Despite the devastation that war had brought to Rōran, the remaining ruins still bore testament to the incredible prosperity and sophistication of this ancient kingdom. The scattered remnants of buildings, though weathered by time and conflict, spoke of an era when this desert oasis had been one of the most magnificent civilizations in the ninja world.
Looking at the broken remnants of Rōran spread before him, Naruto felt a profound sense of awe mixed with melancholy. While the ancient kingdom may not have been necessarily more prosperous or expansive than modern Konoha, the architectural style here was utterly unique and unlike anything he had ever encountered.
The buildings, even in their ruined state, displayed intricate geometric patterns carved into stone that seemed to catch and reflect the moonlight in mesmerizing ways. Towering spires that had once reached toward the heavens now lay broken and scattered, their decorative elements still bearing traces of the artistic mastery that had defined this lost civilization.
Elaborate archways and ornate columns dotted the landscape, their surfaces covered in hieroglyphic writing that told stories of a people who had mastered both art and technology in ways that seemed almost magical. The very air around these ruins seemed to hum with the residual energy of the powerful forces that had once flowed through this place.
This was something Naruto had never seen before—a glimpse into a world that had existed long before the current ninja village system, a reminder that there had been great powers and civilizations that predated even the legendary conflicts between the Senju and Uchiha clans.
However, despite the fascinating historical significance of his surroundings, Naruto never forgot the urgent purpose that had brought him to this desolate place. He immediately turned his face against the stinging desert wind, squinting as sand particles whipped across his exposed skin.
Beside him stood a toad that looked remarkably similar to the previous communication toad, Gamakichi Kosuke, though this one bore subtle differences in its markings and size. It was this creature that had performed the reverse summoning technique and transported Naruto across the vast distance from Konoha to this remote location in the Land of Wind.
"The enemy is already here..." the communication toad began, clearly intending to brief Naruto on the current situation and provide crucial intelligence about what they were facing.
But before the toad could complete its warning, Naruto simply sat down cross-legged on the sandy ground and closed his eyes. His breathing became deep and measured as he began to gather the natural energy that permeated this ancient place.
As a resident of Mount Myōboku, the communication toad immediately recognized what Naruto was attempting to do. However, what it witnessed next left it stunned beyond belief.
"Natural energy is condensing so quickly!" the toad exclaimed in amazement, its large eyes widening as it sensed the incredible speed with which Naruto was absorbing and harmonizing with the natural forces around him.
The environmental energy of heaven and earth seemed to respond to Naruto's call with unprecedented eagerness, flowing toward him in visible streams of power that made the air itself shimmer with ethereal light. The transformation was happening at a rate that defied everything the toad understood about Sage Mode training.
The communication toad had heard rumors that Naruto had spent only slightly over a month training in the sacred techniques at Mount Myōboku, yet here he was demonstrating a level of mastery that typically required years of dedicated practice to achieve. The speed and precision with which he was gathering natural energy suggested an innate talent that bordered on the miraculous.
"Has he already mastered Sage Mode perfectly?" the toad whispered to itself, unable to hide its astonishment. "This is incredible!"
While concentrating his senjutsu chakra, Naruto felt his perception expanding exponentially beyond its normal limits. The enhanced sensory abilities granted by Sage Mode allowed him to perceive the world in ways that normal ninja could never comprehend, detecting minute chakra signatures, emotional resonances, and even the flow of natural energy through the earth itself.
When his enhanced perception touched the land of Rōran, he immediately sensed the subtle yet incredibly powerful fluctuations that were hidden far beneath the ground. The sensation was like placing his hand on the surface of a calm lake and feeling the movement of some massive creature swimming in its depths.
"What amazing energy!" Naruto gasped, his voice filled with genuine awe as he truly comprehended the magnitude of the Dragon Vein's power for the first time.
This type of energy was completely unlike anything he had encountered since beginning his training in Sage Mode. It felt ancient and primal, as if it had been flowing through the earth since the very beginning of time. The raw potential contained within it was staggering—enough to power entire civilizations or, in the wrong hands, to destroy them utterly.
"I wonder how it compares to the Nine-Tails," Naruto mused silently, his analytical mind automatically drawing comparisons to the only other source of truly massive power he had experienced.
