Reborn in the Shinobi World with an Arceus Inside

"Nagato, wake up!"

Yahiko's voice pulled Nagato from his sleep. He stared at the unfamiliar walls around him, and it took a long moment for him to remember that he was no longer in his warm home, nor was he in a cold, dark cave.

It had been three days since he and Yahiko had arrived at this place called Spark Sanctuary.

Honestly, life here was so much better than it had been when they were wandering.

At the very least, they had a home that could shelter them from the wind and rain, and they no longer had to worry about food every day. He and Yahiko currently shared a room; it was small, but it was warm enough.

"Hey, Nagato, what are you still spacing out for? Hurry up and get outside, or we'll miss breakfast!" Yahiko said, vigorously rubbing Nagato's face until he finally snapped out of it.

"Oh, okay," Nagato nodded, and the two of them ran out the door together.

They went down the stairs and along a long corridor, arriving at the first-floor dining hall. By this time, many people were already seated properly at the tables.

"Yahiko, Nagato, you two are late again!"

The speaker was an elderly woman with somewhat graying hair. Her name was Granny Rong, and she was in charge of this place. The others were all children under the age of twelve, and Yahiko and Nagato weren't even the youngest. According to Yahiko, they were all orphans who had lost their parents.

For some reason, Nagato felt a flicker of secret joy. It was as if he and Yahiko were no longer outcasts; so many others were just like them. But that feeling was followed by a wave of sadness. He missed his mom and dad.

At least I have Yahiko.

Nagato watched as Yahiko sidled up to Granny Rong, fawning over her until she was roaring with laughter. Several of the older girls also spoke up for Yahiko. Nagato couldn't help but marvel, Yahiko is amazing.

"Alright, alright, I'll let it slide this time. Be earlier next time, okay? You can't keep everyone waiting," Granny Rong said, with an expression that clearly meant, what am I going to do with you?

"Yes, ma'am!" the two boys replied, scurrying back to their seats.

"Let's begin the pre-meal ritual. Everyone, follow my lead."

"Yes!"

Granny Rong clasped her hands together in front of her chest, closed her eyes, and began to speak slowly. "War is merciless; it gives us pain…"

"War is merciless; it gives us pain…" the children mimicked her posture and repeated her words.

"The Sanctuary is compassionate; it gives us peace. We must protect this hard-won peace, by conserving food, by working hard, and by starting anew every morning!"

Listening to Yahiko shout the words beside him, Nagato felt a surge of motivation. He never wanted to live a life of displacement again. He wanted to live happily here, with everyone.

When the ritual was done, Granny Rong opened her eyes and said with a smile, "And of course, we must thank Lord Kaito. If not for him, none of us would be sitting here."

"Thank you, Lord Kaito!"

"Very good. Come on, children, eat up. You need to be full to have the strength to work."

"Yes!"

Nagato happily took a sip of his rice porridge, then picked up a piece of bread and took a small bite.

Suddenly, Yahiko handed him half a piece of bread. "Here, for you. You're too skinny, you have to eat more."

"I-I don't need it. You eat it."

"I'm giving it to you, so just take it." Yahiko stuffed the half-piece into Nagato's hand, then wolfed down his own half, quickly finished his porridge, and jumped off his chair. "Granny Rong, I'm done! I'm off to work!"

"Hey, what's the rush? No one's forcing you!"

"I just can't wait to contribute to the sanctuary!" Yahiko said with a grin. He waved at Nagato and disappeared through the door.

Nagato bit his lip and stuffed the bread into his mouth. He had to get stronger. He couldn't let Yahiko's kindness go to waste.

After breakfast came work time.

The jobs assigned to the orphanage were all relatively light, and the tasks for the youngest, Yahiko and Nagato, were the easiest of the easy. They were either sent to help Shiori with inventory or assigned to lookout duty on the third floor of the tower.

Shiori was gentle and beautiful, and Nagato liked her the most. In his mind, she was like a mother to him.

But he preferred lookout duty because he could use the binoculars to see the entire sanctuary. It was a fascinating new perspective. The only bad part was that during his watch, he would always run into the sanctuary's actual leader—Lord Kaito.

For some reason, he felt a little afraid whenever he saw Lord Kaito. It made him want to run away, even though Lord Kaito was just as gentle with him as Shiori was.

"Nagato, why do you keep looking at me?" Kaito asked, puzzled. "Do I look strange?"

"N-no," Nagato said quietly. Now that the two of them were alone, his unease grew stronger.

Is Nagato afraid of me? That doesn't make any sense. I'm so approachable; kids usually love playing with me, Kaito mused, rubbing his chin. Could it be… the Rinnegan is warning him?

Over the past two days, he had confirmed that Nagato did indeed possess the Rinnegan, and he was debating how to handle those eyes.

That old fossil Madara is no threat for now. Even if I destroyed the Rinnegan right here, he couldn't stop me. He could sense a White Zetsu lurking nearby with his Aura, but with its combat power, it was negligible. But tearing down the facade now would only scare the cowardly old man away. It would be better to wait for the right opportunity to eliminate his main body; there was still plenty of time before his resurrection, anyway.

When it came to schemers lurking in the shadows, Kaito's policy was to eliminate them without hesitation, lest they ruin his plans. As for Nagato, he was just the perfect vessel, left here to grow and serve his purpose.

Having made his decision, the killing intent Kaito felt toward the Rinnegan subsided. He walked over, patted Nagato's head, and said, "Come on, it's almost time for lunch."

"Oh." Nagato lowered his head, the unease in his heart inexplicably lessened.

Lunch was the moment all the children looked forward to the most, because there would be meat.

Everyone gathered in the indoor plaza, which had been converted from an old warehouse, and stared expectantly at Kaito, who stood on a raised platform.

Looking down at the sea of heads below, Kaito announced loudly, "Today we're having deer meat! As usual, those with higher contribution points will receive more meat. Now, let's begin the distribution!"

At his command, the plaza erupted into a frenzy. However, under the strict system of rewards and punishments, they had learned to be orderly. They formed long lines, waiting one by one for the deer meat to be placed in their bowls. The children had a special line and were the first to receive their portions.

Once everyone had been served, Kaito held up the carcass and declared in a deep voice, "May the sanctuary prosper, and may we have meat to eat every day!"

"WOOO!"

Nagato gnawed on the meat in his bowl, savoring the rare delicacy with a heart full of contentment.

"Nagato, if we want to eat delicious meat like this every day, we have to work hard!" Yahiko said, licking the juices from his fingers, still wanting more.

"Yeah!"

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