The Three Great Dojutsu

"What's the Rinnegan?" Nagato murmured, repeating the word before immediately asking, "What is it?"

Seeing Nagato's confusion, Yuehua Ai didn't keep him in suspense.

"According to legends that have been passed down in the Ninja World, there are three supreme dojutsu. Each of these legendary techniques possesses incredible power."

"These three dojutsu are the Byakugan of the Hyuga Clan in Konoha, the Sharingan of the Uchiha Clan, and, last of all, the Rinnegan, which has only ever been mentioned in myths and legends."

"...The three great dojutsu?... The Byakugan... the Sharingan... and the Rinnegan!?"

Nagato was completely absorbed by what Yuehua Ai had told him. It never even occurred to him to wonder how Ai knew all this.

"Konoha is the strongest of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, and the Hyuga Clan and the Uchiha Clan are two of its oldest noble families. Their positions in Konoha are deeply rooted and difficult to shake. What they rely on is their clans' Kekkei Genkai: the power of the Byakugan and the Sharingan."

"Kekkei Genkai?" Nagato realized there was a lot in Ai's explanation that he didn't understand!

Seeing Nagato's adorably blank expression, Yuehua Ai helplessly shook his head. It seemed he'd have to give the boy a little extra background information, too.

"Kekkei Genkai is a general term for special abilities passed down through bloodlines. They're abilities inherited through blood ties alone. Put simply, if someone possesses a Kekkei Genkai, their descendants will inherit it too, along with the special ability it grants."

"There are many kinds of Kekkei Genkai, and each one grants one or more unusual abilities."

"Different Kekkei Genkai grant different abilities. There are so many kinds that I can't possibly know them all, but I do know about some of the strongest and most famous ones."

"Take the Byakugan of the Hyuga Clan, for example. It's a special ability passed down through the Hyuga bloodline. Every member of the Hyuga family possesses this Kekkei Genkai."

"Simply describing these special abilities probably won't make them easy to understand, so let's use the Byakugan as an example. It has several special abilities. One is the ability to see distant objects. The Byakugan can use chakra to magnify the eye's capabilities, allowing its user to see things more than a kilometer away. It also gives them an almost 360-degree field of vision."

"The Byakugan also has a kind of vision other eyes don't: it can see through objects. When used on people, it can reveal their chakra pathways and the flow of their chakra, and even distinguish whose chakra it is. In terms of perception alone, no other Kekkei Genkai can surpass the Byakugan."

When he mentioned the Byakugan's ability to see through things, Yuehua Ai couldn't help letting his thoughts wander toward certain impure ideas. An ability with so many perks really did inspire envy and resentment.

Yuehua Ai wiped a certain fluid from the corner of his mouth, then cleared his throat with a solemn air as Nagato pondered. "You understand what a Kekkei Genkai is now, right?"

Nagato nodded. "So that's what a Kekkei Genkai is. The Byakugan really is incredible!"

Hearing Nagato's amazement, Yuehua Ai curled his lip in disdain. The Byakugan was nothing compared with the Rinnegan. The Rinnegan's abilities were what you could call truly incredible! Speaking of the Rinnegan, Yuehua Ai glanced at Nagato with a pained look. My heart's practically twisting with envy.

Yuehua Ai let out a long breath and finally calmed himself down. Then he continued, "Don't be so quick to be amazed. As one of the legendary three great dojutsu, the Byakugan is indeed powerful, but it still falls short of the Sharingan and the Rinnegan."

Without waiting for Nagato's reaction, Yuehua Ai continued on his own. "Like the Byakugan, the Sharingan is one of the three great dojutsu. Compared with the Byakugan, it has both advantages and disadvantages."

"The Sharingan can't match the Byakugan in terms of perception, but the Byakugan can't compare with the Sharingan when it comes to special abilities and potential for growth."

"The Byakugan's abilities may seem incredible, but compared with certain Sharingan abilities, they're nothing."

When Yuehua Ai said "certain," a flicker of confusion crossed Nagato's eyes, and Ai happened to notice it.

"You heard me right. I said 'certain.'" Yuehua Ai nodded.

"And since we're talking about those certain abilities, I have to mention the Sharingan's drawback."

"Once it reaches a certain level, the Sharingan becomes far stronger than the Byakugan. But compared with the Byakugan, it has one major flaw, one that could be called impossible to overcome: how difficult it is to awaken."

"Every member of the Hyuga Clan possesses the Byakugan. But among the Uchiha Clan, the ones who possess the Sharingan are few and far between."

"The main reason is that the Sharingan is extremely difficult to awaken. Uchiha clan members need both the talent to awaken it and the experience of surviving a life-or-death crisis. These two requirements severely limit how many Sharingan users there are. That's why, in terms of clan strength, the Hyuga Clan is still stronger than the Uchiha Clan."

The Sharingan's true advantage over the Byakugan was undoubtedly the Mangekyō Sharingan, which could only be awakened after the Sharingan reached the Three Tomoe stage. The Mangekyō Sharingan's abilities were truly broken. Itachi Uchiha's Tsukuyomi and Amaterasu, Shisui's strongest genjutsu, Kotoamatsukami, and Obito's Kamui were all utterly impossible to counter. But Yuehua Ai didn't want to explain these things to Nagato just yet. There was no need. All he wanted to do now was help Nagato resolve his inner turmoil. He'd only explained the Byakugan and the Sharingan so Nagato could get a sense of how his own eyes compared.