Although he knew that the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed within his body possessed chakra reserves that dwarfed those of most tailed beasts, the complex nature of the seal made it impossible for him to accurately gauge the fox's true strength. The Dragon Vein's power felt different—wilder, more elemental, less focused but potentially just as devastating.
As his perception gradually expanded to encompass the entire area of ancient Rōran, Naruto's enhanced senses detected something that made his blood run cold. There, deep within the ruins, was a chakra signature that radiated malevolent intent—cold, calculating, and undeniably powerful.
The enemy who had set his sights on the Dragon Vein's power was already here, already working to achieve his dark goals. Time was running out faster than Naruto had anticipated.
Naruto's eyes suddenly snapped open, revealing the distinctive orange eye shadow markings of Sage Mode and pupils that had transformed into the horizontal, toad-like slits characteristic of Mount Myōboku's sacred techniques. The natural energy flowing through his body made him feel more alive and aware than ever before.
"Sage Mode?!" the communication toad exclaimed in surprise, its voice carrying both amazement and a note of pride. To witness such a young ninja achieve perfect Sage Mode transformation was truly extraordinary.
"Thank you for summoning me here," Naruto said, his voice now carrying the deeper, more resonant quality that came with Sage Mode enhancement. "Leave the rest to me."
Swoosh!
The communication toad clearly had additional information to share with Naruto—warnings about the enemy's capabilities, details about the Dragon Vein's defenses, tactical advice based on reconnaissance gathered by Mount Myōboku's scouts. But before the toad could open its mouth to speak, Naruto's figure had already launched into motion like a golden comet streaking across the desert landscape.
With the enhanced physical capabilities granted by Sage Mode, Naruto's movement speed reached levels that were difficult for the naked eye to follow. His feet barely seemed to touch the ground as he navigated the treacherous terrain of broken stone and shifting sand, his enhanced balance and spatial awareness allowing him to move through the ruins with fluid grace.
The wind whipped past him as he ran, but the stinging sand that had bothered him earlier now seemed insignificant compared to the urgency of his mission. Every second that passed was a second closer to potential catastrophe.
Within minutes, he appeared before a particularly imposing structure within the Rōran ruins—a building that had once been magnificent but now stood as a haunting shell of its former glory. Despite the damage inflicted by time and conflict, it was clear that this had been a place of great importance in the ancient kingdom.
"This is it," Naruto confirmed, his enhanced perception pinpointing the exact location where the enemy's chakra signature was strongest.
Through his Sage Mode awareness, he could sense that the underground energy concentration beneath this building was far more intense than anywhere else in the ruins. The Dragon Vein's power seemed to converge at this precise point, creating a nexus of incredible energy that pulsed like a massive heartbeat beneath the earth.
"The underground energy here is much stronger than anywhere else," Naruto observed, his enhanced senses allowing him to perceive the intricate patterns of power flowing through the subterranean channels.
The powerful energy he could sense was being constrained by some form of containment system—a network of seals and barriers that formed an invisible cage around the Dragon Vein's power, preventing it from flowing freely through the ancient kingdom's ruins.
"That must be the seal that Mom and Dad created!" Naruto realized, his expression growing anxious as he understood the full implications of what he was sensing.
Fortunately, he had arrived before it was too late. The enemy had reached the center of the Dragon Vein's power, but the seal was still intact—for now. However, Naruto could sense subtle fluctuations in the containment system that suggested someone was actively working to break through the protective barriers.
Without hesitation, he rushed directly into the ancient building, his Sage Mode enhanced senses guiding him through the maze-like interior. The architecture inside was even more bewildering than the exterior had suggested, with corridors and chambers that seemed to follow no logical pattern.
As Naruto explored the building's interior, he found himself completely disoriented by the architectural design. The rooms, hallways, doors, and windows all appeared nearly identical, creating a labyrinthine structure that seemed designed to confuse and misdirect intruders.
It was the first time he had encountered a building with such deliberately confusing interior design, and he quickly realized that finding the underground entrance through conventional exploration would take far too long.
"There's not much time left!" Naruto muttered, feeling the pressure of the situation weighing on his shoulders.
