Ch 54: Heading to the Naruto World
Chapter 54: Heading to the Naruto World
Another month passed in a flash. It's worth mentioning that after Ayaan obtained the Yami Yami no Mi, he finally stopped launching preemptive attacks in every battle and no longer needed to keep a constant eye on the Fourth Division.
With some personal time to spare, Ayaan spent a few days exploring the New World and managed to locate Sleeping Town—a quiet, eerie place. Deep in a cave full of bats, he finally found the Kyūketsu no Mi (Vampire Fruit), carefully collecting it like a precious gem. While it didn't compare to Mythical Zoans like the Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu (Blue Dragon), Tori Tori no Mi, Model: Phoenix, or the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Daibutsu (Buddha), the Vampire Fruit was still a top-tier Devil Fruit—arguably on par with Yamato's Inu Inu no Mi, Model: Okuchi no Makami.
For someone who can only eat a single Devil Fruit, the Yami Yami no Mi might not even surpass the Vampire Fruit in practicality. But for someone like Ayaan, who could eat multiple fruits, the Yami Yami no Mi's ability to steal other Devil Fruits made it absolutely invaluable.
During this period, Ayaan also continued training and optimizing his body structure. His strength had grown massively, and his potential had reached its current biological limit. The only thing holding him back now was his shallow understanding of advanced medical science.
While the technology in the One Piece world is advanced in some sectors and even superior to that of the Naruto world in certain areas, the knowledge is fragmented and scattered, making it far harder to access. This only strengthened Ayaan's resolve to return to the Naruto world.
So, one morning, Ayaan left the One Piece world without a word.
It didn't matter how long he would be gone—he could return in the very next second, thanks to the new timeline-insertion ability. There was no need to say goodbye.
As for the Yamata no Orochi Fruit? That one was still in Kaido's territory. Ayaan wasn't in a hurry. If he became strong enough in the Naruto world, even Kaido's Uo Uo no Mi might be within reach.
Let's be honest—between the two, the Blue Dragon Fruit is way cooler.
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Naruto World
Stepping out of a bustling tavern, Ayaan let out a long sigh. "So… the Third Great Ninja War has already ended."
"Looks like I didn't gather enough intel last time. The war was probably already over when I came to learn ninjutsu last year."
He shook his head. "Even the Hokage has changed to Minato Namikaze…"
In just a few conversations inside the tavern, Ayaan had picked up a ton of useful information: the end of the Third Great War, the appointment of the Fourth Hokage, and the defection of Orochimaru.
"I wonder where Orochimaru's hiding. And what about the Akatsuki? Are they back in the Hidden Rain Village now? Those two are gold mines."
Orochimaru, with his profound knowledge of the human body and his massive collection of Kekkei Genkai samples, was a treasure trove for someone like Ayaan who wielded the Baku Baku no Mi.
And the Akatsuki? They held two more treasures: Nagato's Rinnegan and the Gedo Statue—the husk of the Ten-Tails.
"I'll head to Konoha first."
Orochimaru was hard to track. He could be hiding anywhere. Ayaan also wasn't sure if the Akatsuki had formally regrouped yet. But there was one thing he did know: Konoha would soon be in serious trouble.
The Nine-Tails' attack was likely just a year away.
If there were any benefits to reap, Konoha would be the place to get them.
"But first… I should test out the power of the Yami Yami no Mi."
Despite being a Logia-type, the Yami Yami no Mi didn't grant intangibility. Instead, it gave the user control over darkness and gravity—able to absorb anything into a black void and compress matter with gravitational pull. It was like a pseudo-black hole.
Some of the fruit's standard abilities would definitely work across worlds, but Ayaan wasn't certain if its fruit-nullifying property would affect chakra-based abilities.
It was time to find out.
Becoming a bounty hunter was the perfect cover for testing things.
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In a dense forest, several rogue ninjas were fleeing in panic.
"Why the hell is that black shadow ninja chasing us?!"
"Save your breath! I heard he's brutal—anyone caught by him dies horribly. And he's powerful! Every missing-nin in this region has already been wiped out!"
"Damn it! If I make it out of here alive—!"
"Then what?"
A cold voice echoed from the trees ahead, making the ninjas stop dead in their tracks.
A towering figure stepped from the shadows—clad in black with a black mask, his body radiating ominous dark mist. He looked like a demon in human form.
"Damn it… We can't outrun him. Fight to the death!"
The lead rogue hurled a massive shuriken, while the others unleashed ninjutsu in rapid succession.
"Fire Style: Great Fire Bloom!"
"Wind Style: Gale Breakthrough!"
Wind and fire fused into a searing wave that surged toward the figure.
But the man in black simply raised a hand. Black fog poured from his palm like liquid night. The shuriken curved into the fog as though sucked in by a vacuum. The flames vanished without a trace, as if they'd been inhaled by a black hole.
"DIE!"
A ninja dropped from the treetops, blade gleaming. He struck the man's shoulder with full force—but instead of flesh, it felt like slamming into steel. The sword shattered instantly.
Then, slowly, the black mist wrapped around the attacker's body.
His limbs went stiff. His chakra felt like it was being siphoned from his body, along with his blood, stamina, and even spirit. His knees gave out.
In that moment before death, he finally understood why those corpses had looked like dried-out skeletons.
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