Yellow sand swirled through the air, sweeping in sandstorms that once again darkened the skies over Roran. The sun was blotted out, the horizon consumed by dust and wind.
Disaster had struck again—another monstrous storm, as terrifying as the one that had ravaged them the day before.
And yet… the people of Roran had survived.
This time, no one was injured in the chaos. There had been no stampedes, no last-minute panic. It wasn't luck—just grim experience from yesterday's ordeal.
But survival brought little comfort.
Two days. Two consecutive sandstorms.
And this one had come even earlier.
The desert was no stranger to extreme weather—scorching days, freezing nights—but natural disasters of this magnitude were rare. And for Roran, usually blessed with calm, oasis-born stability, this was unheard of.
A place like this, if regularly attacked by such storms, would have been buried by sand long ago. The very fact that it still stood proved how unnatural this was.
Now, emerging from underground shelters, the people looked around.
Their home lay in ruins.
Houses shattered. Doors and windows stripped bare. Everything covered in thick yellow dust.
The land they depended on was becoming unrecognizable.
And yet, there was a silver lining—nothing new had been destroyed today. What was lost had already been lost yesterday.
But no one laughed. No one smiled.
If there was another storm tomorrow… they'd be like fish left to dry under the desert sun, their lives evaporating one drop at a time.
That unspoken fear blanketed the atmosphere at the shelter's exit. The people moved in silence, their footsteps dragging patterns through the sand like weary, distorted scars.
---
Inside the sacrificial hall, Queen disconnected from the dragon vein's consciousness, breath unsteady, hand on her chest. Beside her, Sara slumped to the floor, utterly exhausted.
Though she'd only begun learning how to guide the dragon vein's power, Sara had already adapted. She took a sip from the water bottle at her waist and, without hesitation, handed another to her mother.
"Drink, Mother," she said. "You need it more than I do."
"I'm fine," Queen said gently, refusing the bottle. She didn't scold Sara for her casual demeanor inside the sacred hall.
The dragon veins were not gods—they had no real awareness, no rituals, no reverence. Besides, after what she was planning to do—offering the dragon veins as part of a bargain—any pretense of sacred respect felt hollow.
She looked up at the sky through the cracked ceiling.
The sunlight seemed harsher today.
Another storm, just as Orochimaru had warned.
This couldn't be a coincidence. No… it wasn't nature's wrath. It was a man-made disaster—a weapon, wielded by someone who viewed it as a tool of negotiation.
She could pretend it was a warning, a prediction.
But she knew the truth.
---
"Mother," Sara said quietly, her gaze uncertain. "Will there be another sandstorm tomorrow?"
Roran's princess had grown up in the desert. She had touched the dragon vein's power. She knew something was wrong.
"Yes," Queen said softly, stroking her daughter's hair. "But it'll be okay. I promise you—I'll protect you. I'll protect all of Roran."
"I'll help too," Sara said, hugging her. Then, without needing to be told, she turned to leave.
"I'll go speak to the others. Help calm everyone down."
Queen watched her go with a heavy heart.
She knows more than she says…
But her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden, mocking voice.
"How touching. Truly, a heartwarming mother-daughter bond."
Her eyes narrowed. A moment later, Orochimaru landed before her, smiling as he always did—like a serpent with secrets.
"Well then, Queen of Roran," he said smoothly. "Have you made up your mind? Do you accept the terms of our deal?"
"You haven't even told me the terms," she snapped. "All you've said is that you want us to abandon our home. And for what? So you can take our guardian and destroy our land? This isn't a deal—it's robbery."
Her tone was fierce, but beneath it was strategy. She needed to understand what he truly wanted. If she couldn't gain leverage, at least she could gather information.
"A bandit? My, that's rude," Orochimaru said with mock offense. "I prefer to think of myself as a businessman."
With a flick of his hand, he unfurled a scroll. From it, ten black-leather money pouches dropped onto the floor.
