CHAPTER 210

Ownership of the Dragon Vein

The person hiding behind the ruins was none other than Queen Sara of Loulan.

After Naruto found her, Sara's eyes reflected a complicated mix of emotions. She sighed softly and said, "Master Menma, we meet again. The last time we met was more than ten years ago. How have you been?"

"You should know that for me, it was only an hour ago."

Naruto stared at Sara, now in her thirties, and asked, "But I want to know—what happened to you and Loulan in the past ten years?"

Sara let out another sigh and began:

"After losing the Dragon Vein as an energy source, Loulan declined rapidly, turning into an abandoned capital swallowed by the desert. Most of our people left to seek livelihoods elsewhere. Only a small number remained, living by the oasis, clinging to memories of our past prosperity…"

Hearing Sara's words, Naruto fell into deep thought.

The Naruto that Sara met was clearly not him. The way she spoke about him aligned with the Naruto of the original timeline. Could this be proof of a parallel world?

The thought of an alternate version of himself existing made Naruto's scalp tingle.

After a moment of contemplation, he addressed Sara:

"You and the survivors of Loulan have endured enough hardship. Would you be interested in relocating? I rule several nations under my command."

Sara lifted her head, her eyes filled with surprise. "Are you willing to take in the people of Loulan?"

Naruto nodded. "Of course. But I do have one condition—I want control of the Dragon Vein. If you agree, I plan to transfer it to the territory of the Uzumaki Clan in the Land of Whirlpools."

Sara hesitated. The Naruto she remembered wasn't someone who craved the power of the Dragon Vein.

Sensing her hesitation, Naruto reassured her, "Queen Sara, back then, I couldn't take the Dragon Vein with me. And after ensuring your safety outside of Loulan, leaving it unprotected here was never truly an option."

Sara was silent for a few seconds before asking, "Back then, I never got the chance to ask. But now… can you tell me your real identity?"

"I am the leader of Uzushiogakure and the ruler of the Land of Waves."

Sara's eyes widened in disbelief. "You are the leader of the Uzumaki Clan? I heard a group of thieves mention your name."

Naruto gave a slight nod. "It's just a minor reputation."

Sara thought for a long while before finally speaking with determination. "Master Menma, I've decided. I will take my people to Uzushiogakure, and I am willing to relinquish control of the Dragon Vein."

Naruto was surprised that she agreed so easily. With a slight smile, he asked, "Aren't you afraid I might go back on my word? My actions aren't too different from Anrokuzan's."

Sara shook her head, her expression resolute. "You are nothing like Anrokuzan. He deceived me and my mother, secretly creating an army of puppets to conquer the world. He was a ruthless manipulator.

"But you—at the very least—you are discussing this with me. And with your power, you could have taken the Dragon Vein without my permission. If it weren't for your intervention back then, Loulan would have perished long ago."

A few minutes later, Naruto and Sara arrived at the Ryūmyaku's core, deep within the Lost Tower. The Dragon Vein pulsated with an eerie purple glow.

Even in its weakened state, its chakra distorted the air around it, creating a rippling mirage effect.

Sara stood before the ancient altar, gazing silently at the core of the Dragon Vein, a power guarded by her ancestors for generations. After a long pause, she stepped forward and placed her palms against the core.

Naruto, having sealed the Dragon Vein before, sealed it once more with ease.

Sara, slightly taken aback by his proficiency, chose not to dwell on it.

Holding the core of the Dragon Vein in his hands, Naruto felt the immense chakra swirling within. He turned to Sara. "Are you reluctant to part with it? Don't worry—you and the people of Loulan will still have access to it once you arrive at Uzushiogakure."

Sara was silent for a moment before finally saying, "I do feel reluctant… but more than that, I feel relieved. Loulan is finally free from the burden of guarding the Dragon Vein. It gave us prosperity, but it also shackled us for centuries."

Naruto nodded. "That's a good way to look at it. What do you plan to do from now on?"

"Uzushiogakure is offering us shelter and resources to rebuild our community. But if I do nothing, I'll fall into despair. Loulan still needs leadership."

"We can figure that out later," Naruto said.

After sealing the Dragon Vein, Sara's body seemed visibly weaker.

Naruto escorted her back to the Loulan Oasis, then left her to rest. He remained at the edge of the oasis, examining the core of the Dragon Vein.

The core itself was not the Dragon Vein's true form. The real Dragon Vein lay deep beneath the earth, intertwined with the very chakra flow of the ninja world.

This core merely served as a conduit—allowing access to the Dragon Vein's power. That was why Naruto wanted to relocate it to Uzushiogakure.

For someone of his level, the Dragon Vein's chakra was unnecessary.

But for Uzushiogakure, it could be a game-changer. The village's dream was to provide every citizen with ninja education. Yet only a select few had the talent to become shinobi, and the research into Juinjutsu (Curse Seal techniques) was still far from completion.

Until a breakthrough was made, the power of the Dragon Vein could provide the means for ordinary people to engage in production.

After all, the presence of ninjas had long overshadowed civilians, making it increasingly difficult for them to find employment or sustain their livelihoods.

This imbalance was likely why villages like Konoha were established—to centralize shinobi power, ensuring they earned a living through missions rather than through traditional means.

But if ninjas only knew how to fight, it wasted their immense potential.

As a result, the common people suffered, perpetually at risk of the next great war.

Striking a delicate balance between ninjas and civilians would be the greatest challenge Uzushiogakure faced—and a challenge every village and nation in the ninja world would eventually have to confront.

For now, Naruto had only one solution: power.

If he could amass overwhelming strength, he could impose his will upon the world and shape it as he saw fit. As long as he remained alive, he could ensure that balance was never broken.

The rest would depend on time—and the inevitable march of technological progress.

—

For the next few days, Naruto temporarily stayed in the Loulan Oasis, waiting for Uzushiogakure's forces to relocate the survivors.

As for Shisui, he was busy hunting down the remnants of Root within the Land of Rivers, ensuring they never resurfaced.

Although these stragglers posed no direct threat to Uzushiogakure, they were still dangerous to ordinary people. Underestimating Danzo's brainwashed subordinates could one day prove to be a fatal mistake.

While Loulan's relocation was underway, Naruto found a secluded chamber in the desert, preparing for an important experiment.

It was time to transplant Danzo's stolen Mangekyō Sharingan.

After all, Susano'o was a power rivaling the Tailed Beasts.

And in a world ruled by strength, it was a power he could not afford to waste.

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