"The Sharingan is even stronger than the Byakugan? Then what can it do?" After hearing Yuehua Ai's explanation, Nagato couldn't help asking.

"The main ability of an ordinary Sharingan is still perception. The abilities of higher-level Sharingan that have been awakened vary from one to another. Some can control space, others can change a person's will, and so on. Anyway, just know that they're powerful and ridiculously overpowered."

Seeing that Ai didn't want to go into detail, Nagato could only respond with a helpless "Oh." The Kekkei Genkai and the three great dojutsu Ai had described sounded incredible, like something out of a myth, but Nagato didn't doubt a single word he said.

After Nagato had absorbed what Yuehua Ai had told him, he finally thought of himself.

"Then what about my eyes?"

Seeing that Nagato hadn't doubted his words just because he was a little kid made Yuehua Ai feel a warmth in his heart. Trust between companions really was a wonderful thing.

"The Byakugan and the Sharingan are indeed powerful, but they're still far inferior to your Rinnegan, Nagato."

"Of the three great dojutsu, the Rinnegan is the most exalted. It's said that the Sage of Six Paths, the originator of all ninjutsu, possessed the Rinnegan."

"The Sage of Six Paths?"

"The Sage of Six Paths founded the Ninjutsu Sect. He's the ancestor of today's shinobi, a legendary figure as great as a god."

"A... figure as great as a god?"

Yuehua Ai nodded. "That's right. The Sage of Six Paths possessed godlike power. He was practically a deity."

"In the era when the Sage of Six Paths lived, he used his overwhelming strength to quell the conflicts and put an end to the wars. He made his era the most peaceful one there has ever been. Much of his power came from his Rinnegan, and you, Nagato, possess the same eyes as the Sage of Six Paths."

"I... have the same eyes as the Sage?" Nagato found it hard to believe.

"Of course. If you didn't have the legendary eyes, then during that incident a month ago, it might have been—no, it definitely would have been us who died."

Yuehua Ai's words took Nagato back to that afternoon a month ago. Nagato bit his lip. Ai wasn't wrong, but the gruesome way the other person had died, and the power he hadn't been able to control...

Seeing the struggle in Nagato's eyes, Yuehua Ai gave him a pat, then brought his face close to Nagato's and said firmly, "Sure, that bastard died horribly, but so what? If it weren't for you, I'd be dead, along with Yahiko and Konan. Your eyes protected us!"

"Pro...tected us..."

"Exactly. Protected us. Power itself isn't good or evil. How it's used depends on the heart of the person wielding it."

"The Sage of Six Paths possessed the greatest power, so he was able to use it to usher in an era of peace. He protected people through countless disasters and wars. The people were grateful to him and revered him, which is why his legend has been passed down to this day. And you, Nagato, possess the same Rinnegan as the Sage. You're destined to have the power to change the world. That power is yours. You shouldn't fear it or run from it. You should take control of it. And once you do, how you use it will depend on your own heart!"

After hearing Yuehua Ai's words, Nagato was completely stunned. Until now, he'd always felt fear and guilt over his power. He was afraid he might hurt his companions. Whenever he used the power of his eyes without meaning to, he felt as though he'd done something wrong. But Yuehua Ai's words made him suddenly understand.

"Power... isn't good or evil. How it's used... follows the heart of the person wielding it..."

Murmuring to himself, Nagato lifted his head and gazed at the distant sky. A completely different light shone in his eyes now—one of confidence, and of release.

My power exists to protect!

After reflecting on the question in his heart and gathering his thoughts, Nagato lowered his gaze and looked at Yuehua Ai gratefully.

"Thank you, Ai. Thanks to you, I understand now. I've figured out what I truly feel, and what I should do."

"Don't thank me. I only told you a few stories and legends. Any realization you've reached came from you." Yuehua Ai shrugged casually. Seeing how completely Nagato's spirits had changed, he felt a rush of happiness.

After realizing that the boys were companions he couldn't abandon, Yuehua Ai no longer cared about the so-called plot. He didn't want tragedy to befall them again. Fate was never fixed. Ever since he'd crossed into this world, its course had already begun to shift in an unpredictable direction. He didn't want history to return to its original course. He wanted to make the changes he chose, and decide his own fate.

Nagato and Yuehua Ai were both lost in thought. In that brief time, they had faced their own hearts. On the high balcony, a boy and a little kid exchanged smiles beneath the deep curtain of rain.

As the two of them went downstairs, Nagato finally couldn't hold back his curiosity.

"Ai, you've lived in the village your whole life too, haven't you? So why... um, why do you know so much about Konoha and shinobi?"

At Nagato's question, Yuehua Ai raised an eyebrow and thought, Do you expect me to tell you I'm an alien? How naive!

In the end, Yuehua Ai couldn't take Nagato's curious-kid expression anymore. He couldn't be bothered to answer, but he also didn't like lying.

After thinking for a few seconds, Yuehua Ai's eyes curved into a smile as he suddenly came up with an idea. He beckoned Nagato over, signaling for him to bring his ear closer.

Nagato's face lit up, and he hurried over.

Then Yuehua Ai cupped his hands beside Nagato's ear and whispered in the purest Mandarin imaginable, the language of his previous life: "I'm not telling you!"

What? Nagato couldn't understand a single word Yuehua Ai had just said, but he could tell it was some kind of strange language.

After saying those few words, Yuehua Ai cheerfully headed downstairs. On the steps, Nagato was left standing alone, completely bewildered.