Naruto, my father's name is Uchiha Madara.

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Sarah's eyes showed a moment of confusion, but then they cleared up.

She looked at the core of the dragon vein and the unfamiliar Konoha ninja before her.

Although I felt a strange emptiness and an indescribable sadness in my heart.

Yet, a powerful sense of responsibility arose within him, a sense that he had to lead Loulan forward.

She wiped away her tears, straightened her back, and her eyes became incredibly determined.

She didn't know where that inexplicable expectation came from, but she had a vague feeling about the future.

It seems there exists some bright promise worth waiting for.

At this moment, Naruto, who was traveling through the time tunnel, clenched his fists tightly, his eyes shining with unwavering determination.

Chapter 338 Sarah Now

After a dizzying, spinning sensation, my consciousness seemed to struggle to surface from the deep sea.

Naruto suddenly opened his eyes, but what he saw was not the eerie purple light of the Dragon Vein's core.

Instead, it's the scorching desert sunlight streaming through the broken dome, and the mottled traces of time on the ancient stone walls.

He found himself lying sprawled on the cold, hard stone ground, just like everyone else.

My whole body ached as if it had been disassembled and reassembled, and my head felt like it was filled with the chirping of countless cicadas, accompanied by waves of dull pain.

He sat up, rubbing his forehead, and looked around.

Sakura was rubbing her temples, looking around the completely unfamiliar ruins with a blank expression;

Sai had already stood up and was brushing the dust off his clothes.

He observed his surroundings expressionlessly, and the small notebook in his hand appeared again at some point.

Sasuke remained unconscious, lying to the side, his complexion slightly better than before, but still pale.

"We are..."

Naruto shook his still somewhat dizzy head and asked uncertainly, "...We're back? Back to our own time?"

Sakura gradually regained consciousness, and she looked around at the desolate ruins that were completely different from the prosperous Loulan in her memory.

Her emerald green eyes were filled with disbelief: "It feels...so unreal."

"We actually...went to the past? Participated in and changed history?"

The disorienting feeling of being out of place in time and space, along with the throbbing pain in her head, reminded her that it was definitely not a dream.

"Sasuke-kun hasn't woken up yet." Sai closed his notebook and pointed to his still unconscious companion.

Upon seeing this, Naruto immediately put those feelings of unreality to the back of his mind.

He endured the soreness in his body, walked to Sasuke's side, and carefully carried him on his back.

"Well, we'll talk about the mission later. Let's get out of here first. This place feels eerie, and Sasuke needs a better environment to rest."

Sakura and Sai nodded in agreement. The three of them, along with the unconscious Sasuke, retraced their steps, following the path they remembered from before.

We carefully navigated through the ruins of the ancient city of Loulan.

Compared to the vibrant, lush, and miraculous city of the past, where puppets moved about and greenery abounded.

The scene before me was nothing but endless desolation and ruin.

The once towering buildings are now just skeletons, their former glory eroded by wind and sand, and no trace of human habitation can be seen.

"It seems that Sarah later led her surviving people away to find a new home."

Sakura looked at the utter silence, her tone tinged with a mixture of melancholy and relief.

Leaving this place of sorrow might be a better choice.

Stepping outside the Loulan ruins and feeling the scorching desert sun and howling sandstorms once again, the group felt as if they had been transported to another world.

Just then, Sai, who had been silently taking notes, suddenly looked up and asked a very real and crucial question: "How do I write a mission report?"

"Will it accurately record the time travel, the battle against the mechanical Nine-Tails, the encounter with the Fourth Hokage, and the interaction with the Queen of Loulan?"

"Huh?! Mission report?!"

When Naruto heard those four words, it was as if he had heard some terrifying story.

He shook his head violently, his face filled with terror and resistance: "Absolutely not! I'd rather die than write this! How am I supposed to write it clearly!"

"Besides, who would believe me if I told them! Granny Tsunade would definitely think I was hallucinating from staying up all night writing reports!"

He'd rather fight Orochimaru again than have to contend with those endless documents and explanations!

Seeing Naruto's defiant expression, as if he were about to be executed, Sakura sighed helplessly.

He rubbed his still slightly aching temples and said, "Never mind, I knew I couldn't count on you."

"I'll write the report. By the time you finish writing it, it'll probably be ages before you're done."

Although the process was bizarre, the outcome was ultimately good: the Dragon Vein crisis was resolved, and Orochimaru's conspiracy was thwarted.

