This person is indeed Madara.
However, he wasn't sitting on the wooden chair he usually crafted, using the power of the Divine Tree to sustain his life activities.
Although his body was withered, he stood firmly on the ground with his own strength and came before Nagato.
He opened his mouth to Nagato and said, "If you're looking for that blue-haired little girl, she's sleeping in the room inside. I haven't done anything to her."
Nagato opened his mouth, unsure of what to say for a moment.
He saw the Sharingan revealed by Madara, and his expression immediately tightened. He quickly gathered chakra, intending to release some ninja technique.
The Sharingan, a Kekkeigenkai possessed only by the Uchiha Race of Konoha.
"I advise you not to move now. Your body is in a bad state, and general medical ninjutsu can't heal you. Moreover, I am not your enemy. Like you, I am also a pitiful person in search of peace, unable to attain it."
Madara's voice was not loud, but it carried a mesmerizing allure.
Nagato fell silent, and after a while, he asked, "Who are you?"
"The soul of the Uchiha... Uchiha Madara."
Upon hearing Madara's words, Nagato widened his eyes in shock.
Madara... Uchiha Madara?
What is this person talking about?
Didn't Madara die decades ago as a legendary ninja?
And wasn't he defeated by the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama?
"Are you joking with me?"
Nagato showed a look of anger on his face.
Holding a candle emitting a faint glow in his hand, Madara said unhurriedly, "I'm not joking with you. Back then, I indeed lost to Senju Hashirama, but it was a meticulously calculated plot to gain greater power, an action taken out of necessity."
"Greater power?"
Nagato asked instinctively.
"Precisely your pair of Rinnegan."
Madara's calm voice sounded.
"..." Sitting there, Nagato was dumbfounded, his mouth widely agape, taking a long time to close it, then sighed while feeling a headache, saying, "What benefit is there in deceiving someone like me? Or do you think I truly won't kill you?"
Nagato's Rinnegan emitted a cold killing intent.
Madara ignored Nagato's killing intent and answered leisurely, "If you were really the original owner of the Rinnegan, then why do you experience various discomforts when using the Rinnegan? For instance, the Gedo Statue."
"You!"
Nagato's expression changed slightly.
What Madara said was true. Although he mastered the Rinnegan, it wasn't as easy to use as imagined.
Every time he used the Rinnegan's pupil techniques, it required consuming chakra far beyond the jutsu itself.
However, to use this explanation to prove the Rinnegan wasn't his property seemed a bit far-fetched.
Nonetheless, if what Madara said was true, a doubt arose immediately in Nagato's mind.
"If the Rinnegan is yours, why would you implant such precious eyes into me?"
"Don't you understand by looking at this form of mine? Compared to your youthful body, the burden of the Rinnegan is even heavier on mine. You, with the body of the Uzumaki Clan, can endure to some extent the side effects brought by the Rinnegan's power."
Madara answered.
Madara's explanation still failed to convince Nagato.
"And it's not free for you. I hope you can accomplish something for me, which is the reward I give you."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Infinite Tsukuyomi."
Madara spoke these four words with a calm expression.
"Infinite Tsukuyomi? What's that?"
"I mentioned before, right? I, like you, am a pitiful person in relentless search for peace."
Saying this, Madara rarely showed a dark expression, seemingly sighing over something.
"What does this have to do with the Infinite Tsukuyomi you mentioned?"
"It's an ultimate illusion technique that can trap the entire world in an illusion. There, you can create the world you desire according to your own will. It's also the only method to achieve eternal world peace."
Madara coaxed.
Nagato couldn't help but fantasize about such a world.
Dragging everyone in the world into the illusion technique, creating the scenes he desired, then peace would be within reach.
Yahiko and everyone in Akatsuki, including the Land of Rain, and people worldwide, would all gain happiness and live carefree joyful days in that place.
Seeing Nagato moved, Madara continued, "Before that, you need to collect the nine Tailed Beasts scattered worldwide and imprison these little beasts into the Gedo Statue, only then can you awaken the power to change the course of world history."
"This isn't an easy task."
Nagato woke from the beautiful fantasy, took a deep breath, and seriously looked at Madara.
"I know it's not easy. The power of the Five Great Nations is not something you can contend with now. Having experienced so many things, you have already seen the true face of this world, haven't you? Whether it's you, me, or those outside, all live in an incurable hell. Only the Infinite Tsukuyomi can change all of this."
Nagato clenched his fists, suddenly feeling a chill in his heart, staring closely at Madara's Sharingan and asked word by word:
"Can I ask you a question?"
"What is it?"
"If this pair of Rinnegan is yours... then my presence here was also orchestrated by you?"
"Trying to take revenge on me? Give up, I am already a dying person. Even if you kill me now, you won't gain anything. Instead, you'll lose the opportunity to become even stronger moving forward."
Madara indirectly admitted that he had, to a certain extent, manipulated the course of history in the Land of Rain.