His golden, slit pupils narrowed slightly.
He thought of his student, Uchiha Makoto.
Was this the boy's doing?
Orochimaru had serious doubts.
Or... did those two ninja from the future consume most of the Dragon Vein's primal energy by traveling through time, draining it completely and causing it to dissipate into the world?
Orochimaru leaned toward the latter explanation.
After all, something like time travel, which defied common sense and touched upon the world's fundamental laws, had to consume an astronomical amount of energy.
As for Uchiha Makoto, the little genius who was only eight, he reserved judgment for now.
Still, the mysteries and "unpredictability" surrounding this student seemed to have gained another intriguing layer worth observing.
"Mission complete. Clear the site and prepare to return."
Orochimaru withdrew his probing gaze and issued a concise order without asking where the Dragon Vein had gone.
The journey back to Konoha felt much shorter than the trip out, and much easier too.
The desert's windblown sand was still irritating, and the sun remained merciless, but the tension of a "B-rank mission that might turn into an S-rank one" no longer weighed on their minds. Even the golden sea of sand looked considerably more pleasant.
Uchiha Makoto still wore his Sand Wall Cloak, strolling leisurely with the team. He even had time to consider whether he could improve it by adding a simple condensation device to make himself some chilled drinks.
The atmosphere within the team had noticeably relaxed.
Although Kakashi still looked annoyed about being punched out of nowhere by someone from the future, he was fairly calm overall and had even begun reviewing the details of several battles inside the tower.
Harada Yuichi, meanwhile, looked grateful to have survived. He talked more than usual and occasionally asked Uchiha Makoto for a