Land of Wind.
The howling wind stirred up endless yellow sand, like sweeping curtains blocking out the sun hanging in the sky, making the midday sun resemble the twilight of dusk.
Walking along the winding dunes, Scorpion's handsome face under his cloak was shadowed with gloom, as if it could drip water.
He scanned the distance, his brows furrowing slightly. "Another dead end?"
For the past ten days, he had searched through every major town, black market, and oasis along the trade routes in the Land of Wind. Yet, there was nothing—Hyuga Kagami had vanished as if into thin air.
Ever since uncovering Hyuga Kagami's identity, Scorpion had been plotting his revenge.
But as a Konoha Anbu directly under the Hokage, Hyuga Kagami was elusive—either holed up in the village or on highly classified missions. Tracking him had proven nearly impossible.
This time, after finally receiving a tip from a black market informant, Scorpion had rushed all the way back from the Land of Water to the Land of Wind, hoping to reclaim his dignity. But still, he had come up empty-handed.
"Consider yourself lucky."
Letting out a cold snort, Scorpion pulled his cloak tighter around himself and began walking toward the Land of Rain...
Within the borders of the Land of Fire, deep in a forest—
Hyuga Kagami descended from the sky, deactivating his Tenseigan Chakra Mode. He leaned against a tree, breathing heavily.
Maintaining the Third Kazekage human puppet, far away in the Land of Wind, had drained much of his chakra. With only a small reserve left, he could barely sustain the Tenseigan Chakra Mode for four to five minutes, when he could previously maintain it for ten.
Thus, every time he activated the mode, he was forced to stop and rest afterward.
Thankfully, the flight speed of the Tenseigan Chakra Mode was incredibly fast. Otherwise, with all the stopping and starting, he might've been faster just walking.
After chewing a military ration pill, Hyuga Kagami spread out a map on the ground and examined it closely.
It had been two full days since he slipped out of the village. According to his plan, within another day, he would pass through the forest and enter the Land of Rivers.
The journey had taken longer primarily because of the extremely remote route he had chosen.
The entire way had been either endless dense forests or unbroken mountain ranges, and even included cliffs, ravines, and marshy valleys.
Choosing such a remote path had been a necessary precaution.
The Tenseigan Chakra Mode was too eye-catching. Taking a more common route risked detection by Konoha's sensor-type ninja stationed throughout the Land of Fire.
A few days later, Hyuga Kagami finally crossed the Land of Rivers and entered the sand-laden Land of Wind.
He didn't immediately press on, instead pausing to sense the location of the Third Kazekage human puppet.
Moments later, he opened his eyes and frowned. "That far, huh?"
Through his sensing, he found the Third Kazekage puppet—currently tailing the caravan of Roran refugees—was about 200 kilometers away.
He reopened the map and marked a small dot.
That dot represented the position of the Roran refugee caravan. Then, he scanned the surrounding area, finally settling his eyes on a place labeled "Manto Oasis."
He circled the oasis with his pen, thinking, "That must be their destination."
The Manto Oasis was one of the larger oases in the Land of Wind. Judging by the migration patterns of the Roran refugees in search of grazing land, it was likely their next stop.
Thus, Hyuga Kagami didn't need to chase the caravan. He could simply wait at the Manto Oasis.
Having decided, he packed up the map and once again activated the Tenseigan Chakra Mode, flying swiftly toward Manto Oasis at low altitude, skimming just above the ground.
Two more days passed.
Hyuga Kagami finally arrived at Manto Oasis and successfully located the Roran refugee caravan.
Instead of immediately approaching the Queen of Roran, he first sealed away the Third Kazekage puppet into a scroll, restoring himself to peak condition.
Then he changed into a black cloak and put on a demon-faced mask he had bought while traveling through the Land of Wind. Finally, he patiently waited for nightfall.
Hours later, the sun set and the moon rose.
Campfires began to dot the refugee camp, and the Roran people gathered in small groups, enjoying a rare moment of peace.
The Queen of Roran wasn't among them. She sat alone inside her tent, cradling a baby and humming a lullaby.
Using the cover of darkness, Hyuga Kagami silently infiltrated her tent and softly said to the distracted queen, "What are you thinking about?"
Startled, the Queen of Roran tightened her hold on the child and backed into a corner. Eyes wary, she asked, "Who are you?!"
Hyuga Kagami said calmly, "No need to be so nervous. I'm here to make a deal with you."
"A deal?" she asked, puzzled.
The refugee caravan had little of value beyond some livestock, so the queen didn't lower her guard.
She also didn't cry out, fully aware that anyone who could sneak into her tent unnoticed had to be a ninja.
If the intruder was a ninja, the other refugees outside wouldn't be able to help. Crying out would only put them in danger.
Hyuga Kagami nodded. "Yes, a deal."
Just as the Queen was about to speak again, her anxiety triggered a coughing fit. It took her quite some time to settle down.
Seeing her cough up blood, Hyuga Kagami silently activated his Byakugan and scanned her body. He was surprised to find her chakra pathways clogged and her blood flow disrupted—she was clearly suffering from a serious illness.
He frowned. "You're very ill."
Catching her breath, the Queen of Roran weakly replied, "I... I know."
Glancing around her spartan tent, Hyuga Kagami said, "If you don't get treatment soon, you probably won't live more than a few years."
She didn't respond to that, instead asking seriously, "Who are you, really? What do you want?"
"Like I said, I'm here for a deal."
She shook her head. "I have nothing to offer."
"No, you possess something priceless." He paused, then smiled. "Though to you and your people, it's probably useless."
The Queen of Roran suddenly understood. She looked at the masked man and asked, "You're after the power of the Dragon Vein, aren't you?"