In the ancient land of Roran, Queen Sara looked down at the scroll spread out before her, frowning with concern.
With the dragon veins sealed, Roran had suffered greatly. Consequently, Queen Sara had long been preparing to relocate her people. However, such a massive undertaking couldn't happen overnight. Despite Roran's small size, the nation still had a population of tens of thousands. Relocating so many people across the desert presented numerous logistical challenges.
Queen Sara had already begun moving her people out of the desert in small groups to search for new places to settle. Yet, even now, half of Roran's population remained in the old kingdom. Finding suitable oases in the desert was no easy feat, especially since each oasis already had native residents who were unlikely to welcome newcomers.
As the days dragged on, Queen Sara began to miss the days when the dragon veins still flowed freely. However, she didn't regret the decision to seal them—although life had become harder without the dragon veins, they had once made Roran a target for fearsome ninjas. No matter how harsh the current environment was, Roran's people could still scrape by if they rationed carefully.
Unlike a typical ancient society, the world of Naruto possessed technology rivaling modern times. In the absence of conflict, widespread starvation was rare, and most hardships stemmed from excessive exploitation by corrupt leaders. Although Roran's environment had deteriorated, the kingdom had been relatively wealthy and had accumulated significant reserves. Moreover, Queen Sara, while not an extraordinary ruler, was a capable leader. Thanks to her steady hand, Roran's people had not yet reached the brink of desperation.
"Your Majesty! Two ninjas have appeared outside," a Roran citizen approached to report. Without guards to protect her, residents now delivered messages directly, a necessity given Roran's depleted resources.
"More ninjas? Why have they come here?" Queen Sara's expression darkened. Despite Konoha ninjas's aid in freeing her kingdom from Anrokuzan's schemes, she remained wary of all those who wielded such extraordinary power.
[A/N: Anrokuzan is the alias used by Mukade to deceive the previous queen.]
This apprehension had nothing to do with whether ninjas were good or evil; it was simply the instinctive fear the powerless felt when faced with those far stronger than themselves.
"They… they seem to be heading toward the dragon veins."
"What!" Queen Sara's face drained of color. Of all the things she feared, this was the worst. If something went wrong with the dragon veins, the entire kingdom of Roran could be in grave danger.
Meanwhile, Shin stood before the dragon vein's seal, examining the intricate design with a frown. In the center lay a special Flying Thunder God kunai—a clear indication of its connection to the Fourth Hokage.
"Can you make out these seals?" Shin asked, glancing at Nagato.
Nagato, who had been quiet up until now, looked over the seals with an uncertain expression. Though he had spent three years training under Jiraiya, his studies had focused on combat techniques to protect himself and his companions. Jiraiya, perhaps anticipating the dangerous life they'd lead, hadn't taught him advanced sealing techniques, which required long, dedicated study. And while Jiraiya was no slouch in sealing arts, his mastery didn't compare to the Fourth Hokage, especially in the field of space-time jutsu.
After his time with Jiraiya, Nagato relied on the Rinnegan's power, which provided him with many abilities but little understanding of complex seals. Although he knew the basics, he couldn't decipher the intricacies of a seal as advanced as this one.
Shin sighed. "I was hoping you'd inherited the Uzumaki Clan's fuinjutsu. Guess I overestimated your skills in that area."
Nagato clenched his fists, resisting the urge to retort. He didn't have the Uzumaki Clan's legacy. Even the Uzumaki Clan's bloodline didn't offer a direct path to mastering such complex techniques.
As Shin studied the seal before him, he grew increasingly frustrated. Destroying it recklessly could have disastrous consequences, especially if the dragon veins were to surge out of control. If the chakra escaped unchecked, it might launch Roran skyward or, even worse, throw him into an unknown parallel world. The thought of being split between dimensions made him shudder.
Despite his formidable strength, Shin hesitated. The nature of the space-time phenomenon was unpredictable. Even Kamui, Obito's unique space-time ninjutsu, could phase through things like the Truth-Seeking Ball—a level of absurdity that defied logic. Only beings of unparalleled power could tamper with such forces safely, and Shin wasn't keen on risking his life in this way.
At that moment, a voice broke the silence.
"Who are you? What are you doing here?"
Turning around, Shin and Nagato saw a young woman with striking red hair and ornate robes approaching them cautiously.
Recognizing her, Nagato murmured, "Queen Sara of Roran?" He turned to Shin. "I've heard the queens of Roran possess strange abilities that allow them to interact with the dragon veins. Maybe she can help us."
"If her powers were beneficial, they'd have kept the people of Roran from migrating," Shin replied, shaking his head. "Unless we break the space-time seal, her abilities likely won't help."
Sara watched the two men warily. Their casual discussion of her and the dragon veins made her shiver with unease. While she could sense their overwhelming power, Roran was in no position to anger them. With her people's survival at stake, she had no choice but to tread carefully.
As Sara listened, she grew more concerned. Terrified that they would open the seal, she finally said, "The Fourth Hokage of Konoha himself crafted the space-time seal here. He mentioned that even he would find it challenging to undo the seal without the proper technique. If you try to force it open, the dragon veins will go berserk. The explosion could destroy Roran, and anyone nearby will be caught in the blast."
Nagato scoffed, unconvinced by her warning. But Shin considered her words seriously.
Though dragon veins were primarily known for their boundless chakra, they possessed unique space-time properties that made them extremely dangerous. The Fourth Hokage, a master of space-time ninjutsu, would have understood this as well and would have taken every precaution to contain such a volatile force.
Shin nodded, finally convinced. For now, he'd need to proceed with caution.