Dark clouds churned above Amegakure.
Inside the main hall, Hanzo's furious roar nearly drowned out the storm outside.
"That damned Danzo!!"
He slammed his fist on the table, causing the wood to splinter and sending scrolls and intelligence documents scattering to the floor.
Several Rain Ninja knelt nearby with bowed heads, barely daring to breathe for fear of drawing his wrath.
"He dares to extort me with twenty times the original price?!"
Hanzo's eyes were dark and dangerous, his oppressive aura making the very air feel heavy.
"That old thief has gone too far."
He took a deep breath and crushed the smoking pipe in his hand.
After venting for a moment, Hanzo finally reined in his anger and picked up an intelligence scroll from the table.
It had just arrived from the front lines.
Sunagakure...
Was making moves again.
"Chiyo has mobilized a full battalion, ready to infiltrate the Land of Rain's border at any moment."
"What about Konoha?" he asked.
A Rain Ninja stepped forward cautiously. "From the Hidden Leaf Village, the White Fang of the Leaf who's stationed at the front has indeed been deploying troops toward the Land of Rain recently."
Hearing this, Hanzo's expression softened slightly.
"Sakumo Hatake..."
He murmured the name. "What's the relationship between the White Fang and Danzo?"
The subordinate hesitated, thinking for a moment before replying, "Sakumo Hatake... doesn't belong to any faction."
Hanzo fell silent.
The rain beat against the roof like a somber drumbeat.
Finally, he took a deep breath and said quietly, "...Prepare a Ninja Beast Egg for the White Fang."
The Rain Ninja in the hall instantly showed surprised expressions.
After the Ninja Beast Eggs had proven their worth in the previous battle, no one could ignore these new weapons.
Hanzo slowly stood up, his cloak sliding back as his armor reflected the dim candlelight.
He walked to the window and gazed into the distance through the curtain of rain.
As the current ruler of the Land of Rain, he was well aware that his country was caught between four warring nations, and he had to tread carefully with every step.
He had to exploit the differing interests of the Land of Earth, Land of Wind, and Land of Fire - and even the conflicting interests among factions within the Land of Fire - to maintain a delicate balance.
Choosing to gift a Ninja Beast Egg wasn't just about currying favor with the White Fang.
It was also because the White Fang's deterrent power far exceeded Chiyo's. Once he drove Chiyo back, how to make this killing god leave would require certain manipulations.
This Ninja Beast Egg, given in advance, could also stir up conflict among the factions within Konoha.
As one of the era's most cunning figures in the Shinobi World, Hanzo's intelligence was certainly sharp.
At a high waterfall in the Land of Rain.
The sound of rain poured down from the cliff above like a natural barrier, isolating the area from the outside world's noise.
Behind the waterfall was a natural cave.
During this period, Yahiko and Charizard had been in seclusion behind this waterfall.
During this time, he no longer pursued power, but simply honed himself.
With Yahiko in a similar seclusion, Nagato and Konan were naturally training hard as well.
Ivysaur was settled in a damp, mossy area, its leaves constantly battered by the fine rain.
It struggled to absorb Natural Energy, always appearing somewhat strained.
The originally vibrant flower bud showed no signs of fully blooming.
Meanwhile, Wartortle on the other side was performing increasingly well.
In the waterfall's torrent, it nimbly leaped into the water, its shell reflecting light as silver ripples spread through the splashing water.
Each time it dove into the water and leaped out, its movements carried astonishing explosive power. The water it spat could pierce straight through a massive rock.
In this land abundant with rain and heavy humidity, its growth rate surpassed that of any Ninja Beast.
"Wartortle is getting stronger and stronger."
Konan revealed a rare smile, her voice tinged with gentle pride.
She lifted her head and, without meaning to, her gaze fell upon Shiroishi, who was recording data not far away.
The man was bent over his work, his fingers gliding across the scroll—sometimes jotting down notes, other times looking up to observe Wartortle's movements.
His focused expression held Konan's attention for a few seconds.
Sensing her gaze, Shiroishi looked up and turned around, his tone calm. "What is it?"
Konan's face flushed, and she quickly waved her hands. "N-nothing."
She turned away, pretending to wipe off the rain, but the redness at the tips of her ears betrayed her hidden thoughts.
Shiroishi didn't press further. Instead, he stepped forward and reached out to gently stroke Wartortle's head.
The blue Ninja Beast let out a cheerful cry, flicking its tail and splashing water droplets onto Shiroishi's sleeve.
"Very good," Shiroishi's tone carried a hint of approval. "Wartortle's evolution should happen within the next few days."
Nagato, who had been meditating nearby, couldn't help but open his eyes upon hearing this.
"Wartortle is going to evolve too?"
Shiroishi nodded. "Yes. And its condition is very natural—no special conditions or forced stimulation needed. It will evolve smoothly and logically."
The environment of the Land of Rain made Wartortle the easiest of the starter trio to evolve.
The air grew quiet for a few moments.
Ivysaur's leaves trembled slightly, as if sensing some disparity.
Shiroishi naturally noticed Nagato's mood. "The Land of Rain is damp, dark, and lacks sunlight—that's the main factor holding it back."
At this, Nagato turned and asked seriously, "Shiroishi, what place would be best for Ivysaur to train and evolve?"
Shiroishi pondered for a moment, his gaze drifting to the continuous rain outside the window.
"If we're talking about natural conditions," he began slowly, "it would be the Land of Fire."
His tone was even, carrying a hint of analysis.
"The Land of Fire has a mild climate, fertile soil, lush vegetation, and ample sunlight—ideal for Ivysaur to absorb Yang-natured Chakra. If it trains there, its vitality will multiply."
"As for this time, considering sufficient nourishment, the borders between the Land of Wind, the Land of Fire, and the Land of Rain would be suitable."
Recently, tensions between Sunagakure and Hanzo were on the verge of erupting into war!
Most importantly, the White Fang of the Leaf was also nearby.
Clearly, it was a game of power between major nations, with smaller countries caught in the middle.
At the outskirts of the Forest of Death.
Tsunade waited for the final countdown to begin.
On her back, she carried a pack containing a Ninja Beast Egg.
According to Jiraiya's half-serious, half-joking explanation, only by carrying it every day and letting it bathe in its owner's Chakra could the hatching process be accelerated.
Tsunade had initially thought it was just a joke he made up, but for some reason, she felt a lingering curiosity.
So she actually went along with it.
"Seriously... if this hatches into something weird, I'm punching Jiraiya first."
As a descendant of the Senju clan, Tsunade's Chakra was both dense and gentle, carrying a powerful life force.
And this energy was quietly seeping into the Ninja Beast Egg on her back.
Not far away, students gathered one after another, waiting for the assessment to begin.
Snapping back to reality, Tsunade saw that the time was about right and strode forward, ready to announce the official start of the first round.
Just then,
a soft "crack!" sounded from behind her.
All eyes turned toward the noise in unison.
The Ninja Beast Egg strapped to her back suddenly emitted a dazzling light, and with a crisp sound, the shell completely shattered.
As the Ninja Beast inside the egg emerged, the gazes of the entire school instantly focused on Tsunade.
In the shadows, Orochimaru suddenly felt his eyelids twitching uncontrollably.
It seemed something that displeased him had been born.
-White Fang: So this egg isn't a product of the Hidden Leaf Village after all.