Chapter 133: 129: Dragon Veins and Ninjas From The Chaotic Time-Space
Late April had arrived, casting the desert in a relentless embrace of wind-blown sand and overcast skies. The relentless desert seemed to stretch endlessly, with a sea of yellow sand as far as the eye could see.
At noon, the oppressive dark clouds dispersed, allowing the sun to reclaim the sky. The boundless desert turned into a pale yellow ocean, glistening under the midday sun.
The wind that swept across the desert carried with it a mixture of fine sand and warm air. It was as if an invisible force propelled the sand particles relentlessly forward, peeling away layers of dunes and burying them in the sands behind.
In this vast sea of sand, three figures made their slow progress across the desert. They were clad in light yellow windbreakers designed to shield them from sand and dust. The color of their attire blended well with the desert surroundings, providing effective camouflage.
These three individuals were Shiraishi, Ruri, and Ayane, who had journeyed from the Land Of Demons.
After conducting a thorough investigation, they had ascertained the coordinates of Roran and gleaned some basic information about the nation. After getting this information, Shiraishi couldn't wait to bring Ruri and Ayane to claim the power of Roran's dragon veins.
"Shiraishi-kun, are we there yet?" Ayane asked as she gazed at the scorching sun. The weather was stuffy, despite it not being summer.
"We'll arrive following the directions from the roadmap." Shiraishi replied patiently.
Ayane released a long sigh. Traveling long distances in such sultry weather isn't good for girls' skin.
"If you find it boring, you're welcome to return on your own." Ruri remarked, her temperament less patient than Shiraishi's as she said to Ayane.
"Just kidding, don't take it so seriously. I was just speaking on how the scorching weather is drying up certain parts of me." Ayane said while turning her gaze to Shiraishi with a playful smile.
A loud explosion resonated across the desert, the result of chakra clashing against chakra. Ayane's raised arm had blocked Ruri's punch, creating a significant crater beneath them on the desert floor.
"It appears the lessons I taught you a few days ago haven't left much of an impression." Ruri sneered.
"You can try again." Ayane responded, narrowing her eyes and smiling provocatively.
"As a person of weaker stature, it's quite pitiful to resort to excuses for one's own shortcomings." Ruri condescendingly remarked, causing Ayane's face to twitch in anger.
Shiraishi glanced at the two, shook his head helplessly, and continued to walk forward sullenly.
How many times had the two of them fought along their journey here? Shiraishi had lost count. Traveling through the vast desert had a dusty and desolate atmosphere.
Approximately two hours later, Shiraishi came to a stop atop a relatively high spot on the desert terrain. He began to survey the distance.
"Is this Roran?" Ruri and Ayane lifted their hats, observing a huge structure in the distance.
The buildings were densely arranged and reached heights of around 100 meters. They were primarily white, and from their current viewpoint, they appeared slender and elongated.
"It appears to be the right place." Shiraishi affirmed. He retrieved a photo that had been taken by their scouts. The building before them was identical to the one depicted in the image.
"I heard that Roran is a small, impoverished kingdom, gradually declining to the point where no one pays attention. However, judging by this complex, it doesn't seem to be in decline." Ruri said with hints of doubts.
While it couldn't be described as prospering, it was certainly far from poverty.
"That's what the information I obtained suggested. But something seems to have changed over the past two years. According to intelligence reports, a man named Anrokuzan arrived in Roran during that time. He earned the trust of Roran's Queen and became the kingdom's minister. It's believed that Roran's newfound prosperity is linked to this Anrokuzan character."
When Shiraishi mentioned Anrokuzan, his expression turned somewhat ambiguous. He thought to himself that even though the Land Of Demons coined terms like 'Terracotta Army and Horses,' names like Anrokuzan were hardly worth complaining about. But Shiraishi still felt inclined to complain about the name.
"According to information shared by Katsuyu, the dragon veins should be underground in Roran. Ayane, can you use your Byakugan to assess the situation?" Shiraishi turned to Ayane.
Ayane opened her eyes and began to observe the underground of Roran City.
"Have you found it?" Shiraishi asked.
"Yes, I've detected a powerful chakra energy deep underground, and it's guarded by numerous puppet soldiers." Ayane revealed.
