The appearance of the Fourth Kazekage deepened Queen Roran's impression of Orochimaru, but this was clearly not the time to dwell on such thoughts.
She stopped with the villagers behind her, quite close to the Kazekage. Folding her hands at her chest, she bowed slightly. "Welcome, Kazekage. To what do we owe this visit?"
"I'm here about this sandstorm."
Kazekage Rasa replied casually, his eyes narrowing slightly as he subtly assessed Queen Roran.
His gaze wasn't upon a woman, but upon a gold mine.
Orochimaru had broadly outlined the amount involved in the dragon vein transaction. Rasa knew very well how much of a difference that sum of money could make if it were used by Sunagakure Village.
'This deal must be successful.'
Kazekage Rasa's gaze swept over the stumbling blocks behind Queen Roran. He spoke in a deep voice, "Sunagakure Village's investigation shows that this sandstorm was not formed naturally, but was created by some kind of terrifying creature."
At these words, a commotion erupted in the square. The Roran people whispered among themselves, and even some of the Sand Ninjas behind the Kazekage looked surprised.
"What kind of creature could create a sandstorm of that magnitude? Are you here to deal with that monster?"
As Queen Roran asked this question, the surroundings fell silent again. All eyes turned to the Fourth Kazekage, awaiting his answer.
"My Sunagakure Village is still investigating what kind of monster it is," the Fourth Kazekage said slowly. "As for whether we can deal with it, that depends on the situation."
As if he could easily deal with it, he wouldn't be here putting on a show. He would have long ago taken down that epic monster, Orochimaru, for his loot.
The Roran people looked somewhat disappointed, but there was still a flicker of hope. After all, Sunagakure Village was one of the Five Great Ninja Villages, and this man was its leader. His strength was undoubtedly monstrous. It was hard to say who was stronger when the two sides clashed.
The middle-aged man who spoke earlier, however, looked puzzled. He took a few small steps forward, positioning himself behind Queen Roran. "Your Majesty, these people's arrival is rather strange. It's too much of a coincidence."
Roran was not close to Sunagakure Village. It had been less than two days since they were hit by the disaster, and yet Sunagakure Village was already here. Their response was too swift.
The Land of Wind was not rich in resources, but it was vast. Sunagakure Village's control over its territory had never been this tight before.
"Are you doubting us?" Blazing Dot Pakura frowned, a hint of displeasure flashing in her eyes.
Ninja had excellent hearing and sight, and she was among the strong. The Roran man thought his voice was quiet, but in reality, it was like thunder.
Pakura, unlike the Fourth Kazekage, had come here with the intention of helping. They might have to fight for their lives against the monster controlling the yellow sand, and yet they were being questioned by the people they were there to protect. It was truly infuriating.
The middle-aged man was just an ordinary person. Under Pakura's glare, his spirit immediately deflated. Queen Roran stepped forward, however, placing herself in front of her people.
"We Roran are very grateful for the information Sunagakure Village has provided, but your actions are indeed unusual. You couldn't possibly have come here simply because you heard about the sandstorm ravaging Roran, could you?"
Pakura glanced at Queen Roran, her eyebrows raised slightly. "You're quite sharp-tongued and eloquent. It won't hurt to tell you..."
"We did not come specifically for the sandstorm. It's because we discovered a gold mine near Roran and wanted to discuss the specifics."
"But for the sake of our future cooperation, we will also see how terrifying this monster in the yellow sand truly is."
Queen Roran was greatly surprised by this.
The cooperation discussed earlier still had many details to be adjusted and explained, and the source of that large sum of money was one of them.
How was she to convince her people that even in Sunagakure Village, they wouldn't be completely dependent on others, living precarious lives?
A gold mine under Roran... this was a good reason.
And afterward, "Sunagakure Village keeping its word" would make her people feel a bit more favorably towards them, making integration easier.
Of course, there was another point: the mining of the gold mine would not be a sudden windfall but a gradual process. It would not give her people an opportunity for sudden wealth and subsequent downfall.
It was truly a win-win situation.
"A gold mine? Roran has a gold mine underneath?"
"We've been here so long, and outsiders found it first?"
"..."
