After the first rays of sunlight pierced the darkness, the desert temperature began to rise rapidly.
Following the faint traces Danzo had left behind, Naruto led Shisui all the way into the desert of the Land of Wind.
Facing the boundless Sand Sea, Shisui had no idea what to do. Naruto relied on his intuition to keep moving forward. They even encountered a sandstorm along the way, wasting several hours avoiding it.
Standing atop a sand dune, Naruto took a desert map from his backpack and gazed into the distance.
Before long, Naruto spotted city ruins buried beneath the windblown sand, as well as a small settlement on an oasis near the ruins. His eyes gradually narrowed.
Desert and ruins—those two keywords together meant Rōran, the miracle of the desert.
It had once been an extremely prosperous city built atop the Dragon Vein, but after the Dragon Vein was sealed, it declined and became a tiny tribe in the desert.
The wind and sand had covered Danzo's tracks. Naruto had come to the Ancient Kingdom of Roran based on speculation, hoping to try his luck.
Danzo had only two directions to flee toward the Land of Wind. One was to follow the oases along the route to Sunagakure; the other was to venture deep into the desert and flee to Rōran.
The existence of the Dragon Vein beneath Rōran was classified information for ordinary ninja, but it was no secret to Danzo.
Reining in his wandering thoughts, Naruto leaped down from the dune and said to Shisui, "There's a desert oasis nearby. Let's check it out first and find something to eat while we're at it."
Shisui looked somewhat lost as he stared at the yellow sand. "Lord Menma, is Danzo really nearby?"
"Danzo couldn't have gotten far. Let's go