Inside the command tent at the Hidden Leaf Village's frontline.
Sakumo Hatake sat cross-legged in the main position, eyes closed, breathing steady, his entire being like an unsheathed blade yet to be unleashed.
His white Ninja Blade leaned against the wooden table behind him, the edge trembling slightly, reflecting a cold light.
The wind outside carried fine traces of moisture.
Suddenly, a messenger ninja hurriedly lifted the tent flap.
"Lord White Fang, envoys from the Rain Ninja request an audience."
Sakumo slightly opened one eye: "Let them in."
Moments later, several Hidden Leaf guards opened the tent, and the Rain Ninja envoy quickly entered.
The moment he stepped inside, he was enveloped by that oppressive aura - Sakumo Hatake's presence.
At that moment, his breath nearly stopped.
It wasn't mere killing intent, but the aura of a warrior who had walked through mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
Facing the White Fang, he felt this pressure was even stronger than when facing Lord Hanzo.
Not daring to look up, his voice trembled slightly: "This... is Lord Hanzo's letter, along with a gift from the Land of Rain."
"A gift?"
"Yes."
The Rain Ninja quickly placed the wooden box he carried on the table, presenting it with both hands.
When the box was opened, it revealed a Ninja Beast Egg wrapped in exquisite patterned cloth.
The Rain Ninja cautiously handed over the letter, then bowed and retreated, afraid to stay in this man's presence for even a second longer.
When the tent returned to silence, a member of the Hidden Leaf intelligence team stepped forward.
"Rumors say Hanzo relied on such Ninja Beasts to heavily damage Chiyo's forces during his confrontation with the Sand Village."
"So Hanzo is sending me this to win over the Hidden Leaf?"
"The possibility is very high," the intelligence officer replied. "However, intelligence has also uncovered something else - the source of these Ninja Beast Eggs might be connected to Root."
"Root?"
Sakumo's brow immediately furrowed.
"You mean Danzo is colluding with Hanzo?"
The intelligence officer paused briefly, speaking cautiously: "Based on current black market intelligence, the earliest channels selling Ninja Beast Eggs were indeed connected to Root, and Orochimaru is also involved."
"..."
Sakumo didn't speak immediately, instead reaching out to pick up the Ninja Beast Egg.
Instantly, patterns appeared on the surface of the eggshell around the Ninja Beast Egg.
He gently rotated the Ninja Beast Egg in his hand.
Sakumo Hatake then looked at the Ninja Beast Egg: "So this thing comes from the Hidden Leaf?"
The intelligence officer awkwardly explained: "Because these Ninja Beast Eggs are very expensive to produce, they're typically traded as strategic resources."
Now Sakumo Hatake understood.
So Hanzo was trying to bribe him.
After all, Chiyo was already preparing for battle.
Atop the highest peak in the Land of Rain.
Fine water mist filled the air, enveloping the entire cliff face, as if heaven and earth were holding their breath.
Accompanied by a clear, loud cry!
From the center of the waterfall, a brilliant blue pillar of light shot into the sky!
Countless water streams were drawn by that Chakra, transforming into rotating rings of water that continuously gathered.
Shiroishi stood on a rock platform not far away, quietly watching the light.
Within this massive Chakra storm, Wartortle's form gradually changed.
Its originally rounded back shell expanded and extended, the surface of the carapace displaying a silver-blue sheen;
From the holes on both sides of its back, two sturdy metal cannons slowly extended.
Smooth streams of water swirled within the cannon barrels, condensing into a pure and powerful flow of chakra.
With a deafening roar, the waterfall was forcibly pushed back several meters high!
Amid the rain and mist, a robust and majestic Wartortle stood tall atop the cliff,
its eyes gleaming with sharp blue light, exuding a majestic and steady aura.
[Evolution complete, Wartortle]
[Unlocked skill: Water Pledge]
Shiroishi adjusted his glasses.
"As expected, it succeeded."
The roar of the waterfall gradually subsided as Wartortle gently lowered its two water cannons.
The original Water Gun skill was completely replaced, evolving into the higher-level Water Cannon.
It was a force powerful enough to shatter cliffs and pierce through mountains and rivers.
Wartortle tentatively adjusted its chakra, bright watery light flickering within its cannons.
It lowered its head, revealing a familiar smile—a blend of steadiness and endearing clumsiness that warmed the heart.
Konan stepped forward slowly, her blue hair dampened by the rain.
"Wartortle."
Wartortle thumped toward her with heavy, deliberate steps,
its massive body moving as clumsily as a child's.
It spread its arms wide, as if asking for a hug.
Konan let out a soft laugh, raising her arms to gently embrace it.
In that moment, the enormous Wartortle lowered its head slightly, pressing its forehead plate gently against her shoulder.
"Thank you, Shiroishi."
Konan turned her head.
"Without your guidance, its evolution wouldn't have gone so smoothly."
Shiroishi gazed at Wartortle, lost in thought, while Nagato, having been counseled previously, watched Konan and Wartortle's evolution calmly alongside his Ivysaur.
Konan took a quiet breath, as if mustering courage, and spoke:
"Shiroishi, how... can I combine my Paper Release with Wartortle's Water Release?"
Shiroishi looked up, pondering for a moment. "Paper Release and Water Release are inherently conflicting in nature. To combine them, you can't simply mix them—you must leverage their dynamics."
"Leverage their dynamics?"
Konan repeated softly.
Shiroishi nodded.
"Wartortle's chakra is extremely stable; it can provide a continuously flowing medium for your Paper Release."If you infuse your chakra into paper and let Wartortle's chakra flow into the same medium, the paper's toughness will strengthen, enhancing both its defensive capabilities and conductivity.""
"This way, your paper can be manipulated more flexibly in the rain, without becoming soaked or softened, ultimately allowing you to further develop the potential of Paper Release through this characteristic."
Pure Paper Release could only be reduced to Exploding Tags.
But Shiroishi transformed the concept of Paper Release into a medium, capable of utilizing Wartortle's Rain Dance to trigger future elemental skills.
Such as Thunder!
Or even Hail, and it could also integrate sealing techniques.
Achieving diverse methods.
This was the true power of water—the significance of integrating with it.
Forest of Death.
Minato Namikaze, Kushina Uzumaki, and Mikoto Uchiha moved swiftly through the forest.
Although the two girls had discussed many strategies, they still hadn't found a reliable way to locate the hidden Ninja Beast Eggs.
"Hey, Blondie, got any ideas?"
Kushina, growing impatient, directly asked Minato, who had been quietly trailing behind.
Minato responded with a shy smile, pulling out his notebook.
It was filled with densely packed writing.
Enough to make anyone's head spin.
But upon closer inspection, one would find that the notebook contained numerous strategies and formulas.
The two girls exchanged a glance and remained silent for a moment before Mikoto Uchiha spoke gently, "Minato-san, could you explain it directly? We don't quite understand."
Upon hearing this, Minato Namikaze thought briefly and said, "Just find a member of the Hyuga or Uchiha clan."
The general idea was to follow behind a Hyuga or Uchiha clansman and simply snatch it.
Mikoto Uchiha gave an awkward smile at his words, "You're saying this right in front of me..."
Kushina asked, "Then what is written in this notebook?"
"After obtaining the egg, various tests and thoughts on how to resonate with it."