Whoosh… Whoosh… Whoosh…
Howling winds swept across the desolate landscape, carrying clouds of yellow sand that seemed to shroud the entire world. Amidst the vast expanse of the gobi desert, a small cluster of stone pillars jutted defiantly towards the sky.
Beneath the largest of these pillars, sheltered on the leeward side from the biting wind and sand, huddled a small group of traveling merchants. The party consisted of thirteen individuals, all clad in thick, roughspun clothing to ward off the elements. Beside the flickering campfire they gathered around stood several packhorses, their backs laden with goods.
This particular stretch of gobi lay in the northern reaches of the Land of Wind, a region notorious for its extreme temperature fluctuations between day and night. Anyone traversing these wastes for extended periods knew to carry ample supplies.
The leader of this small caravan was a rugged man in his forties named Zuo Jin. He had been following the merchant routes since childhood, accompanying his elders, and possessed an intimate knowledge of the trade paths crisscrossing the Land of Wind.
Above the roar of the wind, Zuo Jin's experienced ears caught the faint sound of approaching footsteps.
"Everyone, stay alert!" he hissed, instantly wary. He signaled discreetly to the others gathered around the fire.
At Zuo Jin's warning, the rest of the merchants reacted immediately. Each drew a long knife from their waist, eyes fixed in the direction Zuo Jin indicated, bracing themselves defensively.
Desert bandits were a common menace in the northern gobi regions of the Land of Wind. These ruthless criminals preyed primarily on travelers like Zuo Jin and his caravan.
The footsteps grew closer, and soon, a figure rounded the base of the large stone pillar. Seeing the group huddled there, the newcomer paused momentarily before continuing towards them.
"Halt! Who goes there?" Zuo Jin called out sharply, demanding the figure stop. Years on the road had taught him caution; he'd encountered countless types of people, and even a lone traveler couldn't be underestimated.
Hearing Zuo Jin's challenge, the approaching figure finally stopped. He stood about ten meters away from the merchants and pulled back the hood covering his head.
Instantly, a young face came into their view.
The stranger stood around 175 centimeters tall. Though his features bore the marks of recent travel under harsh conditions, it was clear he was extremely young, perhaps only sixteen or seventeen.
This newcomer was none other than Tatsuya, having reverted to his original appearance.
With a portion of his three-month leave remaining, Tatsuya had decided to do some exploring. Before departing the Land of Fields, he had sealed his clone, Jizo, away. Since Jizo now possessed Uchiha Teru's Mangekyo Sharingan, Tatsuya wasn't prepared to let the clone operate independently until he could resolve the issue of its autonomous sustainability. As for Ansei Hall, he'd let anyone trying to investigate stumble around in confusion for a while.
"Hello there! No need to be alarmed," Tatsuya said, offering Zuo Jin and the tense merchants a warm, disarming smile. "I'm just a traveler passing through, hoping to take shelter from the sandstorm here."
After leaving the vicinity of the hidden village construction site, Tatsuya's original body had made its way directly towards the Land of Wind. This time, his objective was to secretly investigate the legendary Roran ruins, specifically targeting the Dragon Vein rumored to lie deep beneath the ancient city.
When he had first arrived in the Naruto world, Tatsuya had harbored some doubts about the canonicity of events depicted in the movies. After all, many fans considered the Roran movie (The Lost Tower) to be an insult to the audience's intelligence.
However, in the world of Naruto, what couldn't happen?
During his time in ANBU Squad Eleven, Tatsuya had personally seen records confirming related events in the ANBU archives. According to those files, the deceased Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, had undertaken a secret mission to the ancient kingdom of Roran in the northern Land of Wind during the early stages of the Third Shinobi World War. The specifics of the mission weren't detailed in the files, but Tatsuya was certain it involved the Dragon Vein. After that mission, the ancient kingdom of Roran was reduced to ruins.
Now that he was free from ANBU constraints and had the opportunity to travel, finding the Dragon Vein was one of Tatsuya's top priorities. From his memories of his past life, he knew the Dragon Vein beneath Roran was a nexus of the planet's life force, representing an endless source of chakra comparable in power to the known Tailed Beasts.
