Chapter 522: Useless Tuan Cang!

A massive humming of energy began to fill the whole space, and the ground beneath their feet trembled slightly.

The sealed dragon vein energy at the altar's center started to churn and surge!

The seal was being lifted layer by layer, and the ocean‑sized dragon vein chakra, freed from its restraints, surged upward wildly!

"Now's the time, you two go in quickly!"

Queen of Loulan, watching the dragon vein about to go completely out of control, shouted loudly at the two of them.

If we delay any longer, Loulan will surely be destroyed by the dragon vein's immense energy!

Lian Ye and Tuan Cang exchanged a glance and rushed together into the pillar of light.

There was no violent tearing and pain as they had expected.

Entering the dragon vein felt more like sinking into an ocean.

Their bodies were enveloped by massive energy, and the scenery around them whirled by at breakneck speed.

The light around them warped, forming bizarre, twisted spacetime corridors.

Both remained conscious, clearly feeling themselves traversing the fabric of time at a speed that defied normal logic.

Is this the dragon vein's energy?

Almost the instant their silhouettes vanished into the pillar, the seal in the Loulan queen's hand suddenly shifted.

She had to seal the dragon vein immediately, lest the massive energy it leaked wreak havoc on Loulan!

The golden energy that had just flared, restrained by runes, reluctantly calmed down slowly, finally returning to tranquility.

Only the light on the altar seemed a little dimmer than before.

……

Lian Ye and Tuan Cang seemed to have only experienced a brief closing and opening of their eyes.

The warm sensation of energy vanished, replaced by the forest's distinctive air scented with earth and foliage, and dappled sunlight filtering through dense leaves.

The two steadied themselves and quickly surveyed their surroundings.

"This should be the territory of the Fire Country..."

Zhi Cun Tuan Zang voiced his conjecture; as a Hokage, he naturally knew the terrain features of the Fire Country.

Lian Ye didn't care where they appeared in the ninja world; he just wanted to know which era they were in.

"Let's go check the village."

If we head to Konoha Village, he'll be able to determine the era and whether this is a parallel world.

The criterion is simple: if Konoha is absent, it indicates the Warring States Period.

If Konoha exists, look at the succession of Hokage portraits on Hokage Rock; if the Third Hokage is Tuan Cang, it's not a parallel world.

If the Third Hokage is Sarutobi Ri Zhan, then it's the canon world as it originally developed.

Zhi Cun Tuan Zang nodded; he was eager to see how the village would develop in the future.

The two hurried toward Konoha Village.

Konoha Village, at the main gate.

Zhi Cun Tuan Zang stared at the ruined, unrecognizable Konoha before him, his mouth agape in shock, his face a picture of horror.

"This is Konoha Village!?"

As far as his eyes could see, there were no familiar streets, no bustling buildings, no crowds bustling about, nor any curling smoke.

All that existed was a gigantic, heart‑pounding sinkhole.

And within the sinkhole, countless busy ninjas were rebuilding houses…

"Wait, why is the Third Hokage on Hokage Rock a monkey?!"

Zhi Cun Tuan Zang saw Hokage Rock in the distance, even more shocked than by the sinkhole scene.

What a joke!

Why is that Ri Zhan guy a Hokage?!

Logically, the Third Hokage should be him, Zhi Cun Tuan Zang; even if Ri Zhan were a Hokage, he should be the Fourth Hokage!

The moment he saw Sarutobi Ri Zhan's portrait, he was completely bewildered.

He had no idea what was happening.

Lian Ye looked at the First through Fifth Hokage portraits on Hokage Rock, then glanced at the ninjas rebuilding the village in the sinkhole, and instantly understood the era they were in.

They had arrived in a parallel world, or rather the world of the original story.

That sinkhole was exactly the one created by Zhang Men, controlling Pain with the Shinra Tensho technique…

Konoha was already being rebuilt; from this it seemed Naruto Uzumaki had used Mouth Ninjutsu to persuade Zhang Men to abandon the plan.

One can only say the protagonist's Mouth Ninjutsu is incomparable to ordinary people.

The current era should be around the Five Kage Summit, when Uchiha Obito announced the Fourth Ninja World War.

"Tuan Cang, don't get worked up yet; this place is different from our own timeline, it must be a parallel dimension."

Lian Ye noticed his friend's existential expression and immediately offered comfort.

Looks like there's no Tuan Cang on Hokage Rock; that must be a huge blow to him!

"So that's why— I told you there was no me on Hokage Rock..."

As Tuan Cang kept speaking, his complexion grew sour again.

Since Ri Zhan became Hokage in this timeline, it means his counterpart here never became Hokage.

Just thinking of Ri Zhan suppressing him with power made him feel sick.

"Enough, Tuan Cang, I am the Hokage!"

"Ri Zhan, you will regret this!"

Tuan Cang: "……"

He didn't expect that after suppressing Sun Slash for so many years, his counterpart in this timeline ended up being suppressed by Sun Slash.

For a moment, he didn't even know what to say.

All he can say is that his counterpart in this timeline is literally a useless person.

He can't even beat Sun Slash!

Lian Ye "???"

Doesn't he say this is a parallel timeline?

Tuan Cang's expression—how does it seem even uglier now?!

"Tuan Cang, let's go ahead and scout some information first."

Lian Ye doesn't know what Tuan Cang is thinking, so he can only change the subject to divert attention.

Zhi Cun Tuan Zang nodded at the words, and the two walked openly into Konoha.

From Lian Ye's perspective, since this is the original work's timeline, tweaking the plot a bit isn't a big deal.

He was too lazy to hide his identity.

Besides, no one in this timeline knows him.

The Uchiha Clan was exterminated ten years ago by Itachi Uchiha and Obito Uchiha.

And the original Uchiha Lianye may have already died in the earlier Ninja World Wars.

Zhi Cun Tuan Zang has no intention of concealing his identity.

Although Sun Slash became Hokage, with his abilities he should still be beloved by the villagers.

Even if not as Hokage Assistant, he's definitely a Hokage Advisor, right?

The reason he didn't hide his identity is to see the villagers' and ninjas' reactions.

Unfortunately, he overthought it.

Passing villagers and ninjas see him as if they don't know him at all.

Zhi Cun Tuan Zang: "…"

In reality, Tuan Cang in this timeline has long coveted becoming the Fifth and a half Hokage, so villagers and ninjas naturally know him.

But the Tuan Cang who traveled here has intact limbs, unblind eyes, and no scars on his face.

Add to that a body in his early twenties.

Compared with that proxy Hokage, whose body is wrapped in bandages and whose face is shadowed, they are like two different people.

It's perfectly normal that villagers and ninjas don't recognize him.

But the reaction of the crowd looks different from Tuan Cang's perspective.

Villagers and ninjas don't even recognize him.

How utterly useless is his counterpart in this timeline!

Letting Sun Slash become Hokage is one thing; in the Village he has not even a hint of prestige.

Forget prestige—seems like no one even knows him!

"Useless!"