Chapter 70: Excessive
However, although they were curious, the three of them weren't foolish enough to ask Ayaan directly what kind of adventure he had experienced.
People in the ninja world attach great importance to intelligence, so their sensitivity to information is completely different from that in the pirate world. For secrets like these that belong to Ayaan, unless he chose to reveal them himself, no one would dare probe carelessly. Doing so might turn him against them.
…
"Wood Release: Advent of a World of Trees."
In a secluded forest, Uzumaki Nagato formed hand seals. Soon, the earth began to churn, and the trees around them seemed to awaken. Thick trunks twisted like massive serpents, tearing through the terrain for miles around.
"So this is Wood Release?" Nagato lowered his hands slowly. "It's definitely powerful. Maybe not as overwhelming as the Rinnegan, but far more manageable."
"Of course," Ayaan replied with a faint smile. "My human body modification technique is leagues ahead of the crude eye transplantation methods. You've now fully integrated with the Hashirama cells—as if you were born with a sage body."
Granted, without Asura's chakra and using artificially cultivated Hashirama cells, this sage body wasn't as pure as the original. Still, it was undeniably superior to what others like Yamato or White Zetsu achieved through transplantation.
Moreover, Nagato was an Uzumaki—a clan known for monstrous life force. If he refined his Wood Release fully, he might reach the same level as Yamato or even the White Zetsu clones that used the Wood Human Technique in the war's final stages.
After all, he had all five elemental affinities. If he learned Sage Mode as well, he might not reach Hashirama's level, but he could definitely rival the strongest Kage-level shinobi.
That Uchiha Madara chose Nagato as the vessel for his Rinnegan was proof of his immense potential. Though the Rinnegan had heavily drained his vitality over the years, it had also left behind many advantages. Possessing all seven nature transformations and a deep comprehension of ninjutsu were among the lasting benefits.
Now that the Rinnegan was gone, Nagato's raw destructive power had diminished, but his flexibility and survivability had skyrocketed. Where once he was all offense and no defense, now he was balanced—a "jack-of-all-stats."
His past reliance on the Six Paths of Pain had stemmed from his physical frailty. But now? That weakness was gone. He could fight on the front lines himself. No longer was he a glass cannon.
Nagato and Konan looked genuinely happy. But Jiraiya, watching quietly nearby, wore a troubled expression.
It was no exaggeration to call Hashirama's cells the ultimate steroid of the shinobi world. Anyone who successfully integrated with them gained strength equivalent to a jōnin. Now, Ayaan had shown the ability to perfectly fuse these cells into people.
In short, if he could mass-produce Hashirama cells, he could mass-produce elite jōnin.
Add to that his own power and his growing organization… and he could build a military force to rival—or even surpass—the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
Jiraiya hadn't forgotten Ayaan's ambition: to rewrite the world's rules. With each passing day, that dream seemed more and more within his grasp.
Jiraiya wasn't sure if this was good or bad for the ninja world. But for Konoha? It was definitely a looming threat.
Still, there was one small comfort—Ayaan, despite being powerful and a little cynical, wasn't mad or megalomaniacal. He wasn't like Uchiha Madara. He wasn't trying to throw the world into chaos or force everyone into a dream.
He was rational.
Rather than relying on brute force to crush systems, Ayaan quietly amassed strength, waiting for the right time to strike.
That made him more dangerous—but also, ironically, a more stable option should he succeed.
Jiraiya was now convinced: Ayaan was more of a "Child of Prophecy" than any supposed savior. Instead of chasing some two-year-old child with vague potential, he would focus on Ayaan.
Meanwhile, Ayaan wasn't bothered by Jiraiya's thoughts at all. If he wanted to observe, let him observe. He had nothing to hide—at least not yet.
But having Jiraiya hanging around would be a hindrance when executing the next stage of his plan.
He needed to impersonate Nagato convincingly. And with Jiraiya by his side, that ruse would collapse instantly.
How could he fool Obito and Black Zetsu with Jiraiya exposing his every move?
So, Ayaan subtly pressured Jiraiya and the others to leave. If he pushed hard enough, they would get the message.
Eventually, Jiraiya had no choice but to step away temporarily.
Once back at the underground base, Ayaan—now disguised perfectly as Nagato—did not sit solemnly on the stone bench like the original. Instead, he began to move, exercising his limbs.
Although he looked like a second-stage invalid from the outside, in truth, his physical strength alone placed him among the strongest in the world.
"First things first, I need to set up anti-space-time seals in here… If Obito sees me training, the whole act falls apart."
"Or better yet, I can use a Wood Clone to handle appearances. This body doesn't need to fight—the Six Paths will handle that."
With his perfectly integrated Rinnegan—rebuilt using the power of the Yami Yami no Mi—Ayaan could command the Six Paths of Pain better than Nagato ever could.
Nagato had required chakra receivers embedded directly into his body to maintain the link.
But Ayaan?
A simple chakra black rod fashioned into a ring was enough for him.
The receivers were just manifestations of Yin-Yang Release. For someone who had mastered it—and integrated it with the power of the Yami Yami no Mi—this was trivial.
And best of all?
Gravity manipulation—the core of the Rinnegan's Deva Path—was perfectly compatible with the Yami Yami no Mi.
"I haven't even begun to explore the combinations this fruit allows. Darkness and gravity… That's a terrifying synergy."
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