The Rain Ninja Captain stood quietly at the doorway.
Raindrops slid down his cloak, forming shallow puddles on the ground.
Inside the Breeding House, the air was thick with the damp scent of medicinal herbs.
Creak!
The wooden door slowly swung open.
Shiroishi appeared behind it, still wearing his pristine white clothes.
His expression was calm, but the coldness in his eyes was too intense to meet directly.
"Is there something you need?"
His tone was so flat it bordered on emotionless.
The Rain Ninja Captain cleared his throat softly, clearly uneasy.
"Shiroishi, according to Amegakure's security management regulations..."
He paused, as if carefully choosing his words.
"The Breeding House has been identified as containing potential risk factors that could affect the village's defense system. Therefore... we hope you'll come back to the village with us for investigation."
As his words fell, dead silence filled the room.
Eevee immediately bared its teeth, the sudden intimidating aura making several Rain Ninjas flinch.
Even the raindrops and bubbles outside seemed to turn abnormal.
The atmosphere grew oppressive.
Shiroishi remained expressionless, merely narrowing his eyes slightly.
His calm gaze made the Rain Ninja Captain's heart tighten involuntarily.
"Don't misunderstand,"
the Rain Ninja Captain added, "I'll do my best to protect you. This is an order from above - I can't disobey."
He spoke these last words so quietly they were almost drowned out by the rain.
Yet with this statement, the atmosphere outside the building instantly became unbearably tense.
These words amounted to a public declaration:
Amegakure intended to take Shiroishi away.
From the shadows, several powerful Chakra Waves immediately grew restless.
Hidden beyond the curtain of rain, Orochimaru was observing the scene through his remote White Snake perception.
"Heh heh heh..."
A cold glint flashed in his eyes.
Though he was in another country, he still had ways to intervene in this matter. After all, Shiroishi and the Breeding House held great interest and research value for him.
Inside the Breeding House, Jiraiya also detected the disturbance outside.
Sitting by the window, he paused the cup in his hand and narrowed his eyes.
"Amegakure wants to take him away?"
Jiraiya's voice carried a hint of coldness.
If Amegakure truly dared to move against Shiroishi, he wouldn't stand by idly.
Outside, the rain grew denser, like countless silver needles piercing the ground.
Amid this silent standoff, Shiroishi finally spoke.
Konan wanted to step outside, but Yahiko stopped her: "Trust him to handle this."
At that moment, Shiroishi spoke.
"I refuse."
His voice was soft, yet perfectly clear.
The Rain Ninja Captain frowned.
"You?"
"This Breeding House," Shiroishi interrupted him, his tone still even, "contains one hundred million Exploding Tags."
The words landed like a bomb in still waters.
The Rain Ninja Captain's pupils instantly dilated, his breath catching.
Even the ninjas outside were frozen by this statement.
"One hundred million... what did you say?"
Shiroishi's gaze remained indifferent. "I said, one hundred million. If Amegakure tries to use force, this entire district - this very sky of the Land of Rain - will be blown apart."
He raised his hand, pointing toward the roof. "By then, even if Hanzo comes personally, he won't obtain any useful information from inside this Breeding House."
Dead silence filled the room once more.
The Rain Ninja Captain's mouth twitched slightly. "One hundred million Exploding Tags? Do you really expect me to believe that?"
Shiroishi paused, his tone growing colder.
"Would you like to test that theory?"
"Also, tell Hanzao."
A faint, profound glint flashed in his eyes.
"I do have connections in Konoha as well."
"..."
The Rain Ninja Captain's heart tightened.
Shiroishi curled the corner of his lips slightly upward and let out a cold laugh:
"Danzo's representative, Orochimaru, is currently in the Land of Rain."
The words struck like thunder.
The Rain Ninja Captain froze on the spot,
while Jiraiya inside the room nearly spat out his tea.
"What nonsense? Danzo and Orochimaru? Representatives?"
He almost laughed aloud inwardly.
Shiroishi's wild claims sounded like a joke.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru, listening from afar,
wore an extremely complex expression.
He licked the corner of his mouth, his snake-like pupils contracting slightly.
"Still... this lie isn't half bad."
At the same time, the Rain Ninja Captain remained rigid at the door,
rainwater trickling down his mask as his mind churned in turmoil.
Shiroishi's voice remained calm, spoken in an indifferent tone: "Go back and tell Hanzo that the Breeding House's business doesn't belong solely to Amegakure—it concerns the entire Shinobi World."
With that, he turned and slowly closed the door.
Click.
The moment the door shut, the sound of rain intensified.
The Rain Ninja Captain stood outside, dazed for a long while, before finally taking a deep breath and forcing a bitter smile.
"Captain, what should we do?"
"Let's report back to Lord Hanzo for now."
Shiroishi closed the door, and the rain outside immediately sounded muffled.
The entire Breeding House was enveloped in damp air, the window frames trembling faintly as if the wind itself hesitated to intrude.
He turned to face the familiar figures inside.
Konan, Yahiko, and Nagato stood straight, their expressions complicated.
They had already grasped from Shiroishi's exchange with the Rain Ninja Captain that Amegakure would not let this place go easily.
Shiroishi's expression remained unchanged, his tone steady. "For now, Konan, the three of you should return to the old hideout. This place... is about to become unsettled."
Konan spoke up then.
"We can stay and help."
Shiroishi shook his head, his tone leaving no room for argument:
"Your presence would only distract me further. Amegakure's attention is focused here now. If a battle breaks out, the three of you will inevitably become targets."
Silence filled the room.
Konan bit her lip, gazing at Shiroishi's calm, almost detached expression.
She wanted to insist, but Yahiko spoke first.
"We understand."
There was a rare resolve in the young man's eyes.
"The three of us will return to the hideout, but Jiraiya-sensei must stay."
Shiroishi paused briefly, then nodded.
He understood Yahiko's meaning.
The three leaving was to avoid becoming burdens;
while Jiraiya staying behind
was their final safeguard.
Konan remained silent for a moment before finally nodding softly.
"...Alright."
Her voice was quiet, tinged with reluctance.
Nagato only gave Shiroishi a deep look and said nothing.
As the three prepared to leave, Shiroishi suddenly spoke: "Konan."
The girl turned back.
Shiroishi looked at her, his gaze so calm it seemed to pierce through the rain.
"Before you go, could you help me set something up?"
"What?"
Shiroishi smiled faintly, pointing toward the pillars and walls inside the room.
"I need you to use Paper Style to create a layer that makes outsiders believe this place truly holds a hundred million Exploding Tags."
Konan was taken aback.
Then, a flicker of amusement shone in her clear eyes.
"Understood."
Konan stepped forward, pressing her palms together.
Countless pristine sheets of paper drifted from her sleeves,
spinning and scattering through the air like snowflakes.
The papers adhered to one another, layering, folding, and stacking into intricate seal formations.
Squirtle watched wide-eyed, counting the rotations as they turned.
Each sheet carried faint Chakra Waves, appearing almost indistinguishable from genuine Exploding Tags from a distance.
The sound of rain came through the window, falling upon the paper array with a faint sizzling sound, as if they might detonate at any moment.
Shiroishi nodded in satisfaction.
"Excellent."
Konan withdrew her hands and gave a soft acknowledgment.
Meanwhile, at the border of the Land of Rain, Orochimaru slowly emerged from the soil.
He let out an odd chuckle and began swaggering openly along the border region of the Land of Rain.