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"Dragon Vein?"
In the Hokage Office, Tsunade sat at her desk, looking at the mission application form in her hand. Her slender brows furrowed as she looked up at the young man in front of her, asking, perplexed, "Why would you suddenly want to investigate something like this?"
"It's merely to test some of my hypotheses."
Sawara Kiri's expression was calm: "If my research is not mistaken, there might be a substance I urgently need near Roran, which is at the center of this Dragon Vein."
"However, this is only my hypothesis and cannot be confirmed yet."
Tsunade was startled upon hearing this, and subconsciously said, "Urgently needed? A Dragon Vein is something..."
Mid-sentence, she seemed to remember something, and her expression turned somewhat grave: "You're not thinking of using this to increase your total Chakra, are you? Didn't Jiraiya already tell you that it's an energy that cannot be directly absorbed?"
"Even so, it must have other uses."
Sawara Kiri's expression was confident: "At the very least, I need to explore it first to understand."
Looking at his determined demeanor, Tsunade put down the application form in her hand, her expression softening a bit. Her tone was gentle: "Kiri, you should actually know very well that with your current strength, even if you were placed in my grandfather's era, you would be considered a powerful individual."
"At least, in this current era, there's nothing that can threaten us, isn't that right?"
"Why are you still so obsessed with becoming stronger?"
This was not only Tsunade's concern but also the concern of many others.
Since ancient times, they knew of more than just one or two geniuses who had gone astray in their pursuit of strength. It was just that the highest bottleneck for most of them hadn't reached Sawara Kiri's level.
Tsunade's concern was not unfounded; she was also afraid that Kiri might make some radical moves due to this desire.
He was now truly Konoha's pillar, no longer alone as he once was. Whether out of a sense of responsibility to the Village or personal will, Tsunade did not want anything to happen to Sawara Kiri.
Sawara Kiri sighed inwardly upon hearing this. He certainly knew that he wouldn't make any radical choices, but how could others know?
He thought for a moment, then slowly put on a grave expression and spoke softly: "Actually, it was some words Uchiha Madara said before he died that made me vigilant."
"Hmm?"
Hearing this, Tsunade was also startled, not expecting this answer.
But upon closer thought, when Uchiha Madara was finally stabbed to death by Sawara Kiri, he indeed seemed to have said something in his ear that was not heard by those outside. Her expression also became somewhat grave: "Did he leave behind any contingencies?"
"Not just contingencies."
Sawara Kiri's expression grew even more solemn, and he slowly lowered his voice, whispering: "Yin and yang, uniting as one. He said this was the last sentence written on the stone tablet left by their Uchiha Clan."
"It is rumored to involve the secret of becoming the Sage of Six Paths."
"After I woke up, I also asked Megumi and the others, and there indeed is such a family heirloom stone tablet whose content can be deciphered at different levels based on the Sharingan's visual prowess."
"I think he must have obtained some incredible secret from it."
"Moreover, this secret is something that even a strong person of his caliber is constantly pursuing..."
"I truly dare not easily ignore this level of power."
"If we speak practically, my current strength is still far below that of 'That Person', the former Ninja World Asura."
Upon hearing his fabricated story, Tsunade's face instantly became incredibly solemn.
This was not just idle talk; it stemmed from the dying threat of a peerless strong person, and she could not afford to be careless.
"But what does this have to do with the Dragon Vein?"
"No power comes from thin air."
Sawara Kiri's tone grew softer, but his expression was very solemn: "I pondered for a long time during my hospital stay and couldn't decipher this prophecy, so I changed my way of thinking."
"If one wants to obtain power of the same intensity as mine and Uchiha Madara's, it is inextricably linked to the energy of this world."
"In my personal contemplation, there are only two sources from which such intense energy can be obtained."
"One is the Jinchuriki hidden in each Village."
"The second is this terrifying power hidden beneath the world."
"The interpretation of Yin and Yang can mean infinite complex methods, or it can mean all things in heaven and earth."
"So, I began to explore the greatest potential source of energy existing in this world—and that led me to the Dragon Vein and natural energy."
Hearing this, Tsunade couldn't help but nod.
His thinking and logic were sound. The power of Yin-Yang, which also needed to unite as one, naturally referred to gathering the powers of this world into one person as a direct interpretation.
Thinking this way, the omnipresent natural energy, and even the power controlled by the Sage of the Three Great Sage Lands, would naturally be the primary suspects.
The only question was, why did Uchiha Madara tell Sawara Kiri this sentence?
Could there be a trap in this matter?
Tsunade thought this in her heart, then looked up at the solemn Sawara Kiri, and suddenly understood his intention in specifically submitting this application form to her—it was precisely because it was very dangerous that he needed to apply to the Hokage Office.
Otherwise, he would have just gone himself.
So, now there was only one question left.
"Do you have enough confidence?"
Tsunade looked at him gravely: "Is there anything else Konoha needs to provide you with?"
