Queen stood solemnly at the altar.
Sara had just come into contact with the consciousness of the dragon veins for the first time. Guiding its power to shield Loulan's people had already pushed her to the limit—there was no way she could do anything more.
But Queen was different.
She had connected with the dragon veins since her youth, and for the past twenty years, she had never once missed a prayer. Her spirit was deeply intertwined with that ancient force.
During the recent sandstorm, she had clearly sensed something unnatural. That storm was no act of nature—something was at its heart.
Something alive.
A massive presence, one that even caused the dragon veins to stir.
"Could there be some kind of monster born in the desert?"
She frowned, a flicker of unease in her eyes.
Whatever it was didn't seem to bear malice toward Roran—it had passed by, not targeted them. But even that unintentional presence had nearly buried the entire city.
What are we supposed to do against something like this?
The dragon veins were powerful, but childlike—instinctual, lacking offensive capabilities. Queen's first thought was to seek help from the sand ninja. But then she shook her head bitterly.
"Even if there are people strong enough to face that… what could we possibly offer to hire them?"
Resources in the desert were scarce. Roran might be an oasis, but it struggled just to sustain its own people. There was no way they could afford the kind of protection this threat would demand.
Roran couldn't face this monster alone.
"…All we can do is pray it never returns."
She sighed. Roran—and its guardian spirit—were good at defending, but not at striking back.
Still, perhaps there was a sliver of hope.
"We could inform Sunagakure," she murmured thoughtfully. "They don't have the dragon veins. If that thing ever turned on them, they'd be destroyed. Maybe they'd make the effort to hunt it down themselves…"
A sudden voice interrupted her thoughts.
"A leader relying on luck—that's not very reassuring."
The voice startled her. She looked up, eyes widening as a shadow dropped from the sky. A black dot quickly grew into a figure landing before her.
Queen stepped back instinctively, a soft white glow enveloping her body. This was the heart of the shrine—where the dragon veins ran strongest. She could afford a little confidence here.
"Who are you?" she asked sternly. "This is sacred ground. You have no right to be here."
The man only chuckled. "You Roran people really are cut off from the world. Do you need me to spell it out for you?"
He stepped forward, smiling in that unnerving, snake-like way.
"I'm Orochimaru. Maybe you've never heard of me—but that storm you just faced? That was my doing."
Queen's face paled, even as she denied it. "Impossible."
Through the dragon veins, she had sensed his chakra. He was strong, yes—but not strong enough to match the monstrous presence she had felt in the storm.
"Heh... maybe we should've come earlier."
Orochimaru lifted two fingers. As he concentrated, dark markings—like the Sage Mode's eye-shadow—formed around his eyes. The air around him shifted.
Queen's expression darkened. His chakra… it had changed. It was no longer merely human—it felt similar to the dragon veins themselves.
"Not quite on your guardian spirit's level," Orochimaru said casually. "But close enough, no?"
He licked his lips. "This body is just a clone, by the way. My real body is still tidying up what's left of the storm."
"Why…?" Queen whispered, heart sinking. She didn't want to believe him, but everything aligned. The unnatural energy, the manipulation of nature itself—this wasn't a lie.
And worse, his intentions clearly weren't good.
"What do you want?" she asked.
"Want?" Orochimaru chuckled. "Let's just say Roran has something I can't find anywhere else."
She followed his gaze.
It wasn't on her.
It was behind her—at the heart of the altar.
The dragon veins.
"No." Her voice was firm. "The dragon veins are our lifeline. Without them, our people cannot survive the desert. You saw what happened today. That storm would've wiped us out."
She didn't believe he could take control of them either. Even if he could manipulate natural disasters, the dragon veins were different. Rawer. More volatile.
To force control would mean clashing directly—and the fallout would destroy Roran.
Orochimaru simply smiled.
"You're worried about destruction?" he asked. "Then maybe you should focus less on me—and more on those around you."
He sank into the floor like a shadow and vanished.
Almost immediately, light footsteps approached.
"Mother!" Sara called, jogging into the chamber. "I told everyone—the danger is over. They're coming out of the shelters—"
She stopped, frowning. "Is something wrong?"
Queen turned to her daughter quickly, forced a smile, and smoothed her expression. "I'm just tired."
"Oh." Sara smiled, nodding. "You worked hard protecting everyone today. You should rest."
"I will soon," Queen said, gently brushing her daughter's hair. "But there are still things I need to handle here. Go home and start preparing dinner for us."
"…Okay." Sara hesitated, but eventually nodded and left the hall.
The moment she disappeared, Orochimaru reemerged from the shadows.
Queen's eyes flashed with fury. "You're despicable."
"What?" he said innocently. "You thought I'd threaten your daughter? No, no… she's just a distraction. The real bargaining chip is the lives of everyone in Roran."
She said nothing, her fists clenched.
"You don't have to give me an answer now," he continued. "Let's talk again after the next storm—tomorrow morning. Maybe a few minutes earlier this time."
Before she could reply, he was gone again—vanishing into the sky.
Queen stared at the narrow strip of sky visible above the hall and let out a bitter laugh.
"So this is what it means… to negotiate without leverage."
She had the dragon veins, yes—but beyond that, Roran had nothing to bargain with. Orochimaru held all the power, and worse, he had no reason to be trustworthy.
Still, she couldn't afford to despair.
Weakness is a sin, she thought grimly.
And now, she had to find a way to save her people.
---
Outside, Orochimaru stood atop the tower.
He listened as the Genie described Queen's behavior after his departure, a sly grin tugging at his lips.
"She's smart," he said. "But she doesn't have many cards to play."
True negotiation needed balance. Both parties had to bring something to the table—something of value, something the other couldn't easily take.
In this case, Queen had the dragon veins, and she was essential for keeping their energy stable during the extraction.
But that was all she had.
Everything else could be taken from her without consequence.
Orochimaru chuckled to himself.
"I suppose I could throw her a bone."
He turned toward the desert and disappeared into the swirling sands.
---
Sunagakure – Kazekage's Office
Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage, scowled at the financial reports on his desk.
The profits from their last joint operation with Konoha had barely made a dent in the village's growing expenses.
Especially now—with the rise of body enhancement surgeries pioneered by Orochimaru, demand among his ninja was high.
And expensive.
Each operation required village subsidies—after all, the average sand ninja couldn't afford it. But without these enhancements, they couldn't compete with other villages. Risking injury just to scrape together the funds was not a viable solution.
Rasa sighed.
"Any word from the scouts?" he asked, glancing at Elder Chiyo. "Any new gold mines?"
She shook her head. "Not yet. I sent out two more teams yesterday. Give it a few days."
"Tell them to hurry," he said bluntly.
Chiyo frowned. "You've been agitated ever since coming back from Konoha. Don't overthink it. With Konoha's support, there's no need to rush."
Rasa shook his head. "You're thinking too short-term. The Akatsuki are a looming threat. Konoha's support won't last forever—and when that war ends, the window to gain anything closes."
Chiyo fell silent, momentarily humbled.
She was old. Maybe too old for this kind of planning.
And she doesn't have many years left, Rasa thought privately.
Just as he was about to speak, a voice called from outside the door.
"Kazekage-sama—Lord Orochimaru of Konoha is here to see you."
Rasa raised an eyebrow. He shared a glance with Chiyo.
"…Let him in."
A few moments later, Orochimaru stepped into the office with a thin smile.
"It seems," he said casually, "there haven't been many sand shinobi at my operating room these past few days…"
_____________________
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