Konoha Year 37, the Land of Rain.
The sky was still so gray that it was impossible to distinguish day from night.
Threads of rain, like silk, wove a dense, slanted tapestry, falling from the dark, heavy clouds in a seemingly endless downpour.
Broken tiles, slanted rooftops, and soaked dirt roads—everything was steeped in a bone-chilling cold.
In this country that rarely saw a clear day, the figures of three youths darted through the curtain of rain.
Muddy water splashed at their feet, yet none of them stopped.
"A little faster, Konan. Your Chakra control isn't stable yet."
Yahiko's voice was shattered by the rain, but it still carried a hint of a smile.
Konan's damp bangs clung to the side of her face, her gaze remaining focused.
Her fingers made a light pinching motion in the air, and her Origami Technique transformed into a paper flower that floated in the rain, spinning with the wind.
"I've already mastered a new technique. Master Jiraiya will definitely praise me."
Her voice was crisp and clear, but it too was swallowed by the wind and rain.
Nagato followed silently from behind, his red hair weighed down by the rain.
His eyes, a pale gray with a faint glimmer, seemed to be gazing at some ineffable distance.
A training session had just ended.
The three of them should have returned to Jiraiya's temporary residence immediately, but Yahiko suddenly stopped and looked toward the thick, misty rain in the distance.
"I want to go take a look."
"Look at what?"
Konan looked up.
Yahiko smiled, a gentle yet resolute expression in the rain-swept gloom. "I want to see how the ordinary people of the Land of Rain manage to survive."
Konan frowned. "But Master is waiting for us."
"Just for a little while."
Yahiko's tone was light, yet it held a persistence that was hard to refuse.
He strode toward the misty streets and alleys. Nagato remained silent for a moment before following him.
Konan sighed and had no choice but to catch up.
That area was the Land of Rain's Residential District Number Three, established after the end of the Great Shinobi War.
It was a habitat for the lowest class of people in Amegakure.
However, when the three of them stepped inside, they were all startled.
The rain continued to fall ceaselessly, yet the streets were clean and tidy.
There was no blood, no cries of hunger.
The wooden houses were old but had been carefully scrubbed clean.
In a flowerpot by the corner of a wall, a pale purple flower was even in bloom.
"This..."
Was this really the Land of Rain they knew?
Konan whispered softly.
Yahiko looked at the residents living peacefully around them. Their expressions were not those of refugees, but rather of people living serenely under some kind of order.
"This is too strange," Nagato said in a low voice. "I can feel it... The people here are very peaceful, with no killing intent."
Deep within the street, the rain and mist blurred the dilapidated eaves and bluestone alleys into a gray shadow.
Amidst that curtain of rain, an old wooden sign hung quietly.
The wood grain was mottled by the years, but three deeply carved characters could still be faintly discerned: [Breeding House].
In front of the door, a dim yellow paper lantern swayed gently in the wind and rain. Its light was scattered by the threads of rain into halos of golden light, as if it were breathing silently.
A touch of warm, bright color, like a glimmer of light extending into the cold, rainy night, drew people closer.
Yahiko subconsciously took a step forward, the rainwater at his feet stirring into shallow ripples.
He looked up at the sign, his tone tinged with a mix of inquiry and curiosity. "Breeding House? What kind of shop is this?"
His voice was swallowed by the sound of the rain, leaving only a faint echo.
Just then, the old wooden door let out a soft creak, a sound that was exceptionally clear in the quiet alley.
First, a warm light shone through the crack in the door, and then, a figure slowly walked out.
It was a boy about their age, with delicate features and a quiet expression.
He wore a light gray kimono, its collar neat, and the gaze behind his silver-rimmed glasses was surprisingly calm.
Raindrops fell on his shoulders and slid down his sleeves, yet they did nothing to disturb his composure.
In this cold, damp Land of Rain, his presence was like a beam of light that didn't belong.
He stood at the entrance, his gaze sweeping lightly over Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan. His tone was steady, clear, and carried a subtle warmth.
"Are you here to adopt a Ninja Beast?"