Seeing her attitude, Sawara Kiri immediately felt relieved: "Of course, at least I'm confident I'll survive—it shouldn't be too dangerous."
"Ancient ruin exploration isn't considered a high-level mission on Konoha's mission board."
"However, I need someone skilled in interacting with natural energy and Sealing Technique to accompany me, to study the properties of the Dragon Vein's energy."
"Not too many people, one or two squads will be enough."
Tsunade nodded upon hearing this; Sawara Kiri clearly had a plan in mind.
Since that was the case, she felt relieved.
"It's good that you have a plan."
"However, this matter concerns the safety of all villagers and cannot be handled by just one of your squads."
"Since you're going to study the properties of the Dragon Vein's core, in addition to natural energy investigators, it's best to add a research-oriented individual."
Sawara Kiri was startled upon hearing this.
Then, Tsunade made a sweeping stroke with her brush, quickly signing a few names on the list.
"With Sawara Kiri's squad as the lead, and Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Sakumo's squads as support, proceed to Roran to investigate the Dragon Vein's core convergence point."
Sawara Kiri's eyes instantly widened.
Such a big move?!
Five days later, Roran.
The two squads led by Sawara Kiri had already entered the territory of Roran.
However, although Roran was called a country, it was actually just a small dot on the map. Let alone compared to large nations like the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind, it seemed incredibly tiny even compared to small nations like the Land of Rain.
At the same time, the civilization of this country was quite backward. Except for the capital of Roran, the vast majority of the country's citizens lived by nomadism and trade, and the border lines were quite blurry.
Also because of this national characteristic, the vast majority of the national borders within Roran were the same as those of the Land of Wind, experiencing widespread desertification, and environmental problems were quite severe.
The group of six had been walking all this way, their mouths full of sand.
It wasn't until they entered the capital city that the desolate scenery gradually faded, and many merchant caravans and horse teams appeared, using this city located in the center of the desert oasis as a relay point to travel between the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire.
Looking out.
A city standing in the middle of the desert, covered with tall towers, lay there like a giant.
The process of entering the city was not difficult, and the scenery changed completely. Even the sand was blocked by the outer tall towers. The streets were bustling with people, and travelers from various countries could be seen coming and going, with vendors and shops lining the entire street.
To avoid being noticed, Sawara Kiri and his group of six, under Jiraiya's guidance, also brought horses and wore long robes, pretending to be wandering travelers.
"Jiraiya-sama, why don't we go directly to the palace?"
Sawara Kiri looked at him, somewhat confused, and asked, "With Konoha's writ, we should be able to see the Queen of Roran directly, right?"
"Eh."
Jiraiya waved his hand: "You shouldn't underestimate my intelligence network."
"According to my informant's investigation, although this Roran has been passed down for thousands of years and has a long history, the current Queen's power has been completely usurped by her ministers."
"The matter we are investigating this time concerns the safety of the entire Ninja World. If even a tiny bit of information is accidentally leaked, it will spread everywhere."
"Rather than that, it's better to change our approach."
Namikaze Minato was also puzzled: "Teacher, do you have an acquaintance here?"
"Of course! Who do you think I am?"
Jiraiya, full of confidence, said: "However, before we start researching, we still need to solve some minor troubles."
However, even Orochimaru, despite his pale complexion, did not mock him in this regard.
Although Jiraiya usually seemed like an ordinary, unprincipled old man, even Orochimaru had to admit that this dead last's skill in intelligence was definitely the top choice in Konoha today.
Sure enough.
After just a few turns, the group abandoned their horses and, led by Jiraiya, turned into a secluded alley, knocking on a wooden door with a special technique.
After a short while, they saw a haggard old woman open the door and welcome them inside.
Before closing the door, she glanced outside twice to ensure no outsiders were following, then slowly shut the door.
After the door was closed, a figure rushed out of the room, eagerly asking:
"You are the Ninja from Konoha, right?"
"Please, did you come at the Queen's invitation to get rid of that Anrokuzan fellow for us?"
Sawara Kiri and the others were all startled by these words.
However, Jiraiya removed his disguise and calmly said: "That's right. When can we meet Her Majesty the Queen? Also, who are you?"
Hearing this, the girl seemed to finally sigh in relief: "My apologies, I am Sara, the Queen's personal maid."
"I also just received Her Majesty's order yesterday to welcome you all."
"Currently, Her Majesty is meeting with ministers in the palace. Please follow me through the secret passage into the Thousand Tower."
Hearing the maid's name, Sawara Kiri subconsciously glanced at her deep red long hair, seemingly having some impression of it.
If he remembered correctly, she should be the current Queen's daughter.
This country only appeared in the original world line's movie 'Lost Tower,' which tells the story of Naruto and others traveling to this point in time, cooperating with Namikaze Minato and others who came to execute a mission, and together defeating and killing the power-hungry minister Anrokuzan, saving Sara and the Roran—the plot was short, and the content was simple, but it featured the Ryumyaku, an existence capable of allowing Ninja to stably travel through time and space.
