Konoha: The thirty-year-old Uchiha is not motivated.

The biting wind carried the yellow sand, ruthlessly eroding wherever it reached, adding a bit of bleakness to the already desolate land. But in this lifeless yellow hell, a touch of green seemed so rare and precious.

A cloaked figure stood in front of the vibrant oasis, with unconcealed joy in his eyes and a hint of worry hidden beneath his eyelids.

"who are you?"

Two men dressed as guards held kunai in their hands and looked at the mysterious man who broke into their forbidden area with vigilance. If the other party showed any improper behavior, they would immediately sound the alarm.
The mysterious man did not show any panic. Instead, he looked at the two diligent guards with interest. A look of relief flashed across his face. He slowly took off the cloak covering his head, revealing a ferocious green dragon.

"Vigilance is good and deserves praise."

He specially came back to his hometown to inspect the monks. His usually serious face had a rare smile on it. When the two guards saw him, they quickly hid their kunai behind their backs and stood at attention in unison, sweating profusely from their bodies.

"Greetings, Master Fengying! We, the humble ones, were not aware that Master Fengying had arrived. We deserve to be put to death!"

"It's okay. I broke in without permission. You guys are blaming me. I have done nothing wrong."

The monk shook his head, signaling the two new recruits not to panic, and then he looked at the forest behind him and asked,
"Nothing big has happened in Loulan recently, right?"

"Replying to Master Fengying, everything is fine, that is..."

The two guards naturally did not dare to neglect the question from the monk and nodded immediately, but soon showed an embarrassed expression.

"Just what?"

"Loulan's current carrying capacity is insufficient, and the newly relocated residents are still homeless."

"Hasn't the daimyo already allocated funds to build a new residential area?"

The monk frowned when he heard this. How could he let his fellow villagers be displaced?

“The funding has arrived, but it’s still a drop in the bucket. There are too many refugees joining us every day, and the construction speed is far from keeping up.”

The guard gave a bitter smile and explained the reason.

"I understand. Is the city lord here?"

The monk nodded after roughly understanding the reason. He did not continue to question the two soldiers about the matter, but instead asked about the situation of the Lord of Loulan City.

"Here I am!"

The Lord of Loulan City was a red-haired man about the same age as Shamen. At the moment, he was flipping through the documents in his hands with a look of distress. The series of deficits on the documents gave him a headache, and his rough face was filled with fatigue that could not be concealed.

"squeak~"

"Didn't I tell you not to disturb me when I'm working?"

Suddenly, the tightly closed door of the office was pushed open. The Lord of Loulan City frowned and scolded without even raising his head.
"Father~"

However, the soft voice instantly broke the city lord's indignant expression. He raised his head with a gentle face and saw a red-haired little girl, about five or six years old, leaning against the door timidly, with big watery eyes full of worry.

"It's little Sana, come here quickly and let daddy hug you~"

The city lord smiled and waved at the little girl, his stern look just now gone.

"Da da da~"

The little girl named Sana ran over with her short legs and dived into the city lord's arms.
"Father, you haven't been home for several days. Mother and I miss you so much."

"When I'm done with this busy period, I'll spend time with you guys."

Due to the recent financial constraints, the city lord had to work overtime to repeatedly check every payment. He had to eat and sleep in the office, not to mention going home.

"Don't lie!"

Sana in his arms puffed up her face and stretched out her finger to make a pinky promise with him.

"When has father ever lied to you? When I'm done with this, I'll take you to the Fire Nation to drink honey x ice city."

"Great!"

When Sana heard the words "Mi x Ice City", her eyes were immediately filled with stars. She raised her fists high and danced with excitement.

"I want to eat lots and lots of sundaes!"

"no problem!"

"Bang bang bang~"

Suddenly, a knock on the door interrupted the rare parent-child time. The city lord frowned again and was about to scold, but he saw a familiar bald man put his hand on the door and looked at him with a teasing look on his face.

"Sramana! Why are you here?"

When the city lord saw the person coming, he immediately stood up in surprise.
"Why, you don't welcome an old friend?"

The monk squinted his eyes nervously.
The little girl in the city lord's arms blinked in confusion, touching her chin with her little hand, her delicate eyebrows wrinkled into a "川" shape, as if she was thinking hard about something.
"You are the big bald uncle!"

After about ten seconds, she looked as if something had suddenly dawned on her, pointed at Shamen's shiny bald head, and shouted,
"Little Sana, long time no see."

The monk was not angry because of the impolite address of the little girl. Instead, he walked forward with a smile on his face and touched the little red head of the girl. His voice was particularly gentle.
"Little Sana, you go home first. Daddy has to start working."

The city lord looked at the smiling monk, put his little daughter down in his arms, and told her not to disturb the adults' conversation.

