Watching Naruto in a state of panic, Minato calmly asked:
"What exactly happened to you all?"
"Can you explain it to me?"
"Maybe we can find some useful clues."
Naruto stopped, reflecting for a moment, then replied:
"We were chasing Mukade, and forced him to retreat toward the Ryūmyaku."
"Then he absorbed the sealing formula you created, Dad, into his own body, and then..."
As Naruto pieced together his memories aloud, Minato began to form a hypothesis and said:
"The most likely explanation is that both you and Mukade were pulled back in time through a space-time ninjutsu technique."
Naruto's face turned blank.
"So... does that mean I can't go back?"
Minato thought for a moment and responded:
"Hmm... If what you say is true, if Mukade really absorbed the formula into himself, then defeating him might restore the timeline. If that happens, you may be able to return to your original future."
Naruto hesitated and asked:
"Really?"
Minato's expression suddenly changed.
"In any case, what matters now is defeating Mukade. We need to restore the flow of time as soon as possible, before it becomes even more distorted."
Looking at Minato's face, Naruto suddenly exclaimed:
"Ah! I just remembered, before I left, Lady Fifth told me that I'd meet you on this mission!"
From the side, Shibi Aburame and Chōza Akimichi interrupted Naruto:
"Quit joking. Right now, the Third Hokage is still in charge of Konoha."
"But Naruto's from the future, isn't he?"
Minato immediately stepped in:
"Enough. Let's not talk about this anymore."
"Knowing too much about the future won't do us any good, it could alter history."
Everyone fell silent, their eyes on Minato, as he continued:
"Right now, the energy of the Ryūmyaku is dormant beneath Roran, and Mukade is using it to manufacture puppet soldiers. We need to stop him as soon as possible."
Just as Minato finished speaking, Queen Sara, who had been sitting on the windowsill, suddenly shouted:
"Enough!"
She leapt down and continued with emotion:
"Stop lying to me, all of you!"
"The man who came to Roran six years ago wasn't named Mukade. His name is Anrokuzan."
"Anrokuzan, now a minister, inherited my mother's legacy. He's devoted himself completely to this country, working tirelessly for its prosperity."
"There's no way he could be the person you claim he is, he'd never create puppet soldiers. He's a man who truly loves peace!"
Minato, taken aback that Sara didn't believe them, replied urgently:
"Your Majesty, it's very likely that man has deceived you."
Sara shot back:
"You're the ones who sound suspicious!"
"Nothing you've said is convincing to me!"
With that, Sara turned and tried to leave.
"Sara, where are you going?" Naruto called after her.
Hearing Naruto's voice, Sara turned around and answered firmly:
"I'm going to find out the truth for myself."
Naruto panicked. Watching her walk away, he shouted:
"You were just pushed out a window! You nearly died!"
"That was all Anrok—Mukade's doing from the shadows!"
He ran after her, trying to stop her from going alone.
But Sara refused to listen.
Just then, Minato called out to Naruto:
"Naruto."
"Huh?" Naruto turned back, confused.
Minato said:
"Let's split up. You go make sure Her Majesty is safe."
Naruto responded confidently:
"No problem. I'll protect Sara with everything I've got!"
"But I still need to take down Mukade too."
Minato reassured him:
"Leave Mukade to us. You focus on protecting the Queen."
"We've already investigated Roran thoroughly. Compared to you, we're better positioned to track him down."
"Besides, you're a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf, you should know the rules. Now that this mission is already underway, protocol forbids you from joining in midway."
"Guarding the Queen is just as important."
Naruto rubbed his forehead, understanding Minato's reasoning. He nodded:
"Got it. I'll protect Sara."
Minato reached into his tool pouch and pulled out a custom-made kunai. Handing it to Naruto, he said:
"Take this. It's one of my special kunai. As long as you have it, I can instantly teleport to your side, no matter where you are."
Holding the kunai, Naruto instantly recognized it:
"This is... the Flying Raijin Kunai!"
"It's identical to the ones stabbed into the sealing formula."
Minato, not wanting to hear more about the future, or how Naruto knew about the Flying Raijin Technique, cut him off:
"Just go after Sara. Time is short."
"I'm counting on you."
Naruto nodded:
"Understood!"
And with that, he ran after Sara.
"Good luck, Naruto..." Minato murmured to himself as he watched his son's retreating figure. Then he gave the command:
"Move out."
In an instant, the five shinobi vanished, melting back into the shadows to continue their mission.
Meanwhile, Veigar, having swallowed two soldier pills and recovered most of his chakra, once again turned his attention to the energy of the Ryūmyaku.
For six long years, Anrokuzan's presence had been a constant in Queen Sara's life, especially after the death of her mother. He was the one she had come to trust the most... the one she cherished above all.
To suddenly hear that Anrokuzan was not only the villain but also her would-be assassin, it was too much to take in at once.
Especially considering that, ever since his arrival in Roran, the city had prospered like never before. It had grown stronger and more vibrant, with even the Land of Windm once indifferent, showing increasing interest and goodwill toward it.
And now, behind all of that, hidden truths and unspeakable secrets loomed.
Lost in these illusions, Queen Sara simply refused to awaken to reality. Instead, she began to sink even deeper... into denial.
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