The dusk in Konoha was windless, the sky tinged with a faint drunken hue.
Streetlights began to flicker on as rowdy noises spilled from the taverns.
Tsunade sat in a corner booth, several empty sake bottles littering the table while she clutched a flask of clear liquor in her hand.
Her expression was languid, yet carried a trace of melancholy.
Ever since her younger brother Nawaki died in the Second Ninja World War, that thorn in Tsunade's heart had never been pulled out.
That war had brought her and the title of one of the Three Ninja great renown throughout the Shinobi World, but it had also cost her the person she cherished most.
"War…"
She murmured softly, the swaying liquor reflecting blurred lights.
"Only brings death."
She took a sip, the strong alcohol burning down her throat with a faint astringent heat.
Just as she was about to pour another cup, a familiar laugh suddenly sounded behind her.
"Yo, Tsunade!"
Her eyebrow twitched.
"Jiraiya."
She turned lazily and, as expected, saw that familiar head of white hair swaying under the lights.
But this time, he was accompanied by a strange creature.
It was an amphibious being entirely blue, faint moisture clinging to its body, with a broad head and peculiar fins bulging on its back.
It looked somewhere between a fish and a frog, yet its eyes seemed vacant as it gazed around with a clueless expression.
Tsunade frowned, picked up her cup, and remarked offhandedly, "Did the Summoning Beasts of Mount Myōboku start adopting this… hybrid style now?"
"Hahaha!" Jiraiya laughed heartily, plopping down opposite her. "This isn't a Summoning Beast from Mount Myōboku."
As he spoke, he reached out and patted the strange creature's head.
"Let me introduce you—this is Marshtomp. Actually, you've met once before."
"Marshtomp…?" Tsunade's frown deepened, her lip twitching. "That name sounds way too lazy."
Truth be told, Tsunade was a bit drunk, and she couldn't immediately connect the previous Mudkip with the Marshtomp before her.
"He's not simple, you know." Jiraiya grinned proudly, hands on his hips. "Don't let his dopey look fool you—he's actually really strong. He's a partner who can resonate with me."
"Oh? How rare."
Tsunade didn't bother hiding the sarcasm in her tone. "To think a Ninja Beast would actually take a liking to a pervert like you."
"Hey now, don't say that." Jiraiya waved his hand cheerfully, completely unbothered.
"It just proves my charm!"
As he spoke, he and Marshtomp both leaned closer to the table.
Marshtomp's round, bulging eyes blinked, its gaze settling on Tsunade's face before shifting to the sake flask. Then, it tilted its head blankly.
Tsunade felt a slight chill under that stare.
"...Why is it staring at me?"
"Maybe it thinks you're pretty?"
Jiraiya spouted nonsense with a straight face.
"Get lost."
Tsunade's voice was icy, carrying an extremely dangerous undertone.
But somehow, neither the man nor the fish seemed to pick up on the warning.
Jiraiya continued grinning as he poured a cup of sake and raised it in invitation. "Come on, it's been a while since we met. How about a drink?"
Meanwhile, Marshtomp clumsily lifted its fin, mimicking the gesture of raising a cup.
"...Hey, what is it doing?" Tsunade's eye twitched.
"Greeting you!"
Jiraiya explained with utmost seriousness.
"It's a tacit gesture we developed on our journey—a symbol of friendship." Come on, Marshtomp, say hello to Lady Tsunade!"
"Guru~"
Marshtomp let out a muffled bubbling sound and stared blankly at Tsunade.
That vacant yet innocent gaze seemed to examine her entire being while simultaneously thinking of nothing.
A white-haired wanderer and a water-type monster - such a combination.
Both staring at her in unison.
A vein twitched on Tsunade's forehead.
She slowly put down her sake cup, the smile on her lips gradually stiffening.
"Are you looking to die?"
Jiraiya was sent flying by Tsunade's punch, crashing through the paper sliding door at the entrance and landing directly on the concrete outside.
