The Three Great Dōjutsu

"Rinnegan? What is that?" Nagato murmured, repeating the word before immediately asking for clarification.

Yuehua Ai did not keep him in suspense regarding his confusion.

"In the legends of the ninja world, there has always been talk of three supreme ocular powers. Each of these legendary dojutsu possesses incredible strength."

"These three are the Byakugan of the Hyuga clan in Konohagakure, the Sharingan of the Uchiha clan, and finally, the Rinnegan, which has only ever been recorded in myths and legends."

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

Nagato's entire focus was captured by the content of Yuehua Ai's words; at that moment, he did not even consider how the other boy had come to know such information.

"Konohagakure is the strongest of the five great ninja villages, and both the Hyuga and Uchiha clans are among its oldest and most prestigious families. Their status in the village is deeply rooted and difficult to shake, and what they rely on is the Kekkei Genkai of their respective bloodlines: the power of the Byakugan and the Sharingan."

"Kekkei Genkai?" Nagato realized there were many things in Ai's words that he simply could not grasp.

Watching Nagato's blank, naive expression, Yuehua Ai shook his head helplessly. It seemed he would have to provide a bit of general education as well.

"Kekkei Genkai is a collective term for special abilities passed down through bloodlines. It is a power that can only be inherited through kinship. Simply put, if a person possesses a Kekkei Genkai, their descendants will inherit their bloodline, meaning they can inherit their special abilities."

"There are many types of Kekkei Genkai, and each one possesses one or more extremely unique abilities."

"Different bloodlines yield different special abilities. There are so many kinds of Kekkei Genkai that I cannot fully understand them all. While I don't know everything, I am clear on the most powerful and famous ones."

"To give you an example, let's take the Hyuga clan's Byakugan. The Byakugan is a special ability flowing through the Hyuga bloodline; every member of the Hyuga family possesses this specific Kekkei Genkai."

"It's hard to understand special abilities just by talking about them in the abstract, so let's use the Byakugan again. It has several special abilities, such as the power to see over great distances. By using chakra to multiply the eye's capabilities, the user can see things over a kilometer away, while also possessing a nearly 360-degree field of vision."

"The Byakugan also has a penetrative ability that other eyes lack. Using the Byakugan allows one to see through objects. When looking at people, one can see the target's meridian system and the flow of their chakra, and can even distinguish whose chakra it is. In terms of pure insight, no other Kekkei Genkai can surpass the Byakugan."

As he spoke of the Byakugan's penetrative ability, Yuehua Ai's thoughts drifted involuntarily toward certain base interests. Such a power, filled with so many benefits, was truly enough to make one envious, jealous, and hateful.

Yuehua Ai raised a hand to wipe a certain liquid from the corner of his mouth, then feigned gravity and coughed at the contemplative Nagato. "Do you understand what a Kekkei Genkai is now?"

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

Hearing Nagato's exclamation and awe, Yuehua Ai curled his lip in disdain. How could the Byakugan compare to the Rinnegan? The abilities of the Rinnegan were what one would call truly incredible. At the mention of the Rinnegan, Yuehua Ai cast a pained look at Nagato. My heart is twitching with envy.

Yuehua Ai let out a long breath, finally steadying his mindset, and continued to speak to Nagato: "Don't be in such a hurry to be amazed. As one of the three legendary ocular powers, the Byakugan's strength is indeed great, but it still falls a bit short compared to the Sharingan and the Rinnegan."

Ignoring Nagato's surprise, Yuehua Ai continued on his own. "The Sharingan, which also belongs to the three great ocular powers, has both advantages and disadvantages compared to the Byakugan."

"The Sharingan cannot match the Byakugan in terms of pure insight, but in terms of special abilities and growth potential, the Byakugan cannot compare to the Sharingan."

"The Byakugan's abilities seem incredible, but compared to certain Sharingan, they are nothing."

When Yuehua Ai said "certain," a flicker of doubt crossed Nagato's eyes, which Yuehua Ai happened to notice.

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

"Speaking of these 'certain' ones, one cannot help but mention the weakness of the Sharingan."

"Once it reaches a certain level, the Sharingan is indeed far stronger than the Byakugan, but compared to the Byakugan, it has a major, perhaps even irreparable, flaw: the difficulty of awakening it."

"Every member of the Hyuga clan possesses the Byakugan, but within the Uchiha clan, those who possess the Sharingan are few and far between."

"The main reason for this is that the difficulty of awakening the Sharingan is extremely high. It not only requires the Uchiha clansman to have the aptitude to awaken it, but also requires them to experience a life-or-death crisis and survive. These two factors severely limit the number of Sharingan users. Therefore, in terms of overall clan strength, the Hyuga clan is still stronger than the Uchiha."

As for the true power that allowed the Sharingan to surpass the Byakugan, it was undoubtedly the Mangekyo Sharingan, which could only be awakened after the Sharingan reached the Three Tomoe stage. The abilities of the Mangekyo Sharingan were truly bug-tier existences. The likes of Itachi Uchiha's Tsukuyomi and Amaterasu, Shisui's strongest genjutsu Kotoamatsukami, and Obito's Kamui—these represented something that was simply unsolvable. However, Yuehua Ai did not want to go into detail about these with Nagato right now, as there was no need. His goal was merely to untie the knot in Nagato's heart; the introduction to the Byakugan and Sharingan was just to give him a comparison so he could recognize his own eyes.

"The Sharingan is actually stronger than the Byakugan? Then what are the Sharingan's abilities?" After hearing Yuehua Ai's explanation, Nagato couldn't help but ask curiously.

