Looking at An Lushan kneeling on the ground, Shimura Danzō fell into deep thought.
After the leader of the Akatsuki violently broke the seal of the Dragon Vein, he had been dragged into its raging energy and thrown back more than ten years into the past. He arrived in Loulan before it was buried by sand, and several weeks had already passed since then.
Going back in time was, on the surface, a good thing. It gave him more room to plan for the position of Hokage, eliminate enemies before they could grow, and deal with that slippery traitor, Orochimaru, who had exposed his whereabouts.
However, based on what he knew back then, the Dragon Vein wasn't supposed to have time-travel abilities. It was merely a massive source of chakra comparable to a Tailed Beast. Yet now, reality was proving otherwise—the Dragon Vein's power was far beyond what he had imagined.
And then there was An Lushan.
Originally just a Sunagakure ninja lurking near the Lost Tower, he had been dragged into the Dragon Vein's vortex and arrived in Loulan years earlier. Taking advantage of that, he persuaded the former queen to build a puppet army.
The result? An absurdly large army—far beyond what any normal puppet master could control—and its strength rivaled even Chiyo's Ten Puppets.
Of course, that was only because An Lushan's vision was limited to a mere chunin level. In Danzō's hands, that same power would be far more terrifying.
Still, returning to the past wasn't without risks.
Other people had been pulled through time with him—possibly the Akatsuki leader with the Rinnegan, the leader of Uzushiogakure, and Uchiha Shisui. Any one of them was stronger than him in his current state.
Until he could match them, Danzō had no intention of exposing himself. He would continue acting under An Lushan's identity and only move once he had fully integrated the power of the Dragon Vein.
But merging with the Dragon Vein wasn't simple. It required time. Preparation.
He had even sent people to contact his past self in Konoha, yet for some reason, there had been no response. That alone made him uneasy.
Still… everything was ready.
The final step remained.
All he needed to do was establish a connection with the Dragon Vein's core—and wait.
Let time do the rest.
Let power come to him.
Let the future change.
Danzō's gaze darkened as his thoughts settled. His figure slowly faded into the shadows, leaving only silence behind.
...
After forming a temporary alliance with Namikaze Minato's team, Naruto led them to a nearby restaurant.
Sitting inside a private room, Naruto casually ordered a mountain of local dishes and waved his hand.
"Relax. We're partners now, not enemies. Eat first. After that, we'll exchange intel and figure out how to finish both our missions."
Minato and the others exchanged helpless looks.
This guy… was way too comfortable.
If Naruto had shown even a hint of weakness earlier, they would've already subdued him. A masked stranger sneaking around Loulan and talking about assassinations? Yeah, that screamed trouble.
But unfortunately for them… he wasn't weak.
Not even close.
Soon, the food arrived—hand-grabbed lamb, roasted naan, dates, and other desert specialties.
Naruto grabbed a date and popped it into his mouth.
"Hmm… a bit greasy, but not bad."
Meanwhile, Akimichi Dōza (Choza) didn't need a second invitation—he immediately joined the feast like a man on a mission.
Minato, however, sniffed the food… hesitated… then quietly took out a soldier pill instead.
"I'll just… eat this."
Naruto glanced at him and smirked, but said nothing.
Yeah, sure. Totally not picky.
Right on cue, there was a knock on the door.
A young ninja walked in—it was a teenage Hatake Kakashi.
He leaned toward Minato, whispered something, then glanced at Naruto with a frown.
"Captain… who's this?"
Minato scratched his head awkwardly.
"This is our partner for this mission… uh…"
He paused.
Right.
He never got the guy's name.
Naruto leaned back lazily.
"Call me Menma. Names are just labels anyway."
Kakashi's eyes narrowed slightly. Suspicious.
Very suspicious.
Naruto didn't care. He leaned forward slightly and spoke in a calm tone:
"My objective is simple—kill Loulan's minister, An Lushan. He's most likely a traitor from my village. I need to confirm it."
Minato nodded and responded just as directly:
"Our mission is to protect Queen Sara—and eliminate any threats to her."
He paused, then added bluntly:
"Including you."
The room went quiet.
Naruto chuckled.
"Fair enough. I do look suspicious."