These core details still need to be reported.

Naruto immediately gave her a tearful look: "Sakura! You're an angel!"

Just as the group relaxed a little and discussed how to return to the village, a cloud of dust suddenly rose on the distant desert horizon.

A luxury dune buggy that looked expensive, had a unique design, and was suitable for desert driving was speeding toward the Loulan ruins.

The vehicle came to a smooth stop near them.

The car door opened, and a servant-like person respectfully got out and waited.

Immediately following, a young girl with long red hair appeared, dressed in a dress that was both distinctively desert and elegant.

He carefully helped a middle-aged woman down the stairs.

When Naruto's gaze fell on the face of the middle-aged woman being helped, his breath caught in his throat, and his eyes widened instantly!

Although time has left its mark on her face, her temperament has become more mature and composed.

Even with a lingering, faint sadness, her vibrant red hair and her vaguely discernible, beautiful features...

Naruto would never admit his mistake!

“Sa...La...?”

He uttered the name almost subconsciously, as if by murmur.

The woman being helped up was Sarah, the Queen of Loulan.

When she heard Naruto call her by her name, a perfectly timed look of surprise flashed across her face, but it quickly turned into a polite smile.

With her daughter's support, she took a few steps forward and gave Naruto and the others a standard bow.

His voice was gentle, yet carried a hint of the dignified air of someone accustomed to a high position.

"Nice to meet you, ninjas of Konoha. I am Sara, Queen of Loulan, who has been specially commissioned by Sunagakure to investigate the Dragon Vein."

"We detected an unusually large energy reaction here just now, and we were very worried, so we rushed here immediately."

"I hope I haven't disturbed anyone."

Her tone was polite yet distant, as if she were speaking to a group of complete strangers.

Naruto instantly realized what was happening, his heart felt like it had been gently squeezed by something, a slight ache, but he immediately felt relieved.

He remembered his father's words—his memories were sealed away.

He quickly composed himself, a sunny yet businesslike smile appearing on his face, and stepped forward, responding with equal politeness:

"Greetings, Your Majesty! We are ninjas from Konoha Village, sent to investigate the recent incident involving rogue ninjas at the Loulan Ruins. We apologize for causing you concern."

He gestured to the ruins behind him: "The rogue ninja inside have been dealt with. The dragon vein is now very stable, and the previous seal is intact. Please rest assured."

Upon hearing this, Queen Sara took a closer look at Naruto's clear, azure eyes.

He glanced at his slightly disheveled but upright-looking companion behind him, and his smile became more genuine: "Is that so? I see."

"Thank you all for your hard work in resolving the potential dangers here. I feel relieved to hear your words."

Sakura, still somewhat incredulous, couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty, do you... really believe what we say? Aren't you going in to check the dragon vein yourself?"

Queen Sara turned her head to look at Sakura, a very gentle smile on her face that seemed to contain some kind of power.

He said softly, "My mother once taught me that between countries and between people, no matter where they come from or what their past is like."

"They all have the potential to become friends, and they all deserve a basic level of trust."

"Therefore, I believe in you ninja masters."

Looking at the queen, whose temperament was gentle yet whose eyes were firm, Xiaoying couldn't help but feel a deep sense of admiration: "Your mother is truly a great and wise woman."

She couldn't help but think that if she hadn't been captured by Orochimaru so quickly, perhaps she would have been able to meet the legendary queen.

With the matter seemingly resolved, Queen Sarah, supported by her daughter, prepared to return to her car.

However, just as she turned around, she paused slightly.

She hesitated for a moment, then turned back, her gaze falling once more on Naruto, into those eyes that, though weathered by time, remained clear.

With a hint of obvious confusion and inquiry:

"My lord ninja, please forgive my intrusion... Have we... met somewhere before?"

"For some reason, I always feel that you and your companions give off a very familiar and reassuring feeling."

"It felt like we were old friends we'd known for a very long time."

She pressed her hand gently against her chest, trying to capture that fleeting, wonderful feeling.

Naruto's heart skipped a beat.

Looking at Sarana's confused yet sincere expression, he was filled with mixed emotions.

The promises of the past, the experience of fighting side by side, the grief of separation and death, and the final seal of the father...

All of this turned into heavy memories weighing on his heart, while the other person remained completely unaware.

But he didn't intend to say it out loud.