Chapter One Hundred: Different Treatment

Uchiha Li’s smile faded as he began, “We come from Terra.”

Noticing that Sara remained wary, he spoke again, “By the way, someone pushed you just now. Do you remember anything about that person?”

Sara shook her head in response. “You knew someone pushed me?”

She looked confused as she spoke. “That shouldn’t be possible. Why would anyone want my life?”

Hearing this, Kakashi stopped worrying about being struck and calmly asked, “You really don’t know anything?”

After witnessing the puppets and Sara’s fall, he realized something was gravely wrong in Loulan. Yet, the Queen herself seemed completely unaware—an astonishing fact.

Sara shook her head again, ignoring Kakashi, and turned to Uchiha Li. “Regardless, thank you for saving me.”

Though these strangers from Terra had appeared inexplicably, masked and mysterious, they had helped her when it mattered. Surely, they couldn’t be evil.

Compared to Kakashi, she instinctively felt more comfortable speaking to Uchiha Li, her rescuer.

Kakashi noticed this, and the pain on his face, which had just begun to ease, flared up once more.

It was Uchiha Li who had saved her, yet Kakashi was the one who ended up getting hit. Now, Sara remained highly guarded against him!

Kakashi felt the world was unfair; all the good fortune had gone to Uchiha Li, while he bore the bitter consequences.

Uchiha Li was about to speak when three figures suddenly leapt down from above, landing before him.

“It’s you,” Uchiha Li remarked, glancing at the trio, then stood silently, saying nothing more.

Seeing more masked strangers, Sara retreated behind Uchiha Li, wary. “Who are you three?”

The succession of unknown faces unsettled her, especially since the two groups were clearly dressed differently.

In response, Minato removed his mask, his warm smile lighting up his face. “Don’t misunderstand. We are ninja from Leaf Village, here to protect you.”

“Protect me…” Suspicion faded slightly in Sara’s eyes. She looked to Uchiha Li. “And you from Terra, are you here to protect me as well?”

Uchiha Li considered for a moment before replying, “In a sense, yes.”

His true purpose was the power of the Dragon Vein, but to obtain it, he needed to deal with Hundred Foot. Hundred Foot intended to kill Sara, so by stopping him, Uchiha Li would inadvertently be protecting her.

Thus, the entire process formed a perfect loop.

Sara nodded at his answer, looking between the two groups before ultimately choosing to stand behind Uchiha Li.

Minato’s smile twitched at the sight. He hadn’t expected that even after revealing the Leaf Village name, he still couldn’t earn Sara’s trust.

Thinking of this, Minato slowly said, “We received word that the power of the Dragon Vein is being exploited by someone named Hundred Foot. He aims to use it to create puppet weapons and rule the world.”

“Gentlemen from Terra, you must be here to stop him as well. Why don’t we join forces?”

Uchiha Li did not answer immediately. After a pause, he said, “Perhaps, but Terra has its own way of doing things.”

He would indeed kill Hundred Foot, but only because Hundred Foot stood in the way of his goal—the Dragon Vein’s power. His motivations were not aligned with Minato’s, whose aim was to prevent Hundred Foot’s ambitions and ultimately seal the Dragon Vein.

Their goals overlapped in process, but their final intentions likely differed. If Uchiha Li truly tried to seize the Dragon Vein, conflict would be unavoidable.

Sara, though confused by the conversation, eventually caught on.

She didn’t believe any of it, clenching her fists as she earnestly declared, “I don’t know who this Hundred Foot you speak of is. Loulan has only An Lushan, who uses the Dragon Vein to bring prosperity.”

“He inherited his mother’s dream and has always worked tirelessly for Loulan,” she continued. “So you must be mistaken!”

In her memory, Loulan was once a poor, remote desert nation. But one day, An Lushan arrived and, through the Dragon Vein’s power, led the people to build grand towers and improved their lives.

Seeing all this firsthand, Sara refused to accept the claims of the two groups.

She turned to leave, unwilling to speak further.

Uchiha Li, seeing this, looked over at Kakashi and said quietly, “Bring our queen to see what her loyal subjects truly are.”

Kakashi, still sore from earlier, wanted to refuse. But remembering that the information he sought was in Uchiha Li and Terra’s hands, he reluctantly agreed, “Understood.”

Without regard for Sara’s protests, he led her towards the departing crowd.

The three-man team from Minato’s side watched in silence as this unfolded. Only when Kakashi and Sara had disappeared did Minato speak, “In that case, we of Leaf Village will search for Hundred Foot. Queen Sara will be left in your care and that gentleman’s.”

Uchiha Li had no objections, replied briefly, and chose to leave.

Sara, meanwhile, was dragged by Kakashi onto the street.

Kakashi pointed at the dispersing crowd ahead. “I don’t know how you remain so unaware, but prepare yourself.”

Without waiting for Sara’s reply, Kakashi stepped forward, grabbed a figure by the shoulder, and flung it towards her.

“What are you doing!” Sara exclaimed, furious at seeing one of her people tossed so carelessly. She rushed to check for injuries, only to freeze in shock.

What she saw was a rigid, lifeless puppet, its torso shattered from the throw, one arm missing. Yet, despite its broken state, her ‘subject’ continued to move tirelessly, mouth opening and closing as if shouting “Queen Sara” and similar words.

Sara’s strength drained away in an instant, and she sank to the ground, kneeling.

Her face was filled with helplessness, and she murmured, “Why… Why have the people become puppets?”

Uchiha Li caught up from behind and drew a kunai, striking the puppet’s head forcefully.

A thin, invisible thread suddenly appeared, but it wasn’t cut. Uchiha Li slashed several more times before finally severing the control string.

Once the thread snapped, the puppet ceased all movement, collapsing into broken wood.

Looking at the devastated Sara on the ground, Uchiha Li spoke, “So, do you still believe Hundred Foot is as you imagined?”

Supporting herself on the ground, Sara’s face showed only helplessness. “I’m sorry… I truly had no idea it would be like this.”

She glanced at the wooden puppet, then looked to Uchiha Li, a trace of pleading in her eyes…