"Puppet soldiers?"
"It's possible they're intended for war." Shiraishi speculated, acknowledging his limited knowledge of Roran.
Given the invaluable resource of a dragon vein, it was unlikely that it would be left unguarded indefinitely.
"In that case, let's assess the situation first. If we act swiftly, we may be able to claim the dragon vein's power before Roran's defenders can respond." Both Ruri and Ayane concurred with Shiraishi's plan.
With that, the trio embarked on their mission.
.....
The grandest building in Roran housed Queen Roran herself. In the opulent hall, the queen summoned Roran's minister, Anrokuzan, for a discussion.
"What brings you here, Your Majesty?" Anrokuzan, a man in his thirties with a beard, his face appeared shrewd and authoritative. He always approached the queen's throne with utmost respect.
"Anrokuzan, I've recently received reports of numerous residents disappearing in the city. Do you have any information on this matter?" The queen expressed her concern.
As the queen of Roran, it was her duty to protect her subjects.
Among all the courtiers, Anrokuzan was the most capable and trustworthy minister. He conducted himself with humility, fostered camaraderie among colleagues, and displayed compassion toward the people of Roran. The queen's trust in him was unwavering.
"Your Majesty, I too have heard of these incidents. Even before this news reached us, I had dispatched investigators to look into the matter. I believe we will have the results soon." Anrokuzan assured her.
"Then I entrust this matter to you, Anrokuzan."
"You have my word, Your Majesty. I shall not betray the trust you have placed in me." Anrokuzan showed a warm smile and respectfully withdrew.
Shortly after Anrokuzan's departure, a red-haired girl emerged from a side door.
"Mother!" The girl joyfully rushed into the queen's embrace, wearing a radiant smile on her face.
"Is class over for today, Sara?" the queen asked.
"Yes, I've finished for the day." Sara nodded.
"Very well. Remember, you are the future queen of Roran. Strive diligently to become an exceptional ruler who cares for her subjects, Sara." the queen affectionately advised, tenderly caressing her daughter's head.
......
The oasis city bordering the desert was none other than Roran. Under the dim night sky, it was cloaked in a shroud of wind and dust. From afar, only the city's dark silhouettes were visible, lending an air of mystery to the place.
Approaching a sewer manhole cover, the three of them relied on Ayane's findings to infiltrate an underground location connected to the immense chakra source.
Shiraishi, bathed in moonlight, gazed upon the city and its towering buildings linked by pipes. These pipes served as conduits for an unusually powerful chakra, the energy source driving the entire city's operations through a recycling system.
Although the city boasted a level of prosperity, its defenses were woefully inadequate, as Shiraishi soon discovered. He realized that causing a disturbance was unnecessary, given the country's weak defenses. In fact, sneaking in proved surprisingly easy, as the only guardians appeared to be ordinary people.
"What's our next move? Do we need to cause chaos?" Ruri asked.
"No, there's no need for such measures with the current level of defense. Let's resolve this quickly and leave." Shiraishi decided.
Naruto nodded frantically in response to Sakura's fiery anger. "Yes, yes!"
Seeing Sakura's clenched fists radiating anger, Naruto was quick to show his compliance.
"What happened? What I just felt was the chakra power of the dragon vein..." The other boy named Sai dusted himself off and scanned his surroundings with vigilant eyes.
Finally, he locked eyes with Shiraishi, who he felt a dangerous aura of danger. This presence was even more menacing than when they had faced their Root leader, Shimura Danzo.
"No matter what happened, let's first determine our location."
The last member, an adult male dressed in a Konoha Jonin uniform, spoke up.
Captain "Yamato, are you alright?"
Naruto quickly asked about Captain Yamato's well-being, while Yamato himself smiled, reassuring them. "Don't worry, I'm fine."
After standing up, he, too, focused his gaze on Shiraishi, the sole outsider in this situation, maintaining a vigilant stance.
Shiraishi's expression remained flat as he wiped away the blood from the corner of his mouth with his fingers.
"Who are you..."
Naruto blinked, puzzled, and looked at Shiraishi with confusion. Shiraishi chose not to respond and began to perform hand seals.
"Hey, what are you doing?"
