"Please,"
Queen Sara, or rather, the former Queen Sara of ancient Roran, now the village chief of Roran Village, served desert milk tea to Linto and his companions.
She had long, deep red hair, simply tied back. Her demeanor still held a hint of the elegance she possessed as a queen in her past life.
However, after Roran's destruction, under years of sun and wind, her skin had become rougher. Her hair was streaked with many more white strands, and she coughed periodically as she spoke, as if her health wasn't good.
Linto and the others picked up their teacups and looked at each other.
The tea's aroma wafted gently, rich with milk. They had been thirsty for a long time on their journey and wanted something to wet their throats.
But the thought of the girl who had died tragically in the explosion made the milk tea in their hands feel like scalding lava, impossible to drink.
According to Rasa's opinion, many people died in the Land of Wind every day. While the girl was pitiful, misfortune was the very foundation of destiny. He suggested they head straight to Washah City to avoid any further complications.
But both Linto and Granny Chiyo voiced their objections.
Linto's view was: "If we hadn't met them, it would be one thing. But since we did, and that child and her tribe died because the Akatsuki organization wanted to deal with us… taking a little time to notify their families is something we should do."
"At the very least, we should let the living know why and how their loved ones met their deaths at the hands of the Akatsuki."
Granny Chiyo's reason was much simpler.
"I want to see an old acquaintance."
The old acquaintance, of course, was Queen Sara.
Linto drank the milk tea in his cup in one gulp, set down the cup, and recounted the tragedy that had occurred in the Roran ruins, leaving nothing out.
There was no trembling of his hand, no dropping of the cup, no wailing and tears begging Linto to bring her daughter's life back.
Queen Sara simply sat there quietly, her expression unwavering.
Only…
Most of the light in her eyes had vanished.
Suddenly, Queen Sara began to cough violently. She covered her mouth, and large mouthfuls of dark blood still flowed from between her fingers.
Linto supported her arm, and a ripple passed through, sensing her physical condition—
She was dying.
Perhaps a year, two years, perhaps a few months. Queen Sara's life was like a candle in the wind, liable to be extinguished at any moment. This was beyond the scope of what ripples could heal.
"Thank you, Mr. Linto."
Queen Sara patted Linto's hand, wiped the blood from her mouth, and smiled faintly:
"Rest assured, guided by the Dragon Vein, I can sense the arrival of death. I can still live for a while… a little while."
"I thought I had seen enough of death—my country, my people, my family. But seeing my own child die, I still couldn't suppress my grief."
Her eyes glistened with tears, but Queen Sara quickly wiped them away, her gaze returning to its former resolve.
"Mr. Linto, I've heard your reputation. Do you intend to take over the Land of Wind?"
Linto nodded slowly.
The tragedy of Gyorin City was just a small part of Iceburg. The Land of Wind was rotten to its core.
The wealthy corporations and bureaucrats controlled 99.9% of the wealth. The remaining scraps were just enough to ensure ordinary people didn't starve, making them weary laborers, serving the upper class as…
"Puppets."
Seeing Linto nod, Queen Sara smiled and said, "Then I am relieved."
"I believe Mr. Linto has already witnessed the power of the Dragon Vein.
If you truly intend to control this nation, you must maintain the seal on the Dragon Vein. Otherwise, the entire continent will be affected and collapse.
For this, I have a favor to ask of you."
"Please, speak."
She lightly tapped her forehead.
"I've heard, Mr. Linto, that you can extract memories from others and preserve them permanently… I hope that before I die, you can extract my memories and abilities, so that the technology for sealing the Dragon Vein is not lost."
Rasa, standing nearby, asked, "Why wait until you're dying? Can't you do it now?"
As soon as he spoke, Granny Chiyo elbowed him in the waist.
Queen Sara smiled faintly and looked at the busy villagers outside, saying, "I can't die yet. With such a big change, they still need me."
If she could teach the Roran villagers, she would have done so long ago. It was just that this kind of thing depended on talent, luck, and personal will. The current Roran villagers did not possess this ability.
The only sure way was to extract her memories and abilities and pass them to the next successor.
Queen Sara turned back to Linto.
"Can you?"
Linto nodded.
"I promise."
Most of the survivors of ancient Roran chose to go to the various cities in the Land of Wind, chasing the dazzling, bustling city life.
The remaining people were like village guardians, watching their friends and family go to the city for work, day after day, guarding the Dragon Vein seal.
On an emotional level, Linto admired Queen Sara and the villagers' steadfastness and wanted to help.
On a practical level, to better control this land and to explore the Dragon Vein's potential for his own advancement, the Dragon Vein seal absolutely had to be in his hands.
"I will find you when I sense death approaching."
Although they were discussing death, there was no trace of fear in Queen Sara's eyes.
Perhaps, as she said, she had witnessed too much rise and fall, too much death.
Living or dying, for Queen Sara, made no difference anymore.
The only thing left in the world that still warranted her concern was the Dragon Vein seal.
Afterward, Linto left the time to the two old acquaintances.
The last time they met, the ancient Roran Kingdom was prosperous and peaceful. Queen Sara was still a child, and Granny Chiyo was a strong, middle-aged woman.
Unexpectedly, upon meeting again, one had become a queen of a fallen nation, and the other an old woman.
One could only lament how time spares no one.
Linto left the space for them and pushed open the door to go out.
…
Sasori pushed the door open and entered.
Inside the Akatsuki organization's base, many pairs of eyes turned.
The second and third squads, who had been out on missions, had returned. Two people lay on the ground.
One was a lithe girl with short blue-green hair and dark skin.
Sasori knew her: the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki, Fuu, an assassination-type ninja skilled in surprise attacks and flight.
The other was a man in his early twenties, a stranger with fiery red hair. He was likely a member of the Uzumaki Clan, used to seal the Two-Tails, serving as a temporary Jinchuriki.
With the Seven-Tails and Two-Tails captured, Pain looked at Sasori, who stood at the entrance in his "true form," and asked in his usual cold, emotionless voice, "Was the mission a failure?"
Sasori scanned the room, his voice equally chilling:
"Where is Tobi?"
At these words, the expressions of all the Akatsuki members in the room changed.
They became… interested.
Killing intent.
Intense killing intent.
This was not the casual killing intent they sometimes emitted when greeting each other. This time, Sasori genuinely intended to kill Obito.
Pain frowned slightly. "What happened?"
"Many things."
Hiruko was captured, Deidara was dead, and he escaped with Earth Release.
Deidara's final art had manifested in a terrible way. Even worse, this art could only be displayed once, with no chance of ever happening again.
"It's all because of a vile scoundrel."
"Tell me, where is Tobi?"
Pain handed the document in his hand to Konan and produced a black rod in his palm.
"Are you intending to kill another member of the organization right in front of me?"
*Click—*
Steel blades sprang from Sasori's back, his abdomen opened, revealing countless steel cables coated in poison. He met Pain's gaze calmly:
"So what if it is?"