"Damn, you should've said so earlier."
Putting on an act like he'd only just realized it, Yuzuru set Sara on her feet.
Sara gave a muffled huff.
Yeah, right.
While they were talking, Obito, Shisui, and Kakashi hurried over as well.
Seeing that Yuzuru had saved her, all three of them let out the breath they'd been holding.
"This isn't a good place to talk. Come with me."
To Sara's startled yelp, Yuzuru scooped her up again and headed for the decrepit tower where they'd first seen her.
That place could block the Dragon Vein's power. If they spoke there, Mukade wouldn't be able to interfere.
Inside the abandoned tower, Sara looked at Yuzuru and the others. "Who are you? Why have you come to our Loulan?"
"A commission?" Sara looked confused. "But I didn't issue any commission."
Because Sara was Loulan's new queen, Obito didn't hide the details of their mission.
"By the way—why did you suddenly fall from the tower just now?"
Sara tried to remember, uncertain. "It felt like someone pushed me, and then the balcony just... broke."
"Then that's it!" Obito said excitedly. "Whoever was behind you is the killer who murdered the Queen of Loulan and made Loulan's people disappear!"
What Obito hadn't expected was for Sara's expression to turn cold after hearing his analysis.
"Impossible. Anrokuzan has devoted himself to Loulan all this time. Mother trusted him, too."
"Without Anrokuzan, Loulan wouldn't be what it is today."
"And you saw it yourselves—Loulan's people were cheering for me. It's nothing like what you're claiming."
When Sara refused to believe him, Obito bristled. "Then how do you explain our commission? And... you just said it yourself. Someone pushed you off the tower."
After that, Sara bolted.
Obito, Kakashi, and Shisui were all stunned.
What was with this woman? Why was she so stubborn?
Only Yuzuru wasn't surprised in the slightest.
In Sara's eyes, Anrokuzan was a benefactor of Loulan, someone who'd worked tirelessly for its development. Compared to that, the three of them—sudden intruders—weren't worth trusting.
"Brother Yuzuru, what do we do now?" Obito asked.
Yuzuru shrugged at their questioning stares. "You decide."
"Alright!"
With that, the three of them quietly followed after Sara.
"Hmph! Those Kumogakure guys are seriously out of their minds. Anrokuzan isn't the kind of person they're talking about."
Sara muttered under her breath as she strode down the corridor.
Suddenly, a door opened. Before she could react, someone yanked her inside.
The room was unlit. Dozens of masked figures in black stared at her like wolves.
"Where are our families being held?" one demanded.
Sara panicked. "Families? What are you talking about?"
"So you really are a puppet princess. You don't know anything!"
With a disappointed sigh, the man lowered his weapon.
Just then, the door was kicked open from outside.
"Let go of Queen Sara!"
Obito burst in with a shout, Shisui and Kakashi right behind him.
At the cold gleam of kunai and short blades, the masked figures immediately clutched their heads and squatted down.
"Don't kill us! We don't mean any harm!"
The lights came on, and only then did Sara see clearly.
These black-clad "assassins" didn't even have proper weapons in their hands. They looked nothing like killers.
Kakashi stepped forward, voice low. "Who are you?"
The masked figures exchanged glances, then slowly removed their face coverings. The two in front spoke tensely.
"My name is Sarai. This is Masako."
"We're both citizens of Loulan."
Sara couldn't help asking, "Then why were you looking for me?"
"We thought you'd know something, but it turns out you're exactly what everyone says—a puppet princess. You don't know anything."
"No wonder nobody likes you."
"Sarai!" Masako cut him off, then addressed Sara. "Queen Sara, forgive him."
Sara didn't take offense. She only pressed on. "I've never given any such order, and I'm not some puppet princess."
"You said nobody likes me, but listen."
She pointed outside in rebuttal. "My people are cheering for me!"
Masako and the others walked toward the door. After a moment's hesitation, Sara followed behind them.
Obito and the others traded looks and followed as well.
Before long, they reached the outside of the tower.
Sara pointed at the cheering crowd ahead, her voice tight. "Look. Aren't my people cheering for me?"
Masako hadn't even spoken yet when Shisui dashed forward and slashed a few times through the air with a kunai.
In the next second, several "people" collapsed to the ground.
Shisui dragged one of them over and looked at Sara. "Queen Sara, they're all puppets."