Naruto, seeing Shiraishi's hand seals, he feared he was about to used a dangerous ninjutsu against them and moved to intervene.
However, Sakura stepped in and restrained Naruto, "Don't be impulsive, Naruto. That's the hand seal for medical ninjutsu. Judging by his appearance, he seems to have been injured earlier."
Indeed, as Sakura had said, Shiraishi's injuries began to heal rapidly after he used the jutsu, and his face regained its color.
Once Shiraishi had recovered, he carefully observed the four Konoha ninjas who had left him with an odd impression.
Naruto, Sakura, Sai, Yamato... Shiraishi was certain that during his time in Konoha, these four individuals had never crossed his path.
However, considering the ages of these four, even the oldest Jonin, Yamato, was only a few years his senior. Shiraishi had never encountered these Konoha Jonin.
"Well, where is this place?" Finally, Yamato took the initiative to inquire about their location.
"Don't you know where this is?"
Shiraishi didn't answer the question.
"Of course, we came here to pursue a Suna rogue nin, Mukade and we ended up here. By the way, who are you?"
Naruto couldn't help jumping out, yelling out.
Shiraishi privately classified Naruto as a hot-blooded fool. Yamato and the Konoha female ninja Sakura slapped their foreheads in exasperation, frustrated by how easily Naruto leaked information.
They had just made themselves vulnerable, unable to distinguish between a friend and an enemy, putting themselves in a dangerous situation.
"Pursuing a Suna rogue nin, Mukade?"
Hearing such an answer, Shiraishi's mind was filled with various question marks.
'Is this some sort of new joke? When did Konoha expand its operations to include cleaning up rogues in other villages? Moreover, it was now the Third Ninja World War, and Suna was in a fierce war with Konoha. These people didn't join the war, but were chasing Suna rogue nin here, were they treating him as an idiot?'
Even a three year old could see through at a glance that they were telling a lie.
Shiraishi discerned the transparent falsehood in their story. He believed that the hot-headed idiot named Naruto, despite his outward appearance was quite cunning in nature.
"Ah, yes."
Yamato sighed in helplessness. Given the current situation, there was no point in hiding the truth any longer.
He explained, "We were entrusted by Hokage-sama to track down a Suna ninja named Mukade and arrived in Roran. Yet, for some reason, an abnormal chakra erupted from the ground and engulfed us. When we came to our senses, we found ourselves here. Could you provide some clarity regarding our situation? And what is your identity?"
"It's indeed strange." Shiraishi said, his smile carrying deeper implications.
"Strange?" Yamato and the others observed Shiraishi, sensing that his smile hid something meaningful.
"Isn't it strange that you, Konoha ninjas, don't recognize me? You're undoubtedly not Konoha ninjas. Who are you? Why pretend to be Konoha ninjas while coming here to disrupt the situation? What is your purpose?"
Bringing terrible pressure from his body, Shiraishi pushed towards the four of them.
Seeing Shiraishi's unkind look, Yamato and the others knew that the person in front of them was an enemy rather than a friend.
'Wait, where have i seen this look before...' At this moment, Yamato suddenly had a flash of light in his mind, as if he was recalling something.
"Are you... Chiba Shiraishi?"
Yamato's face was filled with cold sweat.
Although he looked younger, Yamoto still recalled his general appearance.
He was a ninja who detected from Konoha twenty years ago.
In recent years, a super S-class dangerous person who has taken the Land Of Demons as his home field and disturbed the peace of the ninja world.
"Don't talk to me in such a questioning manner. I left Konoha only two months ago. Thinking about it this way, you are really not Konoha's ninjas. Forget it, it doesn't matter. I will pull out your soul out of your body and i will know your identities."
There was a cold light in Shiraishi's eyes.
"The three of you, step back quickly! This isn't an opponent you can handle!"
Yamato urgently warned his teammates and he immediately formed hand seals.
"Wood Release: Great Forest Emergence!"
A number of trees sprouted from Yamato's arms, surrounding Shiraishi from all angles.
"Wood Release!?" Shiraishi exclaimed in surprise, his heart thrown into turmoil. He couldn't believe that whoever was pretending as a Konoha ninja before him had used the long-forgotten Wood Release.
Could this people be an accomplice of White Zetsu?
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