If he could somehow release the Dragon Vein from the seal Minato Namikaze had placed upon it and harness its power for himself, Tatsuya's strength would instantly rival that of a Jinchuriki. Just thinking about the combat potential Naruto wielded later on, thanks to his "Nine-Tails power bank," made Tatsuya's blood race with excitement.
Filled with anticipation for this incredible possibility, Tatsuya had embarked on the journey to find the Roran ruins. After over a month of searching, he had finally narrowed down the location to the northern region of the Land of Wind.
"A young lad like you, daring to cross the northern gobi alone?" Zuo Jin questioned, his wary expression unchanged, clearly skeptical of Tatsuya's claim.
"No need for doubt, Uncle," Tatsuya replied. "My name is Tatsuya, and I'm a shinobi from Konoha." He retrieved his forehead protector, engraved with the Leaf symbol, from his pouch and showed it briefly to Zuo Jin.
"Ah, so Brother Tatsuya is a ninja from the Hidden Leaf Village! Please forgive our rudeness!" Zuo Jin's eyes lit up upon hearing this. The reputation of Konoha carried significant weight in the shinobi world, especially for small merchant groups like theirs.
"You flatter me, Uncle. I'm merely a Chunin," Tatsuya shrugged. However, to further dispel any lingering hostility, he immediately began forming hand seals right in front of them. Turning slightly, he executed a C-rank Wind Style jutsu.
"Wind Style: Gale Palm!"
As Tatsuya thrust his hands forward, a violent gust of wind erupted outwards.
BOOM!
The gale slammed into the swirling sandstorm, creating a deafening roar.
Seeing Tatsuya perform ninjutsu, Zuo Jin and his men finally relaxed. They knew that powerful shinobi in this world possessed their own pride. Judging by the potency of the Gale Palm Tatsuya had just demonstrated, he couldn't possibly be a lowly desert bandit. Besides, if someone with Tatsuya's apparent skill truly meant them harm, they would stand no chance of escape.
Instantly, Zuo Jin's demeanor changed. With a welcoming smile, he invited Tatsuya over to the fire, and they began to converse.
"Uncle Zuo Jin, you mentioned you've been a merchant in the Land of Wind for thirty years?" Tatsuya asked after they had chatted for a while and he had learned some of Zuo Jin's background.
"That's right!" Zuo Jin nodded, a hint of pride on his face.
"That's wonderful! In that case, Uncle Zuo Jin, do you happen to know of a place around here that used to be called the ancient kingdom of Roran?" Tatsuya asked, his expression brightening with hope.
After Roran's destruction, Queen Sara had apparently survived along with some of her people. Tatsuya had previously tried using Yoshida Jin's network to investigate, but found no leads. This was partly due to the limits of Yoshida Jin's influence and partly because any surviving Roran citizens would have undoubtedly changed their identities and gone into hiding. Much of the northern Land of Wind was sparsely populated desert and gobi anyway; finding the ruins in this vast expanse without a guide would be incredibly difficult.
Zuo Jin replied, "Of course, I know of it. Young Brother Tatsuya, are you perhaps seeking the legendary treasure of Roran?"
Tatsuya feigned confusion, "The treasure of Roran?"
Zuo Jin explained, "Legend says that vast treasures are buried beneath the ruins of the ancient kingdom. Many have tried their luck searching for it over the years, but after much effort, they all came back empty-handed!"
Tatsuya nodded in understanding. "I see. However, Uncle, you've misunderstood. I'm not looking for the Roran ruins because of some treasure." He paused, then asked directly, "Do you know the way, Uncle Zuo Jin? Would you be willing to guide me to the Roran ruins?"
Hearing Tatsuya's request, Zuo Jin didn't hesitate. "That's no trouble at all!" he answered heartily. "The Roran ruins are only a few hours' journey from here. Our caravan route passes right by that area anyway. Once this sandstorm dies down, I'll take you there myself."
Tatsuya was overjoyed. "Thank you so much, Uncle Zuo Jin!"