In the Land of Rain, the streets were muddy, and cold droplets continuously dripped from the eaves.
Amidst the sound of rain, a piece of news quickly spread throughout the nation.
"Have you heard? Lord Hanzo led his team and encountered an ambush by Chiyo from the Land of Wind, but Chiyo was forced into a miserable retreat!"
"Chiyo is a seasoned powerhouse from the Land of Wind."
In their previous encounters, both sides had their share of victories and defeats. This time, Chiyo set up an ambush intentionally, yet still suffered a major loss?
"It's because Lord Hanzo has a new type of Summoned Beast Legion. Chiyo was caught off guard."
"Heh, I heard Lord Hanzo's new Summoned Beast Legion is called Beedrill. They fly extremely fast and attack with Poison Needles. Once hit, the enemy's stamina rapidly depletes."
The Rain Ninja lowered his voice, a hint of pride in his tone. "Most importantly, Lord Hanzo has a round, floating Ninja Beast as his trump card. It can self-destruct when it gets close to the enemy. That thing is called Koffing."
That was how Chiyo was caught by surprise.
Ninjas in Amegakure whispered about it in taverns, streets, and relay stations.
This brief yet shocking battle not only solidified Hanzo's reputation as a demigod but also drew the attention of some black market figures to the mysterious Ninja Beasts.
However, Hanzo remained low-key and did not publicize the origin of the Ninja Beasts.
The only thing he did was increase the order quantity for Ninja Beast Eggs and prepay a large sum of money.
Inside the Breeding House, the air was filled with the faint scent of herbs and a moist atmosphere.
Eevee was eating the medicine prepared by Shiroishi, munching away noisily.
When the news about Hanzo reached the Breeding House, Shiroishi merely smiled faintly.
Deep in the main room of the Breeding House, the roots of the World Tree slowly extended within a massive experimental tank, with pale green energy flowing along its trunk.
Shiroishi approached, gently stroking the trunk, his brow slightly furrowed.
He could sense that the Chakra replenishment was still insufficient.
"Production capacity... truly can't keep up."
Shiroishi murmured, his gaze gradually deepening.
After a moment of contemplation, he took out a scroll and infused it with Chakra.
A small silver-gray snake emerged from the scroll, flicking its tongue, its eyes alert and lively.
"Heh, Shiroishi-kun." The familiar voice came from the snake's mouth. "You contacted me on your own initiative. What is the matter?"
Shiroishi's expression remained unchanged as he spoke calmly, "I have a question for you. The year the Land of Whirlpools fell, did the Root from Konoha collect the corpses of the Uzumaki clan members?"
Upon hearing this, Orochimaru on the other end fell silent for a moment.
"Uzumaki clan members?" he responded slowly. "Heh... that's a sensitive topic. It's been years since that incident. Why are you suddenly concerned about it?"
Shiroishi lightly tapped the table with his fingertips, his voice unnervingly calm. "Because I need their physical samples. Assuming I can obtain the remains of an Uzumaki clan member with powerful vitality, perhaps I can break through the limits of the new Ninja Beast Eggs."
"Break through the limits?"
Orochimaru chuckled softly, his voice like the rustle of snake scales.
"That sounds enticing. However... you should know that the corpses from the Land of Whirlpools have long been divided among various nations. Danzo's Root in Konoha probably did preserve some."
"I only need one body."
The small snake narrowed its eyes, flicking its tongue for a moment, its tone slightly hesitant. "Shiroishi-kun, this matter won't be easy. After all, it involves dealing with Danzo."
"I believe in you."
Shiroishi's lips curved slightly, his tone calm yet resolute.
"After all, Orochimaru-san must also be looking forward to the next stage of egg types, right?"
"Heh."
Is this kid forcing me to work?
Eventually, the serpent let out a dry chuckle, "I'm truly not making excuses, but I will find a way to handle this matter."
With that, the serpent's shadow gradually transformed into a wisp of smoke, dissipating into the air.
Shiroishi gazed at the empty scroll, his eyes deep as still water.
A soft rustling sound emerged from beneath the floorboards.
Shiroishi lowered his gaze to see the fluffy Eevee gently rubbing against his ankle.
It seemed to be telling him something.
"Eevee?"
"Ee~"
The Eevee before him had smooth fur, with the tip of its tail flickering with emerald fluorescence, pulsing like a gentle breath.
The faint glow resonated with the surrounding plants, causing faint Wood Release fluctuations to appear in the air.
Shiroishi bent down, reaching out to gently stroke Eevee's head.
He could clearly feel that gentle Chakra, carrying the breath of life.
"It seems... you've made significant progress," he said softly.
Recently, Eevee had often been going out with Ivysaur to absorb the life energy of nature, converting it into usable Chakra.
Unlike Ivysaur, who was naturally attuned to plants, Eevee's Chakra gradually took on a green hue through prolonged resonance and energy exchange.
Feeling Shiroishi's touch, Eevee rolled onto its back, wriggling playfully.
At that moment, a clear system notification echoed in Shiroishi's mind:
[Eevee's intimacy and favorability have increased. Acquired skill: Lush Bomb!]
[Skill description: Lush Bomb is a Partner Skill that grows massive vines to scatter seeds for attack.
Upon hitting the target, it absorbs a portion of the target's Chakra and continuously restores the host's Chakra.]
[Host simultaneously acquires: Wood Release - Lush Bomb!]
Lush Bomb... so that's how it is.
This skill isn't just for attack—it also involves parasitism and absorption.
The moment it strikes an opponent, the vine seeds grow along the enemy's Chakra network, feeding energy back to the user.
An upgraded version of Leech Seed's attack.
Truly worthy of a Partner Skill, far more powerful than traditional techniques.
He gently scratched Eevee's chin, his gaze warm. "Well done."
Eevee let out a cheerful chirp, its tail swaying gently as if responding to Shiroishi's praise.
The glow on its body brightened, pulsing like the heartbeat of the World Tree within it.
Shiroishi stood up, slowly closing his eyes as the flow of Chakra within him began to resonate with Eevee's Wood Release energy.
That power was gentle yet full of vitality, carrying the momentum of spring buds breaking through soil, brimming with vigor.
Then, the Different dimension around Shiroishi opened, revealing the Sacred Tree World.
He took a deep breath and formed hand seals!
In that instant, the earth emitted a low rumble.
Centered on Shiroishi, the ground cracked open, and emerald vines grew at speeds barely visible to the naked eye.
They twisted like snakes, emerging from the earth, spreading along walls and ceilings, leaves unfurling and buds blooming.
At that moment, the air was filled with a rich, pure, and resilient life energy.
The World Tree received a degree of repair.
Shiroishi opened his eyes, his pupils reflecting an entire sea of green.
The ends of those vines bore plump green seeds, trembling slightly and emitting a soft light.
The vines slowly retracted under his will, burrowing back into the soil, leaving only faint traces of green light drifting in the air.
Eevee leaped onto the table, proudly shaking its fur.
Shiroishi gently extended his hand, his palm still retaining the warm life energy.
"Thank you, Eevee."
With a cheerful cry, Eevee jumped into his arms, its soft fur pressing against his chest.
Then, Shiroishi slowly raised his head with an expressionless face.
With the new Wood Release technique, he no longer needed Ivysaur to serve as an intermediary for connecting to the World Tree.
He could now deploy nodes to absorb Chakra anywhere on his own.
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