"Sand ninjas?"
Naruto Uzumaki froze as he looked at Shiraishi's team. He hadn't expected Sand shinobi to appear in this place.
Before he could process it, several remaining puppets on the ground lunged toward Shiraishi.
It was clear that Anrokuzan, unwilling to give up, was testing the strength of the "Black Mist." Without moving an inch, Shiraishi fired three Aerial Ace wind blades from his hands, instantly shredding the puppets into splinters.
What incredible Wind Release!
Shiraishi's wind blades were a fusion of specialized nature transformation and his system's skill.
As a fellow Wind Release user, Naruto could immediately recognize the sheer lethality and precision of Shiraishi's casual strike.
This Sand ninja... feels even stronger than Gaara...
The three Jonin landed on the ground. Shikasa stepped forward, his voice questioning: "According to our agreements, isn't the mission regarding Roran supposed to be handled exclusively by the Sand?"
Suddenly put on the spot, Naruto's eyes went blank. "Eh? Grandma Tsunade never mentioned anything about that."
Grandma Tsunade?
Shiraishi keenly caught the oddity in the blonde ninja's words. At that moment, several more specialized puppets—controlled by much sturdier chakra threads—attacked again.
"Has Tsunade actually grown old enough to be called a 'Grandma'?" Shiraishi mused.
He fired more wind blades in every direction. As he dismantled the puppets, Shiraishi made a quick comparison: The chakra threads reinforced by the Dragon Vein are significantly harder to destroy.
In the shadows, Anrokuzan was reeling. How can Black Mist Shiraishi be this powerful? Why have I never heard of this powerhouse in the original history?
Sensing that Shiraishi was too dangerous to confront head-on, Anrokuzan decided to change tactics.
He withdrew his presence, choosing to hide and gather more intelligence. The existence of a powerhouse that didn't exist in his version of the Sand's history had thrown him into a panic.
As the chaotic skirmish ended, the three Sand ninjas approached Naruto. Seeing the boy's injuries, Shiraishi signaled Arashi Arakawa to provide a basic medical dressing for the Leaf ninja.
"Thanks, guys... but can someone tell me what's going on?"
Naruto's question made Teisui's face darken. "We should be asking you that! Why are you here? And since when do ninjas ask about another village's mission so casually?"
This kid... Shikasa thought. Naruto's attitude made it seem like he viewed Sand ninjas as his own teammates. Even within the same village, you don't just ask about mission details like that.
Shiraishi, however, observed Naruto in silence, experiencing a strange sensation. The chakra radiating from this blonde boy felt oddly "comfortable" to Shiraishi.
Naruto felt a similar draw; despite talking to Shikasa, his eyes kept drifting back to Shiraishi.
One was a man acknowledged by Ashura's spirit, and the other was the actual reincarnation of Ashura's chakra. They were bound by a mysterious, destined connection.
"AH!"
The blonde boy suddenly shouted, interrupting Shiraishi's thoughts. He looked around in a panic. "You said this is the Kingdom of Roran? How is that possible? This is supposed to be the Roran Ruins! How did it turn back into a whole kingdom?"
Roran Ruins? Kingdom of Roran?I see...
"Leaf ninja," Shikasa said, growing impatient with the thick-headed stranger. "The Roran mission is under Sand jurisdiction. You should head back immediately."
"But..."
"Just leave. You're a liability here." Shikasa felt this kid was far too eccentric.
"But the whole place is surrounded! How am I supposed to leave?"
"Let him stay with us for now," Shiraishi said, stepping forward. He adjusted his tone as he looked at the confused Naruto. "You are likely a being from another space-time."
"Another space-time?"
"Roran's Dragon Vein possesses immense spatio-temporal power. It's possible that while the Leaf was executing a mission at the Roran ruins in the future, you were pulled back here."
Naruto's eyes widened. "So that's it! I traveled through time? Haha... no wonder everything felt weird! We were actually chasing a rogue ninja named Mukade..."
After Naruto briefly explained his goal, Shiraishi nodded. "The Minister of Roran, Anrokuzan, is a mysterious ninja who appeared out of nowhere. He is likely the 'Mukade' you speak of."
Since their goals aligned and the city was blockaded by Shiraishi's silver sand, he decided to keep the future ninja close to prevent him from disrupting the Sand's operational steps.
However, Shiraishi warned Arashi and Shikasa not to ask about the future. He wasn't sure if knowing the future would damage the current timeline, so he maintained a cautious distance.
Shiraishi's wariness grew as his silver sand—saturated with his sensory chakra—detected a massive energy signature awakening deep underground.
"Let's find Queen Sara first."
Meanwhile, Shiraishi's aggressive posture had terrified Anrokuzan. Roran had about 3,000 puppets, and while Anrokuzan could control hundreds at once using the Dragon Vein, the rest were autonomous.
He realized his plot had been exposed before it could fully mature. He quickly descended into the deeper layers of the Dragon Vein to begin a final, forced fusion between himself and his puppets.
The city was eerily quiet. Despite the massive silver walls blocking the sun, there was no panic among the citizens—an abnormality that made Shiraishi's instincts scream.
Amidst the strange atmosphere, Naruto managed to find Queen Sara before Shiraishi's group. However, the Queen was extremely hostile toward the Sand. As a wave of puppet soldiers attacked Shiraishi's team, Sara took the opportunity to lead Naruto away.
"Sara, you really seem to dislike Sand ninjas," Naruto noted as they ran.
Sara refused to share anything about Anrokuzan. In her eyes, the Sand were invaders looking to seize the Dragon Vein.
"In the past, the Land of Wind invaded Roran constantly, nearly destroying our civilization until only this small urban strip remained. Now, they won't even leave us the Dragon Vein!"
She pointed at the massive silver walls looming over the city, her eyes filled with grief and rage. "Don't you see those walls? Black Mist Shiraishi... he is the Sand's most cold-blooded executioner."
"That's right," a calm voice emerged from the shadows. "The future of Roran shall never be trampled upon by the Hidden Sand."
Anrokuzan, the Minister of Roran, stepped out from the darkness toward Sara and Naruto, his face set in a mask of tragic determination.
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