Queen expression changed slightly.
"Sara, when did you return?"
She hadn't planned on anyone else learning about her deal with Orochimaru. First, to maintain secrecy—and second, because the fate of Roran was at stake. It was a burden not everyone could bear.
The girl lowered her head in silence, as if she'd made a terrible mistake.
"I can answer that for her," Orochimaru interjected, glancing toward the black leather bags piled on the ground. He smiled. "Probably around the time I brought these things out."
Queen was silent for a moment. If that were the case, then Sara had likely overheard everything.
There was no use in scolding her now. The fault didn't lie with Sara. It was the man in front of her who acted without restraint. If blame had to fall somewhere, it should fall on him.
"Ah…" Queen sighed, her gaze falling gently on her daughter.
"Sara, this is not something you can be involved in. Just pretend you didn't hear anything, alright?"
"I want to help you, Mother," Sara said, looking up, her eyes full of worry. "The dragon vein is dangerous. You shouldn't bear it alone."
She wasn't angry about the deal—not now. What she feared was for her mother's safety.
The dragon vein connected these two people, allowing them to control its raging force. But even with them suppressing it, its violent nature was terrifying. If it were to fully riot...
"You can't be involved in this," Queen said firmly, not coddling her daughter. "You need to stay somewhere safe. If something happens to me, I need you to protect the people of Roran."
She now understood Orochimaru's real reason for offering so much money and support: he needed someone who could pacify the dragon vein. It could be her—or Sara. But it had to be someone.
And no good strategist puts all their eggs in one basket. Sara had to be kept safe. That was non-negotiable.
Sara bit her lip. She understood the logic—but emotionally, she couldn't accept it.
Orochimaru watched the two silently, a knowing smirk curling his lips. He understood the girl's thoughts clearly.
Right now, Queen was still her mother first. Sara was still a sheltered girl—not yet the queen Roran needed. And if forced to choose between Roran and her mother… she would choose the latter.
That made her incredibly useful to him.
"I think the girl makes a fair point," Orochimaru said, breaking the tension with a chuckle. "None of us have seen a full-scale dragon vein riot before. It's impossible to calculate the danger. Having another person capable of supporting the ritual could reduce risk."
For him, this was a crucial operation—and he wanted every possible advantage.
Queen turned sharply to look at him, suspicion in her eyes.
Orochimaru was far too calculating to say something so considerate without reason. There had to be more behind his insistence on involving Sara.
Clearly, this first contact with the dragon vein was more important than she'd assumed.
"Your Majesty," Orochimaru said, sensing her doubt, "I'll assign someone to protect you both. I didn't invest this much only to treat you as disposable pawns."
Queen fell silent again.
His words were twisted, but… somewhat reassuring. Killing her and Sara would be a waste. Even he wouldn't be that foolish.
"Alright, we'll speak more later. The city is already anxious—someone needs to inform the people that tomorrow's sandstorm will arrive as predicted."
Orochimaru's smile turned playfully sharp.
"There's still some time before Sunagakure's shinobi arrive tonight. Let the people worry for a bit—it'll make our next move easier."
With that, he rose from the sand chair.
"I've got things to prepare, so I'll take my leave."
"You—" Queen stood up instinctively, but before she could speak, Orochimaru had already leapt up to the skylight and vanished into the desert sky.
Silence returned to the room.
"…Mother, what do we do now?" Sara asked, glancing at her mother with uncertainty.
Queen exhaled softly.
"The sandstorm will come, just as he said. We must inform the people. But let's wait until nightfall—let them rest and eat first. Let them have that peace, at least."
---
As dusk fell, the desert's temperature dropped sharply. To warm the hall and keep spirits high, torches were lit early in Roran's council chamber.
Their flickering light cast long shadows across the tense faces of the gathered villagers.
A square-jawed middle-aged man leaned forward at the round table.
"Your Majesty… is it true? A sandstorm is coming tomorrow?"
Queen nodded calmly.
"I have no reason to lie about something that will reveal itself at dawn."
