Has the Third Great Ninja War ended? Seramu was taken aback for a moment. Was this a new way of greeting from the outside world? Had the era already become so unfamiliar to her?
"You must be referring to the Second Great Ninja War. That ended ten years ago," she replied, her years of etiquette training allowing her to quickly regain her composure.
Although Naruto had already suspected as much, he was still stunned to hear it confirmed with his own ears. "Excuse me, what year is it in Konoha now?" Due to the environment he had grown up in, his understanding of the ninja world's historical development was based on the Konoha calendar.
"It's currently Konoha Year 47. Big Brother, you haven't lost your memory, have you?" Sara couldn't help but interject. Although Rouran was situated in the Land of Wind, Konoha had achieved glorious victories in both the First and Second Great Ninja Wars, so even though they weren't ninjas, they still had some knowledge of the Konoha calendar.
"Thank you." Naruto expressed his gratitude to her. "Also, I haven't lost my memory, I'm just a bit dazed." Sara pursed her lips; she clearly still had some doubts.
Konoha Years 48 to 50: the Third Great Ninja War erupts in full force. During this period, Konoha's Yellow Flash officially steps onto the stage of the strong. Konoha genin Might Duy, single-handedly, holds off the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, turning the tide of the Land of Water front with his individual strength. One thousand Iwagakure ninjas invade the Land of Fire, leading to the Battle of Kannabi Bridge. There was also the high-stakes gamble between Iwagakure and Kumogakure, where ten thousand Iwa ninjas besieged Kumogakure's Third Raikage, relying on numerical superiority to eventually wear him down to his death. Furthermore, an event that had the deepest impact on him: Konoha Year 50, the Battle of Kikyo Pass, where Konoha was attacked right at its doorstep for the first time. The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, resigned to take responsibility, and the Yellow Flash, Minato Namikaze, succeeded him as Hokage…
Konoha Year 51, Minato and his wife die in battle… He is born…
Historical events his teacher had recounted in class flashed through his mind one by one. He was very thankful that he hadn't daydreamed during those lessons.
"By the way, did anyone else appear out of thin air like me?" Naruto quickly asked. He had almost forgotten about that Sand ninja. Since he could appear in this era, that fellow should also have appeared.
"So you also know you appeared out of thin air," Sara said, sidling up to him and curiously examining him from top to bottom, left to right, as if wondering what made him different from her and why she couldn't just appear out of thin air.
"Sara, that is too impolite!" Seramu's expression turned stern as she spoke sharply.
"I'm sorry, Mother." Sara instantly reverted to her initial demure and elegant demeanor.
"Not to me." Seramu's tense, pretty face softened slightly. After so many years of verbal instruction and personal example, if it hadn't managed to have a positive influence on her daughter, then she, as a mother, would have been somewhat of a failure.
"I apologize. Please forgive Sara's impoliteness, guest from afar."
Gazing at the little girl bowing apologetically to him, Naruto couldn't help but feel a sense of fondness. Troublesome children might be cute, but polite children were clearly more likeable.
"It's alright," Naruto said with a smile.
Looking at the vast expanse of yellow sand before him, then at the verdant greenery and towering spires behind him, Naruto couldn't help but sigh with emotion. This, perhaps, was the best use of chakra. Although he had stayed in Rouran for less than two days, Naruto found himself deeply captivated by this land. Whether it was the Rouran people's spirit of diligent toil and struggle against nature, or their utilization of resources and the design of their towers, all of it deeply fascinated him. A striving nation was admirable.
Especially Queen Seramu; possessing control over the Dragon Vein's power, she hadn't sequestered herself in an ivory tower, feasting on the people's wealth and clad in their labor. Instead, she chose to use her control over the Dragon Vein chakra to bring prosperity to her land. The stretch of green behind him was one such blessing from the Dragon Vein chakra.
Thinking of the later ruin of Rouran, the hardships faced by the Rouran remnants, he began to harbor doubts about the actions of his father—whom he had never met—in sealing the Dragon Vein chakra. Although he didn't know what difficulties had been faced that would lead to the choice of sealing the Dragon Vein, such a crude method, one that severed the lifeblood of an entire region, was inherently unfair. Was it also for the sake of Konoha? Right and wrong, justice—perhaps he needed to see for himself, to ask with his own mouth, to truly know…
Naruto gazed towards the Land of Fire, or rather, in the direction of Konoha. If one has an idea, one must act upon it.
He directly sought out Queen Seramu, who was currently handling official duties, and expressed his intention to depart. Seramu put down the matters at hand—though called official duties, they were mostly just trivial household and neighborhood affairs of the Rouran people. Limited by land resources, Rouran's population had always been stuck in a middling range. To call it the ancient city of Rouran was perhaps less accurate than calling it the ancient town of Rouran.
"Guest from afar, thank you very much for your care of Sara," Seramu said with a curtsy.
"I merely taught her how to refine chakra, that's all." Naruto handed her a wooden kunai. "If you encounter difficulties, you can burn this kunai. I might be able to provide some assistance." This was something he had created based on the principles of the Shadow Clone Technique; it contained his chakra. If it were destroyed, he would sense it. As for why he used wood, it was simply because wood could store a larger amount of chakra, and burning it was chosen because the reaction would be significant enough.
"You have taken such good care of me; I can't just do nothing in return, can I?" Naruto asked with a smile, seeing her about to decline. Hearing this, Seramu accepted the wooden kunai with both hands. Although their acquaintance had been brief, Naruto's conduct, conversation, and unique insights into the ninja world were definitely not those of an ordinary person, and they had left a deep impression on her. She, or Rouran, might truly need Lord Naruto's help someday.
"Oh, by the way, if there really is another ninja who appeared out of thin air like me, please treat them with caution," Naruto advised. He had had little contact with that Sand ninja and didn't understand his character, so he couldn't make too absolute a judgment. That Sand ninja hadn't given him the impression of a good person, but neither did he seem like a bloodthirsty villain who would stop at no evil. Hence, the warning.
"I understand," Seramu nodded solemnly.
"No need to be overly cautious either. If he really tries to stir up some trouble, just call me back," Naruto said with a smile, pointing to the kunai in her hand. Perhaps compared to figures on the level of the Sage of Six Paths, he wasn't even worthy to carry their shoes. But dealing with an obscure Sand ninja was still no problem.
"Goodbye!"
Twenty years, for any person, is a long stretch of time. But for topography and landforms, twenty years is very short—so short that without external influence, it would hardly change at all. Naruto was quite familiar with the road from Rouran to the Land of Fire.
In the current ninja world, although the Third Great Ninja War had not yet fully erupted, various small-scale battles were already a common occurrence for ninjas stationed at the borders. For merchants, this was both a challenge and an opportunity. For ninjas, it might just be another ordinary mission. But for ordinary civilians, it was a disaster. Despite the higher-ups having mutually agreed that ninja wars should not affect civilians, when the fighting truly began, verbal agreements were no more important than toilet paper. Besides, the quality of ninjas themselves was decidedly uneven…
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