"A regular Sharingan's main ability is still insight, but for those higher-tier Sharingan that have been awakened, the abilities differ from person to person. Things like controlling space, or altering a person's will, and so on. Anyway, you just need to know that it's very strong and very broken."

Seeing that Ai did not want to elaborate, Nagato could only say "Oh" helplessly. Although the Kekkei Genkai and the three great ocular powers that Ai spoke of were incredibly magical, like something out of a fairy tale, Nagato did not have the slightest doubt about anything he said.

After Nagato finished digesting Yuehua Ai's previous words, he finally reacted and thought of himself.

"Then my eyes?"

Seeing that Nagato did not doubt his words just because he was still a little kid, Yuehua Ai felt a warmth in his heart. Trust between companions was truly a wonderful thing.

"The Byakugan and Sharingan are indeed very strong, but compared to your Rinnegan, Nagato, they are still a far cry behind."

"The Rinnegan is the most noble of the three great ocular powers. It is said that the Sage of Six Paths, the ancestor of all ninjutsu, possessed the Rinnegan."

"The Sage of Six Paths?"

"The Sage of Six Paths is the founder of the Ninjutsu Sect, the forefather of all current ninjas, and a legendary figure akin to a god."

"A figure... akin to a god?"

Yuehua Ai nodded his little head. "Indeed, the Sage of Six Paths possessed god-like power; he was a figure like a deity."

"In the era of the Sage of Six Paths, he used his own absolute strength to quell chaos and eliminate war, making that era the most peaceful time in history. A large part of the Sage's 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 felt it was unbelievable.

"Of course. If Nagato didn't have those legendary eyes, then a month ago, the one who died might have been—oh no, it would have been certain—the one who died would definitely have been us."

Yuehua Ai's words brought Nagato's thoughts back to that afternoon a month ago. Nagato bit his lip. Although Yuehua Ai was right, the tragic state of the other person's death, and that power he couldn't control...

Seeing the struggle in Nagato's eyes, Yuehua Ai patted him, then leaned his face close to Nagato's and said firmly, "Even though that bastard died miserably, so what? If it weren't for you, Nagato, then the ones who would have died would be me, Yahiko, and Konan. It was your eyes, Nagato, that protected us!"

"Pro... tect..."

"Yes, protection. Power itself has no concept of good or evil; how one uses that power depends on the heart of the user."

"The Sage of Six Paths possessed the greatest power, which is why he was able to open up an era of peace with his own strength. He protected people amidst countless disasters and wars, and it is because people held gratitude and worship for him that his legend has been passed down to this day. Nagato, you possess the same Rinnegan as the Sage; you are destined to possess the power to change this world. The power is your own. You shouldn't fear it or run from it; you should take the initiative to master it. As for how you want to use it after you master it, that depends on your own heart!"

After hearing Yuehua Ai's words, Nagato was completely stunned. Previously, he had always harbored fear and guilt regarding his own power. He was afraid that he would hurt his companions, and every time he inadvertently used the power of his eyes, he felt as though he had done something wrong. Yet, at this moment, Yuehua Ai's words had caused him to awaken to the truth.

"Power... has no good or evil. The use of power... follows one's own heart..."

Nagato murmured to himself. He raised his head to gaze at the distant sky, a radiance flashing in his eyes that was entirely different from before; it was a sense of confidence, a sense of liberation.

My power exists for the sake of protection!

After questioning his own heart and gathering his thoughts, Nagato withdrew his gaze and looked at Yuehua Ai with gratitude.

"Thank you, Xiao Ai. It is thanks to you that I was able to understand. I have understood my own heart, and I have also figured out what I should do."

"Don't thank me. I merely told you a few stories and legends. Whatever realization you've reached is entirely your own doing." Yuehua Ai shrugged nonchalantly, feeling a surge of happiness as he saw the drastic change in Nagato's spirit and demeanor.

Having confirmed that these boys were companions he could not abandon, Yuehua Ai no longer cared about the so-called plot. He did not want tragedies to continue befalling them. Fate was never meant to be fixed; ever since he transmigrated, the trajectory of this world had already been developing toward the unpredictable. What he wanted was not to force history back onto its original track; he wanted the changes he chose, and he wanted to determine his own destiny.

With their minds full of thoughts, Nagato and Yuehua Ai had faced their hearts in a short span of time. On the high balcony, a teenager and a little brat smiled at each other beneath the deep curtain of rain.

As they headed downstairs, Nagato ultimately could not suppress the doubt in his heart.

"Xiao Ai, you've been in the village since you were little, right? Why... uh, why do you know so much about Konoha and things regarding ninjas?"

Yuehua Ai raised an eyebrow at Nagato's question, thinking to himself, Do you expect me to tell you that I'm an alien? How naive!

In the end, Yuehua Ai could not stand Nagato's curious-puppy expression. Although he couldn't be bothered to answer, he didn't like to lie if he were to respond.

After considering for a few breaths, Yuehua Ai's eyes curved, and he suddenly had an idea. He beckoned to Nagato, signaling for him to lean in.

Nagato's expression brightened, and he hurriedly leaned over.

Then, Yuehua Ai cupped his hands around Nagato's ear and whispered in the most authentic Mandarin Chinese from his past life: "I won't tell you!"

What? Nagato could not understand a single word of what Yuehua Ai had just said, but he felt that it was indeed a special language.

Yuehua Ai skipped happily down the stairs after saying those words, leaving Nagato standing alone on the steps, dazed and completely bewildered.