Outside the secret cabin.
Shiroishi sat cross-legged by the stream, enveloped in a faint blue ripple of Chakra.
As he formed hand seals, countless bubbles materialized in the air, reflecting a rainbow of colors under the light.
The next moment, the bubbles burst simultaneously!
Numerous water cannons crisscrossed and spiraled through the air, dancing around him as if moving to a rhythm.
With a subtle shift of Chakra in his palm, the clear water glow began to take on a faint green hue.
The poison from the Poison Jab originated from Poipole's toxins.
Over this period, he had continuously adjusted the toxin's structure, merging it with his Chakra.
The instant electricity flashed in his palm, the poison and current erupted together, filling the air with a faint burnt smell.
"Buzz!"
Poison and electricity intertwined, whipping up a toxic mist.
As the mist churned, the surrounding leaves trembled slightly.
Shiroishi withdrew his palm and stood, his gaze as calm as still water.
The explosive power had multiplied several times over, and even the flow of Chakra carried an eerie, viscous sensation.
Just then, faint footsteps sounded from the other end of the woods.
Shiroishi looked up to see Jiraiya walking slowly along the stone slabs by the stream.
His iconic red haori was slightly damp, and his long hair was somewhat disheveled.
Observing the dissipating poison mist around Shiroishi, a flicker of admiration crossed his eyes.
"Hmm, not bad," he said, crossing his arms and nodding slightly. "It seems your training in taijutsu has progressed quite well."
Shiroishi was taken aback.
Jiraiya's tone seemed somewhat ingratiating.
"Jiraiya-sensei... your tone today is a bit strange."
"Is there something going on?"
"Ahem." Jiraiya chuckled dryly, scratching his head with an awkward expression. "It's nothing major, really. I just wanted to ask... do you have any extra Ninja Beast Eggs?"
Shiroishi understood immediately.
"Ninja Beast Eggs?"
Jiraiya looked embarrassed.
He knew Shiroishi had been discreetly circulating some Ninja Beast Eggs on the black market. A thousand ryo was beyond Jiraiya's means—after all, that amounted to a million in paper currency.
His expenses for food, drink, and entertainment were simply too high.
Shiroishi took out a small Ninja Beast Egg and sealed it inside a scroll.
"Here you go."
"Really?" Jiraiya's eyes lit up as he quickly reached for it.
"Are you planning to give it to someone, Sensei?"
Jiraiya's gaze drifted away. "Ah... well, someone's birthday is coming up soon. I thought I'd give a special gift."
Shiroishi tilted his head curiously. "Someone? You're not talking about... Princess Tsunade, are you?"
Jiraiya coughed, his expression instantly tense. "Ahem!"
Lately, the relationship between master and disciple had been strained due to differing ideologies.
Today's rare moment of harmony brought a smile to Shiroishi's face.
"Then I wish you luck. I hope she likes the birthday gift."
Seeing his student's smile, Jiraiya was momentarily dazed before speaking gently, "Thank you."
No matter what, Shiroishi was still just a child. He had been fooled by the boy's overly mature demeanor before.
A child who wanted to change the fate of the Land of Rain, so kind-hearted—how could he possibly be a bad person?
"Haha, I'll be off then."
Shiroishi watched him leave and shook his head.
But then, Shiroishi frowned.
It seemed another visitor had arrived?
Elsewhere in the Land of Rain.
The damp air carried a subtle, decaying scent.
A distorted black shadow slowly emerged from the rocky wall's darkness.
It was Black Zetsu.
Half of his body merged with the ground while the other half remained exposed, his ink-black form blending seamlessly with the soil as he warily scanned his surroundings.
Ever since White Zetsu went missing, the unease in his heart had never subsided.
White Zetsu had originally been dispatched by Uchiha Madara's orders to monitor Nagato and his companions.
But the true mastermind behind it all was Black Zetsu himself.
Yet at this moment, he, the spokesperson for Uchiha Madara, had not yet been born, so he could only operate in the shadows, manipulating everything from behind the scenes.
Thus, many matters couldn't be directly communicated with Uchiha Madara, especially since Uchiha Madara didn't even know him.
But Black Zetsu was growing anxious.
Recently, the situation in Amegakure had increasingly deviated from the trajectory he was familiar with.
A strange Breeding House had appeared out of nowhere, rumored to hatch Ninja Beasts with special abilities.
The owner of this Breeding House was of unknown origin, and even Hanzo had been threatened by him not long ago.
Yet Nagato and the other two seemed to have gotten involved with him.
All of this put Black Zetsu on high alert.
To make matters worse, White Zetsu had completely lost contact after approaching that Breeding House.
This was no coincidence.
He had to see for himself.
He glided close to the ground, his shadow seeping into the soil like ink.
Finally, the Breeding House came into view ahead.
The building was small but exceptionally tidy.
As Black Zetsu drew near, his eyelid twitched.
It felt as if something was watching him.
He halted, observing carefully.
There were no signs of living beings nearby, nor any traces of traps.
Yet that peculiar sensation persisted.
It was utterly bizarre, but he couldn't pinpoint the issue.
Black Zetsu was certain no one was there.
Steeling his thoughts, he slipped through the wall like a shadow, entering the house.
The room was empty.
Only a wide wooden desk stood there, neatly arranged with five oddly shaped eggs.
Were these the legendary Ninja Beast Eggs?
Black Zetsu slowly approached, staring at the eggs.
They felt strangely familiar, though he couldn't understand why.
No matter how hard he tried to recall, he couldn't remember their exact origin.
Narrowing his eyes, Black Zetsu's gaze grew colder.
Regardless of what these eggs contained, he decided to take them back for study.
With a wave of his hand, shadows surged, and the five eggs instantly sank into the ground, taken by him.
A moment later, the Breeding House returned to silence, with only the sound of rain remaining.
But just after Black Zetsu left,
An almost imperceptible spatial crack appeared.
From within the crack, a silhouette slowly emerged.
Shiroishi coldly watched Black Zetsu depart.
Half of his body remained in the different dimension, his expression devoid of surprise.
"So he took the eggs?"
As his words faded, the crack slowly closed, and the room fell into deathly silence once more.
Elsewhere, Black Zetsu sped through dense forests.
Clutched in his hand were the five peculiar Ninja Beast Eggs.
Soon, he arrived in a desolate wilderness.
As he came to a gradual stop, a white figure emerged from the ground—a clone of White Zetsu.
"Take these eggs back to Uchiha Madara," Black Zetsu instructed quietly.
White Zetsu nodded, cradling four of the eggs before sinking into the earth.
The soil sealed shut, leaving Black Zetsu alone.
He looked down at the final egg in his palm.
He already knew that if one resonated with a Ninja Beast Egg upon touch, a Ninja Beast would be born.
That familiar yet eerie aura seemed to resonate with the dark will within him on some intangible frequency.
"Heh..."
As his fingertips lightly brushed the eggshell, a low hum emanated from within, accompanied by a thick black mist slowly seeping out.
"What is this!?"
The originally grayish-white eggshell was rapidly being overtaken by spreading blackness. Patterns writhed like dark vines, eventually staining the entire egg the abyssal black of a deep chasm.
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