The patrons burst into laughter, shaking their heads as if this were a common occurrence.
As for Marshtomp, it blinked blankly, seemingly not yet understanding what had happened.
"Gurgle...?"
It tilted its head at Tsunade, wearing an innocent expression.
"You seem to be that Mudkip from last time?"
"Gurgle!"
Tsunade sighed, sat back down, and downed the remaining sake in one gulp.
After a moment of silence, the alcohol beginning to wear off, she came to her senses: "Your growth rate is really fast. Do you want a drink too?"
"Gurgle...?"
Marshtomp nodded.
Meanwhile, in the eastern forest of the Land of Rain.
The Rain Ninja hidden in the shadows of the forest were about to notify Hanzo when...
The next moment, they simultaneously felt a terrifying pressure emanating from deep within the mist.
Someone slowly emerged from the shadows.
Fine rain slid from his shoulders, his silver-white hair gently swaying in the breeze.
His expression was calm, his footsteps almost soundless.
"That's..."
One Rain Ninja's pupils constricted sharply, his face instantly paling.
"It's that kid from the Breeding House!"
Before they could react, another Rain Ninja immediately shouted: "Quick! Capture him! Lord Hanzo's orders!"
Though somewhat apprehensive, they quickly formed hand seals, several of them attacking simultaneously.
After all, in their view, this slender-looking Shiroishi was merely a merchant who raised Ninja Beasts. Even if his methods were strange, now that he was away from the Breeding House with all its Exploding Tag arrangements, they could make their move.
Ninja Tools, kunai, and Water Release Techniques converged upon him.
However...
Shiroishi's expression showed no fluctuation.
He gently raised his right hand, fist tightening.
The next instant, the air exploded.
He directly met the first attacker, throwing a punch accompanied by a heavy shockwave.
The moment his fist connected, the Rain Ninja's chest seemed to be struck by a massive boulder, sending him flying backward to crash heavily against a tree trunk, wood splinters flying everywhere.
"How is this possible!?"
Before the others could react, Shiroishi had already raised his left hand.
A soft glow appeared in his palm as countless transparent bubbles emerged from his palm lines, slowly drifting through the air.
Though the bubbles appeared light and delicate, they carried a strange fluctuation.
When two Rain Ninja stepped into them, they immediately let out agonized screams.
Their Chakra was instantly devoured by the bubbles, their bodies suddenly going limp as they collapsed to their knees, their eyes losing all light.
"What kind of sorcery is this!"
Fear spread through the Rain Ninja's eyes.
But before they could organize a second wave of attacks, Shiroishi tapped his toes and leaped into the air.
He raised both hands, forming hand seals.
The Ōtsutsuki Blank Slate Physique revealed its terrifying power at this moment.
Wood Release: Thriving Bomb.
The ground instantly shattered as green vines shot out from the soil like snakes.
These vines weren't the soft tendrils of plants, but whips with sharp cutting edges.
In an instant, they spread into a net, entangling all the remaining Rain Ninjas.
"Hiss, let me go!"
"I can't break free!"
They struggled desperately, but the Chakra energy flowing on the vines writhed like living creatures, continuously contracting and tightening.
The next moment, Shiroishi's fingertips twitched slightly.
The color of the vines gradually shifted from emerald green to dark red.
Accompanied by a low, hissing sound, faint glowing veins pulsed across the surface of the vines—traces of life energy being absorbed.
The screams of the Rain Ninjas rose and fell one after another.
Their Chakra, physical strength, and even life force were rapidly drained away.
After a few breaths, all sounds abruptly ceased.
The rain fell silently.
Only a few faint wisps of mist and the sound of rain remained in the air.
Shiroishi landed gently, the hem of his clothes swaying slightly in the wind.
With just a lift of his hand and a wave, all the vines turned into dust, dissipating into the soil.
Silence returned to the surroundings.
Then, Shiroishi's gaze turned toward the distant battlefield.
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