Shiroishi sat under the oil lamp, his fingers lightly tapping on the table.
The firelight flickered in his eyes, shimmering faintly.
"I think," he suddenly spoke, "starting tomorrow, aside from our daily training, we should go out and explore the surroundings of the Land of Rain."
Yahiko looked up, somewhat surprised. "Go out?"
Konan and Nagato also turned their gazes toward him, their expressions tinged with curiosity.
Shiroishi remained calm as he withdrew his gaze, focusing on the rain outside the window. "To truly see this country. Books and training can only teach so much. Only by witnessing it firsthand will we understand how much peace is built upon piles of bones."
The room fell silent.
Yahiko frowned slightly, his fists unconsciously clenching. He wasn't afraid of the battlefield, but Shiroishi's stern tone felt oppressive.
Shiroishi continued, his tone still detached. "Bringing you along isn't just to help you understand reality better... I have my own reasons too."
He reached out and patted the Ivysaur standing beside him. Now evolved, Ivysaur's bud was gradually unfurling, its leaves emitting a soft green glow. Ivysaur's Rooting Skill had already established a connection with the World Tree.
"Is this a Chakra connection?"
Shiroishi nodded and explained further, "This is part of my bloodline ability—a special tree exists within my body, which I call the World Tree. Ivysaur is its extension in the physical world. Through it, I can temporarily create a relay channel, allowing the World Tree to absorb energy from external matter."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the three of them. "Simply put, if I wish, Ivysaur can process a large number of ninja corpses for me in the outside world. I need the corpses of various Chakra-wielding ninjas to convert into energy. Of course, in the future, it could also absorb Tailed Beasts for conversion."
Yahiko's expression shifted slightly, and Konan drew a soft breath. Only Nagato remained silent, his demeanor calm.
Noticing their reactions, Shiroishi's tone grew even more indifferent. "Through them, Ivysaur can draw Chakra and nourish the entire system. Not only will it strengthen itself, but it will also help Charmander, Squirtle, and Poipole evolve faster."
As he spoke, Shiroishi's gaze grew somewhat complex. He looked down at Ivysaur, his fingertips lightly tracing the glowing patterns on its bud. "We... all need time. No matter how hard it is to accept, this is the reason we must grow stronger."
The room was so quiet that the sound of raindrops hitting the roof tiles could be heard.
Yahiko was silent for a long moment. "Using corpses for power... still sounds cruel."
His tone softened slightly as he continued, "But you're not wrong, Shiroishi. We can't choose to bring the dead back to life, but we can choose to give their deaths meaning."
Yahiko was not inflexible. After the Rain Ninja Captain was brutally executed by Hanzo, his understanding of the world had deepened, though some illusions remained. He understood that Shiroishi was also doing this to help everyone grow stronger, utilizing his bloodline ability.
At this point, Nagato stepped forward with an open mind and stroked Ivysaur. "Ivysaur, we'll be counting on you."
Ivysaur seemed to understand, letting out a small, responsive cry.
Its bud trembled slightly, emitting a faint wisp of fragrance. The originally heavy atmosphere in the room seemed to lighten somewhat under this breath of life.
Yahiko looked up at the faintly glowing Ninja Beast and finally nodded slowly.
"I understand, Shiroishi... You want us to realize that peace isn't achieved through fantasy, but through choices and sacrifices."
Yahiko's voice then grew much firmer: "Only by going out will we understand more."
Nagato spoke in a low voice: "I agree."
Konan hesitated for a moment before nodding gently: "I want to see what the outside world looks like too."
"Then it's settled. We'll set out together tomorrow."
The next day came.
After the morning training session, Jiraiya left in a hurry, without even leaving many instructions, only saying he had matters to attend to.
After his departing figure disappeared into the rain curtain.
"Teacher left too urgently this time," Konan said softly.
Shiroishi put away the scroll on the table, his expression calm: "That's fine. Let's prepare to depart."
Soon, the four of them changed into matching black coats.
The fabric was thick, capable of shielding against body heat loss in the rain,
The low brims of their hats nearly concealed their faces.
"This outfit... quite resembles a squad," Yahiko said with a laugh.
"And Shiroishi will be our squad leader then."
Amidst their joking, four dark figures moved through the mountains.
They traveled through low jungles, abandoned villages, and war-ravaged plains.
Corpses, ruins, and scorched earth had almost become the backdrop of the Land of Rain.
When they reached the border between the Land of Rain and the Land of Earth, the air was thick with a pungent smell of blood.
Ahead lay a battlefield not yet dried.
Shattered rocks, charred earth.
Several Stone shinobi corpses lay scattered in the mud.
Their heads had long been severed, leaving only cold, rigid bodies facing the sky.
Rainwater flowed along their wounds into the soil, mixing into dark red streaks.
Konan's steps paused slightly. "Is this the Shinobi World?"
No one answered.
Yahiko frowned, his expression complex; Nagato just silently watched the scattered bones.
Shiroishi stepped forward, his trench coat clinging to him in the rain, his tone still calm.
"Next, we need to deal with these bodies."
After speaking, he raised his hand, a faint light glowing in his palm.
The light wasn't dazzling, but carried an unusual energy fluctuation.
Ivysaur emerged from his side, the pink glow on its bud softly flickering in the rainy night.
It seemed to sense its master's intent, the leaves on its back slowly unfolding.
"Nagato."
"Hmm." Nagato nodded, forming hand signs as his Chakra flow stabilized the surrounding atmosphere.
The next moment...
"Ivysaur, Rooting."
The ground instantly shook!
Rainwater splashed as vines burst from the soil like living things,
The vines, glowing with a pale green light, coiled and extended along the contours of the corpses.
Soon, a small withered tree broke through the ground.
Its branches twisted and cracked, yet expanded silently,
Roots spread like living things, entwining and consuming those cold bodies.
An eerie resonance sounded in the air!
It was the sound of Chakra being absorbed, decomposed, and transformed.
As this process continued, the bloody scent of the battlefield gradually faded,
The soil was cleansed anew by the rain, leaving only traces covered by vine roots.
Konan stared at the scene in stunned disbelief.
"Is it... eating them?"
Shiroishi nodded, his tone calm yet tinged with emotion.
"Rather than eating, it's more like recycling. Their Chakra, flesh and blood, and lingering soul fragments are all being transformed into new life energy. The power of the deceased won't go to waste."
As the last corpse was completely absorbed,
Ivysaur's body suddenly emitted a brilliant light.
The glow wasn't the cold white of death, but the emerald green of life,
Like a gentle breeze in the rainy night, softly caressing everyone's faces.
Nagato was the first to sense the fluctuation: "Chakra?"
Almost simultaneously,
Eevee, Squirtle, Charmander, and Poipole all began to shimmer with halos of different colors.
The light gathered around them, reflecting off the raindrops.
The former bloodshed and aura of death had transformed into new life vibrations.
Nagato murmured softly: "Death and rebirth in nature are fundamentally part of the same cycle."
Suddenly, Charmander roared, evolution light converging around its body.
It was beginning to evolve!
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