Before anyone could react, he continued calmly:
"But let's be honest—if I wanted to kill your queen, you wouldn't be able to stop me."
Choza paused mid-bite.
Kakashi's eyelid twitched.
Minato… just smiled.
Because the worst part?
That didn't sound like a bluff.
Naruto leaned back again.
"Anyway, here's the real problem with your mission."
He looked straight at Minato.
"Who issued it? Queen Sara… or the previous queen?"
Minato froze slightly.
Naruto continued:
"If it's Sara, how would a young girl even know someone's trying to kill her?"
"And if it's the former queen… she died a month ago."
"Right around the time An Lushan became Sara's guardian."
Silence.
That hit.
Hard.
Naruto casually delivered the finishing blow:
"You're not protecting a queen."
"You've walked straight into a political power struggle."
Kakashi sighed internally.
Great.
Mission just got ten times more complicated.
Naruto clapped his hands lightly.
"I've got a suggestion."
All eyes turned to him.
"Stop playing defense."
"Take Sara out of the palace."
Choza blinked.
"…We what?"
Naruto shrugged.
"If you remove the target, the assassins have no choice but to show themselves."
"Much better than waiting around like idiots."
Kakashi gave him a deadpan stare.
This guy just casually suggested kidnapping the client.
Unbelievable.
Minato, however, fell into deep thought.
Absurd?
Yes.
Effective?
Also yes.
After several hours of discussion, they finalized a plan.
Naruto, of course, agreed to join.
Not because they trusted him—but because he didn't care whether they did.
Blending into their group made things easier for him anyway.
...
Inside the Loulan palace library, Queen Sara closed her book and took a sip of strong tea.
Learning was exhausting.
But she had to do it.
Only by mastering everything could she become a proper queen—like her mother.
Then… she could finally ease An Lushan's burden.
Lately, though… something felt off.
An Lushan had changed.
He was colder. More distant.
And he kept pushing her to use the Dragon Vein for… something.
Still…
She trusted him.
Everyone did.
Suddenly—
Her eyelids twitched.
Footsteps.
Behind her.
She turned—
And froze.
A masked man stood there.
Black fox mask. Silent. Watching.
"…Who are you?! Where are the guards?! Why hasn't anyone—"
She stopped mid-sentence.
The realization hit her.
The guards were already dealt with.
Resistance?
Pointless.
Sara forced herself to calm down.
"I don't care who you are. I'm the Queen of Loulan. If you harm me, Minister An Lushan and my people won't let you go."
Naruto didn't even react.
Instead, he spoke casually:
"Relax. I'm not here to kill you."
"I just want to take you out for a walk."
"I'll bring you back in a few days."
"…That's kidnapping."
"Yeah."
Before she could say another word—
Darkness swallowed her consciousness.
...
When Sara woke up, she found herself in a small room.
Through the window, she could see the sky… and the towering Lost Tower.
No guards.
She rushed to the door.
Locked.
She tried again.
And again.
Nothing.
Eventually, she slumped to the ground.
"…Seriously…?"
Click.
The door opened.
Naruto… and the Minato team stood there.
Minato stepped forward with his signature bright smile.
"Queen Sara, we're Konoha ninjas. We've been entrusted by the former queen to protect you."
Sara narrowed her eyes.
"…You call this protection?"
"I was perfectly safe in the palace."
Naruto snorted.
"The bird in a cage thinks the same thing."
He stepped forward, voice calm—but sharp.
"You and your mother were never rulers."
"Just keys."
"Tools to control the Dragon Vein."
Sara's expression froze.
Naruto continued mercilessly:
"The moment you resist… you die."
"Quietly. Cleanly. Like an 'illness.'"
Sara's voice trembled slightly.
"…You're saying… my mother was murdered?"
"She died from an incurable disease."
Naruto shrugged.
"I can give you an incurable disease too."
"Want to try?"
Silence.
Her fists clenched.
"…Who?"
Her eyes turned sharp.
"…Who killed her?"
Naruto stepped closer, a faint smirk on his lips.
"You already know the answer."
He leaned in slightly.
"An Lushan."
"Adults are harder to control."
"Children?"
He chuckled.
"Much easier."
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