Although the disaster was still upon them, the word "gold mine" seemed to possess a magical power, causing the Roran people to chatter excitedly. The oppressive, heavy atmosphere that had previously hung over them vanished completely.
"..." Listening to their amazed discussions, Pakura herself felt a bit bewildered.
The village's finances had always been a major issue, directly impacting Sunagakure Village's continued existence. She had even thought that the current Kazekage's ability to surpass her back then was due to his Magnet Release, which could easily excavate gold mines, while her own bloodline limit was Blazing Dot.
But their hurried arrival tonight still felt unusual.
If they were planning to mine the gold near Roran, wouldn't it be better if this area were buried by sand?
Pakura didn't believe that the current Kazekage, a ruthless individual who would sacrifice his wife and son as political pawns, would care about the lives of these people who had no connection to Sunagakure Village.
Doing this now implied there was a compelling reason to do so.
Pakura pondered, what value could this small town hold that would capture the Kazekage's attention? Soon, a term flashed through her mind – the dragon vein.
Among the Roran people behind Queen Roran, some of the intelligent ones also thought of the city's guardian god.
Gold mines, after all, were underground. And in the desert, mineral deposits were even deeper. To enter Roran's underground, one inevitably had to pass through... the dragon vein.
"..."
Once they understood this, the Roran people felt a certain aversion to Sunagakure Village entering their underground. After all, the dragon vein in Roran was almost synonymous with "god."
But now, "god" ultimately could not protect his people.
Since that was the case, seeking a new path for survival shouldn't be unreasonable, should it?
She just didn't know what their Queen thought of this matter. The Queen's dignity was closely tied to the dragon vein. Could she tolerate them desecrating the god she had always served?
If not, how would they persuade her?
If there were no other option, in Roran, no one would want to stand against the dragon vein and Queen Roran.
With these concerns in mind, many of them secretly looked towards Queen Roran.
In truth, under normal circumstances, they wouldn't be like this. If it were yesterday, they would have fiercely defended the dragon vein's sanctity.
But the two days of continuous disaster, while demonstrating the immense power of the dragon vein, had also simultaneously proven its weakness.
At least for now, the dragon vein could not protect their people.
But to everyone's surprise, Queen Roran did not become angry. At least, her reaction was not as significant as they had expected. She calmly stated her view,
"Kazekage-sama, everyone from Sunagakure Village, we Roran are very grateful for your offer of help. However, regarding the gold mine transaction, please let us resolve the sandstorm first."
"After all, if we're being honest, with a natural disaster of this scale, any agreement we reach would be mere empty words if it cannot be implemented."
Her words were reasonable and well-founded.
As the other party in their charade, the Fourth Kazekage Rasa played along, nodding. "That's true. Let's see what tomorrow's sandstorm reveals."
Who was behind the sandstorm was no secret to Rasa. But honestly, he was quite curious about Orochimaru's methods. What kind of sandstorm would it take to wreak such havoc on Roran?
Queen Roran continued, "In that case, please come to the embassy to rest."
The so-called embassy was actually a civilian residence. Of course, in Roran's current state, even a residence was in disrepair, akin to ruins.
"We apologize for the poor hospitality. We hope that everyone from Sunagakure Village will not mind."
Queen Roran bowed slightly and then looked up. "Of course, we still have some necessary water and food here, so you won't go hungry."
"No problem."
Kazekage Rasa waved his hand and followed the guide, walking slowly.
The Sunagakure ninja behind him gave Queen Roran a few extra glances.
Her handling of the situation, with her poise and lack of subservience, truly didn't seem characteristic of someone from a small place like Roran.
Queen Roran watched the Sunagakure ninja disappear into the night. She mused, "Can these people, especially the Kazekage of Sunagakure Village, truly match Orochimaru's power?"
Her village's survival was at stake. Queen Roran tried her best not to trust Orochimaru completely, but to verify things step by step.
"Your Majesty, about the gold mine and the dragon vein..." the middle-aged man began, then stopped, seemingly hesitant about something.
"We will discuss these matters further when we return," Queen Roran said, glancing around at everyone.
The appearance of the Sunagakure Village ninja had rendered all the decisions made in the previous meeting meaningless. Many things needed to be renegotiated.
