Encounter with the Past (3)
"The reason I'm staring at you is simple. You and your mother are weak, yet you hold the power of the Dragon Veins."
"This is impossible! Minister An Lushan's authority is second only to my mother's. He is already half the master of Loulan!" Sara denied it vehemently, unwilling to believe that An Lushan was responsible for her mother's murder.
"People's hearts change. At first, An Lushan wanted to cooperate, but as time passed, he grew resentful. He believed he alone built Loulan's prosperity—so why should he share it with you and your mother?"
"If he were to unilaterally sever that cooperation, he would lose everything overnight. That, to him, would be unfair."
Sara froze in place. She had no way to refute Naruto's words. Her voice wavered as she asked, "Could it be that my mother and I were wrong? Should we have just handed over control of the Dragon Veins…?"
Naruto shook his head slightly. "The Dragon Veins chose you, and you are its rightful masters. But you lack the strength to protect and wield its power. Even if An Lushan is removed, others will covet this energy."
Seeing Sara's distress, Minato Namikaze quickly took out a letter and handed it to her.
He didn't understand why a powerful ninja like Mima was confronting a defenseless girl so harshly. Did he have some strange habit of bullying children?
As if reading Minato's thoughts, Naruto spoke softly. "I just dislike arrogant brats."
Sasuke Uchiha and the little queen before him—Sara—both fit that description.
Sara's hands trembled as she unrolled the scroll containing the mission orders. The handwriting was unmistakably her mother's. As she absorbed the truth behind her mother's death, her expression hardened.
If An Lushan had killed her mother for the Dragon Veins, then she had no choice but to avenge her.
But now, she had nothing—nothing but a queen's title. She lacked the strength to take revenge on An Lushan herself, leaving her only one option: to seek aid from the Konoha ninjas protecting her.
Facing Sara's plea, Minato did not respond immediately. Instead, he glanced at Naruto.
An Lushan was a rogue ninja from Fangren Village. If Naruto had information on this powerful minister of Loulan, he would likely have a plan to deal with him.
Seeing Minato hesitate, Sara bit her lip, stepped toward Naruto, and said, "If Your Excellency avenges me, I will entrust you with the power of the Dragon Veins."
Her words stunned everyone—Kakashi, the others, and even Minato.
The Dragon Veins were a treasured energy source tied to Loulan's legacy. If given to the wrong hands, they could destabilize the entire Wind Country—or worse, threaten Konoha's interests.
Naruto stepped back slightly. "I'm not interested in the Dragon Veins. Let's focus on An Lushan instead."
Sara nodded, then recounted the history of her mother and An Lushan. When she mentioned An Lushan's recent change in personality, Naruto's brow furrowed.
A drastic shift in behavior… that always reminded him of the Sharingan's Mangekyō abilities—particularly Kotoamatsukami.
Danzo's Kotoamatsukami Sharingan should have been on a decade-long cooldown, but with Hashirama's cells grafted into him, that cooldown had been significantly reduced.
In other words, An Lushan had likely fallen under Kotoamatsukami's control, making him Danzo's puppet.
And if Danzo intended to harness the Dragon Veins—possibly becoming its jinchūriki—he could become a formidable threat.
However, Naruto was more concerned about Nagato. Was Nagato hiding in Loulan, or had he been moved elsewhere?
If the former, the situation was still manageable. But if the latter… it could drastically alter the course of history.
Sara noticed Naruto's serious expression. After learning his name, she hesitantly asked, "Does Your Excellency Mima have no way to handle An Lushan?"
Naruto shook his head slightly. "If An Lushan were our only enemy, the Yellow Flash could deal with him easily. But our enemies aren't limited to him—I suspect someone at the Five Kage level is pulling the strings behind the scenes."
"Five Kage-level?!"
Kakashi inhaled sharply. Was Loulan really important enough to draw out such a powerful figure?
But then again, Minato-sensei was a top contender for the Fourth Hokage's position. If even he acknowledged Mima's strength, it wasn't surprising that their enemies were of Kage-level caliber.
At that moment, Minato spoke. "Regardless of who An Lushan or his allies are, their goal isn't just to kill the queen—it's to seize the Dragon Veins. Is there a way to prevent them from obtaining its power?"
Sara nodded. "If I can reach the Dragon Vein's core, I can sever their connection to it."
"However," she hesitated, "Loulan's prosperity relies on the Dragon Veins. If I sever that connection, everything here may… disappear."
Minato tapped his chin, contemplating. "That's a serious problem…"
Naruto placed his palm on the ground, channeling chakra. After assessing the Dragon Veins' condition, he said, "It doesn't matter. The Dragon Veins aren't infinite. If they keep draining them like this, they'll be exhausted in a few decades anyway."
"The Dragon Veins… will be depleted?" Sara had never heard such a thing before.
Naruto locked eyes with her. "If the Dragon Veins were truly limitless, why did your ancestors establish a contract with them? Loulan's current prosperity exists only because the Dragon Veins have been nurtured for thousands of years."
"Instead of worrying about whether we can defeat An Lushan, you should be thinking about how Loulan's people will survive in the desert once the Dragon Veins are gone. I hope you haven't forgotten how to endure the desert's harshness."
Sara fell silent, finally grasping the gravity of the situation. "Your Excellency Mima speaks the truth… but if Loulan declines, how can we ever restore our former glory?"
Naruto gave her a flat look. "Patience. When faced with overwhelming power, temporary retreat is nothing. As long as your people survive, Loulan will always have a chance to rise again."
---
Several minutes later
Naruto led Sara out of the secret chamber and onto the tallest tower in Loulan.
From here, they could survey the entire city and sense the vast Dragon Vein chakra running through it.
Thinking about how this magnificent city would eventually crumble with the depletion of the Dragon Veins, Sara felt a deep, indescribable sorrow.
Loulan's prosperity hadn't been built through its people's efforts but rather on borrowed energy.
Without the Dragon Veins, Loulan would revert to its origins. That was an unchangeable reality. And as queen, she had to be stronger than anyone else.
Determined, Sara returned to the chamber to strategize against An Lushan's faction.
Closing the Dragon Vein's core was easy. The challenge was reaching it.
Aside from the puppet guards roaming Loulan, An Lushan had likely created even more in secret.
Meanwhile, Naruto and Minato's team gathered.
They were certain Mima wouldn't harm Queen Loulan, but they couldn't be sure he had no designs on the Dragon Veins. After all, even they felt tempted by its power.
All eyes turned to Minato, awaiting his judgment.
Minato inhaled deeply. "I sensed traces of Sage energy in Mima. He might truly have no interest in the Dragon Veins. I'm willing to trust him."
Kakashi frowned. "That's unlike you."
Minato chuckled. "Who knows? I just can't bring myself to dislike him. Maybe it's fate."
Then, with his usual confident smile, he declared, "Let's move out. I'll bring you all back to Konoha safely."
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