"The reason I came here," Naruto said, his expression calm, "is for the Dragon Vein chakra—and for one person."
Before anyone could respond, Queen Sara cut in sharply.
"Stop talking! Nonsense!"
Her voice trembled slightly as she continued, "It wasn't a ninja named Baizu who came here six years ago! It was a noble man named Shinnō!"
She stepped toward Naruto with conviction. "Shinnō is now a minister, carrying on my mother's will and working hard for this city! He's a peace-loving man! How could he possibly be the one behind that weapon you mentioned?!"
Minato stepped forward, his tone respectful but firm. "Your Majesty… I'm sorry, but you've been deceived."
"I don't believe it!" Sara snapped, eyes flashing.
"Then tell me," Naruto said coolly, "why did your mother die? Why does Shinnō treat you like a daughter? And why were you attacked again today?"
Each question struck her like a blow, forcing her to take a step back.
She wanted to argue, but seeing Naruto's expression, she couldn't bring herself to say anything. A strange unease settled in her chest.
"It's because you, too, can control the Dragon Vein's chakra," Naruto continued. "You inherited your mother's power. But without understanding it, you've become a tool for others to use."
"Y-You're talking nonsense!" Sara stammered, looking away.
"Then go see for yourself," Naruto said with a slight smile.
"Hmph! Fine, I will!" she huffed, turning away like a frustrated child, and ran off.
As they watched her retreating figure, Minato hesitated, then exchanged glances with Akimichi Choza and Aburame Shibi.
"…For one person," he murmured. "Was it her?"
Naruto gave a small nod. There was no point in hiding it.
It wasn't often his objective was so personal.
The Lost Tower… no, maybe it's better not to call it that anymore.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Naruto's mouth. "She'll understand soon enough."
"You can come with me," he said, turning back to the others. "I already know where the centipede is."
None of the three replied.
Naruto didn't press. He simply waved them off. "You're free to keep searching for it your own way. I won't get in the way. The future… will be very interesting."
With that, he walked in the direction Sara had gone.
Once his figure vanished, Choza exhaled.
"Minato, this kid's no joke. I feel serious pressure just being near him."
Aburame Shibi nodded solemnly. "Even my insects were uneasy. As if they'd sensed a terrifying enemy."
Minato's eyes softened, thinking of Kushina. "Yeah… just like his mother."
"Are we still looking for the centipede?" Choza asked.
Minato narrowed his eyes. "I don't think he was lying. Let's follow them—but avoid being seen."
Choza and Shibi agreed.
"I've sent a few insects to scout ahead, just in case," Shibi added.
With that, the trio silently moved out.
Meanwhile, in the tower...
After leaving Naruto, Sara rushed back to the palace above the Dragon Vein.
"I'll prove Shinnō's innocence…!" she told herself.
But her voice lacked confidence.
As she walked, deep in thought, a figure suddenly appeared in the hallway and yanked her into a side room.
Darkness swallowed her vision.
As her eyes adjusted, she realized she was in a neglected storage room—surrounded by masked people.
They were armed—but with tools like rakes, hoes, and shovels.
At the front stood a masked woman.
Sara backed up against the door, her face pale with fear.
Are they… here to kill me?
The woman stepped forward and stared at her.
"Are you really Queen Sara?"
Sara drew in a breath and stood tall. "I am Queen Sara. If you intend to take my life, then do it openly."
The masked crowd suddenly raised their weapons.
Sara trembled despite herself.
"Give it back to us!" they shouted in unison.
Give what back…?
Sara didn't know. But the hostility in the room was clear.
Her confidence cracked. Fear took hold.
Creak—
The door opened.
Naruto walked in.
At the sight of him, Sara's fear vanished. She ran behind him without hesitation.
Naruto stepped forward slowly and glanced around.
A moment later, the room's light flicked on—illuminating the tense scene.
The masked leader paused in surprise when Naruto entered, then calmly lifted her mask, revealing a composed face beneath.
Seeing her do so, the rest of the masked individuals followed, taking off their masks one by one.
Only then did Sara realize that her so-called "kidnappers" were not enemy ninjas, but common townspeople — elders, women, and even children.
"M-My name is Sarai… I'm not a bad person," said a chubby boy with rabbit-like teeth, clearly nervous.
The woman who had led them looked at Naruto and bowed lightly.
"My name is Mako. I apologize for the misunderstanding," she said sincerely. "We only wanted to speak with Her Majesty."
Sara exhaled in relief, though confusion remained. "Speak to me? About what?"
"Their fathers, brothers… the men of Rōran," Mako answered, voice quiet but heavy.
Sara frowned and looked at Naruto, silently asking for clarity.
Naruto shook his head. "Come with me. You'll understand when you meet the ones who truly welcomed you."
With that, he turned and walked out of the room.
Sara quickly followed.
Mako and Sarai exchanged glances, then looked to the children and elders behind them.
"You all stay here. That shinobi… he might really know something."
They followed Naruto out.
—
Out in the corridor, Sara looked down over the city streets and gasped in awe. "The parade… it's beautiful from up here."
Naruto shook his head lightly. "See for yourself up close."
Without warning, he scooped her up.
"Ah—!?" Sara screamed, instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck.
Naruto jumped out of the window, descending swiftly toward the streets below.
Mako and Sarai scrambled for the elevator.
—
Once they landed on the ground, Sara began to feel… something was off.
"This parade… Shinnō organized it," she said softly. "After my mother passed, he created this celebration to help me — and the people — grieve, to stay strong."
Naruto gently set her down. "So when you fell earlier today, you didn't think it strange that no one helped you?"
Sara remained silent.
But Sarai, who had just arrived, scoffed. "You think that's normal?"
