Naruto: Sasuke Uchiha Returns from Soul Society

This was the variable he least wanted to see in his plan.

With Itachi absent and Orochimaru defecting, the number of high-level personnel available is indeed quite limited.

Especially dealing with that troublesome perfect Jinchūriki from Kumogakure, even he himself would have to put in a lot of effort.

As for that masked man who called himself Uchiha Madara...

A cold glint flashed deep within Pain's Rinnegan. He knew very well that the guy had never been his comrade from the beginning, much less someone he could command.

Moreover, Payne doesn't intend to let Konan leave the village.

Absolutely, he has absolutely no ability to engage in direct combat.

"The meeting is adjourned."

"Each of you, begin your actions."

In the end, Payne did not issue any new orders.

The moment the words fell, those illusory projections vanished silently.

On the other side, in the Land of Wind.

After capturing the One-Tailed Beast, Sasuke and his companions stayed in this desert for several hours.

"Speaking of which..."

Orochimaru broke the silence, asking with a smile, "Sasuke-kun, do you have any particular thoughts about this land?"

Sasuke glanced at him, then looked away, his voice flat.

"Wind, sand, and a village full of waste."

"That's a very direct assessment." Orochimaru chuckled, a hint of amusement flashing in his snake-like eyes. "But Sasuke, don't underestimate this seemingly barren land."

"Legend has it that beneath this sea of ​​sand lies something even more interesting than Sunagakure itself."

"What another boring bedtime story?" A similarly amused voice sounded from Sasuke's shoulder.

"This is no boring story."

Orochimaru shook his head. "It is a source of power, an ancient legend of this land."

"Dragon Vein".

"Dragon Vein?"

“That’s right,” Orochimaru continued to explain, “It is a vein of pure chakra flowing deep underground.”

"Legend has it that it contains inexhaustible chakra, but what's truly interesting..."

Orochimaru paused deliberately, turned his head and stared intently at Sasuke, "It's another of its abilities."

"Legend has it that it also has the ability to influence spacetime."

Sasuke stopped abruptly, turned around, and stared intently at Orochimaru.

"...space-time?"

"It seems Sasuke-kun has finally become interested."

Orochimaru licked his lips and nodded frankly. "That's right. Legend has it that that power can open doors to the past and the future, and even connect to other worlds."

"But then..."

Orochimaru changed the subject, revealing a regretful expression, "That's just a legend after all, since no one has ever seen it with their own eyes."

"Many years ago, the power of the Dragon Vein was completely sealed by the Fourth Hokage, and ordinary people cannot break that sealing technique."

A slight glint appeared in Sasuke's eyes as he asked calmly, "Are there many rumors like this, with a legendary quality, in the ninja world?"

This question caused Orochimaru's smile to fade slightly.

He tilted his head, as if deep in thought, and his tone became low.

"Not many. Although dragon veins are mysterious, their existence is beyond doubt; they are just sealed away."

"But I know another rumor, the origin of which goes back even to the Sage of Six Paths."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised: "Before the Sage of Six Paths?"

Orochimaru nodded, and without keeping them in suspense, began to recount in a hoarse voice: "Legend has it that a demon exists in this world."

"The people of the Land of Demons once used the power of this demon to unleash a calamity that swept across the entire world."

"Is this true?" Yoruichi poked her head out at that moment, staring curiously at Orochimaru.

“I don’t know if that rumor is true.” Orochimaru shook his head. “After all, that period of history is too distant and can no longer be verified.”

He looked at Sasuke and said meaningfully, "However, I believe you know more about that era than I do, Sasuke-kun, don't you?"

"The reason I am so sure about this is because decades ago, there was indeed an army of immortals in the Land of Demons."

"According to the priestess of the Land of Demons at the time, it was a miracle achieved by someone using the power of that sealed demon."

Soon, the group arrived at a ruin filled with rocks and broken walls.

This place was once a prosperous kingdom called Loulan, but now it is just a forgotten corner on the map of the Kingdom of Wind.

According to legend, the dragon vein is located in this place.

