Chapter 63: Ambition
Jiraiya listened to everything Ayaan said with a skeptical look on his face. "Are you kidding me?"
But as Ayaan continued, Jiraiya's expression gradually became serious. Ayaan's words became faster and more precise, especially as he explained how Uchiha Madara used Uchiha Obito like a chess piece, and how he transplanted the Rinnegan into Nagato.
"What happened next?" Jiraiya asked, his voice tight with urgency.
"Do you believe what I'm saying now?" Ayaan asked, smiling calmly.
"You… You also have the ability to predict the future?" Jiraiya's expression was complicated. "But there's no record of you in any intel. Did you erase your existence on purpose, or did you never exist in the original future?"
"There was no me in the original timeline," Ayaan replied plainly. "If it weren't for an accident, I would have died nameless on the battlefield during the Third Great Ninja War."
Jiraiya's eyes flickered.
Ayaan wasn't wearing a mask. He looked young—barely into adulthood. Thinking back to the point about how kids were sent to the battlefield at age eight or nine, Jiraiya became certain: Ayaan was originally a ninja from one of the major villages, most likely Konoha.
But Ayaan ignored Jiraiya's speculation and continued, "Of your three students, Yahiko—the most independent one—is already dead, thanks to Black Zetsu's manipulation. He voluntarily sacrificed himself to Nagato, and after that, Nagato's personality was never the same."
"Oh, and by the way—Konoha's Root was involved in this too."
Jiraiya's hands clenched into fists as his expression turned grim.
"But don't feel too defeated just yet," Ayaan added. "You'll soon have a new student. He is the true Child of Prophecy."
Ayaan then began summarizing the story of Uzumaki Naruto—his growth, his bonds, and the final sealing of Princess Kaguya.
"And just like that, the world regains peace," Ayaan said lightly, a faint smile on his face. "Inspiring, isn't it?"
Jiraiya stared blankly at him. Whether he was happy or disappointed, it was hard to tell. Ayaan tilted his head.
"So? This child of destiny you've been searching for—what do you think after hearing everything?"
"My thoughts…?" Jiraiya murmured. "Nothing's really changed. It's all just a cycle."
He looked up with weariness in his eyes. "You talk about changing the ninja world… but did anything really change?"
Because Ayaan didn't sugarcoat anything for dramatic effect, his explanations lacked the emotional weight or idealism readers found in the manga. The raw facts revealed flaws that were often buried beneath the original story's optimism.
Ayaan gave a quiet laugh. "At least during his life, the ninja world saw peace. If he had lived to be eighty or ninety, maybe the system would've stabilized."
(Well, excluding the Otsutsuki clan's interference later, Ayaan added silently.)
"You asked me why I took advantage of Konoha's misfortune," Ayaan said. "But my answer's already in what I told you."
"You see, violence may not solve all problems—but when it comes to ninja villages, violence solves everything."
"If your fists are big enough, strong enough, people will listen."
"In the end, your so-called 'savior' didn't really change the ninja world. He just became the strongest. And when you're the strongest, you make the rules—and others follow."
"So then, why can't I become the strongest?" Ayaan's eyes gleamed. "If I'm stronger than everyone, then I can rewrite the rules. I can bring peace."
A person's ambition evolves with their strength and circumstances. At first, Ayaan just wanted to survive. But now—with the strongest power in the world—he wanted to reshape it.
Jiraiya looked at him with a mixture of shock and disbelief. "You think… you can surpass Uchiha Madara? Even Otsutsuki Kaguya?"
Jiraiya had already been shaken by Ayaan's revelations—these godlike beings were far beyond what even his novelist's imagination could conjure. Now he was trying to think about how to strengthen Naruto and Sasuke as fast as possible.
Ordinary people, even genius-level shinobi, couldn't reach those heights. Not with training alone.
And now this guy wanted to go even further?
Ayaan just smiled. "Talking is one thing. Here's a proposal—I'll be heading to the Rain Country to meet Nagato. You can confirm everything I said. You'll also see my strength firsthand."
"What are you planning to do?" Jiraiya's tone became sharp. At this point, he saw Ayaan not as an ally or enemy, but as a major variable—possibly as dangerous as Kaguya.
Someone with knowledge of the future and this kind of power… was he insane, or a visionary?
"You think just because I told you everything, you'll believe me?" Ayaan asked, eyes narrowing. Jiraiya had no answer.
The people of the Naruto world were different from the One Piece world. A mature shinobi would never trust easily—there were too many traps, betrayals, illusions. Even Naruto's famous "Talk no Jutsu" only worked after he beat his enemies into submission.
In contrast, people in the pirate world had simpler motives. Even when Orochi tricked Oden, it was considered a major scheme. That level of deception was average in the shinobi world.
Ayaan had grown more straightforward after living in the world of pirates. That's why he laid all the cards on the table. He was strong enough now that hiding the truth was pointless.
He was going to the Rain Country to take Nagato's Rinnegan. By giving Jiraiya a heads-up, he hoped to avoid a pointless battle between them.
Besides, Ayaan knew Jiraiya's character well. Even if he had future knowledge, there was only so much he could do.
Nagato and Obito were far too broken and deep in their ideologies to be swayed by mere words. And Jiraiya wasn't Naruto. He couldn't talk them down.
Even Naruto only succeeded after proving his strength.
As the saying goes: The one standing speaks. The one lying down listens.
Without overwhelming power, even the best words are just air.
So as long as Ayaan's power kept growing—at this rate—when the Otsutsuki clan eventually came, he wouldn't just stop them.
He'd absorb them.
He'd turn them into stepping stones on his path to reshape the world.
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