This was entirely within Queen Roran's expectations. But whether it was before or now, she had done her best to play her part, not daring to be careless for a moment.
"Tomorrow, tomorrow we will see Akatsuki."
Queen Roran looked up at the moon and stars beginning to emerge in the deep blue sky, her mind filled with countless thoughts.
...
The next day, the sandstorm arrived as expected. The Roran people had long since retreated to their underground shelters, their movements practiced and efficient. In the vastness of Roran, only a few outsiders were left struggling on the surface.
"Magnet Release: Sand Gold!"
Kazekage Rasa spread his hands, forming a protective shield over everyone's heads. Simultaneously, chains emerged from the ground, securing the feet of the Sand Ninjas to prevent them from being blown away by the strong suction.
Only a small amount of the countless gold particles appeared on the surface; the vast majority were driven deep underground, like countless wedges that would not be easily dislodged.
"This scale... it's too terrifying!"
Through the specially made windows in the golden protective shield, the sandstorm tornadoes connecting heaven and earth came into view for the Sand Ninjas, making them exchange glances and swallow nervously.
These were not ordinary ninjas with shallow experience. They had even witnessed the rampage of the One-Tail Shukaku breaking free from its Jinchuriki's seal several times.
But in comparison, the latter was like a child's game, utterly insignificant.
Pakura of Blazing Dot frowned deeply, her gaze shifting to Rasa. "Kazekage-sama, the monster that can cause a natural disaster of this magnitude is likely beyond our ability to handle."
This was a power that surpassed human strength, and perhaps even surpassed that of the Tailed Beasts.
"I know."
Kazekage Rasa nodded slightly, gazing at the storm outside, his eyes unable to hide his shock.
Unlike the others, these people merely believed the disaster was caused by some unknown monster. But this was not the case. This was a controlled storm orchestrated by a ninja, by Orochimaru.
"Let alone Roran, how could even Sunagakure Village withstand this person?"
The power gap was so vast that Rasa could only put away his petty calculations.
But choosing to give up didn't make him resentful; instead, he felt a sense of relief.
The ninjas of Sunagakure Village also felt a sense of release.
Although outside the protective shield was a terrifying natural disaster, they didn't have to rush out and fight the monster. They only needed to wait for the storm to pass peacefully. Their mindset relaxed slightly, and they began to marvel at this rare sight.
"You know, with such a terrifying storm, it's quite remarkable that Queen Roran could protect the city's residents."
"I heard it was with the help of the dragon vein's power. The dragon vein is the truly formidable one."
"You can't say that. Jinchuriki also rely on the power of the Tailed Beasts, aren't they..."
At this point, the ninja realized he had spoken out of turn, and his voice lowered. At the same time, he lowered his head, daring not to look at the Kazekage beside him.
However, at almost the same moment, silence fell within the golden sand protective shield. All conversation abruptly stopped.
"No way... Can't someone just say anything at this point?" The ninja fidgeted anxiously for a while before finally looking up. He said respectfully, "Kazekage-sama, I..."
His voice caught in his throat. The Sand Ninja froze in place.
Only then did he understand why everyone had fallen silent. It wasn't because he had said the wrong thing earlier, but because of something far more terrifying.
Through the window left in the golden sand protective shield, a single golden vertical pupil completely occupied the view.
That eye, peering through the small opening, surveyed the people inside the shield. Its gaze held a human-like amusement, as if humans were looking at insects.
It was only then that he noticed that the howling wind had stopped at some point. The area was as quiet as a study.
He vaguely recalled a legend: the center of a storm was still, calm.
"A monster... This is that monster," the ninja's mind conjured the thought, and he couldn't help but lick his dry lips.
"What should we do? Should we attack? Eyes, after all, are very fragile organs."
His thoughts raced as he quickly weighed his options. But no matter how good the current opportunity seemed, the ninja ultimately didn't dare to make a move. Even Pakura of Blazing Dot, who had the most explosive offensive techniques among them, remained frozen, not stirring.
It wasn't an illusion.
She felt that the vertical pupil, like a Dojutsu user, exuded a powerful pressure that made her completely unable to resist.
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