After a moment's hesitation, he decided that stealth was less important than speed. If the enemy was already aware of his presence, then there was no point in trying to maintain the element of surprise.
Forming the familiar hand seals with practiced precision, Naruto called upon one of his most reliable techniques. "Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The sound of dozens of shadow clones materializing echoed throughout the building as hundreds of identical Narutos appeared in various locations. Each clone immediately rushed toward different entrances, corridors, and potential access points, transforming the systematic search into a comprehensive sweep of the entire structure.
Within moments, one of his clones discovered a concealed entrance that led to a stone staircase descending deep into the earth. Without hesitation, the real Naruto dismissed his clones and rushed toward the underground passage, his heart pounding with anticipation and determination.
Far beneath the surface, in a vast chamber carved from living rock and illuminated by the eerie glow of ancient sealing formations, a sinister figure worked with methodical precision to achieve his dark goals.
Mukade stood before an elaborate altar covered with intricate sealing patterns that seemed to pulse with their own internal light. The complex array of symbols and geometric designs represented the combined sealing expertise of two of the most powerful ninja in recent history—a barrier that had contained the Dragon Vein's power for over a decade.
The man himself cut an imposing figure, wrapped in a loose black robe that concealed most of his features while allowing glimpses of the technological enhancements that augmented his natural abilities. His eyes gleamed with fanatical determination as he studied the seal before him, searching for weaknesses that could be exploited.
At this moment, his enhanced senses detected the approach of an unexpected visitor. A faint smile appeared on his partially concealed face as he spoke to the empty chamber.
"Konoha actually sent such a reckless child to stop me," he mused, his voice carrying a mixture of amusement and disdain. "How wonderfully naive of them."
The irony of the situation was not lost on him. After all his careful planning and preparation, the ninja world's response was to send a single young warrior—brave perhaps, but ultimately insignificant in the face of the power he was about to unleash.
"But this timing is actually perfect," Mukade continued, his smile widening as new possibilities occurred to him. "I don't have many powerful assets available to me right now."
His experiments with genetic modification—using Hidan's unique physiology as a base to enhance the capabilities of other powerful warriors—were still in their preliminary stages. The process was complex and time-consuming, requiring precise manipulation of cellular structures and chakra pathways that couldn't be rushed without risking complete failure.
"I'll just have to use those two," Mukade decided, his hands moving to form the complex seal sequence required for his forbidden technique.
Placing his palms together with deliberate precision, he channeled his chakra into the ancient summoning array carved into the chamber floor.
Boom! Boom!
The solid stone ground in front of him suddenly cracked and shattered as if struck by invisible hammers. From the fissures in the earth, two ornate wooden coffins slowly rose, their surfaces covered in sealing papers and mystical symbols that glowed with an otherworldly light.
The coffin doors burst open with thunderous impacts, falling heavily to the chamber floor and revealing the occupants within. These were not ordinary graves—they were vessels containing some of the most dangerous individuals in ninja history, now bound to serve through the forbidden Edo Tensei technique.
"Haha, the legendary founder of Konoha's sealing traditions," Mukade said with genuine pleasure as he gazed at the figure in the left coffin. "You will be the one to help me unlock this damn seal that has kept me from my prize for so long."
The reanimated figure was an elderly man with distinguished gray hair, wearing ancient armor that predated the current era of ninja villages. The craftsmanship of his equipment spoke to an age when individual warriors were both smiths and soldiers, creating their own legendary gear.
Most significantly, the top portions of his left and right sleeves were embroidered with the distinctive spiral patterns that marked him as a member of the Uzumaki clan—the same symbols that Naruto wore on his clothing, inherited from his mother's proud lineage.
This was Uzumaki Ashina, the former chief of the now-extinct Uzumaki Village and one of the greatest sealing masters in recorded history. During his lifetime, he had mastered sealing techniques that were considered legendary even among his clan, many of which had been lost when his village was destroyed.
In the coffin on the right stood a figure that contrasted sharply with the elderly warrior—a handsome white-haired young man who appeared to be roughly the same age as Naruto. Despite his youthful appearance, there was something unsettling about his perfectly composed features and the unnatural stillness of his form.
