Naruto: From Konoha to One Piece

Two months later.

The ancient kingdom of Roran had transformed into a vast, vibrant oasis, brimming with lush flowers and trees, with a serene, crescent-shaped lake at its heart.

The residents of Roran, who had initially left, had returned. Despite the absence of dragon vein energy, the now-thriving environment protected Roran from the erosion of desert winds and sands.

At the outskirts of Roran, a fierce battle was unfolding.

"Wood Release: Great Spear Tree!"

"Wood Release: Sea of Trees Erosion!"

Sara and Nagato were locked in combat training, using various Wood Release Jutsu. Neither of them had much experience fighting with Wood Release. Sara, who had never been a ninja before, was entirely new to combat. As for Nagato, he had relied mainly on the power of his Rinnegan until now.

In truth, both Sara and Nagato were learning as they fought, refining their fighting styles and experimenting with Wood Release.

Shin observed from a distance, contemplating ways to blend the powers of the Rinnegan, Wood Release, and his Dark-Dark Fruit. Nagato was similarly trying to combine his clan's Adamantine Sealing Chains with Wood Release. Meanwhile, Sara focused on mastering the fundamentals of Wood Release under Nagato's guidance.

Among the three, Shin advanced the fastest—compared to the structured precision of ninjutsu, Devil Fruit's abilities had far more flexibility. While his potential to improve his Wood Release was limited, extending his Dark-Dark Fruit abilities to interact with Wood Release and integrating them with his Rinnegan power came naturally.

On the other hand, Nagato had only begun to scratch the surface of these techniques. Additionally, he served as Sara's mentor, guiding her in Wood Release as they engaged in combat.

Through these battles, they were training and greening the Roran landscape. Their practice sessions had gradually transformed the barren outskirts into forests, leaving a trail of greenery with every spar.

Eventually, the training session ended when Nagato tricked Sara with a wood clone, ensnaring her with Wood Release.

"Alright, that concludes the training session." Shin clapped. "Sara, you've made impressive progress over the past two months. You're now strong enough to be considered a Kage-level ninja. I think we can finally rest easy."

While Sara had reached a Kage-level strength, her lack of life-or-death combat experience and foundational training still left her somewhat lopsided regarding skill. Nonetheless, she could improve on her own over time.

Upon hearing Shin's words, Sara frowned slightly. "Are you… leaving?"

"Yes. I've absorbed enough energy from the dragon veins. There's no point staying in this place any longer," Shin replied nonchalantly.

Sara shot him a glare. "This place? Roran is renowned as the Jewel of the Desert!"

Nagato nodded in agreement with Shin. With all his previous burdens lifted, he didn't mind moving on, and after two months in Roran, he had grown weary of the endless desert scenery.

"If you leave, what will happen to me?" Sara asked, her confidence wavering. "If ninjas covet Wood Release, won't they just drag me off to a lab?"

Seeing her unease, Shin smiled. "Don't worry. The modifications I performed are identical to an innate bloodline limit. No one will be able to reverse-engineer my methods from you."

"Really? So… I'll still end up in some lab!" Sara sighed in relief, suddenly realizing what he meant, and the shouted frustratingly.

"Damn it, I really fell for this. Now I'm completely stuck on your ship."

Standing in the desert outside Roran, Sara was visibly irritated.

Shin just smiled, ignoring her complaints. If Sara truly didn't want this, she would have asked him to reverse the transformation by now.

While Sara was forced to leave her homeland and join what she considered a "terrorist organization," she could take comfort in knowing Roran was safe.

With abundant plant life now anchoring the sand and conserving water, Roran was well-protected. If its forests remained intact, the oasis would thrive for decades without deteriorating.

Even without Sara, Roran could survive—and, in truth, her presence might even attract unwanted attention to her homeland. This was one of the reasons she ultimately decided to leave.

"Alright, enough complaining," Shin glanced over at Sara. "You can pretend to be angry, but I can tell you're not really upset, are you?"

"Maybe because this is your first time outside Roran, and you finally feel free?" he teased.

Shin's words struck a chord with Sara. Despite being called "queen" in Roran, she had felt trapped, her so-called "kingdom" more like a cage.

After Anrokuzan's scheme, where he replaced nearly all of Roran's citizens with puppets without her knowledge, she understood how isolated she was. Since that ordeal, she had taken on the burden of ensuring her people's survival. For the first time in her life, she felt at ease.

Of course, Sara, prideful as she was, would never admit it.

In a dimly lit underground exchange, a man named Kakuzu emerged, clutching a briefcase filled with money.

Not long after he stepped out, a figure dressed in a black cloak with red clouds, wearing a swirling mask, blocked his path.

Kakuzu narrowed his eyes at the figure in his way. "Mind taking off your mask? I'd like to see who I'm dealing with."

The masked man, Uchiha Obito, was immediately reminded of Kurogami, who had once humiliated him. He retorted coldly, "What's the matter? Are you scared of masks?"

"Not at all," Kakuzu replied. "If I can't see your face, I won't know your bounty. If it's high and I damage your head, then I'll feel bad."

"And if you don't have a bounty, fighting you wastes my time and cuts into my profits."

Uchiha Obito was momentarily at a loss. He had known Kakuzu's reputation as a bounty hunter who valued money above all else, but he hadn't anticipated how thoroughly money-driven he was.

Growing tired of the exchange, Obito formed a seal with his hands and declared, "Fire Release: Blast Wave Wild Dance!"