Amegakure.
The overcast sky seemed perpetually sunless, rain falling silently from above, tapping against eaves and metal fortifications in a continuous low murmur.
Hanzo sat quietly in the dim main hall.
A heavy cloak draped over his shoulders, his eyes behind the mask cold and sharp, seeming to pierce through every raindrop.
On the table before him lay ten Ninja Beast Eggs arranged neatly.
Their shells glimmered faintly in the dim light.
Standing below Hanzo was the Rain Ninja Captain, knees slightly bent, head bowed, his damp cloak still dripping water.
A Spearow perched quietly on his shoulder, feathers fluffed, eyes vigilantly scanning the surroundings.
Hanzo slowly lifted his head, the sound of his breathing beneath the mask unusually clear in the confined space.
He spoke in a low voice, "...So, these are the products from the Breeding House you mentioned?"
"Yes, Lord Hanzo."
Hanzo chuckled softly, the laughter carrying both interest and an elusive chill.
"A thousand silver coins... and it's actually possible to buy them."
He reached out, gloved fingertips lightly brushing against one of the eggshells.
The fluctuation of Chakra was extremely subtle, yet undeniably present.
"Ordinary Ninja Beasts... even the lowest quality ones on the market start at tens of thousands of silver coins. Now, with just ten thousand coins, bringing back ten eggs is quite a bargain."
"I was also surprised, sir."
Raindrops mixed with cold sweat trickled down the Rain Ninja Captain's temple.
"But that shopkeeper doesn't seem like an ordinary person. He possesses a... quality I couldn't discern."
Hanzo remained silent, lightly tapping the table with his fingertip.
The rhythm tightened hearts.
He knew well the significance of so-called Ninja Beasts to a nation.
They were weapons, more stable and loyal assets of war than ninjas.
And now, with Amegakure relying on mercenaries and assassinations to sustain its economy, the ability to mass-produce controllable Ninja Beasts would be a tremendous advantage, whether in negotiations with major nations or in external conflicts.
"To think such a place exists."
Hanzo snorted coldly, his eyes beneath the mask gleaming dangerously.
He leaned back in his chair, lost in thought for a moment.
The sound of rain beating against the window frames was the only background noise.
"What do you think?"
Hanzo suddenly asked, his tone probing.
The Rain Ninja Captain immediately straightened his posture. "I believe that shopkeeper harbors no hostility. He... doesn't seem like a typical merchant, more like... a scholar... perhaps from a hidden ninja clan of some major nation."
"Is that so? But no known ninja clan matches his description."
Hanzo narrowed his eyes, gently stroking the eggshells on the table.
The rain outside seemed to intensify, the air thick with moisture.
Hanzo stood up, his back straight as a blade.
He slowly walked to the window, gazing through the rain at the distant towers of Amegakure.
In that gray city, factory chimneys and iron bridges intertwined, dark rivers meandered,
and countless workers and ninjas moved through the rain, forming a cold, mechanically functioning nation.
"Breeding House..."
He murmured the words again, his tone thoughtful and tinged with suppressed greed.
But he quickly restrained his desire.
Hanzo considered that even if he successfully seized the Breeding House, losing the breeding methods would not serve his interests.
At this stage, there was still too little information.
Hanzo needed a functioning Breeding House capable of hatching eggs, not just an empty shell.
After all, though Amegakure was a shinobi village, it lacked complete methods like Konoha's for interrogation and extracting information from brains.
Relatively speaking, their techniques remained primitive.
As for his old friend Danzo, Hanzo would never consider informing him of this matter.
This was for the benefit of Amegakure.
"For now, do not alert him. Continue maintaining the transactions, delivering ten thousand ryo monthly. I need to observe..."
"Yes, Lord Hanzo."
With that, Hanzo stepped toward the ten eggs and slowly extended his hand.
His black-gloved palm paused mid-air for a moment before settling on the Ninja Beast Egg closest to the center.
The instant his fingertips made contact, an unfamiliar yet familiar energy surged within him!
It was the aura of poison—the power he wielded best.
The eggshell trembled faintly beneath his palm, then a dark purple light seeped from its cracks.
The glow was not soft illumination but carried corrosive fluctuations, tainting the very air.
Within moments, purplish-black patterns spread across the eggshell like slithering serpents, coiling into eerie markings.
The Rain Ninja Captain looked up in astonishment.
As the poisonous intent diffused, the air in the hall grew heavy and oppressive in an instant.
Even from several meters away, the Rain Ninja Captain felt his skin tingling slightly and his throat drying.
"This... what is this?"
He instinctively retreated half a step.
Hanzo paid no heed.
A cold glint flickered in his eyes beneath his mask's shadow—
a long-lost thrill.
A vitality that resonated with the toxic nature of the Chakra within him.
"Heh..."
He chuckled lowly, the sound tinged with both admiration and unfathomable chill.
"An almost unbelievable sensation."
With a slight lift of his palm, the purple aura instantly receded.
The patterns on the eggshell stabilized, forming dark, scale-like markings that shimmered with a faint toxic light.
Hanzo's gaze rested on the egg as if appraising a meticulously forged weapon.
"It seems these Ninja Beast Eggs indeed transform based on the Chakra traits of those who touch them."
The Rain Ninja Captain was now utterly speechless.
He could only manage a strained nod, his voice hoarse: "Yes... Lord Hanzo. The Breeding House owner calls it resonance. Only those who can harmonize with a Ninja Beast Egg can awaken it."
"Resonance?"
Hanzo murmured, his fingertips slowly tracing the purple egg's surface.
That power, steady and lethal like the poison in his heart, was so familiar it was chilling.
And in that moment, he sensed a peculiar connection.
The egg seemed to respond to his will, breathing, waiting to be awakened.
Hanzo picked up the purple egg, his expression thoughtful.
Inside the World Tree of the alternate dimension.
A text message appeared.
Shiroishi received news that Hanzo had successfully activated a Ninja Beast Egg.
He wasn't surprised by this; if even Hanzo couldn't activate one, hatching efforts in the Shinobi World would become exceedingly difficult.
Utilizing Hanzo to disseminate his Ninja Beast Eggs was a crucial part of Shiroishi's plan.
After all, Amegakure had inseparable ties to the black market.
Though this involved significant instability and danger.
But Shiroishi was not afraid. Given enough time for himself and Yahiko to grow, they would soon be able to advance the plot ahead of schedule and seize the entire Land of Rain.
With the entire Land of Rain as their foundation, his plan to hatch across the entire Shinobi World would officially begin.
Raindrops fell on Shiroishi's face, his eyes cold.
Just then, Eevee gently walked over to Shiroishi and licked his palm.
Expressing concern.
"Heh, Eevee, I'm fine."
"Eev~"
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