Amegakure Tower.
The thick clouds hung oppressively low, making even the air feel damp and chilly with each breath.
Inside the central experimental tower of the village, lights flickered as the low hum of instruments rose and fell in succession.
Hanzo stood quietly before a transparent observation platform.
His gaze from behind the mask was fixed intently on the nine neatly arranged, hatched Ninja Beast Eggs.
Shattered eggshells lay scattered across the metal surface, from which nine tiny insect-like creatures had emerged.
Their bodies were covered in pale yellow shells, each with a small horn on its head that reflected a faint glimmer under the dim light.
Weedles.
When the researchers first saw this, they exchanged bewildered glances.
Someone muttered under their breath, "This is... the Ninja Beast Eggs Lord Hanzo spent ten thousand ryo on?"
Although the price itself wasn't high enough to expect any remarkable Ninja Beasts.
No one anticipated that what hatched would be a group of tiny insects small enough to fit in the palm of a hand.
The air grew tense and still.
Hanzo remained silent, coldly watching the small insects slowly wriggling within the glass container.
The pressure emanating from him seemed to chill the very air around them.
After a moment, he uttered calmly, "...Test their abilities."
"Yes!"
The researchers sprang into action immediately.
Several Weedles were placed in front of Ninja Tool models on the experimental table.
At first, their movements were clumsy, seemingly harmless,
but when the researchers attempted to provoke them,
the Weedles suddenly straightened their fronts, their sharp horns glowing with a faint purple light!
"Hiss!"
A Poison Needle shot out abruptly, accurately striking the simulated target.
The toxin spread instantly, causing the metal surface to oxidize and emit fine white smoke.
"Poisonous needles?"
A Rain Ninja exclaimed in surprise, quickly isolating them with a protective shield.
A faint glimmer lit up Hanzo's eyes.
"Continue."
The researchers switched to another Weedle.
This time, they began to spit silk.
The threads were extremely fine but unexpectedly resilient.
When several spat silk simultaneously, they wove into a dense web within seconds,
the silk net entangling a target kunai, resisting all attempts to pull it free.
"The Silk-Spitting Technique has a binding strength equivalent to a Chunin-level ninjutsu,"
one researcher reported in amazement. "And the penetration and toxicity of the Poison Needles... would be highly lethal if used for assassination."
At that moment, Hanzo's eyes shone brightly.
It was the gaze of a hunter who had discovered a new weapon.
"Poison and restraint."
He murmured softly, as if savoring the words.
It perfectly aligned with Amegakure's positioning.
Amegakure was renowned for assassination, intelligence, and guerrilla warfare,
and these two abilities
seemed tailor-made for his ninjas.
Soon, Hanzo ordered the nine Weedles to be fed different foods and poisonous herbs in batches to observe variations in their toxicity.
Over time, the color of the insects' Poison Needles gradually deepened, shifting from light purple to dark purple, even taking on a hint of black radiance.
"The toxicity can still be enhanced."
"The toxin structure appears to evolve in response to absorbed nutrients."
Even the typically aloof researchers now showed expressions of astonishment.
Hanzo listened quietly to these reports.
Behind that mask was a long-absent, satisfied smile.
In the following days, Hanzo made time to observe almost daily.
And the changes in the Weedles far exceeded everyone's expectations.
Just one week later, the small insects stopped eating,
curled up, and anchored themselves to the stone walls of the experimental tower.
"They've... turned into cocoons?"
One by one, the insect cocoons hung silently, their surfaces gleaming with a hard metallic luster.
The white shells appeared particularly stern under the light—Iron Shell Cocoons.
Researchers gathered around to observe.
Though they didn't understand the concept of evolution,
they knew that when living beings took on such forms, it often meant there was another stage of appearance and shape yet to come.
This was intriguing.
"Lord Hanzo, shall we continue observing?"
"Continue."
Hanzo responded in a low voice, his gaze never leaving the cocoons.
"Report any changes immediately."
Several more days passed, deep into the night.
A cracking sound suddenly echoed from the experimental tower.
Fissures spread from the top of an Iron Shell Cocoon, and a sharp Poison Needle broke through the shell first.
Crack!
Immediately after, an insect with a doubled body size unfolded its wings.
Its sharp compound eyes glinted with a green light, the venomous stingers on its arms sharp as blades,
and its flapping wings stirred up a faint current of air.
Beedrill.
Within just a few minutes, all nine Iron Shell Cocoons had hatched.
They hovered mid-air, emitting a low, resonant hum,
their sounds converging within the narrow tower, creating a heart-pounding resonance.
A researcher, trembling, recorded the data.
"Their reaction speed… surpasses that of humans! The energy concentration of the Poison Needles has increased severalfold!"
Hanzo stood under the light, quietly watching the fluttering shadows.
Poisonous gas and metallic sounds intertwined in the air,
and beneath his mask, there was an irrepressible mix of ecstasy and greed.
"This is a weapon."
He murmured, his voice as cold as steel.
"…A power suited for Amegakure."
Raindrops beat against the tower walls once more as the Beedrills circled and danced under Hanzo's watchful gaze,
their venomous stingers gleaming ominously in the dim, rainy light.
Hanzo pondered for a moment before speaking coldly, "The Breeding House, is it…"
In another dimension, the branches of the World Tree swayed gently.
The records of Weedle's evolution in Amegakure had been fully transmitted back.
Shiroishi stood quietly beneath the tree, observing the scene.
"Truly worthy of Amegakure."
He murmured softly, his tone unreadable.
"To make Weedle evolve in just over ten days… Indeed, in extreme environments, a creature's adaptability is pushed to its limits."
Shiroishi knew well that aside from Amegakure's damp, chilly, and toxin-filled climate,
another key reason was the land's inherent resentment and poisonous air,
which accelerated the insects' toxin adaptation far beyond expectations.
He just hadn't expected all nine to be Weedles.
Shiroishi adjusted his glasses, his gaze darkening slightly.
The moment he returned to reality, the atmospheric pressure outside the Breeding House shifted abruptly.
The rain grew denser, the wind carrying faint footsteps.
"They're here."
Shiroishi looked up and, through the paper window, saw a shadow approaching.
More than one person.
The Rain Ninja Captain had reappeared outside the door.
This time, he brought three full squads of Rain Ninjas,
dozens of them positioned neatly on surrounding rooftops and alleyways, their shadows forming a net that tightly encircled the entire Breeding House.
The air grew tense instantly.
Hidden in the shadows inside the house, Jiraiya frowned deeply, his expression turning grave for the first time.
Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato all rose to their feet.
Yahiko instinctively stepped in front of Konan, while a faint light flickered in Nagato's Rinnegan, a suppressed Chakra slowly spreading through the room.
The little ones were also on high alert.
But Shiroishi merely walked calmly to the doorway, his expression eerily serene.
Konan was about to speak, but Shiroishi spoke first.
"Don't worry."
Konan's lips trembled slightly, her eyes filled with worry.
Shiroishi turned and smiled at her.
The smile remained gentle, carrying a trace of elusive detachment and calm.
"Rest assured," he said softly, as if merely discussing a mundane matter, "I will handle it."
He pushed the door open, and wind and rain instantly poured in.
Revealing his silhouette.
Eevee silently leaped onto his shoulder, its fur dampened by the rain yet still alertly perking its ears.
Poipole hovered soundlessly behind.
Shiroishi stepped out of the house, facing the grim Rain Ninja crowd, his gaze steady as if he had long anticipated this moment.
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