"Do you have a daughter?"
Hearing Kakuzu's question, Sāra's eyes widened in disbelief. She stomped her foot, turned her head away, and refused to acknowledge him any further.
Not long after, another crazed voice rang out.
"Yo-ho~"
Hidan arrived, glancing at Kakuzu and then at Sāra. Finally, his gaze settled on her.
"Are there any living people around here? I need to kill a couple as an offering to my Jashin-sama."
A vein popped on Sāra's forehead, a sign of her growing fury.
"Perverts!" That was her final assessment of Kakuzu and Hidan before she quickly ran off.
After escaping from the underground drainage system and returning to her palace, Sāra felt an overwhelming urge to cry. She had barely survived a life-or-death situation, only to run into two lunatics.
Seriously, who else would understand this kind of experience?
Before she even had time to properly process everything, a minister suddenly reported from outside.
"Your Majesty, Lord Anrokuzan requests an audience."
Hearing that name, Sāra's heart tightened. She bit her lip but quickly composed herself.
"Let him in."
Although she tried to maintain a calm facade, when Anrokuzan entered, his tall, imposing figure and solemn expression made her instinctively clench her small fists. To be honest, she was terrified.
Anrokuzan glanced at her before letting out a cold snort.
"Your Majesty, where were you today?"
"Let's not talk about that right now. When I fell from the high platform earlier, someone deliberately pushed me. Did you see who tried to harm me?" Sāra attempted to steer the conversation away, but the cunning Anrokuzan wasn't going to let her off so easily.
"Your Majesty, answer my question directly. Where exactly were you today?"
"I…"
Seeing Sāra struggle to answer, Anrokuzan's lips curled into a sinister smirk. He took a step forward, gradually closing the distance between them, his eyes flickering with an unreadable glint.
Sāra clenched her fists, a drop of sweat sliding down the back of her neck. Ever since she became aware of Anrokuzan's ambitions, she felt her throne becoming increasingly precarious.
More importantly, in this world, she had discovered a hidden power—one that Anrokuzan coveted above all else.
"Anrokuzan, what are you trying to do? I am the Queen of Roran! Why do you keep acting on your own, ignoring my orders?"
Despite her fear, Sāra mustered the courage to speak up. But she knew that at this point, her authority likely meant nothing to Anrokuzan.
"Heh, Your Majesty, you misunderstand. I merely wish to examine you, to see if there's anything unusual about your condition. It will be quick…"
As he spoke, Anrokuzan reached out toward Sāra, who let out a terrified scream.
At that moment, a pair of iron fists descended from above, slamming into Anrokuzan's head with devastating force. His body shattered into countless wooden fragments, scattering across the floor.
Crack—
The remains looked like nothing more than a pile of broken puppets.
"Kakuzu… have you been following me this whole time?"
Sāra, still seated, looked up at Kakuzu's impassive eyes, feeling somewhat overwhelmed. This was the second time today that he had saved her.
Kakuzu simply smirked and said, "Have you finally seen your enemy clearly?"
Sāra bit her lip and nodded.
"Anrokuzan came here for the power of the Ryumyaku. The Ryumyaku flows beneath our city's depths. If he manages to harness it, it could grant him unimaginable strength."
Now that Sāra understood Anrokuzan's motives, Kakuzu saw no need to press further. Just then, Hidan jumped down from the rooftop, clicking his tongue in irritation as he tossed a few wooden chunks onto the ground.
"Oi, oi, oi! Is your entire kingdom just you? I went through the streets and didn't find a single living person! Everything is just a bunch of wooden puppets."
Kakuzu remained silent. These so-called "wooden chunks" were, of course, the remnants of puppetry techniques.
But Sāra, upon seeing them, abruptly shot up from her seat, eyes wide with shock.
Among those scattered puppet fragments, she recognized one that had been specially crafted in her likeness.
It was clear now—Anrokuzan's true intention was to turn Sāra into a puppet, seizing control of the entire ancient Kingdom of Roran.
Sāra slumped back into her seat, her expression uncertain. If that was truly the case, the disaster wouldn't just befall her alone. The entire Roran Kingdom would be doomed.
Kakuzu's voice broke the silence.
"Alright, now tell us everything you know."
Sāra hesitated, glancing at him. He was an outsider, and under normal circumstances, she wouldn't have placed her trust in him so easily. But right now, she had no other choice.
After a brief moment of contemplation, she finally nodded, her gaze firming with determination.
Once she had finished explaining everything, she looked at Kakuzu with a hint of pleading in her eyes.
"Kakuzu, I know this might be a lot to ask, but… can I request your help?"
Before Kakuzu could respond, Hidan waved his scythe excitedly.
"Hahahaha! Now that you mention it, I'm actually curious about what Anrokuzan's blood tastes like. Do you think Jashin-sama would appreciate such an offering?"
As he spoke, Hidan licked his dry lips with an unsettling smile.
Kakuzu, however, simply shook his head.
"No."
"…Why?"
Sāra stood up in disbelief, but her expression soon dimmed. She realized that Kakuzu and Hidan were outsiders. Why would they have any obligation to help her?
"I understand…"
She sat back down in disappointment.
Kakuzu, however, stared at her intently and continued, "You haven't told us everything. Until you do, we won't help."
"Oi, Kakuzu, I haven't killed anyone in months! You can't just—"
"Shut up."
Sāra hesitated, uncertainty flashing in her eyes. She had already revealed everything she knew—hadn't she?
The Roran Kingdom was built upon a single source of power: the Ryumyaku. It was the foundation of the nation and the source of all strength. Once, she had overheard Anrokuzan muttering to himself, boasting that the Ryumyaku's power was limitless. He planned to use it to dominate the world.
But Sāra couldn't understand. She had already told them about the Ryumyaku. Why did Kakuzu still think she was withholding something?
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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