As the wagon convoy continued onward, Naruto and the others noticed that the sound of wind and sand outside gradually faded.
Suddenly, Sasuke, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them and looked at Naruto. "Did you notice?"
"Yeah, we've entered some kind of barrier."
Naruto nodded and turned to Sara. "We should be past that wall of blowing sand now, right? Are we almost there?"
"We're already..."
As if to confirm Naruto's guess, just as Sara was about to speak, the wagon suddenly stopped. A strange rustling came from outside, along with a few slightly youthful shouts. "Stop! Submit to inspection!"
The caravan's driver had barely begun to speak. "It's us..."
"Of course I know it's you, mister! But those are the leader's rules. Anyone who wants to enter has to be inspected!"
"That's Taro's voice. That boy always insists on following the rules... Never mind. Let's get out first."
Apparently recognizing who had come, Sara looked a little resigned, then led Naruto and Sasuke out of the wagon.
Because of the Land of Wind's harsh environment, the caravan's wagons had no windows, to keep out the wind and sand.
Only after Naruto got out did he see the strange scenery around them—
Ruined ancient buildings stood everywhere, stretching as far as the eye could see, like a forest of structures.
As Naruto looked around, he could also see people moving among the ancient buildings nearby. Here and there, drying racks, makeshift tents, and other signs of habitation had been set up.
What caught Naruto's attention most, however, was the visible purple barrier overhead. Like an overturned bowl, it covered the entire complex of ruins, enclosing it completely.
"A barrier this big?"
Naruto exclaimed in amazement.
"It doesn't just separate the inside from the outside, keeping out