"Please, my lord—give this subordinate one more chance!"
"Please, my lord—just one more chance!"
"…!"
The moment those words left Naruto's mouth, Mukade slammed his head heavily against the ground, panic and terror twisting his face as he screamed hoarsely. His cries were so piercing that they roused the other unconscious people nearby.
Naruto spoke calmly.
"Someone as useful as you… how could I be so stingy as to give you only one chance?"
The wailing stopped abruptly.
Before everyone's eyes, Mukade's body arched violently. His clothes exploded into fragments, and in the blink of an eye, his human form twisted and expanded, transforming into a gigantic six-legged beetle.
Naruto lightly tapped the ground and landed atop the beetle's back. Jiraiya and Chiyo followed immediately. Sasuke's eyes flickered—he grabbed the unconscious Itachi and leapt up as well.
Once everyone was aboard, the six-legged beetle turned and charged straight into the stone gate that had appeared earlier.
The Past — Lōran
Beyond the gate, the beetle sprinted upward through winding passages. After several turns, towering spires rose into view—straight, ancient, and majestic.
"We really came back…"
Sasuke stared at the tallest tower, his expression trembling with emotion. When Mukade claimed he had waited here for six years, Sasuke had doubted him—but now, seeing the totem carved atop the tower, he was certain.
He had seen this very tower before in the ruins of the Dragon Vein. Though it lay collapsed in the future, the carvings and crest were unmistakable.
"You intend to change the future?"
Itachi asked calmly beside him.
Sasuke's expression hardened. He glanced at Naruto standing ahead, then formed a hand seal. Instantly, Itachi collapsed, chakra sealed.
Moments later, as the beetle leapt onto the wall of the tower, Itachi was flung from its back.
Sasuke frowned sharply, chakra threads snapping from his fingers to pull Itachi back—yet the beetle plunged straight through an archway.
As they crossed the threshold, Naruto smiled faintly.
Inside the seal, however, Kushina's expression darkened with concern.
Elsewhere — The Same Time
Inside another tower in Lōran, three figures appeared out of thin air.
They wore gray flak vests and masks.
At the front stood Minato Namikaze, blond-haired and sharp-eyed. Behind him were his teammates for this mission:
Chōza Akimichi, broad and powerful, with the red "食" emblem on his vest, and Shibi Aburame, carrying a massive clay jar, insects crawling over his mask.
Minato stepped to the window and pressed a hand to the wall.
"Minato, did you sense something?" Chōza asked.
Shibi remained silent—but insects already poured from his palm.
"Yes… that chakra belongs to Jiraiya-sensei," Minato said slowly, puzzled.
"But why is he here? And these other chakra signatures… Before we departed, he and Orochimaru were already heading to the battlefield."
Just then, insects returned to Shibi. He stepped forward and pointed to the central tower.
"Kakashi has already planted explosive tags at the power conduits feeding the other puppet towers. Only the central tower remains."
"Kakashi truly is outstanding," Minato nodded.
Then his tone shifted.
"But Jiraiya-sensei's chakra is coming from the base of that tower."
"Look below!" Chōza suddenly shouted.
Minato looked down to see prisoners and civilians herded into the plaza by puppets—when suddenly, a massive beetle burst from the central tower, several figures standing atop it.
The three froze.
They clearly saw Jiraiya, and two figures wearing Uchiha crests.
Dragon Vein Altar
'High-grade foreign energy detected. Absorb immediately.'
The notification echoed repeatedly.
Naruto crouched in the dark hall, one hand pressed against the eye-shaped protrusion at the altar's center. His consciousness was focused instead on the Mirror World interface.
"So tailed beasts can be reborn. Mōryō can revive through priestesses.
Sharingan can be replicated via cloning…
The Dragon Vein chakra is rated special-grade, but it's a non-renewable resource, so it's ranked only sixth?"
He frowned.
"But I can't absorb it yet."
He studied the annotation—unaware that Kushina, beside him, stared at another display in silence.
After a while, she spoke softly.
"Naruto… your father has already met Jiraiya. And he's figured out that you're not from this era."
"I see."
Naruto nodded. Then he vanished.
Reunion
In the plaza, Minato instinctively gripped a custom tri-pronged Flying Thunder God kunai.
Chōza and Shibi followed suit.
A man had appeared—suddenly, impossibly—before Jiraiya.
"Father," Naruto said with a gentle smile.
"It's been a long time."
"?!"
Minato froze.
In front of his stunned teammates, he awkwardly lowered his kunai.
"Ah… you… I… I am—"
"You'll understand soon," Naruto said evenly.
"But first, I need you to bring Kakashi here."
Shadow clones split off and dispersed. Others began forming seals.
Minato's heart skipped.
Those hand seals were familiar—barrier techniques Kushina once taught him.
And Naruto's movement… just like Flying Thunder God.
The barrier spread across the plaza.
"Please hurry, Father," Naruto said calmly.
"I still have important things to do after returning from the future."
Minato vanished—and returned in less than a breath, Kakashi in tow.
Truth Revealed
Soon, Minato and Naruto vanished again—reappearing at the Dragon Vein altar.
"You contacted me using the Yamanaka clan's Mind Transmission Technique?" Minato asked.
"Yes."
"And Kushina—"
"You'll know everything shortly."
Naruto's shadow clones erected another barrier. Then Naruto sat down and formed seals.
His soul emerged from his body.
'Warning: Life Flame destabilizing. Core function forced activation.'
"Spirit Transformation Technique," Minato whispered, stunned.
Naruto's soul lunged forward—
Bam!
Minato was sent flying by a punch to the face.
He could have dodged.
But he didn't.
That punch…
He'd felt it before.
Kushina.
Naruto crouched beside him.
"Father, this was the first punch. In the history you lived, it was inevitable.
Prepare yourself. You'll take another one shortly."
Minato rose—and froze.
Before him stood five colossal beings.
"One-Tail… Three-Tails… Five-Tails… Seven-Tails… and—Nine-Tails?!"
The tailed beasts chatted casually.
"This expression again."
"Must be the hundredth time."
"I count 211 world subordinates now."
"Fox, not going to take revenge?"
"Am I as stupid as you?"
Minato stood in shock.
"Naruto… is that your name?"
"Yes."
A display appeared, showing Minato's future—his life, Kushina, Naruto's birth, the Nine-Tails incident.
When Minato briefly thought about changing history—
BAM!
Kushina's fist struck him again.
"You idiot!!"
Naruto smiled softly.
"I'm glad you abandoned the thought of erasing me."
Minato was speechless.
Return
Later, Minato sealed the Dragon Vein.
"Thank you," he said, voice trembling.
"For acknowledging me as your father."
"Save it for the future," Naruto replied gently.
"It's time for you to leave."
Minato vanished.
Naruto reversed the seals and pulled out the kunai.
A pillar of light erupted.
'Absorption complete. Opening World Gate.'
When the light faded, Naruto was back in the present.
The Edo Kage still stood guard.
Then Kabuto's projection appeared.
"Lord Naruto! A queen from the ancient Kingdom of Lōran seeks an audience.
She carries your token—and says you instructed her to come today."
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