The hall where the Leyline was sealed remained peaceful, but outside, the scene resembled a natural disaster.
Layers upon layers of dark clouds gathered in the azure sky, with lightning snaking through them amid rolling thunder.
The ground below had already split into enormous chasms. Countless grains of sand poured into the cracks, exposing the furrowed rock beneath the desert, while a sweeping sandstorm engulfed all of Rōran.
This catastrophic spectacle could be seen from over a hundred kilometers away.
Even within the Land of Fire, the tremors could be felt, drawing the attention of Konoha's reconnaissance department.
At the nearest oasis, where Rōran's surviving citizens lived, the dark clouds overhead filled the subdued atmosphere with unease.
At a Sunagakure sentry post.
The Sand Ninja on watch noticed the immense disturbance and gathered together, staring toward Rōran in confusion and apprehension.
The experienced Sand Ninja reconnaissance captain narrowed his eyes. He had heard the legends of Rōran.
He also knew that the ancient kingdom of Rōran lay within the vast deserts of the Land of Wind, and that even the village leadership paid close attention to that place.
"Send out a ninja hawk! Inform the village that something has happened in Rōran!"
After issuing his order, the reconnaissance captain suppressed his curiosity and stopped his subordinates from going to investigate.
A ninja capable of causing such a disturbance was absolutely beyond their squad's ability to confront. For ninja, the more secrets they knew, the greater the danger.
And he was merely an ordinary chunin among the Sand Ninja.
Inside the Sealing Hall.
Completely unaffected by the disturbance outside, Zou Hyuga was conversing with the Leyline.
The Leyline's immature consciousness had, at most, the intelligence of a three-year-old child. As someone who did not know how to deal with children,