Jiraiya snorted coldly and turned his face away.
"I'll make good use of these three years."
With only these words, he clasped his hands together. The Reverse Summoning Technique activated instantly, and his entire body transformed into a wisp of smoke, disappearing from the heart of the World Tree.
He did not look back.
From this day forward, he would no longer believe a single word Shiroishi said, but he would remember everything Shiroishi had done.
The radiance on Super Swampert slowly faded as it reverted from its Mega Evolution form back to the original Swampert.
It lowered its head to glance at Shiroishi, then looked in the direction Jiraiya had departed, its eyes filled with complex emotions.
After a long moment, it raised its thick arm and bowed clumsily yet earnestly toward Shiroishi.
In that bow lay acknowledgment of their battle and a peculiar sense of courtesy.
It seemed to say: "Thank you for not forcing us to take that truly irreversible step."
Shiroishi met its gaze for a moment before nodding slightly.
Only then did Swampert turn and leave the heart of the World Tree, gradually disappearing into the white light along the path of the Land of Rain. It needed to return to Jiraiya's side—that was its true place of belonging.
The space grew quiet once more.
Soon after, a light brown figure silently dropped down from the branches of the World Tree.
Eevee landed at Shiroishi's feet, its round eyes clearly downcast, ears drooping, and tail gently dragging on the ground.
"Eevee, are you sad?"
Shiroishi looked down at it, his tone surprisingly gentle.
Eevee didn't cry out, but instead gently licked the back of Shiroishi's hand.
The warmth of its tongue carried a hint of moisture, as if comforting him while also conveying its own sorrow.
It didn't like the atmosphere from earlier that demanded life-or-death resolution.
Understanding its meaning, Shiroishi gently rubbed its head, feeling its soft fur.
"Killing Teacher Jiraiya would be troublesome," he said calmly, as if stating a calculated result.
"At the very least, Konan and the others would have thoughts about it. Yahiko and Nagato wouldn't accept it either."
In this new world of the Land of Rain, Jiraiya's position was too special.
Eliminating such a person on the spot might be clean and efficient in the short term, but in the long run, it would plant irreparable fissures in many people's hearts.
"Moreover," Shiroishi lowered his eyelashes, "killing doesn't solve many problems."
If eliminating a few Kage-level figures could change the world, then the Warring States Period would have long been peaceful. Hashirama Senju and Uchiha Madara had slain more enemies in their time than all the hidden villages in the current Shinobi World combined.
And yet?
The Hidden Leaf Village was established, but hatred simply continued in a different form.
Shiroishi let out a soft sigh and continued, "If all I can do now is use slaughter to make others submit, then I'm nothing more than a Ten-Tails in different form, not a creator."
Eevee looked up at him.
"The bond between Jiraiya and Swampert," Shiroishi's eyes softened slightly, "is precisely the symbol of harmony in the Pokémon World."
In that final punch, there was no Tailed Beast Transformation rampage, no Forbidden Technique—only one human and one Pokémon, united by their pure will to not yield for each other's sake.
"Therefore, I must use upright and honorable means to destroy the Shinobi World's institutions and the Chakra System itself."
It's not about stealthily eradicating the old world, but letting everyone gradually witness with their own eyes: a world without the ninja system truly can be better.
That people don't need to make killing their profession to survive, and can even live with greater dignity.
Shiroishi lifted his gaze toward the direction beyond the World Tree.
As the Land of Rain's national strength continuously improved, the Pokémon League system was gradually perfected—
Three internal Gyms, three external Gyms, and Ecological Zones distributed across various regions.
What these formed was not merely a set of game rules, but the entire framework of a new civilization.
"Once the Ecological Zones are fully established, the Pokémon League's influence will naturally spread throughout the entire Shinobi World."
Eevee sat at his feet, ears no longer drooping as much, quietly listening.
His mind flashed through the arrangements in various countries:
The Land of Rain served as the core, the Land of Wind had the Cerulean Gym and Violet City Oasis, the Land of Earth had the Pewter Gym and Rock-type Ecological Zone, while the Land of Water was currently cooperating most smoothly.
"Cooperation with the Land of Water has progressed far more smoothly than expected."
Shiroishi said calmly, "The Third Mizukage is very intelligent. In the past, he could only rely on methods like the Bloody Mist, but he also understood that ruling all the islands this way would inevitably lead to problems."
Thus, when Shiroishi presented the Red-White Ball and Pokémon Center plans, the Mizukage only hesitated briefly before choosing to accept.
"Now, the Hidden Mist Village is already purchasing Red-White Balls on a large scale."
One million Red-White Balls produced in the Land of Rain, continuously transported to the Land of Water.
The combat power once exclusively held by ninjas began to be gradually dismantled, diluted, and handed over to ordinary people.
Of course, this didn't mean immediate equality for all, but at least the ability to fight was no longer a ninja's monopoly.
"The common people of the Land of Water," Shiroishi said softly, "can now voluntarily choose to become Trainers."
"The standards and assessment system for Trainers have been preliminarily established."
It wasn't just about capturing Pokémon.
They needed to master basic wilderness survival knowledge, understand the rules of Ecological Zones and Pokémon behavior,
learn basic first aid, cooperative combat methods, and...
six fundamental Fighting-type techniques.
"Karate Chop, Low Kick, Detect, Protect, Seismic Toss..."
All were the most basic moves of Fighting-type Pokémon, but could be adapted into physical arts suitable for ordinary people to practice.
He hadn't abruptly abolished the entire ninjutsu system, but first provided a fairer, more accessible version in physical arts.
Future Trainers, even without relying on Chakra, could utilize these basic fighting techniques combined with Pokémon's power to possess combat strength not inferior to ordinary genin.
"This is what I call doing things openly and honorably."
Shiroishi reached out and gently brushed the bark of the World Tree.
"What I want to do is let every person see with their own eyes: in the Pokémon World,"
"children don't need to become cannon fodder on battlefields, clans don't need hatred to maintain dignity, power can become a symbol of protection, companionship, and growth—not a tool for killing."
"When they truly witness such a world, then look back at what the Shinobi World has to offer."
Shiroishi smiled faintly, "They will begin to waver on their own."
Eevee let out a soft cry, as if agreeing with his words.
Shiroishi bent down, picked it up, and let it rest gently on his shoulder.
The heartland of the World Tree returned to tranquility, with only a deep, steady pulse echoing from the Tree Heart.
"Let's go, Eevee."
"We still have many Ecological Zones to build, many Gyms to open, and much more."
"We must let the entire Shinobi World walk the path it has forged itself."
He turned and left the core area of the World Tree. Behind him, the cities of the Land of Rain continued to expand, the Pokemon Centers glowed with soft light, and Red-White Balls flowed endlessly from factory assembly lines to every corner.
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