"Goodbye, father. Goodbye, big bald uncle~"

Sana pursed her lips in grievance. Although she was somewhat reluctant, she still obediently and politely left.

"Little Sana is a worry-free child, unlike my brat who is naughty all the time and has recently taken to playing with snakes."

Looking at little Sana's departing back, Shamen nodded with some envy, then thought of his own son, and suddenly became furious. It turned out that people should not compare too much.

"Hmph~ Little Sana is the cutest in the world!"

The city lord accepted the monk's praise calmly.

"Drink tea."

After discussing the issue of education, the city lord stood up and searched in the tea cabinet for a long time. Finally, he found a pile of leftovers. He didn't care about anything and just brewed it for the monk.

"Is it already so tight?"

The monk looked at the coarse tea in front of him with an expression of pity. As the lord of a city, he didn't even have decent tea. How big a crisis was Loulan facing?
"Some of it is good to drink. I keep this for myself. When other people come, I just give them water."

The city lord sat down in front of the monk with a bold look, and when he saw that the monk dared to mock him, he rolled his eyes instantly.

The Baolong clan of Loulan and the city lord have a thousand-year-old friendship, and Shamen is a close friend of the city lord who grew up together.

When Shamen was still in Loulan, in addition to being the guardian of the dragon vein, he also served as the commander of Loulan's city defense.
According to the name at that time, Shamen was the mighty general of Loulan.

However, the monk who should have devoted his whole life to Loulan left his hometown under the deception of a shameless curly-haired man and chose to go out and explore the world. Fortunately, he made a name for himself, otherwise he would have become a laughing stock of the Loulan people.

The two close friends, who had met only a handful of times in recent years, exchanged some brief greetings and then got down to business.

"Is the money allocated by the daimyo really not enough?"

After taking a sip of the tea full of crumbs, the monk cast his eyes on the pile of documents.
"Not enough. Loulan is just a town, not a country. It cannot absorb so many new refugees at once. Infrastructure construction is always a step behind."

“Then restrict entry.”

"I can't do it. These people are coming for Loulan. How can I turn them away?"

Faced with the cruel solution proposed by the Shamen, the city lord shook his head and refused.

Most of the people who come to join Loulan now are sand people living in the desert. They have lived a wandering life for generations and have no savings. They usually make a living by providing simple labor.

Their joining did not bring Loulan the expected economic benefits, but instead became a burden to the city's development.

But the Lord of Loulan City was a generous man. He could not bear to see these sand people who came from afar become displaced, so he opened the city gates to let them settle down.

However, with the influx of more and more refugees, Loulan's already limited space was squeezed again, and it had no choice but to grit its teeth and carry out large-scale expansion projects. The special funding from the daimyo was not enough to fill this gap, and people in Loulan had to tighten their belts to get by.

"Blame me."

The monk looked at the exhausted Lord of Loulan and said with some self-blame,

"It has nothing to do with you."

"No, it's all my fault. If it weren't for those oases, Loulan would still be that peaceful border town."

Blaming all the mistakes in front of him on the oasis planted by Senju Hashirama, Shamon shook his head with a bitter look.
"Nonsense! Oasis is the place that every Wind Country citizen desires to live in. How can you put the blame on Oasis?"

I thought the monk had some brilliant ideas, but I didn't expect him to have such narrow-minded thoughts. The city lord was immediately furious and asked with a very serious expression,
"But."

"Don't say but. If you still care about your fellow countrymen, then give Loulan some more money."

Seeing that Shamen seemed to be hesitant to speak, the city lord waved his hand to stop him from speaking, then showed a mercenary expression.

"The Sand Village doesn't have any extra food~"

Unexpectedly, his old friend would morally blackmail him. Shamon showed a very embarrassed expression. Although he was the Kazekage, the financial power of the village was still in the hands of the retired emperor Reito.

Moreover, the village’s funds are all used to strengthen the military and protect the Kingdom of Wind, and there is no money to help Loulan.

"Forget it. I think you are still as unreliable as before. If you don't have money, you can at least help out a little."

The city lord's previous request for money was just a joke. Seeing the unpleasant-looking monk, he immediately changed his mind.

You said you were here, so why not leave something behind?
"I'm just passing by. I have some government affairs to attend to in the village~"

"Get out of here!"

"No! The winter solstice is coming soon. I kind of miss the dumplings my sister-in-law made~"

"Sure enough, you bald guy is still a thief!"

Looking at Shamen's despicable expression, the city lord was so angry that his fists hardened and he wished he could chop a hole in his bald head.

"Haha, just kidding. I'll be leaving soon."

Seeing that the city lord was ready to fight, Shamen laughed from the bottom of his heart, then waved his hand, indicating that he didn't have much time left.

