bookrebus Chapter 776 Elder
Chapter 776 Elder
"Elder Chiyo, Sasori." Kazekage's voice carried a hint of heaviness, breaking the warmth of the grandmother and grandson's reunion. "Indeed, I bear some responsibility for this matter. I am deeply sorry for the enormous losses the village has suffered over the years."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over each of the Sand Ninja present: "However, the reasons are too complicated to explain here. I propose that we convene a high-level meeting immediately, at which time I will give you all a detailed explanation. At the same time, I hope you can listen to my explanation and understand my predicament."
Grandma Chiyo snapped out of her reverie at the joy of reuniting with her grandson. Wiping away her tears, she looked at Kazekage and Sasori standing side-by-side, her heart overflowing with the happiness of something lost and then regained. With Kazekage and Sasori returning together, many of her previous doubts were swept away by this immense joy and temporarily forgotten. She didn't even notice that behind Kazekage and Sasori stood another person, also cloaked and completely concealed.
"Okay, okay! We'll do as Lord Kazekage says!" Granny Chiyo nodded repeatedly, excitedly.
Around the massive round table in the Sunagakure council hall, all of the village's core leadership had gathered. Members of the elders' council, Jonin class leaders, and heads of various important departments were all present. All eyes were fixed on the Third Kazekage at the far end of the table, who had just returned from his "disappearance."
The atmosphere in the meeting room was unusually heavy, so oppressive that it was almost suffocating.
"Kazekage-sama!"
Suddenly, a hot-tempered elder slammed his hand on the table, the loud noise echoing in the quiet conference room, making everyone's eardrums ache.
"Do you know how much damage your disappearance has caused the village over the years?! During the Second Shinobi World War, our Sunagakure suffered heavy losses, and you, as the Kazekage, so recklessly disappeared, disregarding the safety of the village! Where do you place the village?!"
The elder's rebuke boomed like thunder, his face flushed with anger, clearly harboring resentment over Feng Ying's "disappearance" for a long time. While the other elders weren't as agitated, their eyes also held varying degrees of doubt and dissatisfaction.
As Feng Ying listened to the elder's reprimand, he slowly stood up, his gaze sweeping over everyone present. A pained expression appeared on his face, and his tone was filled with regret and helplessness.
"Elders, colleagues," Fengying's voice was slightly hoarse, yet exceptionally sincere. "I know the doubts and dissatisfaction in your hearts. I've already heard a general account from Scorpion of everything the village has suffered over the years. I admit that this disappearance was indeed my mistake; I have failed your trust. But..."
He paused, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes: "My disappearance was not my intention; it was a sudden and unavoidable situation."
He took a deep breath, seemingly to calm his excitement: "However, before revealing the truth about my 'disappearance,' I would like to introduce you to a very important person."
As he spoke, Feng Ying turned to the side, stretched out his hand, and pointed to the masked man who had been standing behind him.
"This is the distinguished guest who has returned with me. Please, Your Majesty, lift your veil."
All eyes of the higher-ups then turned to the masked woman who had been standing behind Feng Ying, unnoticed by everyone else. They speculated about her identity and looked at her with curiosity.
Upon hearing Fengying's instruction, Mabuyi slowly raised her hand, her slender fingers gently lifting the thin veil covering her face. Then, she slowly removed her cloak.
In an instant, everyone's eyes were focused on her.
As the cloak slipped away, Mabui's true face was fully revealed to everyone. She wore a creamy-white long dress that accentuated her healthy dark skin, adding to her elegance and nobility. The gold patterns on the hem of the dress shimmered subtly under the conference room lights. Her hair flowed smoothly over her shoulders, her features were exquisite, and her aura was extraordinary. She was no longer the ordinary Sunagakure medical ninja Mabui, but a true, noble queen.
Whispers immediately filled the conference room.
"Who is this……"
"Who is she? How could she return with Lord Fengying and Lord Sasori?"
"Judging by her attire, could she be the queen of some country?"
"What does her appearance have to do with Lord Kazekage's disappearance?"
Various speculations and questions spread among the crowd, and all eyes were curiously and scrutinizing Mabuyi.
Just then, Scorpion stepped forward. His voice carried a hint of respect, yet it drew everyone's attention perfectly.
"Elders, colleagues. This is the queen of the ancient kingdom of Loulan, a forgotten site in Sunagakure."
The moment Scorpion spoke, the conference room fell into a deathly silence. Shock rippled across the faces of all the high-ranking officials; they exchanged disbelief. The ancient Loulan Kingdom? Wasn't that a legendary existence?
Scorpion continued, “Several years ago, during a mission, I accidentally discovered that some ambitious rogue ninja had infiltrated the ancient kingdom of Loulan. Because the situation was urgent and I knew the danger of rogue ninja, I immediately informed Lord Kazekage. At that time, the situation was critical, and Lord Kazekage and I did not have time to explain to the village, so we went together to try to stop the rogue ninja’s plot.”
"However, we were trapped in the ruins of Loulan. The ruins were full of traps and ancient forbidden barriers. It took us a lot of effort to escape until recently."
Although Scorpion's explanation was reasonable, the higher-ups were shocked and immediately raised questions.
“The ancient kingdom of Loulan…this is too shocking.” An elder frowned, his tone filled with deep doubt. “Even if it’s a ruin, it’s impossible for it to have trapped Lord Fengying and Lord Xie for so long, is it?”
The elders' questioning echoed in the conference room, making the atmosphere tense once again. Faced with the questions, Feng Ying remained calm. He took a deep breath and continued to explain in a heavy tone.
"Elders, you may not know this, but the ancient kingdom of Loulan is no ordinary relic. It truly exists, and within it lies an extremely powerful force—the legendary 'Dragon Vein'."
"We were initially trapped because those rogue ninjas stole the power of the Dragon Vein. Their strength increased dramatically as a result, and even if Sasori and I joined forces, we couldn't defeat them on our own."
The Kazekage's words shocked the high-ranking officials present once again. A dragon vein? That was a legendary power, and it actually existed in some ruin in Sunagakure!
“What’s worse,” a sinister glint flashed in the Kazekage’s eyes, “is that while we were locked in battle with the rogue ninja, Konoha ninjas also infiltrated the Loulan Ruins. They took advantage of the chaos to sneak in, clearly hoping to reap the benefits and seize the Dragon Vein!”