Inside the abandoned tower.
Sara looked at Yuzuru Uchiha, Obito, and the others. "Who are you, and why have you come to Rōran?"
Obito immediately replied, "We're ninja from the Hidden Cloud Village. We came here because of your request."
"Request?" Sara frowned. "But I never sent any request."
Scratching his head, Obito said, "That, I'm not sure about. Our mission is to investigate the cause of the former queen's death and the strange disappearance of Rōran's citizens."
Because Sara was the new queen of Rōran, Obito didn't bother hiding the mission's purpose.
"By the way, how did you suddenly fall from the tower just now?"
Sara thought for a moment before replying uncertainly, "I felt someone push me, and then the window shattered."
"That's it!" Obito said excitedly. "Whoever was behind you at that moment must be the murderer responsible for the queen's death and the disappearance of the citizens!"
But to Obito's surprise, Sara's expression darkened. "Impossible. Anrokuzan has always been loyal to Rōran. My mother trusted him completely. Without him, Rōran wouldn't be what it is today."
"And you saw it yourself—my citizens are still cheering for me. They're nothing like what you're describing."
Obito frowned. "Then how do you explain our mission? And didn't you just say someone pushed you from the tower?"
Sara stood up coldly. "No matter what you say, I don't trust you. I'll ask Anrokuzan myself."
With that, she ran off.
Obito, Kakashi, and Shisui were left dumbfounded.
'This woman doesn't listen to reason at all…'
Only Yuzuru looked unsurprised.
To Sara, Anrokuzan was a hero of Rōran, the one who had worked tirelessly for its prosperity. It was the sudden arrival of strangers like them that seemed untrustworthy.
"Yuzuru, what do we do now?" Obito asked.
Yuzuru shrugged. "Decide for yourselves."
Kakashi's expression hardened. "Obito, Shisui, we'll follow her. She's going straight to Anrokuzan."
"Got it!"
The three quickly followed after Sara.
——
——
"Hmph! Those Cloud Village guys make no sense. Anrokuzan isn't that kind of person."
Sara muttered angrily as she hurried through the corridor.
Suddenly, a nearby door opened, and she was pulled inside.
The room was dark. Dozens of masked figures in black glared at her. "Where are our families being held?"
Sara froze, panicked. "What do you mean, your families?"
"So it's true—you really are the Puppet Princess! You don't know anything!"
The leader sighed in disappointment and lowered their weapon.
At that moment, the door burst open from the outside. "Let go of Queen Sara!"
Obito shouted as he rushed in, followed by Shisui and Kakashi.
Seeing the glint of kunai and short blades, the masked figures immediately crouched down with their hands on their heads. "Don't kill us! We mean no harm!"
The lights flickered on, and Sara finally saw them clearly.
None of the black-clad people even carried proper weapons—they didn't look like assassins at all.
Kakashi stepped forward. "Who are you?" he asked sharply.
The masked figures exchanged glances before removing their coverings. The two in front spoke nervously. "My name is Sarai. This is Masako. We're citizens of Rōran."
Sara asked in disbelief, "Then why were you looking for me?"
Sarai answered, "One morning, all of our family members were taken away. We heard they were being forced to make puppets somewhere."
"At first, we thought you might know something. But you really are just what people say—a puppet princess who knows nothing. No wonder nobody likes you."
"Sarai!" Masako interrupted and bowed to Sara. "Forgive her, Lady Sara."
Sara ignored the apology and pressed on. "I've never given such an order! And I'm no puppet princess!"
"You say everyone dislikes me? Then listen carefully!" Sara pointed outside in defiance. "My people are out there cheering for me!"
Masako sighed. "Lady Sara… please come with us."
The group headed outside. Sara hesitated briefly, then followed them, with Obito and the others trailing behind.
Soon, they reached the open square beneath the tower.
Sara pointed ahead at the crowd. "Look! My people are right there, cheering for me!"
Before Masako could respond, Shisui darted forward and slashed several times through the air with his kunai.
In an instant, several "people" collapsed onto the ground.
Dragging one closer, Shisui said, "Queen Sara, these are all puppets. They're being controlled through the chakra flowing inside the pipes."
Sara covered her mouth in shock. "That chakra… it's the power of the Ryūmyaku Vein. How could this be…"
At that moment, the music swelled. Fireworks exploded in the sky, and the cheers grew louder.
Sara looked up—on top of the tower, a puppet identical to her had stepped out, waving gracefully to the crowd.
Sarai looked at her. "Now do you believe us, Lady Sara?"
The truth was undeniable. Sara fell to the ground, her strength gone.
Memories of Anrokuzan filled her mind.
When she was young, he had come to Rōran. Under his guidance, they learned to harness the Ryūmyaku Vein's power, and the people lived happily. Tower after tower rose, turning the desert into a miracle.
After her mother's death, Anrokuzan had stayed by her side, and Rōran continued to flourish.
But now…
What was this nightmare?
"Crying won't solve anything. Anrokuzan's ambition is clear as day," Yuzuru said quietly.
"For your people's sake, you must stand up again."
Sara stared blankly at the hand Yuzuru extended to her, then nodded firmly. "You're right. We have to find the source of the Ryūmyaku Vein—now!"