"Four hundred million ryo," he said. "Payment for the dragon veins, and resettlement for Roran's people."
Queen Loulan's breath caught. She looked at the bags, then back at Orochimaru.
She was the Queen of Roran. In name, she owned all the land and wealth of the oasis.
And yet… this single payment was more than ten times the entire wealth of Roran combined.
In the shinobi world, ryo still held weight. A bowl of Ichiraku ramen cost only 40 ryo. Four hundred million was a fortune that only great nations wielded—never individuals.
Certainly not lone wanderers like Orochimaru.
Her throat went dry. She almost stepped forward to check if the bags were real.
She understood now. This had never been a real negotiation. Orochimaru had the power to take what he wanted. This performance—this "deal"—was only to see how much he could extract while still pretending to be civilized.
For Roran, for her people, maybe taking the money and moving away was the right path.
But…
Could she trust him?
Even if he gave her this fortune, what would stop him from attacking once the dragon veins were his?
Would they live to use this money?
Queen looked away from the bags.
"…Not bad," Orochimaru said. "Still not satisfied, though? You're starting to sound greedy."
"In truth, I'm surprised you offered that much," she admitted. "But Roran isn't short on money."
"Of course not," Orochimaru said, his gaze calculating. "You're a smart woman."
He was pleased. She hadn't jumped at the money like a fool. That told him she was rational, grounded—someone he could work with.
And that's what I need, he thought. Not just any controller for the dragon veins. I need someone stable. Predictable.
He didn't want a backup plan.
Sara could also connect to the dragon veins, yes—but she was too young, too malleable.
Queen, though? She had passed both his tests. She had strength. Judgment. Control.
"You handled yourself well," he said. "Tempted by the gold, but not swayed. That's rare."
Queen narrowed her eyes. "Why are you saying this?"
"Because now," he said, conjuring a sand chair and sitting down, "we can talk about the real plan."
She sat opposite him, tense.
"Once Roran gives up the dragon veins," he said, "you'll need two things: money—which I've given you—and protection."
"I recommend Sunagakure."
"Sunagakure?" she repeated, startled.
Relying on them might help keep Orochimaru in check. If he attacked, he'd risk offending a major village. But…
"I don't trust them," she said.
Orochimaru chuckled. "That's fair. But trust me—if I'm involved, they won't try anything."
Her expression hardened. "So you are working with them?"
"Collaborating," he clarified. "Not allies. But they need me, and I've pulled some strings. If Roran integrates into their system, you'll gain some degree of safety. If I ever turn on you, I'll have to deal with their backlash."
"In other words," Queen murmured, "we'll have a path forward."
"Exactly."
It wasn't ideal—but compared to total destruction, it was a path.
Still, one question lingered.
"And what do you want from the dragon veins?"
Orochimaru leaned back, smile fading into something more serious.
"That's not your concern. But know this: everything I've done—this entire negotiation—was for that purpose. If I only wanted the dragon veins, I'd have taken them already."
Queen's blood ran cold.
She finally understood. All the charm, the calm… was a calculated manipulation to ensure her cooperation.
Because Orochimaru didn't just need the dragon veins.
He needed her.
He needed her to guide their energy. To stabilize whatever experiment or plan he had in mind. He could've taken everything by force—but instead, he chose to earn her trust.
Because for his goals to succeed, she had to willingly help him.
"…So you agree?" Orochimaru asked, watching her.
Queen didn't respond.
She was still processing what this meant—for her, and for Roran.
But he didn't press. Instead, his eyes flicked toward the doorway.
"I believe we have an eavesdropper."
His voice echoed.
"Come on out, little girl. Or would you prefer I drag you in?"
A soft shuffle followed.
Sara stepped into the hall, face pale and conflicted.
Her eyes shifted from her mother… to the money on the floor… to Orochimaru's calm, amused expression.
She said nothing.
But her presence said everything.
Queen closed her eyes for a brief moment.
So… she heard it all.
_____________________
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