Originally, Kaguya wanted to stay in Konoha a bit longer and visit the Hyuga household, but time was of the essence. If she waited any longer, who knew what unforeseen events might occur.
"Do you really have to go?" Konan leaned against the wall, her face full of worry.
"Yes." Kaguya nodded slightly, looked down to put on her shoes, tidied up her clothes, and stood up. "Don't worry, I won't be gone long."
"If you have to go, then I want to go with you." Konan walked over and held Kaguya's hand, saying seriously.
"There's no need," Kaguya smiled gently, "I can handle this on my own. Besides, if you come along, I'll be distracted."
"Is that so?" Konan still seemed a bit uneasy.
"Don't worry, nothing will happen to me. You know me, there's no one born yet who can defeat me." Kaguya squeezed Konan's soft hand and said, "Alright, I'm leaving now."
Konan watched Kaguya's departing figure, silently looking down at her hand, which still seemed to retain Kaguya's warmth.
Roran was located in the Land of Wind, deep within a desert. Although the original story did not specify its exact location, it was certain to be in the depths of the desert.
In the desert, the wind howled and the sand flew, and all that met the eye was a vast expanse of yellow sand with no signs of life. Even weeds couldn't survive here. It was hard to believe that anyone could live in such a desolate place.
Kaguya walked through the gale, occasionally sand hitting her body, but it was blocked by a protective aura around her. She had been here for over ten days, and during this time, she hadn't seen any signs of life, not even an oasis. Fortunately, she had brought plenty of supplies, including water, which she had sealed in her scrolls.
These scrolls had been purchased at a high price from Tenten. Despite Tenten's unassuming appearance, she turned out to be quite wealthy. Given the number of weapons she used in battle, it made sense that she would need substantial funds.
As Kaguya was growing impatient, she finally spotted a lone ruined city in the distance using her Tenseigan. The remaining walls and debris indicated that this had once been a grand city, now buried in the ever-shifting sands.
Suddenly, a shadow emerged from behind Kaguya, making a "clack, clack" sound as it attacked her. Kaguya leapt aside, avoiding the attack. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be a grotesque puppet, resembling a fly and challenging the notion of aesthetic beauty.
The puppet, missing its initial strike, pursued Kaguya again. Its arms extended rapidly, enclosing her, while its eyes released drill-like protrusions, spinning as they lunged forward.
Kaguya's eyes swirled like galaxies.
Puppet Control Technique
Of course, this was a name Kaguya had come up with herself. It was the Tenseigan's ability to control puppets.
But to Kaguya's surprise, she found she couldn't control the puppet at all, not even slightly influence it. What was going on?
Seeing the puppet nearing her, Kaguya didn't hesitate. She raised her arm, gathering chakra in her palm, and unleashed a forceful repulsion.
The puppet took a heavy blow, its chest caving in, and it flew backward like a cannonball. Before it even hit the ground, it disintegrated in mid-air, scattering into a pile of parts across the sand.
Kaguya walked over and picked up the parts on the ground, looking them over a few times, but couldn't discern much. However, there was no doubt that these puppets were different from those she had seen before.
Suddenly, she noticed something attached to one of the parts. Upon turning it over, she found an explosive tag half-burned and about to explode.
With a thunderous "boom," a deafening explosion erupted where Kaguya stood. Thick smoke billowed, flames shot up, and dust filled the air.
From the thick smoke emerged an unharmed figure—it was Kaguya. An explosion of this magnitude could not harm her.
Suddenly, a series of muffled sounds came from under her feet, the ground trembled slightly, and a crack appeared, spreading into numerous fissures. The ground then collapsed with a roar, revealing a dark abyss filled with falling rocks. Kaguya leapt back, avoiding the collapse.
When the rumbling ceased, a massive hole, about the size of a football field, had formed on the ground.
Kaguya walked over and looked down. In the sunlight, she saw a tower standing intact below, seemingly preserved by the sand that had buried it from the ravages of time.
If she guessed correctly, this was the ancient city of Roran, and the tower below was part of its structures. Through this massive hole, her Tenseigan detected a powerful energy emanating from below. Without hesitation, Kaguya leapt down, her silver hair and clothes fluttering wildly in the wind.
She landed on the tower and entered through a window.
Inside, she found a platform at the center with four statues standing in different directions. In the middle of the platform was a uniquely shaped kunai.
To her surprise, someone was already there, holding the kunai and pulling it out forcefully.
As the kunai was removed, a massive purple light beam shot up to the sky, turning surrounding rocks into powder. The tower shook violently, almost collapsing.
Sensing spatial fluctuations ahead, Kaguya didn't hesitate. She leapt towards the light beam like an arrow, disappearing into the purple glow.
As she entered the beam, two other figures arrived, each leaping into the purple light in turn.
When Kaguya awoke, she found herself in an unfamiliar place. Surrounded by ruins, broken pillars, and damaged walls, the space was vast, about the size of a football field. She couldn't discern its original purpose.
At that moment, a melodious song echoed from behind a stone pillar.
"The myriad emotions, the dragon's vein that must be guarded, the white blade pierces, looking up to the sky, a sandstorm rages, the brilliant day of glory, flowers dance in rivalry."
The song was fresh and elegant, sung with a soft, girlish voice that had a calming effect, soothing Kaguya's agitated mind.
Kaguya turned to see a graceful girl sitting atop a tall stone pillar, gently singing while swinging her legs.
Clearly, the song she heard was from this girl.
After scanning the surroundings and finding no one else, Kaguya walked over to the girl and gently asked, "Excuse me, but where is this place?"