"Ninja Beast?"
Yahiko was taken aback for a moment, his eyes flickering.
He had thought this was just some dilapidated shack to shelter from the rain, never expecting to hear such an unfamiliar term.
The wind and rain continued to beat against the eaves, and muddy water flowed at their feet, but the boy stood still under the lamplight, his aura composed, as if he were completely out of place in the Land of Rain.
The boy smiled faintly, a smile that held a composure beyond his years. "I am Shiroishi, the owner of this shop. Here, everyone can adopt one Ninja Beast Egg for free to take back and hatch. The hatched Ninja Beast will form a contract with you. As for the species? Even I don't know."
His tone was nonchalant, yet it possessed a calming quality that was strangely convincing.
Konan asked softly, "We... have no money."
Shiroishi shook his head, his gaze gentle. "Adoption doesn't cost money. If you want your Ninja Beast to grow in the future, you just need to come here to buy feed on schedule, or you can work for the shop to pay it off."
"We can work?" Yahiko smiled, his usual sunny disposition returning. "Sounds fair enough."
He glanced at the surrounding residents. Many of them would nod slightly in greeting when passing the shop, their expressions calm, showing neither fear nor greed.
It was as if this Breeding House was a part of their lives.
"It seems everyone trusts him," Yahiko said in a low voice.
Shiroishi turned and took three eggs from a wooden shelf.
Each egg was wrapped in a cloth, and their patterns were faintly visible and identical.
"Choose one. The Ninja Beast will choose who it is compatible with."
The air suddenly fell silent.
Yahiko reached out his hand. In an instant, patterns appeared on the surface of the originally plain egg, which then transformed into an egg with faint, burning fire patterns.
The heat was scorching yet did not burn, as if responding to his passionate spirit.
"This is?"
"Your will has transformed it into a new form of life," he said with a smile.
Konan had wanted to stop him, as this was a shop of unknown origin.
But seeing Yahiko's trust in the boy opposite them, Konan swallowed the words she was about to say.
She stepped forward. Her gaze paused among the three eggs for a moment before she finally reached out and touched one. Similarly, as the egg came into contact with Konan's Chakra, its shell also changed, becoming an egg with watery patterns that emitted a faint glow.
The watery light rippled gently, enveloping her fingertips.
"This... is so gentle."
Hearing this, Shiroishi pushed up his glasses and glanced at Konan. "Indeed, very gentle."
Finally, only one egg remained.
Shiroishi looked at Nagato and smiled slightly. "It's waiting for you."
Nagato hesitated for a moment before reaching out to touch the last egg.
The instant his fingertip made contact, the egg's surface trembled slightly, emitting a low, pulsating sound, like a heartbeat.
Green patterns appeared on the shell.
That faint breath of life made Nagato pause, a flash of surprise in his eyes.
"It likes you." Shiroishi's voice was very soft, yet it sounded like a prophecy.
Yahiko asked curiously, "Did you breed these Ninja Beasts?"
Shiroishi lowered his gaze, his voice calm. "You could say that. I just... gave them a new life."
"A new life?" Konan repeated in a low voice.
Shiroishi looked up, and for a moment, a strange light flashed in the pupils behind his glasses.
"Regardless, they are all new lives about to be born in this world."
Yahiko was slightly mesmerized. "Boss, the way you speak... you don't seem like an ordinary person."
"Is that so?" Shiroishi chuckled softly, his smile inscrutable.
The rain beat against the eaves, and the world outside remained endlessly gray.
But inside the house, a lamp cast a warm hue.
The three of them, each holding their own Ninja Beast Egg, prepared to leave.
As they reached the doorway, Shiroishi suddenly spoke. "If you have any questions, come here and ask me."
The wind and rain continued to beat against the eaves, and muddy water flowed at their feet, but the boy stood still under the lamplight, his aura composed, as if he were completely out of place in the Land of Rain.
His gaze was clear, as if it could see through people's hearts, and his voice sounded again.
"Thank you for your patronage. This is the Ninja World Breeding House."