This was Kimimaro, the last surviving member of the Kaguya clan and possessor of the rare Shikotsumyaku bloodline limit. Years ago, he had followed Orochimaru during the Akatsuki organization's invasion of Konoha, demonstrating bone-manipulation abilities that had made him one of the most feared warriors of his generation.
His body had ultimately been chosen as a vessel for Orochimaru's consciousness transfer technique, though death had claimed him before the process could be completed. Now, through the power of Edo Tensei, he had been granted a form of twisted immortality.
As the seals in Mukade's hands continued to change and evolve, a look of consciousness gradually appeared in the previously empty eye sockets of both reanimated warriors. The forbidden technique was asserting its control, binding their souls to his will and forcing them to serve regardless of their personal desires or moral convictions.
Uzumaki Ashina turned toward the sealed altar with mechanical precision, his movements carrying none of the grace and fluidity that had characterized him in life. His extensive knowledge of sealing techniques was now entirely at Mukade's disposal, corrupted into a tool for breaking the very barriers his clan had spent generations perfecting.
Meanwhile, Kimimaro moved with predatory grace toward the stone bridge that connected the chamber to the upper levels of the ruins. His mission was clear—intercept and eliminate any interference that might disrupt Ashina's work on the Dragon Vein seal.
Above, Naruto descended the ancient stone steps that led directly to the underground chamber, his enhanced senses guiding him through the darkness. The very air seemed to grow heavier as he approached the heart of the Dragon Vein's power, charged with an energy that made his skin tingle and his hair stand on end.
At the bottom of the staircase, a massive stone gate blocked his path—an imposing barrier that had clearly been designed to prevent unauthorized access to the chamber beyond. Through his Sage Mode perception, Naruto could sense that the intersection of dragon vein energies he had detected was located just behind that gate.
The power emanating from beyond the barrier was almost overwhelming, like standing next to a dam that held back an ocean of pure chakra. He could feel the ancient energy pressing against the confines of his parents' seal, testing its strength and searching for weaknesses.
Just as Naruto prepared to rush toward the stone gate, it suddenly opened with a grinding sound of ancient mechanisms activating. Through the narrow gap that appeared, a figure slipped out with fluid, predatory movements.
Kimimaro, reborn through the forbidden Edo Tensei technique, immediately locked onto Naruto's presence. His pale, perfect features showed no emotion as he raised both hands in a combat stance that Naruto had never seen before.
There was something deeply unsettling about this opponent—something that made every instinct Naruto possessed scream warnings of danger. Beneath the skin of Kimimaro's ten fingertips, something was moving and shifting, creating visible bulges and distortions that suggested his very anatomy was being weaponized.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
In the next instant, Kimimaro's skin tore apart at his fingertips, and the bone structures within shot toward Naruto like high-velocity projectiles. The bone bullets moved with incredible speed and precision, each one capable of punching through solid stone.
Naruto's reaction time, enhanced by Sage Mode training, allowed him to perceive the attack in what seemed like slow motion. With a graceful flip that would have been impossible for him to achieve in his normal state, he evaded all ten projectiles simultaneously.
Boom! Boom!
The finger bones struck the stone floor behind him, creating deep craters in the solid rock and demonstrating the devastating power behind each projectile. If any of those attacks had found their mark, they would have inflicted potentially fatal injuries.
"This opponent..." Naruto muttered, his enhanced senses providing him with disturbing information about the figure standing before him.
Through his Sage Mode perception, he could detect no breath of life emanating from this person. There was no heartbeat, no circulation of blood, no signs of the biological processes that characterized living beings. Yet the figure moved with perfect coordination and obvious hostile intent.
Before Naruto could fully process the implications of what he was sensing, his awareness suddenly registered a catastrophic change in the chamber beyond the stone gate. The Dragon Vein power that had been sealed and constrained for so many years was beginning to stir and awaken.
The ancient energy that his parents had worked so hard to contain was gradually coming back to life, like a sleeping giant slowly opening its eyes. The very foundations of the underground chamber began to tremble as forces beyond human comprehension started to break free from their bonds.
Naruto's face went pale as the full magnitude of the situation became clear to him. His voice cracked with horror and disbelief as he spoke the words that confirmed his worst fears.
"The seal has been broken?!!"