Late at night, the rain had ceased.
Dark clouds veiled the moon, plunging the entire Land of Rain into boundless silence.
An occasional gust of wind, carrying a damp chill, swept through the street corners, lifting the edges of wooden doors and producing faint, almost imperceptible creaks.
Amidst such darkness, the soft sound of footsteps quietly approached.
A group of shadows lurked at the mouth of an alley, moving stealthily under the cover of night.
The leader, draped in a soaked cloak, had eyes gleaming with greed.
Moonlight slipped through a gap in the clouds, illuminating his familiar face—it was the cheerful merchant who had accepted the order earlier that day.
"Right here," he commanded in a low voice, his tone laced with barely suppressed excitement and malice.
"This place may look unremarkable, but I'm certain there's treasure hidden inside. That strange Ninja Beast—if we sell it on the black market, it could set us up for life."
Behind him, several bandits stifled their laughter, gripping short knives and iron clubs.
"Boss, is it really that valuable?"
"Nonsense!" the merchant leader glared darkly. "This place is remote; no one will know. After this job, we're leaving the Rain Village."
The wind died down. Even the air seemed to hold its breath.
They pushed open the door to the Breeding House.
"Creak."
A soft sound echoed in the darkness.
But inside... there was no one.
The room was unlit, with no sign of Shiroishi or the small beast.
The counter was tidy, the floor clean, as if the owner had merely stepped out for a walk.
The eerie silence unsettled every bandit, stirring unease in their hearts.
"Search!" the leader growled, gesturing with his hand.
His men scattered, opening cabinets, kicking over wooden boxes, even tapping on the wall panels.
Still, they found nothing.
"Boss... this place feels... a bit strange," one bandit pointed to a crack in the corner of the floor.
It was a very fine line, extending along the plank toward the wall.
The leader narrowed his eyes, bent down to inspect it, and let out a cold laugh.
"It seems he's below."
They lifted the floorboards, revealing a downward-leading tunnel.
A faint breeze wafted up from below, carrying a hint of dampness and the scent of grass and plants.
"Let's go!"
They lit an oil lamp and descended into the passage.
The narrow tunnel allowed only one person to pass at a time, the air so stifling it made breathing difficult.
The sound of dripping water echoed off the cave walls, like whispers from some unknown creature.
After an indeterminate length of time, a faint light finally appeared ahead.
Everyone held their breath and quickened their pace, emerging from the tunnel.
The moment they stepped out of the cave entrance, they all froze in astonishment.
Before them lay a vast valley hidden within the mountain.
Under the night sky, the valley was shrouded in a light mist, flowers and grass carpeting the ground, the air filled with a fragrance that soothed the mind.
Countless peculiar plants swayed in the dim light, emitting a faint sense of flowing Chakra.
Even more shocking were the variously shaped eggs resting quietly among the flowers, as if in some sacred sanctuary.
"What... is this place?"
"So many... eggs?" the bandits muttered in disbelief, looking around in shock.
As they stood bewildered, a calm voice came from deep within the flower beds.
"Boss."
The voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable chill.
"The medicinal herbs on your list—it seems you haven't delivered a single one all afternoon."
The group started in unison.
Following the sound, they saw Shiroishi standing in the center of the valley, hands clasped behind his back.
Moonlight cascaded from the mountain peak, illuminating his calm face.
He still wore that light gray kimono, silver-framed glasses reflecting a faint glow.
Beside him, Eevee crouched quietly in the grass, tail gently swaying.
"Is that so?"
The merchant leader curled his lips into a sinister smile.
"It seems you knew we were coming."
"No need for pleasantries." Shiroishi's tone remained gentle, yet carried an undeniable calmness. "I just didn't expect businesspeople to enjoy nocturnal visits."
"Nocturnal visits? Hah!"
The merchant waved his hand, and a dozen bandits immediately drew their blades, surrounding Shiroishi.
"Enough talk. Hand over that Ninja Beast and your goods. Maybe I'll spare your life."
Shiroishi watched them, his gaze still tranquil.
Slowly raising a hand, he adjusted his glasses and sighed softly.
"It seems your greed runs deeper than the waters of the Land of Rain."
"Enough nonsense!"
The leader roared, swinging his greatsword with furious momentum.
The blade whistled through the air with a tearing sound.
Yet at the moment it descended...
Shiroishi lifted a hand.
The movement was minimal, yet precisely caught the greatsword.
Metal met palm, producing a clear resonant chime.
The blade remained immobile, as if fixed by some invisible force.
The merchant leader's face twisted violently as he strained to retrieve his weapon.
But no matter how he struggled, it wouldn't budge.
"This kid... how... how is he so strong!?"
Shiroishi raised his eyes, completely ignoring their clamor.
Even with limited techniques at his disposal, he still possessed the basic Ōtsutsuki constitution.
These bandits were utterly outmatched.
With a single utterance, his palm vibrated.
An overwhelming force erupted like a mountain collapse, sending the leader stumbling backward with torn palms.
Before he could react, Shiroishi's figure blurred.
"Lightning Flash."
The words were nearly a whisper, yet in the next instant, his form vanished from sight.
A faint streak of light flashed through the air.
Too fast for the naked eye to follow.
Followed by a dull "thud!"
Shiroishi's fist had already struck the leader's abdomen with devastating force.
The impact exploded like thunder, sending the bandit leader flying several meters before crashing against a rock wall. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he lost consciousness instantly.
In that moment, all the bandits stood frozen.
None had seen how he moved.
Shiroishi calmly stepped forward, picking up the discarded greatsword from the ground.
With a slight flick of his wrist, the blade gleamed coldly as he pressed it against the unconscious leader's neck.
"You know?"
His voice held a terrifying calm, as if stating simple fact.
"In this world, human life holds no value whatsoever."
A breeze rustled through the grass.
Shiroishi wielded the sword, repeatedly employing Lightning Flash.
Lightning Flash - a priority move that manifested as powerful teleportation in this world.
In the blink of an eye...
The blade fell!
Several bandits fell struck to the ground.
The night in the Land of Rain returned to tranquility.
Shiroishi withdrew his gaze as if nothing had occurred.
He calmly wiped the blood from the blade and returned it to the ground.
"What a hassle. Now I have to figure out how to reclaim the deposit I paid."
Not to mention the medicine list remained unresolved - the herbs he cultivated couldn't be consumed immediately.
Muttering to himself, he turned and disappeared back into the sea of flowers.
Behind, the moonlight illuminated the countless eggs lying quietly on the earth, breathing in the aura of the World Tree.
Shiroishi's shadow stretched long under the light, until it completely merged into the night.
The wind rose again, leaving only the fragrance of flowers and silence in the valley, as if nothing had ever happened.