During this time, while Jiraiya searched for information on Shin, Uchiha Obito accelerated his mission to recruit members for the Akatsuki. Meanwhile, Shin was not idle; he intended to seek out treasures he'd seen mentioned in the manga.
The most prized treasure in the Naruto world was definitely the Tenseigan on the moon. However, while Shin was intrigued by its power, he lacked the means to reach it. Unlike the world of pirates, where reaching the moon was as simple as hopping on a hot air balloon, the journey here required far more effort.
Since he hadn't yet found a feasible method to reach the moon, Shin had to temporarily set aside his quest for the Tenseigan. Instead, he turned his attention to another powerful entity: the Dragon Vein of Roran. Known for its space-time properties, Dragon Vein Chakra could even enable travel across parallel worlds, and he had a clear destination for this search.
[A/N: There are speculations that instead of traveling to the past, the Dragon Vein sends people to a parallel world similar to a different timeline.]
This time, Shin wasn't alone. Joining him was Nagato, who had fully recovered and had a new face, courtesy of Shin. For Nagato, who had spent most of his life confined to the Land of Rain, this was his first journey beyond its borders. The small desert country of Roran in the Land of Wind presented an entirely new experience for him, a stark contrast to the rainy climate he was accustomed to.
Having shed the title of "God" with the loss of his Rinnegan, Nagato's mindset had shifted, bringing him back to the curiosity of his youth. As he took in the desert landscape, he seemed enthralled by its unique beauty.
Shin noticed Nagato's amazement and explained, "The climate in each region here is influenced not only by geography but also by the events from the battle between the Sage of Six Paths and Kaguya Otsutsuki. That battle reshaped the land and weather of our world."
The unusual climates of the five great nations were nothing like those of the real world. Each land exhibited extreme weather patterns with clear boundaries, often without transitional areas. The Land of Lightning constantly experienced thunderstorms, while the Land of Earth even saw occasional rock rains—a phenomenon unheard of in typical weather patterns.
However, the people of the Naruto world had long accepted these peculiar climates as normal. Most didn't realize that such drastic weather resulted from ancient powers, a truth perhaps only understood by those who had lived through the era of Kaguya Otsutsuki.
"Incredible," Nagato marveled. "Could that battle really have influenced the world's weather permanently for thousands of years?"
Shin pointed to the sky. "If the Sage could create the moon itself, do you think permanently altering the world's climate would be that much harder?"
Nagato paused, considering this. Indeed, influencing climate didn't seem implausible next to creating a moon.
Nagato then asked with frustration, "But why didn't the Sage of Six Paths restore the climate to normal after the battle?"
Shin shrugged. "I can't be sure, but I suspect it's because creating balance is much harder than disrupting it. Trying to control weather precisely might lead to unintended consequences, like turning a flood here into a drought elsewhere."
The two continued trekking through the desert in the Land of Wind, chatting along the way. Though they appeared to walk at a leisurely pace, they were actually covering vast distances with each step, thanks to Shin's subtle use of gravitational manipulation, a skill derived from his modified Rinnegan.
In Nagato's hands, gravitational manipulation served only for offense and defense. But Shin, having been transformed by the Munch-Munch Fruit, now wielded the Rinnegan easily, using it even to enhance his speed.
Nagato seemed deeply interested in the topic of climate, likely due to his hope of alleviating the constant rainfall in the Land of Rain. However, before they could delve further, they ceased their discussion and picked up speed.
Both men, among the top-tier ninjas of the Naruto world, traveled with swift agility. With a boost from the Rinnegan, they reached the small nation of Roran within a single day.
Upon arrival, Nagato surveyed the town in confusion. "Is this Roran? It doesn't look anything like the description you provided."
"It's definitely Roran," Shin confirmed, rolling his eyes. "My information dates back about three years before the dragon vein here was sealed. That battle and the passage of time have taken their toll."
Indeed, the dragon vein, once Roran's lifeblood, had been sealed, and over the past three years, wind and sand had eroded much of the town. The effects of the battle had only hastened its decline. Consequently, the once-thriving town now appeared dilapidated, with a significant portion of the population seemingly having migrated away.
Roran, situated in a desert with scarce water, could once sustain itself through the power of the dragon vein. But without it, life here had become increasingly difficult.
As Shin and Nagato strolled openly through Roran, the residents cast wary and respectful glances their way, recognizing them as powerful ninjas. Nagato wore his Rain Village forehead protector, and such symbols commanded automatic respect for the small country of Roran.
Unfortunately, the two didn't know the whereabouts of Queen Sara, Roran's ruler, and the tower where she once resided had collapsed in the recent turmoil. The search for answers would likely be a challenge.
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