"They're being controlled by Chakra flowing through the pipes."
Sara clapped a hand over her mouth, disbelief written across her face. "The power flowing through the pipes is the Dragon Vein's... how could this be..."
Just then, the music suddenly surged to a fever pitch.
Fireworks and cannons thundered overhead, and the crowd's cheers grew even more frenzied.
Sara and the others looked up.
On the tower, a puppet dressed exactly like Sara stepped out and waved endlessly to the crowd.
Sarai turned to Sara. "Queen Sara... do you believe it now?"
With the truth right in front of her, Sara couldn't argue anymore.
It was as if all strength drained from her body. She slumped to the ground.
In her mind, memories connected to Anrokuzan surfaced one after another.
When she was still little, Anrokuzan had come to Loulan.
Under his efforts, Loulan had fully harnessed the Dragon Vein's power, and everyone had lived happily.
Tower after tower had risen from the sand, becoming a miracle of the desert.
After her mother died, Anrokuzan had stayed by her side, caring for her, and Loulan had continued to grow and prosper.
But now...
What in the world was all of this?
"Crying won't solve anything. Anrokuzan's ambitions are plain to see."
"Even if it's only for your people, you need to pull yourself together."
Sara froze when she saw Yuzuru extend his hand to her. Then she nodded hard. "You're right. We'll go find the source of the Dragon Vein first!"
Loulan ran on energy supplied by the Dragon Vein. No matter what Anrokuzan was trying to do, if they cut off his connection to it, everything would become simple.
"We'll go with you."
Yuzuru pulled Sara to her feet, then told Sarai and Masako, "Wait here. If we find your families, we'll bring them back."
"We understand."
Sarai, Masako, and the others bowed to Sara and Uchiha Yuzuru, then ran to a dark corner to hide.
Sara closed her eyes to sense the flow of the Dragon Vein, then spoke. "Follow me."
Uchiha Yuzuru, Uchiha Obito, Uchiha Shisui, and Hatake Kakashi followed behind Sara, arriving at a place that looked like a sewer.
"It should be right down here."
After a closer inspection, Uchiha Yuzuru pulled Sara into his arms. "Hold tight. I'll take you down."
Having been picked up by Uchiha Yuzuru at the drop of a hat so many times, Sara was somewhat immune to it. She simply nodded without saying a word.
Immediately after, the three of them jumped down into the underground area.
Uchiha Obito looked around and couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow! It's huge here. It's like a giant factory."
Hatake Kakashi stared at the thick mist in the air, his eyes filled with surprise. "Such dense energy. Is this the power of the Dragon Vein?"
Uchiha Yuzuru gently set Sara down. Beside them, Uchiha Shisui suddenly said in a low voice, "Everyone, look!"
Following the direction of Uchiha Shisui's finger, Sara's pupils constricted.
In the center of the factory stood a device resembling a giant millstone. Hundreds of Loulan citizens, stripped to the waist, were pushing it in endless circles.
Puppet parts were gradually taking shape on the conveyor belt.
Most of the laborers were young men with numb expressions, their hands and feet shackled with chains.
To the side, dozens of armed puppets acted as overseers.
"Damn it! That bastard Anrokuzan..."
Witnessing this scene with her own eyes, Sara could no longer suppress the fury in her heart.
She ran forward and closed her eyes, beginning to suppress the power of the Dragon Vein.
Before long, the factory ceased its operations.
Sara turned back to Uchiha Yuzuru and the others with a smile. "Done. I've cut off the Dragon Vein's source flowing into the factory."
"Please help me remove the chains from my people. I beg you!"
The innocent Obito had been waiting for this moment. He rushed out alongside Uchiha Shisui and Hatake Kakashi.
With a series of clanging sounds, the chains binding the Loulan citizens were all severed.
"I am Sara, the new Queen of Loulan. Your families are waiting for you outside. You are free now."
Hearing Sara's words, the crowd was stunned for a moment before they all knelt on the ground in unison. "Thank you, Your Majesty Sara!"
"It's alright. Hurry up and leave this place."
Urged by Sara, the hundreds of Loulan citizens immediately swarmed toward the exit.
Soon, the underground factory became empty.
"I can sense that the true source of the Dragon Vein is on the level below. Let's go down quickly."
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