An unfamiliar place

Koki slightly raised her head, her eyes tightly closed, her expression revealing pain. Her body trembled slightly in mid-air, enduring immense torment.

"Koki!!" Naruto's shouts echoed across the empty space, but they were like stones sinking into the sea, receiving no response.

Anxiety surged within him like a tidal wave, causing him to tremble uncontrollably.

Clenching his teeth, he once again charged headlong into the raging air currents, fearless.

Amidst the howling wind, Koki struggled to open half her eyes and caught a glimpse of Naruto's panicked face rapidly approaching. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but the wind blew away his voice, which dissipated into the sky.

Immediately, a thunderous purple beam of light shot into the sky from the formation, instantly engulfing Koki's figure.

Naruto was thrown back by the violent gust of air and fell heavily to the ground, excruciating pain spreading through his body.

However, he had no time to look at anything else. He suddenly looked up and his heart seemed to stop beating.

The dazzling purple beam of light expanded rapidly, and Koki's figure had already vanished without a trace.

Naruto stood amidst the chaos, his face as pale as paper.

Koki was engulfed by the pillar of light, and her fate is unknown.

Naruto couldn't accept this sudden reality; how could he just disappear like that?

He bit his lip tightly, his expression solemn, determined not to give up.

With a resolute glint in his eyes, he once again charged towards the pillar of light, disregarding what awaited him, even if it meant disappearing from this world.

However, fate seemed to be mocking his determination.

The stone path connecting the platform suddenly collapsed with a roar and was then swallowed up by the expanding beam of light.

The violent gust of air threw Naruto over again, and he crashed to the ground, blood spilling from his mouth.

The dome cracked open, and countless fragments of stone poured down, making the entire space seem to tremble and about to collapse.

Naruto struggled to his feet.

The expansion of the pillar of light suddenly stopped, but after a brief moment, it contracted sharply until it disappeared into the sealing array.

They disappeared along with Koki.

Naruto's eyes widened; the sight before him was unbelievable.

Vanished? He sped towards the solitary platform like a whirlwind.

However, all that remained was emptiness—the traces of Koki's passing, which he could only gaze upon helplessly.

The clamor gradually subsided into silence. The stone path leading to the platform had collapsed, and the platform was empty, even the once-sealed eyes had vanished without a trace.

The empty hall was once again enveloped in silence, as if nothing had happened, but Naruto knew in his heart that Koki's departure was real.

At that moment, Minato rushed back due to an uneasy premonition. He braced himself on the ground with his hands, his gaze fixed blankly on the spot where Koki had disappeared. His face was frozen, and his blue eyes were filled with gloom, empty and full of despair.

"Koki!!"

Koki's consciousness dissipated like drifting clouds, slowly sinking into the deep darkness.

In the instant his consciousness faded, a purple-hued light, dreamlike and ethereal, intertwined into flowing ribbons of light. Koki opened his eyes and stared, only to see darkness surge in like a tidal wave, instantly engulfing his consciousness.

As if summoned by an invisible force, the body transformed into a light feather, floating in the ethereal void.

He searched for the source of this power, but had no idea where he would be led.

Suddenly, the feeling of weightlessness vanished without a trace, and my body felt as if it had been sucked into an endless abyss, plummeting uncontrollably.

Just as all perception faded into nothingness, Koki suddenly awoke.

The dazzling sunlight stung his eyes, and the intense light made it difficult for him to adjust. He squinted and shielded his eyes from the overly bright radiance with his hand.

His vision gradually cleared, and after he adjusted to the light, he gently parted his fingers and peered into the outside world through the gap.

The scene before him, however, left him stunned.

He found himself alone in a silent, deserted desert, the boundless yellow sand gleaming golden in the sunlight.

Still seemingly somewhat lost, Koki frowned slightly, stared at a point in the air, remained silent for a moment, then sat up straight, his gaze quickly darting around.

This place is still the Land of Wind, but Rōran is gone, Naruto is gone, and those strange eyes are gone. Only the desert, this unfamiliar place, and he is all alone.

Koki frowned slightly, closed her eyes, and gently rubbed her temples, trying to piece together the threads of her memory.

He and Naruto stepped into the ancient city of Rōran side by side, but unexpectedly, in the depths of their adventure, a strange eye silently appeared.

Immediately, Koki felt an invisible, immense force pulling him mercilessly, and his consciousness gradually faded into the distance.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in an unfamiliar place.

Could it be that immense power that brought him here?

Recalling the mission entrusted by the Third Hokage, which mentioned the power of the Ryūmyaku, Ryūmyaku is hidden in Rōran.

The mysterious eyes we encountered earlier might have been a manifestation of the Ryūmyaku's power.

If it truly is Ryūmyaku, what level of terrifying power would it possess?

Naruto may have accidentally touched the Ryūmyaku somewhere, which is why he was sent back to more than ten years ago.

Upon realizing this, Koki felt a sudden tightness in his chest.

Could it be that I've also traveled back in time to more than a decade ago?

If this is indeed the case, the situation is worrying.

The power was so strong that he thought he would be reduced to ashes, and he still felt lingering fear when he thought about it.

It's hard to imagine what kind of impact that power would have on the world if it hadn't been restrained.

Koki remained silent for a moment, then slowly stood up. The desert wind gently caressed his face, bringing a touch of heat.

He squinted slightly, trying to shake off the lingering dizziness.

Suddenly, a dazzling light flashed across the afterglow. Koki's heart stirred slightly, and she glanced back, only to see a sword stuck diagonally into the sand dune.

Half of the sword was buried in the sand, while the other half reflected a chilling light in the sunlight.

Koki stepped forward, knelt down beside the sword, and gripped the hilt tightly. A chilling sensation spread from his palm to his limbs, invigorating him.

He lightly swung his sword, and the air instantly split open, emitting a piercing shriek.

At that moment, a faint, almost imperceptible sound, yet clearly audible, reached Koki's ears.

Koki looked in the direction of the sound, which seemed to be coming from not far away, ethereal and uncertain, making it difficult to pinpoint its exact location.

If someone were here, they might know what's going on.

With this thought in mind, Koki sheathed his sword, hung it at his waist, straightened his clothes, and hurried towards the sound.

The wind whistled past his ears, tossing his flowing long hair, and as he drew closer, the sound became clearer.

Upon reaching the source of the sound, Koki saw a person lying on the ground, covered in blood.

Upon closer inspection, the person was wearing a mask and appeared to be quite young.

Koki immediately stopped in her tracks, concealed herself, and stared intently, holding her breath.