"Forehead?"

The city lord was stunned when he heard this, and an inexplicable look flashed across his face.
"It's not too late to stay and have a quick meal before leaving. Besides, don't you want to go and take a look at the dragon vein?"

"It's not too late to save the meal for the New Year. As for the dragon vein..." Faced with his friend's request to stay, the monk, who had a heavy responsibility on his shoulders, reluctantly refused. When the dragon vein was mentioned, he seemed to be thinking about something. He touched his chest and added in an inexplicable tone,
".It's always been with me."

Outside Loulan City
The cloaked monk walked with the city lord. Along the way, they saw many sand people with pale faces and thin bodies but bright eyes. They brought their families and their only assets and walked towards Loulan without hesitation.

The sand people of the Kingdom of Wind have been searching for an oasis throughout their lives, and Loulan, an oasis full of oases, is the most sacred place in their hearts.

"I'll find a way."

The monk who had been silent all the way suddenly spoke at the time of parting.
"No, just be your Fengying and don't embarrass the Loulan people."

The city lord felt relieved when he saw the determined monk, but he still shook his head and refused.

But we can't let Shamon become a corrupt official in the Sand Village because of them. The village has finally produced a talented person, and we can't let him go astray.

"Ah~"

The monk sighed, looked at the yellow sand under his feet, and suddenly had an absurd idea:
It would be great if my magnetic escape technique could control gold dust~
"Don't sigh, you were once a mighty general of Loulan, show your general's aura!"

"General is such a nostalgic title."

Hearing the familiar yet unfamiliar job title, Shamen was somewhat dazed. He looked past his friend and settled on Loulan, which was surrounded by lush greenery. His gaze gradually changed from confusion to determination.

"Yes, I am the general who protects everything. The Dragon Vein, Loulan, the Hidden Sand Village, and the Kingdom of Wind will all be protected by me!"

tick~
tick~
"Am I dead?"

In the deep darkness, the monk opened his eyes with difficulty, looking at the pitch-dark space in front of him. He subconsciously thought that he had fallen into the Pure Land, waiting for the six reincarnations.

"Hehehe, bald guy, I didn't expect you to be so brave!"

Suddenly, a familiar shrill voice sounded in his ears, pulling his consciousness back a little. The monk turned his head and found a pair of copper coin-like "lanterns" in the darkness.
"I'm sorry Shukaku, I made you die with me, but you should be able to be resurrected. Remember to find a more reliable partner next time."

Recognizing the mocking light emanating from the "lantern", the monk shook his head bitterly, with a sincere apology in his tone.
"."

"idiot."

Shamon's unexpected remarks made Shukaku, who had accumulated a lot of trash talk, feel a little at a loss. After holding it in for a long time, he uttered a word with very little lethality.

"You are right. It is indeed an idiot. The opponent is Uchiha Madara, and it is Uchiha Madara who has merged with the Nine-Tails. How dare I do that?"

Recalling his last heroic act before his death, Shamen sighed with some regret, but there was no regret on his face.
At least he dared to face it.

"I don't like what you said. Do you mean that I am not as good as that stinky fox?"

Shukaku, who had become taciturn, suddenly shouted excitedly after hearing Shamon's mumbling,
"I didn't mean that."

"That's what you mean!"

"I didn't. Okay, that's what I meant, but it's not your fault. It's normal to be timid when facing an opponent stronger than you."

The monk, who was about to explain, suddenly remembered that he had already done it, so he decided not to continue being polite with Shukaku and started to tell the truth.

"Who said that stinky fox is better than me? I'm just worried."

Shukaku was so angry when he heard that, he actually dared to say that he was afraid of that stinky fox Nine-Tails. If it weren't for Indra's consciousness chakra, he would have fought with Nine-Tails long ago.

"Okay, okay, now it's too late to say anything. Thank you for coming to see me off. We'll meet again if we're lucky."

Facing the furious Shukaku, Shamon showed a carefree smile on his face. He waved to the fat raccoon cat who had been his partner for many years, and waited patiently for the gate to the Pure Land to open.

"Idiot! Idiot! Idiot! You idiot baldhead! I'm so annoyed!"

Looking at the relieved Samon, Shukaku suddenly became irritable. He felt a throbbing in his chakra source, and an inexplicable emotion grew in his heart.

"By the way, when you are resurrected, please take a look at Loulan on my behalf. I hope everyone can live a better life."

"Idiot, you need to see it for yourself!"

Shukaku gritted his teeth, staring at Shamon with his copper-coin eyes, but his voice lost some of its former brutality.

"what?"

"Roar!"

Just as Shamen was wondering, a deafening dragon roar suddenly sounded behind him, and the darkness around him was gradually dispelled by the purple light.

"Dragon vein?"

