Autumn, Year 14 of Konoha.
A chill had begun to creep into the wind, making the Second's new likeness on Hokage Rock look even colder and harder.
Life in Konoha went on as usual: missions, training, spot checks by the Inspectorate, the clamor of commoner students at school, and the clans' tacitly coordinated efforts to go through the motions.
Toyotomi Yinglang grew increasingly practiced at playing his role in Konoha: the young leader of a new clan, somewhat aloof, proper in his conduct but not to be underestimated. Occasionally, he offered a few incisive remarks at high-level meetings that left little room for criticism. More often, he remained within his Clan Compound, seemingly focused on tending his own little patch of land.
Only a tiny handful of trusted core followers implanted with Chakra Seeds knew that their clan head frequently went into "seclusion," and that those periods of "seclusion" usually meant his true body was away from Konoha.
The pretext for this latest "seclusion" was an unusual piece of news Yutian had sent back through secret channels along the western trade route-a small oasis kingdom called Rōran, on the northeastern fringe of the Land of Wind, had recently emitted abnormal energy fluctuations. Its queen apparently intended to find a "powerful outsider capable of changing fate" for some kind of "transaction." The report was vague, but phrases such as "ancient legacy," "the pulse of the earth," and "vast as a dragon" caught Yinglang's attention. Coupled with his hazy memories of his previous life, they immediately brought to mind the place from the movie that possessed the power of the "Dragon Vein."
The Dragon Vein was said to be a node where Earth Energy converged, possessing the incredible power to travel through time and space.
Although its portrayal in the movie had