Sara turned angrily. "What's so strange about it?!"
"Everyone says Her Majesty Sara is just a puppet princess," Sarai replied bluntly.
Naruto put a hand on her shoulder. "When you face these people… do you truly feel like their queen?"
Sara hesitated, then shook her head. "No… it's not like that."
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty," Mako said. "But Sarai's not wrong."
"One morning, all our families — our fathers, our husbands — were taken. The soldiers said it was your order."
"I never gave such an order!" Sara said indignantly—then paused, her voice softening. "At least… I don't remember giving it."
Naruto took her hand and led her forward.
"Sometimes, the truth is unreasonably simple."
Sara followed without resistance. For reasons she didn't fully understand, the longer she was around Naruto, the more she felt like she could trust him. A warm, strange feeling spread in her chest.
Naruto murmured as they walked, "Why would you need that many men to make puppets?"
"I could lend you the power of the Dragon Vein… but never mind."
They reached the rear of the parade.
Naruto reached into the crowd and pulled someone forward.
"Here, Your Majesty. These are the citizens who've been so eager to welcome you."
Sara's eyes widened. Her breath caught. Her complexion turned pale.
The person Naruto had grabbed—wasn't a person at all.
It was a puppet, dressed as a common citizen.
Sara broke free from Naruto's hand and ran.
"You're still running?" Naruto said calmly behind her. His voice alone made her freeze mid-step.
Her shoulders trembled.
Naruto dropped the lifeless puppet.
"Don't you want to see the one who murdered your mother? The one you still call your protector — Shinnō?"
Sara turned around, tears flowing down her cheeks.
Then, something caught her eye.
Up above—on the very same balcony she had stood on earlier—a new "queen" appeared.
She wore a royal robe. Long crimson hair trailed behind her. Her face, eerily identical to Sara's, wore a painted smile. She waved to the puppets below with mechanical precision.
The "queen" was a puppet.
Sara stared in shock.
The truth hit her like a thunderclap.
She'd suspected for a while. She'd doubted her memories, questioned Shinnō in her heart — but now, faced with the undeniable, it all crumbled.
Everything she believed in… was a lie.
Sara collapsed, knees hitting the ground.
She hugged herself tightly.
And in the midst of her quiet sobs, she began to hum — softly at first — the Song of the Dragon Vein, her mother's favorite lullaby.
Naruto crouched before her, brushing a hand gently over her hair.
"Do you understand now… why I came here from the future?"
Sara looked up at him, her tears endless.
"After my mother died… Shinnō was all I had left. I didn't know who else I could trust…"
Then she threw herself into Naruto's arms.
"I heard everything… when you spoke with the Konoha shinobi. Was it all for me?"
Naruto wrapped his arms around her, steady and sure.
"It was."
He looked up at the towering spires of Rōran — a city ruled by shadows.
"I've known about this place for a long time."
Naruto looked up at the towering spire above them.
"In my memories, it was called The Lost Tower."
"The Lost Tower?" Sara asked, her eyes filled with confusion.
Naruto smiled. "It doesn't go by that name anymore."
He turned to face her, the breeze brushing through his hair.
"Come on. Let's take care of Shinnō—then I'll bring you back to the future."
Sara hesitated. "But... Rōran... I'm the Queen of Rōran."
"There will still be a queen," Naruto said calmly. "Someone will stay behind."
As he spoke, his back shimmered, transforming into a humanoid form made of wood. A wooden clone emerged, created from the chakra-infused element of the Mori-Mori no Mi. It looked like a White Zetsu variant—strange and alive, yet connected to him.
He gave Sara a nod, gesturing for her to reach out.
The phrase "a love that transcends time and space" echoed faintly in her heart. Slowly, cautiously, she stretched out her hand and touched the clone's forehead.
A soft glow pulsed.
In an instant, the clone shifted—its features molding and morphing until it became an exact replica of her.
"She'll fulfill your duty here," Naruto said gently. "Rōran will eventually fall to ruin. That's an unchangeable future."
"If it were changed, the consequences could ripple across time itself."
"But she—your other self—will guide the people through what's coming."
"The tower may vanish, but the people won't. In the future, she'll lead them out of the desert… to hope."
Sara looked at her double, then slowly turned back to Naruto. As their eyes met, her heartbeat quickened.
As the queen of the Dragon Vein, she wasn't like ordinary people. The power flowing through her veins was chakra connected to time and life itself. She felt it clearly now—this bond with Naruto. It wasn't chance.
Something—no, someone—had answered her plea.
Maybe… the Dragon Vein heard her.
Maybe… that's why it brought him here from the future.
Sara pressed herself gently against Naruto's chest.
"…Yeah. I understand."
Mother… I finally have someone I can rely on.
Someone who came for me… across time itself.
Far off in the distance, Akimichi Chōza jabbed Minato lightly in the ribs.
"Hey Minato… that kid of yours—he's smoother than you ever were."
Aburame Shibi nodded. "Mm. In the blink of an eye, he's already captured Her Majesty's heart."
Minato looked down at Naruto, a reluctant smile creeping onto his face. The boy was walking confidently, cradling Sara as he made his way deeper into Rōran.
"…I didn't teach him that."
Chōza laughed. "So, Kushina did?"
Minato shook his head. "No… it wasn't her either."
Shibi pushed up his glasses. "Then who taught him?"
"I… I don't know." Minato sighed.
From behind, Shibi tilted his head toward the horizon. "Let's go. That kid's heading off to face Shinnō."
Minato turned his gaze downward. Naruto and Sara were already disappearing into the light.
"…It definitely wasn't me. And it definitely wasn't Kushina." He paused, then muttered:
"…Right?"
…
TN:
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