"But… until now, you've never had the power to predict sandstorms," the man pressed.
It wasn't outright doubt—after all, if the sandstorm arrived tomorrow, they'd know soon enough. But his unease came from what would happen after tomorrow.
If sandstorms continued, there would be only two choices: evolve to survive them… or leave Roran behind.
The former was near impossible. If they could survive the sand, they would've already left the Wind Country and flourished elsewhere.
The latter option—abandoning their home—was hard to accept.
Queen voice remained steady.
"It's not a prediction. I'm interpreting the will of the dragon vein."
She looked around.
"I'm telling you now so we can work together and find a way forward."
Despite her title, Queen didn't hold absolute power. Roran was more like a large village than a true kingdom, and she served more as chief priestess than sovereign.
Her voice held weight, but not final authority.
Silence fell. Everyone there had lived their whole lives in the desert. They knew what it meant to face a storm without shelter.
Finally, the middle-aged man spoke again.
"There are small oases around Roran. If we divide the people and send them out in groups, some might survive. A storm can't hover over Roran forever."
It was a reasonable idea—but a risky one. It would split their strength and expose many to the unknown.
Not all groups would be equal. Some villagers had never traveled far, while others knew the terrain. People would fight to be grouped with those more likely to survive.
Inevitably, dissent broke out.
"…It's dangerous to split up! We're stronger together—better to stay as one group."
"And what about supplies? The oases can't support all of us for long. We need a real plan, not just a desperate move."
"What if we move like a caravan instead? We still have some camel beasts…"
Ideas flew, but none satisfied everyone.
Queen watched them quietly. Their resistance wasn't to the plan—it was to leaving Roran.
Finally, she said,
"There's still food in the city. Think carefully about what you want to do. But we can't take too long—three days, at most. Controlling the dragon vein is not easy."
Everyone stiffened at that.
No one needed to be told how hard it was to resist a sandstorm, even with the power of the dragon veins.
If they had to leave the protection of Roran, they'd be fully exposed to the elements. That was even more dangerous than staying.
Realistically, the best course was to remain in Roran for now and send scouts to survey the desert routes.
"…Then that's what we'll do," Queen said. "At dawn, send out four teams, each in a different direction—"
Knock, knock, knock.
Suddenly, the door burst open.
A young man stood there, breathless and excited.
"Your Majesty! Everyone! Ninja have arrived—Hidden Sand shinobi! They said they know about the coming sandstorm!"
"What?!"
Queen stood up in mock surprise. The others were visibly relieved.
Setting aside the storm, the fact that shinobi had reached them from outside meant they had access to new information. Perhaps they wouldn't need to send scouting teams after all.
"...Let's go," Queen said. "We'll meet them ourselves."
---
On the wide, sand-covered plaza, the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, scanned the surroundings, his eyes filled with shock. His shinobi were equally stunned.
Though Roran's population was small, the ancient city itself was vast—nearly half the size of Sunagakure.
Now, it was buried beneath sand.
"There's something unnatural here," said a female ninja with orange hair stepping forward. "A storm of this scale… if it wasn't natural, only Shukaku's Jinchūriki could've caused it. This might be the Akatsuki's work."
Rasa glanced at her.
"Possibly. But we'll wait for more information before making assumptions."
This was Pakura, one of the village's most powerful kunoichi. A master of Scorch Release, she had once been a contender for Kazekage herself.
Her existence had even threatened Rasa's position—forcing him to agree to Elder Chiyo's plan to create a new Jinchūriki.
Those days were past. Now, Rasa hoped this transaction with Orochimaru would restore the village's strength—and perhaps win Pakura's loyalty as well.
She was powerful, if a bit reckless. But loyal soldiers were hard to come by, and she would be a useful weapon.
---
As Queen approached with her advisors, her eyes landed on Rasa's robes.
She recognized them instantly.
The Kazekage himself…?
It had only been a planned formality—just a symbolic appearance by Sunagakure. But he'd sent their leader directly.
Just how much influence did Orochimaru truly have?
_____________________
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