Anrokuzan even once used the power of the Ryumyaku to create a puppet army for conquest, attempting to conquer the Five Great Nations with it.
It's just that that level of strength was truly just a 'small problem' for their current lineup.
However, even though he thought so, after Orochimaru glanced at him, Sawara Kiri immediately seemed to understand something and had no intention of exposing the girl's identity.
Led by the girl, the group followed the secret passage, going down then up, weaving through the complex paths between numerous tall towers.
By the time they emerged from the last exit, they had already entered the interior of the Thousand Tower.
Seeing the light outside, Sawara Kiri subconsciously raised his head.
As its name suggests, the 'Thousand Tower' is a massive cluster of towers built from countless tall towers, numbering in the hundreds, both tall and short.
Looking from above, in the distance, one could even glimpse industrial dust floating far away, a city so developed that it seemed out of place in such a desert country.
"Are those factories, the smoke over there?"
Sawara Kiri asked Sara a few questions as he walked beside her.
"That's right!"
The girl, hurrying along, couldn't help but puff out her small chest: "Although our Roran is small, it possesses the largest puppet manufacturing plant in the entire Ninja World. That entire area from south to north is all our puppet factories. Even the Land of Wind frequently places military orders with us!"
"Is it all powered by the Ryumyaku?" Orochimaru suddenly asked.
"Yes, it's all—"
Mid-sentence, Sara's voice softened, and she gave him an embarrassed smile.
Orochimaru immediately understood.
It seemed that Sawara Kiri's desire to control the power of the Ryumyaku, and the prophecy Tsunade and they spoke of, were indeed not groundless.
Did the Roran royal family have the ability to control the Ryumyaku to a certain extent?
Sakumo and Namikaze Minato walked at the back of the queue, ready to engage at any moment, while also secretly memorizing the pathways between this tall tower and the secret passage, to avoid getting lost during the mission.
Sawara Kiri, while walking quickly, also unleashed his Six Eyes, observing every blind spot in the surroundings with his ultra-wide range vision.
From afar, he had already raised his head, looking towards a tall tower to the north.
He could sense that all the Ryumyaku energy near this Roran was being channeled into a certain room in that tall tower.
Was that the node for time-space travel?
If there were no surprises, it would probably be at least a few more years until the events of the original movie line's theatrical version occurred, right?
Just as he was thinking this, his gaze suddenly froze.
In the Chakra vision of the Six Eyes, the space node where they were located suddenly rippled with intense, wave-like disturbances.
Although their bodies felt nothing, the entire space seemed to be sealed by some special force.
Seeing this scene, Sawara Kiri seemed to realize something and suddenly spoke:
"Sara, in which direction is your mother's palace?"
"Huh?"
Sara looked at him, somewhat confused, not understanding how her identity had been seen through, but still subconsciously raised her hand and pointed:
"It's right there—"
Almost at the instant her voice fell.
"Boom—!"
The top of a tall tower at the edge of their vision suddenly exploded with a blazing flash of fire. Half of the tower wall collapsed, and countless bricks and wooden fragments shattered and flew into the sky.
"...there."
The girl's voice trailed off with inertia, and she stood frozen in place, staring at the spot with disbelief.
'How could this be?!'
All the Ninja present had already anticipated the problem.
Sawara Kiri, at the very front, suddenly scooped up Sara and leaped. The entire squad, as if hearing a starting gun, shot towards the direction of the sound.
But at the same time, in the center of the formation in the distance that Sawara Kiri had already noticed, a violent Ryumyaku disturbance also erupted.
Energy like flames shot into the sky, like a blazing white pillar descending from nowhere. Violent winds swallowed everything around, causing some of the surrounding tall towers to collapse as well.
"This is... the power of the Ryumyaku?!"
Jiraiya, standing horizontally on the tower wall, his hands resisting the wind, couldn't help but widen his eyes, looking with disbelief at the direction where the blazing light pillar erupted.
This was completely different from the natural energy he knew.
In contrast to him, Orochimaru, upon sensing that energy, suddenly widened his golden snake-like eyes, staring blankly at the light pillar.
Not just him, Namikaze Minato also looked at it with an expression of disbelief, raising his voice against the wind pressure:
"This is... Space-Time Ninjutsu?!"
"How can there be such a huge amount!"
Although he had anticipated that his appearance would inevitably bring about immense changes to the world line, whether in the future or the past, it would likely cause many ripples.
But Sawara Kiri still couldn't understand why such a massive anomaly would occur at such a crucial node?
It was almost as if someone was deliberately causing trouble, timing it perfectly with their presence.
However, the current situation didn't allow him to ponder further.
"Never mind that for now!"
Sawara Kiri's expression was tense, his Six Eyes looking solemnly into the distance.
Almost at the same moment the explosion sound occurred, countless dense black dots suddenly shot out from the tall tower in the distance.
Sawara Kiri, looking closely with his Six Eyes, could see that these black dots were one puppet after another, swarming towards them like a bee tide.
Clearly, the master of this place had discovered them.
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