This puppeteer is a bit... well...

Chapter 44 Threat

"It's only natural. Even if you didn't say anything, we would do the same thing. It's not a request," Ryuji said frankly.

Sunagakure is probably the most united of all the ninja villages.

Unlike other ninja villages, Sunagakure was founded by people who survived the desert battlefields at the end of the Warring States period.

In other words, they were enemies who fought each other before they established the ninja village.

The First Kazekage, Retsuto, was very powerful and a highly respected ninja, but he was far inferior to Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha.

His prestige was not enough to persuade those who were once enemies to put aside their hatred and build a home together.

His solution was to disband his clan, abandon his surname, establish a round table conference, and run a brother ninja village.

We are all brothers, and we should all live together as equals.

With a ninja like Retsudo, who possesses both prestige and strength, setting an example, even those who don't fully trust him will feel moved.

Furthermore, the harsh desert environment and the fatigue brought on by years of war hindered their progress.

Ultimately, everyone reached a consensus and established Sunagakure (Hidden Sand Village).

Later, due to the small number of people and the harsh environment, it became even more difficult.

We need to work together to survive.

Gradually, the ninjas of Sunagakure became more and more united, eventually coalescing into a single force.

The fact that the village disregarded its own safety and mobilized almost all its resources to search for the Third Kazekage demonstrates something about this incident.

But this is only the current situation.

As the village expands and its management becomes more mature and rational, many political problems will inevitably arise.

For the greater good, it is inevitable that personal interests will be sacrificed.

At that time, the village's cohesion will also decline.

Just like Hakura and Gaara later on.

In order to achieve strategic success, Luo Sha betrayed the village's hero.

Having learned a lesson from the disappearance of the Third Kazekage, Sunagakure dared not send a large number of people to rescue those who were protecting them.

These things are disheartening.

But for now, Sunagakure remains the most united village in the ninja world.

In the future, Ryuji will continue to keep it united.

If the village is strong enough, these disheartening things won't happen.

"That's enough, thank you!"

The girl, who had been forcing a smile since entering the room, finally breathed a sigh of relief and revealed a genuine smile.

Is this a good idea?

Hearing the questioning voice that had burst in, Ryuji looked toward the person who spoke... a sunny boy in an orange tracksuit standing by the collapsed wall on the other side of the room.

—Naruto Uzumaki!

Why haven't you gone back yet?

Ryuji was surprised.

The time travel occurred because the centipede devoured Minato Namikaze's technique for sealing the dragon veins twenty years later.

Now that Centipede is dead, the dragon vein will not be damaged, nor will there be Minato Namikaze's sealing technique.

Naturally, there will be no time travel.

However, if there had been no time travel, then the thousands of towers built by centipedes in Loulan should have disappeared by now.

Sasha's mother should still be alive, and Naruto shouldn't still be in this timeline.

But none of this happened.

There are two possibilities.

First, the centipede did not die.

Second, even if Centipede dies, without Minato Namikaze's sealing technique, there are other conditions that could lead to time travel in the future.

Ryuji had repeatedly confirmed the centipede's aura; it was indeed completely dead, and there had been no spacetime correction.

and so……

(The previous spacetime correction was not simply about changing the fact that the centipede died; there were other unknown changes as well.)

Spacetime correction sounds mysterious, but it's actually just the butterfly effect.

Because the past has been changed, the future course of history has been altered.

However, Ryuji is in the future and remembers his memories from before the time-space correction, which is why he feels that the world has suddenly become different.

To be honest, the memories before the time-space correction were the possibilities that never happened, while the memories now are the ones that actually happened.

Although, it happened after changes were made.

"Your country has been destroyed, and you still have to accept the pity of those who destroyed it? Aren't you resentful?" Naruto ignored Ryuji, his azure eyes fixed on the girl. "Loulan was originally your country, the dragon vein was originally yours, and now you expect bandits to give you what rightfully belongs to you? What kind of logic is that?"

"Shut up!"

The girl bit her lower lip tightly, her pure eyes trembling as she struggled to hold back her tears.

She was well aware of everything the other person had said.

But so what?

Just as this robber said, in this era of war, weakness is a sin.

Possessing a rare treasure like the dragon vein but failing to use it to strengthen oneself, demise is only a matter of time.

She was simply powerless to protect all of this.

"Don't think about whether you can do it or not..." Naruto saw the girl's helpless expression clearly. He clenched his fist and encouraged her, "Instead, think about whether you should do it. As long as you keep pursuing it, anything is possible."

"That's right."

At the gap in the roof, a young man with dazzling golden hair stood there, wearing a conspicuous Konoha headband on his forehead. "Queen of Loulan, if you are worried that your strength is insufficient to protect the country, then ask Konoha for help. We will definitely help you and help this country."

As the words fell, Aburame Shimi, with bandages wrapped around her face, Akimichi Choza, with bruises and swelling on his face, and the short Kakashi all appeared beside her.

Minato continued, "You don't need to worry that we, like Sunagakure, are coveting the dragon veins. We don't have the ability to move the dragon veins, and the village is far away in the Land of Fire, so we can't completely occupy this place."

Furthermore, due to our competitive relationship, we will not allow the Sand Village to seize the Dragon Vein; you have absolutely no need to worry that we won't help you.

The sound of the water gate was very gentle, with a convincing magic.

After hearing his explanation, the girl began to waver in her previous decision.

As queen, she chose the lives of her people over those of her nation.

But no king wanted his kingdom to perish.

If she could have both, she would naturally want both.

If Konoha can really help, then...

"Innocent!"

The cold voice pulled the girl's fantasy back to reality.

Everyone turned their attention to the speaker, Ryuji.

"Let's not even talk about whether Konoha has the ability to protect Loulan and the Dragon Vein from Sunagakure. Even if they could, could they protect them forever?" Ryuji chuckled coldly. "That's right. Konoha is far away in the Land of Fire and can't complete the occupation of this place, so there's no need to worry about them seizing it. But how can they guard against Sunagakure taking this place day and night from such a distant location?"

Forgive my bluntness, but I could take over this place by myself in ten minutes.

Even if Konoha sends reinforcements and drives me away, I can wait until the Konoha people leave before retaking the territory.

Even if they station people here permanently, they still wouldn't be a match for the Sand Village, whose main base is in the desert.

If you choose to join Konoha, I will kill you all.

At that time, regardless of the outcome between Sunagakure and Konoha, as long as you choose to rely on Konoha, this country and its people will not escape the fate of destruction.

Conversely, the Sand Village can ensure that the people of Loulan are not threatened.

Thank you to the readers who generously donated: Easy to Forget, Who Am I?, Update Quickly or the Blade Will Be Waiting for You, Alex Frozen, Reader 20170705140834728, Huangfu Shenwu, Unfathomable Heavenly Might, and Zhan⑤'s Trash. I am very grateful.

(End of this chapter)