"Where exactly are we? How did we end up in a place like this?"
Standing in front of a modern-style high-rise building, Naruto's eyes widened in shock, his expression utterly dumbfounded.
Beside him were Sakura, Sai, and Yamato, who served as the new captain of Team 7.
The four stood frozen, looking somewhat out of place among the pedestrians in front of them.
Everyone passing by stared at them with curious gazes, as if they were observing rare animals.
"Is this a spatial displacement ninjutsu formation? Seriously, we were all transported here instantly… And the architectural style here is completely different from the Five Great Nations. Captain Yamato, do you know this place?"
Sakura observed everything in front of her, asking in a low voice.
"It doesn't feel like something from our era at all—it's too prosperous… If the ninja world had a city this thriving, it should be famous, but I've never seen or heard of it. It's really strange."
Yamato shook his head with a serious expression, his right hand unconsciously supporting his chin, showing a thoughtful look.
Sai's eyes flickered slightly, as if pondering something.
"Hey! You guys! Are you cosplaying? Look at those headbands—they're from Konoha in the ninja village era, right? They're so well-made."
Just as the four were quietly discussing and thinking, a short-haired brunette girl wearing a short skirt and knee-high stockings approached with a smile. She tilted her head and greeted them warmly.
"Cosplay? Ninja village era? What… do you mean?"
Naruto looked at the girl in confusion.
"Sorry, we don't quite understand what you're saying. We are indeed Konoha ninja, and under the Hokage's orders, we're pursuing a fugitive named Mukade, whose real name is Anrokuzan. He looks really sleazy."
Sakura spoke politely.
"Huh? Hokage's orders? Pursuing a fugitive? You guys are really into your roles. Alright! Alright! In that case, I'm now a guard of the Shinobi Empire! How can I assist you?"
The brunette girl looked at the four, initially surprised, then spoke with a bright smile.
"Shinobi Empire? That's the name of this place? It looks way more prosperous than our Konoha—pretty awesome!"
Naruto grinned widely, giving the girl a thumbs-up.
"Of course! The Shinobi Empire was founded by the perfect and almighty Shinobi Emperor, who cleansed the ninja villages and unified the world. But speaking of prosperity, this place is far from it! Roran is just an ancient city, more like a tourist spot. It's not a major city."
The brunette added.
The information spilling from her mouth left Naruto and the others increasingly confused.
Cleansing the ninja villages, unifying the world, and founding an empire?
Is this Roran? Wasn't Roran an ancient kingdom? Why did this girl call it an ancient city? A tourist spot?
"Sorry, we're a bit unclear about what you mean. Cleansing the ninja villages, unifying the world, and founding an empire? Could you explain in more detail what that means?"
Yamato took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm.
"Haha? Testing my history knowledge? Well, you've come to the right person! I'm an elite student from Oasis Academy, Matsuri! Historical trivia like this is a piece of cake for me! Listen up! The Shinobi Empire was founded by the legendary Shinobi Emperor, Senju Ryuji, 22 years ago."
"Twenty-two years ago, it was a foolish, poor, backward era full of war and killing, called the Ninja Village Era. The ninja in the ninja villages mastered ninjutsu, possessing power far beyond ordinary humans. But they only knew how to kill and destroy, causing the entire world to suffer years of war wounds, making common people miserable, losing families, and living in despair."
"The great Shinobi Emperor couldn't tolerate this cruel, foolish, and backward era, especially seeing ordinary villagers starve and young children step onto battlefields to be mercilessly killed."
"So, with his immense power, using Konoha in the Land of Fire as his foundation, he launched the Unification War against the Four Great Ninja Villages. With unstoppable might, he defeated all rebels and ultimately achieved unification…"
Naruto and his three teammates' mouths gaped wider as they listened.
What exactly was this girl talking about?
What's this about 22 years ago?
What's this about Senju Ryuji cleansing the ninja villages and achieving unification? Was this girl sure her brain was functioning properly?
The Five Great Nations and Five Great Ninja Villages clearly still existed.
They had just been chasing the fugitive Mukade under the Hokage's orders not long ago. How could this girl claim the ninja villages were long gone?
The brunette paid no mind to their expressions, continuing to speak enthusiastically, growing more excited until she suddenly pointed into the distance.
There stood a statue at least thirty or forty meters tall.
The statue depicted a man with messy hair, bare-chested, his exposed body appearing incredibly strong. Even the carved eyes radiated a sharp aura.
His gaze looked far into the distance, as if everything in the world was under his dominion.
"Oh! Great Shinobi Emperor! Please bless me so that after graduating from Oasis Academy, I can go to the capital and join the Imperial Guard! Then I can better serve the empire!"
The girl stopped her story, closed her eyes, clasped her hands, and prayed devoutly toward the statue.
Her expression was full of reverence and admiration.
Looking around carefully, they noticed a few others also praying from a distance toward the statue.
Naruto and his three teammates exchanged glances, and at Yamato's signal, they quickly left.
After reaching a quiet alley, Naruto clutched his head, his face showing pain, and said, "Captain Yamato, Sai, Sakura! What was that girl talking about? I didn't understand a single word!"
"I don't get it either. Something feels off here." Sakura said.
"Let's split up to gather information and meet back here in one hour." Yamato thought for a moment before saying.
The four dispersed and regrouped an hour later.
After exchanging information, their expressions were even grimmer than an hour earlier.
"It's now certain that everyone here believes Senju Ryuji cleansed the ninja villages and unified the world." Yamato said.
"How did it come to this? Are all the people here under a genjutsu? Why would they believe something so absurd? Konoha and the other five great ninja villages clearly still exist." Naruto asked, bewildered.
"Whether it's genjutsu or not, I don't know, but this place is indeed very strange. What's even stranger is that the people here say this is the ancient city of Roran."
"That's impossible. The ancient city of Roran has long been ruins, with deserts and remnants of destroyed buildings everywhere. It's completely different from this place. Even setting the city aside, this place is full of lush greenery, even denser than Konoha."
"It has nothing to do with a desert! How could this be Roran!" Sakura said calmly.
"So, could it be us who are under a genjutsu?" Sai said, startling them.
"Ah! That's totally possible! Kai!"
Naruto's eyes lit up, and he formed a release seal with his hands, but nothing changed around them.
"Kai! Kai! Kai! Why can't I dispel it!" Naruto shouted anxiously.
*WHAM!*
"Idiot! Because we're not under a genjutsu at all!"
Naruto was met with Sakura's fist!
"Ouch! That hurts! Okay, this definitely isn't a genjutsu! In a genjutsu, Sakura's punch wouldn't hurt this bad!"
Naruto clutched the growing lump on his head, yelling.
*WHAM!*
"Idiot!"
"So, it's not us under a genjutsu—it's everyone here who's under one! We have to save them!"
Naruto suddenly said firmly, still holding his head.
"These people are indeed very strange, but they don't seem like they're under a genjutsu. I think we should head to the Ryuumyaku to check the situation. If there really is a Ryuumyaku here, it might confirm that this place could indeed be Roran."
"If that's the case, the information we gathered earlier…"
Yamato trailed off at the end, but the implication of his words was clear to everyone.