?
Madara had no intention of explaining further. He didn't think they were worth the trouble.
Beside them, Nagato's screams slowly faded.
By the time Madara finished speaking, Nagato finally struggled to his feet. Blood tears flowed from the corners of his closed eyes.
"I understand… If these eyes were truly yours, then you may take them back. Just—please keep your promise. Don't harm Yahiko or Konan."
Having endured such agony, Nagato seemed to have matured.
His voice was hoarse but steady, calm and composed.
"Nagato!" Yahiko and Konan called out, panicked. But they were silenced by the firm expression on Nagato's face.
All they could do was clench their fists, nails digging into their palms, drawing blood without realizing.
"A wise decision."
Madara opened his eyes.
The red Sharingan was now replaced by the mighty purple Rinnegan. The powerful surge of ocular power boosted his chakra many times over—far beyond the Sharingan.
Feeling the overwhelming energy surging through his eyes, Madara smiled slightly.
Izuna… Hashirama… Can you see?
Only with this power can true peace and justice be achieved…
Now that he had reclaimed the Rinnegan, Madara had no intention of lingering here.
After some thought, he used the points from his last mission to exchange for two items. He tossed one in front of the three kids and spoke calmly:
"This is a transponder snail from another world. The two of them are linked—you can use it to contact me. When you've gathered any information about that being… report to me."
A transponder snail.
A specialty from the One Piece world—a creature resembling a snail, used for long-distance communication. Its shell had built-in transceiver buttons.
Perhaps still holding a grudge, Madara had chosen this specific item among countless options. It caught his eye immediately during the reward exchange.
"We understand."
The mental bindings lifted, and Yahiko and Konan felt the weight leave their bodies.
Silently, they picked up the transponder snail.
Madara, of course, could tell they harbored deep hatred toward him.
But he didn't care. He was confident he could always control these children.
With a flicker, he vanished, leaving only a faint voice behind.
"My name is Uchiha Madara."
"Uchiha Madara? The legendary God of Shinobi who once stood beside the First Hokage?"
Murmuring the name, Yahiko's expression became complicated.
Hatred. Fear. Unwillingness.
But pushing those feelings aside, he quickly turned toward the blindfolded Nagato.
"Nagato, I still have some unused points—I'll use them to repair your eyes!"
"If it's not enough, I have some too," Konan said firmly, nodding in agreement.
Though blind, Nagato felt a warmth in his heart from his friends' words.
He nodded hard.
"Yeah!"