"It's already so dilapidated."

Yoruichi jumped off Sasuke's shoulder and walked on a pile of collapsed stone pillars, her eyes curiously looking around.

“When I came here more than 20 years ago, this place didn’t look like this.”

Orochimaru also looked around, his voice tinged with emotion, "Back then, Loulan was arguably the most prosperous region on this land."

He pointed to the four directions of the ruins and explained to Yoruichi the country's geographical location and history of rise and fall.

"Loulan has a very special location. It does not belong to any one country, but it is bordered by four countries."

Yoru instantly understood the meaning and raised an eyebrow: "A neutral free trade zone?"

“That’s right.” Orochimaru nodded, a hint of mockery flashing in his snake eyes. “Because we are weak enough, and because we don’t have our own ninja village, any transactions conducted here will not incur expensive taxes.”

"The accumulation of wealth fostered prosperity. Countless caravans converged here, bringing together specialties and intelligence from various countries, and then from here to every corner of the world."

"Then how did it perish?" Yoruichi asked, puzzled. "According to you, no one would be foolish enough to destroy a place that is beneficial to all countries."

"On the contrary."

Orochimaru let out a hoarse chuckle. "Human desires are always present."

"The reason why Loulan prospered was precisely because it did not belong to any country. Once it belonged to a country, it would lose its value."

“The other three countries cannot be ignored.”

"When peaceful means fail to solve a problem, destruction becomes the best option."

"...What boring logic." Yoruichi curled her lip, disdainful of this low-level political game.

"Compared to those, I'm more interested in that thing you called the Dragon Vein."

She tilted her head, her gaze sweeping across the ruins. "Are you sure it's really down there?"

“Of course.” Orochimaru chuckled hoarsely, his snake eyes flashing with an unusual light. “Although Loulan was destroyed, the power of the dragon vein itself is not so easily erased.”

As he spoke, he walked toward the deepest part of the ruins.

Sasuke didn't speak, silently following behind him.

The three walked through the main road buried by sand and finally stopped in front of a dilapidated tower that was sunken deep underground.

In the very center of the tower, there is a floating platform.

The relentless sandstorms, day and night, seem to have had no effect on this place.

The sealing incantation above is still clear.

In the center of the formation was a slightly raised bulge with a trident kunai inserted on it.

In front of that bulge stood a hunched-over, emaciated man.

He stood in the darkness in front of the bulge, staring at Sasuke: "You don't seem to be Sand Village ninjas."

"Are you from Sunagakure?" Sasuke didn't answer, just stared at him calmly.

"It used to be."

The man seemed to have found someone to confide in, and continued speaking to himself, "My name is Centipede, and I used to be a Jonin in Sunagakure."

"Later, because of some minor research, he was regarded as a heretic by the stubborn old men in the village and was expelled from the village."

He raised his head, his cloudy eyes scanning Sasuke up and down, a hint of greed flashing in them.

"You've come here for the power of the dragon vein, haven't you?"

"I can sense that you are very strong, even stronger than any ninja I've ever seen." The man raised his hand, his tone seductive. "If you weren't a ninja from one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, perhaps we could cooperate?"

"cooperate?"

Sasuke seemed to have heard something interesting and repeated it.

"That's right, cooperation!"

Seeing that Sasuke seemed somewhat interested, the man's voice became even more urgent, "As long as you help me break this damned seal, we can share this powerful force!"

Sasuke drew his long sword from his waist and twirled it in front of him with great flair.

The movements were fluid and graceful, like a dark lotus blooming in the air.

Finally, Indra pointed the tip of his sword at Centipede from afar and spoke softly.

"The word 'cooperation' refers to joint actions taken by entities of equal status, position, and strength to achieve the same goal."

"Didn't Sunagakure teach these things?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than an invisible, terrifying aura erupted from Indra's thin blade.

Sasuke's black robe immediately began to flutter wildly in the wind.

Chapter 182 Seeking the Dao Jade

Upon feeling a terrifying sense of oppression, a look of horror appeared on Centipede's face.