Turning around hesitantly, Shamen saw a familiar dragon, which was the embodiment of the dragon vein power that their clan had guarded for generations.

"Bald guy, even though you look dead, you're not dead yet. This guy pulled you in at the last moment."

Shukaku regained his composure and served as a commentator beside Shamon. Pointing at the dragon vein that exuded a mysterious aura, he continued,
"This guy has a very important background. You are lucky to have found a treasure."

The power of the dragon veins was bred from the residual power at the roots after the Six Paths Sage uprooted the sacred tree. It not only has chakra comparable to the tailed beasts, but also has the magical ability to reverse time and space.

"You mean, I'm still alive?"

The monk looked at his translucent body and scratched his bald head in confusion.

"Just barely survive, but."

Shukaku shook his head. The Shamon outside was about to be killed by Uchiha Madara, but the dragon vein pulled him into a different space out of time at the moment before his death, which allowed the two of them to have a brief communication.

"But what?"

"You will still die if you go back. That red-eyed guy was infected by the Nine-Tailed Fox's malice and didn't hold back when he attacked."

"Ah this."

Shamen now knows his current situation. Longmai only gave him time to tell his last words. It was really considerate.
"Roar!"

The dragon vein roared again. Shamen felt something in his heart. He looked at the giant dragon staring at him, and his tone was a little unpredictable.

"You want me to try again?"

The giant dragon formed by chakra nodded.
Although it is just a ball of chakra, it has developed a simple mind after years of baptism. The dragon clan has been guarding it for thousands of years, and the dragon vein has always been watching it. Naturally, they will not ignore the life and death of Shamon.

"Thank you so much."

The monk excitedly stepped forward and bowed deeply to the dragon vein he had worshipped for many years.

This scene, which fell on Shukaku seriously, immediately made this petty raccoon cat feel extremely unbalanced.

"Hmph~ With just this, you'll probably be eliminated in the first round of the second round."

With a cold snort, Shukaku curled his lips in disdain.
"What do you mean, you raccoon cat? Stop slandering Lord Longmai."

"Huh? You call it Lord Dragon Vein, and you call me your raccoon cat?"

Shukaku pointed at himself indignantly, with a look of grievance in his eyes, which made Shamon very confused.
"What exactly do you want to express?"

The monk, who didn't want to spend time trying to figure out the thoughts of a raccoon cat, went straight to the point.
"If you call me Lord Shukaku and kowtow to me a few times, I might be able to help you~"

Shukaku crossed his paws across his chest, with a haughty expression on his face.

"hehe."

The monk had long lost trust in this two-faced raccoon cat, and he sneered twice and said nothing more. Then he turned around and said respectfully to the dragon vein,
"Lord Longmai, I'm ready!"

Longmai nodded, and the strength in his body began to condense.
"Ah! Wait! Just kowtow once, just one kowtow will be fine, right?"

After waiting for a long time, Shukaku did not receive the monk's three bows and nine kowtows. He looked at the monk in astonishment as he was about to receive the dragon's power, and quickly lowered the conditions.

"Haha~"

"No, just show your appreciation!"

"."

Shamon turned his head away, not giving Shukaku any face.
"Ah! You bald guy, you should at least say something soft, right?"

"The moment you pretended to be dead, we had nothing to say to each other."

"what?"

It seems that Shamon is still holding a grudge against Shukaku for abandoning him.

"Well"

Shukaku looked at Shamon who was about to merge with the dragon vein, gritted his teeth, and spoke with difficulty,

"Is it okay for me to apologize to you?"

"Oh?"

Shamon turned around in surprise, looking at Shukaku, who had a look of grievance on his face, and made a puzzled sound.
"I'm sorry! I shouldn't have run away. No matter who he is, I'll help you beat him!"

The deafening sound echoed throughout the space. Shukaku's words made Shamon smile. Looking at this big raccoon cat, who was sarcastic but had a simple mind, he slowly raised his hand.
"Let's go! Let's get revenge!"

"Damn bald guy, were you kidding me just now?"

"That's right. Who told you to sell out your teammates at the critical moment?"

"Roar!"

After the man and the beast came to understand each other, the dragon vein's urging voice sounded again. Shamon and Shukaku looked at each other, their eyes filled with surging fighting spirit.

"Since the power of a ninja cannot defeat him, I will challenge him again as a general."

"Stinky fox! Don't think you can do whatever you want just because you're with a big shot. You mock me? I'll let you see who the real Tailed Beast King is!"

"Roar!"

"Our theme this time is revenge!"

Shamon, Shukaku, and Ryumai stood together. With the same belief, they transformed into three rays of light that began to intertwine and blend, eventually turning into darkness as deep as the space, and disappeared on the spot.

【Avenge】(End of this chapter)