The back mountain of the Breeding House.
Nagato calmly manipulated plants, restoring everything around to its original state.
On the cliff wall, two Ninja Beast Eggs hovered silently in the air.
The Two-Tails' consciousness had fallen into deep slumber.
The World Tree had expelled it, but this time, for the Two-Tails to restore its original Chakra like before, it would take at least a hundred years.
Unless someone could provide sufficient energy to revive the Two-Tails.
Its Chakra had been extracted and used to cultivate the two Ninja Beast Eggs before them.
Light flowed across the surface of the eggshells, as if they were breathing and growing. Each pulse was accompanied by subtle fluctuations of Natural Energy.
"These two eggs not only absorb the Two-Tails' Chakra but can also harmonize with Natural Energy on their own?"
Shiroishi stood quietly at the cave entrance, rainwater trickling down his hair.
One hand gently brushed over a hovering scroll.
The next moment, a small silver-gray snake slithered out from the scroll.
It flicked its tongue, coiled a few times on the ground, and finally looked up at Shiroishi.
Orochimaru's voice came low from the snake's mouth, carrying his usual mocking and cold tone:
"Heh... Shiroishi-kun, your Breeding House never fails to surprise me. It seems you're hatching some special Ninja Beasts again."
Shiroishi remained calm, adjusted his glasses, and replied lightly:
"Of course it feels familiar. After all, you've researched Tailed Beast Chakra as well."
Orochimaru's tone paused slightly, then a flicker of surprise showed in the snake's eyes?
"A Tailed Beast?... Shiroishi-kun, what happened?"
Shiroishi revealed a faint, almost imperceptible smile.
"The Cloud ninjas attacked."
"Attacked?"
Orochimaru nodded.
"And the outcome?"
"The outcome..."
Shiroishi smiled ambiguously and turned to look at the two Ninja Beast Eggs still glowing with light.
"I repelled them."
Orochimaru: "Repelled? And then?"
"The Jinchuriki personally intervened."
At this moment, Orochimaru vaguely sensed something was off.
Behind Shiroishi's calm glasses reflected a glimmer of light.
Then Shiroishi said as if it were nothing:
"Sorry, Orochimaru-sama, I didn't expect it either... she just died like that."
"...Died?"
An eerie silence fell.
After a moment, Orochimaru let out a dry laugh.
"Hehehe... How remarkable. You even accidentally killed the Two-Tailed Jinchuriki."
Orochimaru increasingly felt that Shiroishi seemed to be setting him up.
"What about the Two-Tails?"
Shiroishi raised his hand, pointing at the two Ninja Beast Eggs above the mountaintop.
"The Tailed Beast's Chakra has been naturally transformed by me into Ninja Beast Eggs. The Tailed Beast consciousness has been sent back to the Land of Lightning."
The air suddenly froze.
Even through the communication snake, Orochimaru's astonishment was palpable.
"Hehehehe..."
Orochimaru finally couldn't help but let out a low laugh,
"So, the Two-Tails won't be able to revive for a hundred years, right?"
Shiroishi shrugged: "If the Eight-Tails is willing to share a portion of its Chakra with the Two-Tails, then it could revive again."
After a long silence, Orochimaru spoke with clear exasperation: "What are you planning? To make Danzo take the fall, correct?"
Orochimaru saw right through it.
Shiroishi didn't deny it, only smiled faintly.
"I just want to keep this matter low-key. After all, if the Raikage investigates, it won't be a minor trouble. I don't want the Land of Rain to become the center of attention."
The serpent's body coiled on the ground, its scales rubbing together with a faint rustling sound.
"You've already done something extraordinary, and you still want to keep it low-key?"
Shiroishi neither confirmed nor denied, only offering a faint smile.
"Then, are you willing to help?"
Orochimaru remained silent for a few seconds before his voice slowly came through.
"Heh... I'll handle this matter."
Shiroishi's smile deepened as he adjusted his glasses. "Lord Orochimaru, you truly are reliable."
At that moment, Orochimaru suddenly spoke again, his tone slightly somber. "Do you still have the Jinchuriki's corpse?"
Shiroishi waved his hand lightly, and the plants on the ground began to writhe slowly.
Several intertwined vines lifted a female corpse—it was the Two-Tailed Jinchuriki, Riki!
Her body was now cold, her face pale as snow, with the lingering traces of Chakra still flickering on her abdomen.
The Chakra had been completely drained.
Currently, Shiroishi's plans in the Land of Rain were accelerating.
Having Orochimaru assist was mainly to buy time and divert the attention of the Cloud Ninja.
Soon, the corpse of the Two-Tailed Jinchuriki Riki was secretly transported away by Orochimaru.
On a stormy, snow-filled night, Orochimaru slithered from the Land of Rain all the way to the valley at the border between the Land of Lightning and the Land of Fire.
The hollow shell of the body was wrapped in vines, its Chakra long since completely exhausted, leaving only an emptied vessel.
The darkness before dawn was the deepest.
Orochimaru looked down at the desolate mountains beneath him, feeling somewhat resigned.
"Heh... I hope the Raikage will appreciate this gift."
He murmured softly, gently placing the corpse on a rock.
Then, he took out a scroll, on which Danzo's handwriting conveyed a cold warning:
[To the people of the Land of Lightning,
The Jinchuriki Riki is dead.
This is the inevitable consequence of provoking the Hidden Leaf Village.
The Two-Tails has also been killed by us. After all, such a weak Tailed Beast holds no interest for the Hidden Leaf.
If you wish to avoid greater calamity, do not investigate this matter.
—Root, Shimura Danzo]
He neatly placed the scroll on the corpse,
then turned and disappeared into the night, leaving only traces of a snake's shed skin and a faint scent of medicinal herbs.
The next morning, the corpse was discovered by patrolling Cloud Ninja.
When they recognized it as the Two-Tailed Jinchuriki Riki, the entire area fell into a dreadful silence.
A few hours later, the Cloud Village's high command held an emergency meeting.
The meeting room was filled with restless Chakra Waves.
Several elders slammed the table and roared, "Danzo is too arrogant!"
"That letter of his is an insult to the Raikage!"
"The Hidden Leaf must be held accountable, or we will never let this grudge rest!"
The table shook with the force of their anger, and furious voices rose one after another.
But the Third Raikage, seated at the head of the table, remained silent the entire time.
His gaze fixed on Danzo's handwritten letter, his brow furrowed.
After a moment, he spoke in a low voice, "Danzo is showing off."
"Showing off?"
One of the elders was stunned. The Raikage nodded slowly.
"Yes. He dares to provoke the Cloud Village, which means he holds something that makes us wary."
He looked at the cold corpse. "It's clear that Danzo no longer cares about the Two-Tails' life or death, which confirms that the Artificial Tailed Beast Transformation is real."
As these words fell, the meeting room plunged into deathly silence.
Several Jonin exchanged glances as the Raikage slowly stood up, his cloak fluttering sharply in the air.
"Give the orders!"
"First, investigate the clues about the Artificial Tailed Beast. Second, continue monitoring the Hidden Leaf Village. Third, increase surveillance of the Land of Rain."
At the same time, in the Root headquarters of the Hidden Leaf Village.
Danzo was resting his chin in his hand, pondering what kind of powerful Ninja Beast might hatch from the Ninja Beast Egg before him.
He remained completely unaware that the Shinobi World's perception of him was once again intensifying.
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