Shiroishi stood by the door, the dripping rain forming soft echoes under the eaves.
He gazed quietly at the rain-soaked stone path, his fingers lightly brushing against his sleeve.
The wind outside carried a damp chill that seeped slowly into his bones.
All along, he had believed himself to be a calm, rational outsider.
Someone with clear goals, unswayed by emotions.
From his very first day in this world, he had told himself: as long as he could find a way back, any person, any matter, was merely a tool to achieve his purpose.
Including Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan.
He had once thought that his reason for approaching the three was solely to expand the Breeding House's influence and accelerate Pokémon hatching.
Even to covertly influence the Akatsuki organization in the future.
Their naive ideals, pure gazes, and longing for peace—
To Shiroishi, they were nothing but fleeting illusions in this cruel world.
He shouldn't be moved, shouldn't invest, shouldn't harbor any feelings.
Yet...
The sound of rain falling on the ground was like an endless, gentle sigh.
Shiroishi closed his eyes lightly, but images of those smiling faces surfaced in his mind.
Yahiko's spirited declaration that they could surely succeed,
Konan's laughter as she caught Squirtle's splashes in the rain, Nagato's quiet, protective expression as he held Bulbasaur...
What was once cold calculation had now grown hazy in his heart.
In the end, he was just an ordinary transmigrator, incapable of true ruthlessness...
He found himself instinctively wanting to protect them.
Even this cooperation with Hanzo, which others saw as compromise or opportunism,
Was actually another form of cover.
He deliberately exposed the Breeding House openly, making it a resource in Hanzo's eyes so that Hanzo's attention wouldn't fall on Yahiko and the others.
As long as the focus remained on him, they would have time to grow.
But this approach also placed him directly in the line of danger.
Shiroishi lifted his head slightly, gazing at the relentless rain.
"This world is truly ironic..."
He murmured softly.
"I only wanted to return, yet step by step, I've ended up here."
Just then, light footsteps approached.
Eevee hopped onto the stone steps, leaving faint paw prints on the damp ground.
It looked up, raindrops sliding off its soft fur,
Its clear eyes reflecting Shiroishi's image.
Without making a sound, it gently licked Shiroishi's palm.
In that moment, Shiroishi's stiff fingers trembled slightly.
"Ha..."
He laughed, but the laughter held bitterness,
"Are you worried about me?"
Eevee looked up and let out a soft "Eevee~"
Then made a comical face, sticking out its tongue and flicking its tail.
Shiroishi froze for a moment before he couldn't help but chuckle softly.
"I'm a bad person, you know."
He whispered, as if mocking himself, "Deceiving them... using them."
But Eevee paid no mind, tilting its head and chirping in response,
As if saying, "No, you're not."
It pressed closer to Shiroishi once more, rubbing its furry head against his arm.
In that moment, a strange warmth filled Shiroishi's heart.
He reached out and gently stroked Eevee's head, his voice softening.
"You really are... a little one who understands nothing."
Yet Eevee simply looked up, its gaze pure and clear.
In those eyes, there was no doubt, no fear.
Only steadfast trust and gentleness remained.
Shiroishi remained silent for a long while. The rain continued falling, and wind swept through the eaves.
He let out a soft sigh, a faint yet genuine smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
"Thank you, Eevee."
Shiroishi murmured quietly, leaning against the doorframe as the rain's glow shimmered softly across his profile.
Eevee narrowed its eyes, revealing a small smile, and trotted briskly to the purple egg behind him.
It gently tapped the eggshell with its tail, as if saying, "It likes you too."
Shiroishi froze momentarily, about to respond, when a faint vibration came from the egg behind him.
A gentle light seeped from the patterns on the eggshell, pulsing like a heartbeat, flickering on and off.
It was a sign that life was about to awaken.
"Is it about to hatch?"
A familiar voice came from beyond the curtain of rain.
Shiroishi turned his head to see Jiraiya, cloaked, walking slowly through the rain.
The Mudkip on his shoulder lay comfortably, its tail fin swaying back and forth.
Raindrops dripped from Jiraiya's silver hair, refracting soft light under the lamp.
"Yes." Shiroishi nodded, his gaze still fixed on the egg.
"It's already emitting energy fluctuations. It should hatch soon."
Jiraiya stepped closer, gazing with keen interest at the purple glow.
"Do you know what kind of Ninja Beast will hatch?"
Shiroishi fell silent for a moment, his expression thoughtful.
"I'm not sure... but judging from the fluctuations, it should be a dragon."
"A dragon?"
Jiraiya raised an eyebrow, a glint of excitement appearing in his eyes.
"Sounds pretty thrilling."
Hearing the word "dragon," Mudkip's eyes instantly lit up. It hopped down from Jiraiya's shoulder and went to greet Eevee.
The two Ninja Beasts chased and tumbled around in the rain and lamplight, splashing tiny droplets everywhere.
The air inside the room seemed softened by their lively energy.
But Shiroishi didn't join in their merriment. He simply quietly picked up the egg,
his fingertips gliding over the smooth shell, feeling the subtle pulsations.
The sensation was strange, as if the life within the egg was communicating with him in some way—
both unfamiliar and intimate.
"What are you thinking about?" Jiraiya's smile faded, his tone softening.
Shiroishi looked up, his expression as calm as ever, yet carrying a hint of barely perceptible weariness.
"I was thinking..."
He paused, then smiled faintly.
"About the cooperation with Hanzo. For the Breeding House to survive, we have to stay under Rain's watchful eye."
Hearing this, Jiraiya fell silent for a moment, his expression growing more serious.
"Hanzo isn't an easy man to deal with."
"I know." Shiroishi replied softly,
"That's why I'm also aware that sooner or later, he'll set his sights on me. But I'll still do it. After all, I'm more mature than they are."
He lifted his head, gazing out at the endless rain beyond the window.
Jiraiya looked at him and suddenly laughed.
"Heh, you... you seem cold on the outside, but you're even more of a caretaker than I am."
Shiroishi raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that because I have a teacher like Jiraiya setting the example?"
Jiraiya was momentarily speechless, then burst into hearty laughter that mingled warmly with the sound of the rain.
"Alright, since we're talking like this... if there ever comes a day when things get dangerous..."
He patted Shiroishi's shoulder, his lips curling into his usual grin:
"Remember to call me. When it comes to running away, I'm a professional."
Shiroishi smiled as well, nodding gently.
"Then I'll leave it to you, teacher."
Outside, the rain continued to fall.
Eevee and Mudkip chased each other through the rain, while Squirtle spun around in a puddle.
And that purple egg emitted an increasingly bright light,
finally beginning to hatch!
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