"Traveled from the future?!"
Upon hearing Mirai's words, Namikaze Minato, Aburame Shibi, and Akimichi Chōza all looked utterly stunned.
They had considered countless possibilities, but never did they expect Mirai to give such an explanation.
Time travel?
Was this some kind of joke?
Akimichi Chōza glared at him. "Are you messing with us? Do you think we're complete idiots?"
"If you're going to lie, at least come up with something believable!"
Uchiha Mirai simply shrugged. "I've said my piece. Whether you believe it or not is up to you."
His indifferent attitude only served to irritate Chōza and Shibi further.
How could this guy possibly be someone they knew?
Even if the entire world were wiped out, there was no way they would ever befriend someone with such an arrogant personality.
As a few nearly imperceptible insects crept closer to him, Mirai remained leaning against the wall, arms crossed, his expression turning cold.
"If you plan to attack me, history might take a drastic turn right here and now."
Upon hearing this, Namikaze Minato immediately stepped between Mirai and his two comrades.
He looked at Mirai with a serious expression.
"Please, don't get angry. No matter what, claiming to be 'from the future' is hard to believe. It's only natural that they're skeptical."
"I'll apologize on their behalf."
Seeing the wariness in Minato's eyes, Mirai chuckled softly.
"Minato, you're as sharp as ever."
The next moment, he vanished on the spot.
"Flying Thunder God Technique!"
Feeling the familiar ripple of space, Namikaze Minato's face darkened.
The Flying Thunder God Technique was a classified jutsu recorded in the Scroll of Seals. Apart from the late Second Hokage, Minato was the only person in the entire shinobi world known to have mastered it.
Others might not recognize it, but Minato was certain—that was definitely the Flying Thunder God Technique.
If this guy was from this era, there was no way he could have mastered it so silently…
Maybe… he wasn't lying after all.
As Minato pondered this, Akimichi Chōza grumbled from behind him.
"Minato, are we really going to let some suspicious guy pretend to be a Konoha shinobi?"
"I bet he's up to no good."
Aburame Shibi nodded in agreement. "Exactly. At the very least, we should test his strength."
Minato turned to them, his expression uncharacteristically serious.
"Our mission is to investigate Anrokuzan and protect Princess Sara. Don't complicate things."
"Besides…" Minato's voice deepened. "Wasn't Anrokuzan someone who also appeared out of nowhere six years ago?"
"Minato, you're not seriously buying that guy's story, are you?" Chōza asked incredulously.
Ignoring their disbelief, Minato issued his command.
"For now, let's just focus on our mission. That guy is strong. We'd do well not to provoke him."
Seeing that even Minato had said so, Shibi and Chōza could only nod in reluctant agreement.
Still, they were unconvinced.
That ninja had been full of openings—why was Minato acting so cautious?
Something about today felt off. Minato wasn't behaving like his usual self.
...
"Hmph!"
"A bunch of nobodies dare to speak ill of Anrokuzan so brazenly?"
"I'll report them to Anrokuzan immediately and have him kick these scoundrels out of Rōryū!"
In a dimly lit corridor, Princess Sara muttered to herself angrily.
Without Anrokuzan, Rōryū wouldn't be what it was today.
Even her mother held him in high regard—how could he possibly be some lunatic trying to destroy the shinobi world?
Those people must be after the power of the Dragon Veins, no doubt about it.
As she grumbled, a door suddenly swung open beside her. Before she could react, a pair of hands grabbed her shoulders and yanked her inside.
"Who are you?! What do you want?!"
Sara shrank back in terror as she found herself surrounded by masked figures clad in black.
"Hand them over!"
"What?"
"Don't play dumb! Give them to us!"
As the masked men closed in, Sara shook her head in confusion. "I don't understand what you're talking about."
The black-clad figures exchanged glances before their leader hesitantly pulled out a hoe.
"If you don't hand them over, we… we…"
It seemed even he wasn't sure what to do next.
But it was enough to terrify Sara.
Tears welled up in her eyes as helplessness filled her heart.
Too much had happened today.
First, she nearly fell to her death from the sky, then she was attacked by puppet soldiers, then strangers appeared and slandered Anrokuzan.
And now these masked men were threatening her life…
What was going on?!
Click.
The room's lights suddenly turned on.
Mirai stood in the doorway, shielding Sara behind him.
At the sight of his back, an unfamiliar sense of security surged through Sara's heart.
It was like when her mother had still been alive.
As if, as long as she stood behind this man, no one in the world could harm her.
Steadying herself, Sara finally took a good look at the masked men.
They were of all shapes and sizes, and they weren't wielding weapons—just farming tools.
Uchiha Mirai glanced at Sara before tapping the hilt of his sword.
"Sara, want me to kill them for you?"
His words sent the masked men stumbling backward in fear.
"No! Don't kill us! Don't kill us!"
Seeing their reaction, Sara's confusion deepened. "Who exactly are you people?"
They were clearly just a ragtag bunch.
Why would such cowardly people try to attack her?
The masked men hesitated before removing their face coverings.
At the sight of them, Mirai immediately understood.
Salle and Yako, in their younger days.
So this was where their paths first crossed.
Salle stepped forward. "Princess Sara, we mean no harm. We just want our families back."
"Your families?" Sara asked, even more bewildered. "Why are you asking me for them?"
Yako sighed. "So you really don't know…"
"Know what?" Sara frowned.
Yako explained, "Our families were taken. We haven't heard from them in years."
"We thought you might be able to get them back, but it seems you're completely unaware of this."
"Looks like the rumors were true after all—you really are just a puppet princess."
Sara's expression darkened. "Did you just call me a puppet princess?!"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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