Rudeus Uchiha in jobless reincarnation

Back in the ninja world, during the Fourth Great Ninja War...

Otsutsuki Kaguya had finally been sealed by Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha, just as had been planned. Everything seemed to be going according to destiny.

In the Valley of the End, Sasuke faced Naruto, who was pleading with him to return to Konoha for judgment.

Sasuke sneered. "Naruto, did you know? I've seen all of these endings long before they happened."

"Whether it's the Uchiha massacre or everyone's fates, I've already witnessed them all. Even though some tragedies were unavoidable, this life... this life has still been fulfilling." Sasuke covered his left eye, where the Rinnegan resided, and smiled freely.

He knew it didn't matter if anyone believed him because it felt so good to reveal his grand plan at the last moment.

"To open the Rinnegan, I started preparing when I was only four years old. I put myself at risk, deceived the Sage of the Six Paths, and finally obtained the power to awaken it."

"For this day, I befriended people, followed Itachi's plan to obtain the Mangekyo Sharingan, and broke through every shackle that bound me. You... you were never the protagonist. You're just a fool lost in your own world, shouting about mutual understanding."

Naruto, serious as ever, replied: "Are you still chasing after that dream of unification? That's impossible. Ever since we became friends, you've been going on about it, but it's a pipe dream. Why do you cling to it so desperately? Can't you protect Konoha instead?"

"I believe in the power of love. I believe love can bring peace. Even if we die, love will endure, passed down through generations!"

Sasuke chuckled bitterly, covering his eye. "Naruto, you've been brainwashed by the Hokage's ideals. You don't understand. War is far from over, and your so-called peace is no more stable than the peace Senju Hashirama tried to create. True peace only comes from revolution and unification. A world under a single rule, that's the only way to lasting peace!"

"Love, you say? Don't forget, Naruto, you resurrected Uchiha Mikoto! I watched Itachi stab her three times, all to protect this broken village! Some things... aren't meant to be forgiven."

"But enough. Now, I will become the new Sage of the Six Paths. After I've finished everything, I'll bring you and the innocent casualties back to life, so you can see what true peace looks like."

In a burst of smoke, Sasuke summoned several coffins—Edo Tensei summons. Chakra-restoring items, ancient relics, and puppets that were immune to the Infinite Tsukuyomi appeared around him. All the power he had gathered in secret over the years was now ready.

His subordinates had already fallen under the control of the Infinite Tsukuyomi, but now, against Naruto, his last remaining opponent, he would fight with everything he had.

"I'll see you soon, my friend. After I finish this, I'll claim the Nine-Tails from your body."

"I won't let that happen, Sasuke. I'll bring you back, even if I have to break all your limbs!"

Their fierce battle erupted in the Valley of the End once again.

When Sasuke plunged the Kusanagi sword into Naruto's heart and gathered the power of all the tailed beasts, he finally broke free of the Sage of the Six Paths' influence. His Rinnegan fully awakened, and he stood at the pinnacle of power—almost.

But then, a white arm pierced through his chest from behind.

Sasuke's eyes widened in disbelief. "Sage of the Six Paths... how do you have a physical body...?"

"Did you think you were the only one with a backup plan? This is the closest to peace I've seen in thousands of years," the Sage's voice echoed in his mind.

And just like that, Sasuke's dream shattered.

Sasuke, now Rudy, woke to the cries of a baby.

"Damn that old Sage... he attacked me when I was at my strongest, when I had finally become the Six Paths. One day... I'll return and reclaim everything that was mine."

A year passed in the world of Jobless Reincarnation.

Rudy, now a toddler, had begun to regain some control over his body and could sense a tiny amount of chakra within himself.

"I was once on the verge of becoming the Six Paths, on par with the Sage of the Six Paths, though not quite on the level of Kaguya Otsutsuki."

"I still don't know what method the Sage used to defeat me. Perhaps he didn't kill me but sealed or exiled me, like Kaguya."

"That explains why my Rinnegan reincarnated with me, along with the chakra of the Nine Tails and the tailed beasts."

Rudy crawled across the floor towards a spellbook lying on a table.

He knew this world well enough—he'd read the original web novel back in his previous life. Though some of those memories had faded, the important ones were slowly returning.

"I've already mastered the language of this world, but writing is tricky."

"Still, I need to understand the difference between magic and chakra as soon as possible. In any world, power is the most important thing."

Behind him, the maid, Lilia, watched in surprise as Rudy flipped through the pages of the spellbook.

Though he still harbored desires from his past life, Rudy no longer viewed the world with the same eyes as before. In this life, he was different.

"Master Rudy, don't sit on the floor. You'll catch a cold," Lilia said gently.