Hidden Leaf Village.
The silhouette on the Hokage Rock was outlined by hazy edges of light from the lanterns.
Jiraiya staggered unsteadily along the street, the sound of his wooden sandals on the stone pavement seeming hollow and weak. His cloak was stained with blood and scorch marks that hadn't yet dried.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
The top floor of the Hokage Building remained illuminated.
The moment the door creaked open, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked up from behind his desk, his gaze tightening sharply when he saw Jiraiya's condition.
"...You've been fighting?"
Jiraiya didn't answer, merely offering a bitter smile as he raised his hand and leaned casually against the doorframe. Though he appeared relaxed, his shoulders trembled almost imperceptibly.
"Yeah," he rubbed his sore neck, "and it didn't go well. Old man, we don't have much time left."
These words weighed heavier on Hiruzen's heart than the injuries Jiraiya bore.
The next moment, the shadows in the office were blocked by a massive figure.
The Ninja Beast that had appeared with Jiraiya was so enormous it nearly filled the entire doorway - Swampert.
Its heavy footsteps on the wooden floor produced deep, muffled thuds.
Its body was patterned in blue and white, with black fins standing upright like banners on its back. Its arms were thick to an almost exaggerated degree, faintly swirling with lingering cold and earth-natured Chakra.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyelids twitched.
"Marshtomp... evolved?"
He frowned instinctively, "And became this powerful?"
As Hokage, he had considerable understanding of the Ninja Beast System, but the oppressive aura emanating from Swampert - nearly approaching Tailed Beast levels - still sent chills through him.
Jiraiya lowered his gaze, looking at his partner beside him, a flicker of guilt passing through his eyes.
"Yeah, we went to the Land of Rain."
The air in the office seemed to instantly grow colder by a degree.
"I see."
Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a long stream of smoke, his voice dropping low, "What happened there?"
Jiraiya remained silent for a moment, then suddenly raised his hand and pointed to his own tongue.
Hiruzen froze briefly, his eyes instantly darkening.
"...I understand."
He sighed softly and settled back into his chair, "You managed to return alive, but most of the intelligence is restricted from being disclosed. Still, these aren't difficult matters - you don't need to reveal anything."
Many things could be deduced through reasonable inference.
Jiraiya didn't need to actively leak any information at all - this was an area where Hidden Leaf Village were experts.
"All I can say is that it's dangerous there, beyond my comprehension. Many things can no longer be explained by Shinobi World common sense."
"Beyond comprehension..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi repeated these words quietly, his hand holding the smoking pipe unconsciously tightening.
The Land of Rain's isolation, ecological anomalies, Hanzo's abnormality, the three Gyms, the proliferation of Ninja Beasts... and now Jiraiya returning silenced.
Even the most dull Hokage would understand by now that the Land of Rain was involved in a massive vortex powerful enough to reshape the Shinobi World's pattern.
The door opened once more.
"What's all the noise about?"
Tsunade strode into the office, but before she could complain, she was startled by Jiraiya's numerous injuries and the crisscrossing cracks covering Swampert's body.
"What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into this time!?"
She stepped forward and firmly grasped Jiraiya's shoulder, Chakra instantly flowing into her palm.
A pale golden light spread through the office. The lacerations, bruises, and fractured bones on Jiraiya's body visibly healed and realigned.
"Idiot."
Tsunade gritted her teeth, but her voice was surprisingly soft. "If you die out there, who's going to collect your body?"
Swampert also lowered its head, one thick hand supporting itself on the ground while the other gently pressed against its chest, where a lingering ache remained after the World Tree Parasitic Seed had departed.
Tsunade frowned and casually directed a stream of Medical Chakra toward it as well, somewhat alleviating the underlying damage.
As the light faded, most of Jiraiya's injuries had recovered, yet he still appeared deeply burdened.
Wounds could be healed, but some things that settled in the heart could only be worn away by time.
"Old man."
Jiraiya sat up straight again, his expression uncharacteristically serious. "I want to watch the third round of exams with you."
Hiruzen Sarutobi was slightly taken aback. "In your condition, you're still thinking about watching matches?"
Jiraiya shook his head. "It's not just for entertainment."
"That's the stage for the new generation of the Hidden Leaf Village—the future hope for you, for me, and for this village."
Hiruzen Sarutobi locked eyes with him for a long moment before finally nodding slowly.
"Alright."
"I've already made arrangements for the final eight fighters."
He understood that Jiraiya needed to see for himself—
In this world gradually eroded by new rules, whether the children of the Hidden Leaf could still shoulder a corner of the future sky.
...
Meanwhile.
Somewhere outside the Hidden Leaf Village, in a dimly lit camp.
Sakumo Hatake sat cross-legged by a low table, before which rested a Ninja Beast Egg.
The eggshell was covered with fine cracks, faintly emitting a weak white light, as if some life inside was desperately knocking, trying to crawl out from the darkness.
He had been sitting with it for several nights.
Frontline intelligence and tactical reports were temporarily set aside, leaving only an oil lamp and this single egg.
"Almost time..."
White Fang murmured softly, placing his palm gently against the eggshell, feeling the regular yet urgent slight vibrations from within.
A crisp cracking sound broke the silence.
At the very top of the egg, a small opening finally appeared, and immediately cracks spread like a spiderweb.
A section of the shell collapsed, and a small white figure clumsily poked its head out from within.
It was an insect of peculiar appearance.
Its body was predominantly white, with a slightly raised back that made it seem somewhat clumsy, yet it gave off a sense of solid reliability.
Its forelegs were distinctly brown, resembling rough wrist guards, with sharp tips that didn't appear fierce; its hind legs were relatively slender and white, supporting its slow movements.
From either side of its mouth extended two long, thin antenna-like appendages that trembled lightly, as if testing the scents of this world.
"Oh?"
White Fang raised an eyebrow, a rare gentle smile appearing in his eyes. "So this is what you look like... little one."
He could sense that the Chakra Wave within this insect was extremely faint, yet completely different from typical Ninja Beasts.
"Concealment, lurking, waiting for the right moment.".."
White Fang gently tapped its forehead with his finger. The creature merely blinked, offering no resistance, and even took a docile step closer to him.
"Quite suitable for me."
The small insect emitted a very soft chirp, as if responding to his assessment.
The small green wings on its back trembled slightly, splattering droplets of not-yet-dried hatching fluid that reflected a faint glow.
Nincada.
The most unique category of evolution in Pokémon evolutionary history.
At the World Tree, even Shiroishi hadn't expected that Sakumo Hatake would hatch this particular Pokémon.
It was simply too bizarre.