Chapter 194: Changing the Worldline
Faced with that dazzling whiteness and the softness pressed against him, Franklin very much wanted to reach out and appreciate it properly—but now was obviously not the time.
Just as he was about to pull his arm free, Ikaros squeezed tightly against his other side.
That soft pressure clung to him, making Franklin shudder all over.
"I follow Master. Wherever Master is, that is where I am."
Seeing this, Nymph glanced down at her own chest, then immediately pulled Franklin out from between them and placed him behind her.
Realizing she might have been a bit rude, Nymph cleared her throat softly.
"Master is the most important. Of course we'll stay with Master. Watching the show is a fine choice too. Master, you said you were planning to do something?"
Meeting Nymph's reproachful gaze, Franklin scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"Well… we'll start by watching a traitorous disciple lay his hands on his teacher's son—and on his teacher's wife."
That explosive revelation instantly captured all three girls' attention.
Nymph stared at him, full of disbelief.
"Master, you have to be joking."
Franklin only smiled without explaining.
He took all three into the air and flew toward the concealed chamber on the outskirts of Konoha.
Once they arrived, he waved his hand.
A one-way viewing screen formed—visible from above, invisible from below.
Everything happening in the chamber was now laid out before them.
Watching Obito—masked, cloaked, holding infant Naruto hostage—rubbed Franklin's temples with a headache.
The things that man could bring himself to do… he was beyond redemption.
When threats failed, he even stuck three explosive tags onto Naruto's wrappings.
Franklin felt speechless—so brutally heartless.
The three girls watched in stunned silence.
"That man in the black cloak is that blond's student? And the master didn't realize anything?"
"In Minato's intel, Uchiha Obito has been dead for years. Even if he sees the real face right now, he'll just think it's an impersonation. He would never imagine his beloved student could do this."
The explanation brought up many more questions, but Nymph didn't ask further. Since Franklin called this a show, they would eventually understand everything.
Ikaros wasn't paying attention at all—her focus never left Franklin.
Astraea opened her mouth to ask something, but Nymph clamped her hand over it immediately.
"Master, what do we do now? The red-haired lady has already been taken by Obito."
Franklin nodded lightly.
"Just keep watching. It's not our turn yet."
Two scenes played simultaneously before them.
Minato safely set baby Naruto down.
Obito chained Kushina above a pool of water.
In exchange for giving the Nine-Tails its freedom, he offered it a chance to betray the Jinchūriki.
Under the control of the Sharingan, the Nine-Tails' will fell completely under Obito's command.
The seal broke.
The fox, made entirely of chakra, burst out of Kushina's abdomen—its immense body blotting out the sky.
"No wonder the Uzumaki are feared. Even with the Nine-Tails pulled out, she won't die immediately. In that case, dying to the beast she held inside… isn't that fitting? Go die."
Listening to Obito's insane muttering left Franklin utterly speechless.
The Nine-Tails' massive claw fell—but in a flash of gold, Minato intervened, snatching Kushina away.
In the blink of an eye, she appeared beside Naruto again.
Watching quietly, Franklin stroked his chin. After a moment of thought, he smiled.
"Time to start. The more I disrupt the timeline, the more power of the world I can extract. The richer the rewards will be. So let's begin here."
Obito retreated quickly.
When he reappeared, he was already inside Konoha village.
"Summoning Technique."
In an instant, Kurama appeared inside the village.
The thunderous roar shattered the night.
Countless shinobi mobilized according to their emergency orders.
Seeing Minato leave in his Fourth Hokage cloak, Franklin descended with the three angels into the Fourth's home.
With his Rinnegan, he erased the earlier suggestion implanted in Kushina's mind.
Her near-dead weakness vanished instantly—and she became sharply alert.
"Who?!"
Turning around, she froze for a moment when she saw Franklin and the three girls.
But after noticing Naruto beside her, her guard shot back up.
"Who are you? Why are you here?"
Franklin smiled lightly.
"The Nine-Tails has been extracted. You won't live past tonight. Want to make a deal? I can let you live long enough to see Naruto grow up."
Kushina's pupils shrank violently.
"That's impossible. Even if the fox were recaptured and sealed into me, I'd only last a short while. And in this state, I can't possibly become the Jinchūriki again. The clan heads would never allow it."
Franklin looked mildly surprised—then chuckled.
"As expected of the Fourth's lover. Your thoughts really are far-reaching. But you're underestimating me.
I'm not going to seal the fox back into you. That would change the future.
Your son, Naruto, is the best possible container for the next Jinchūriki."
Hearing that, Kushina forced herself off the bed, staggering, still trying to protect Naruto even at the cost of the last of her chakra.
Franklin didn't bother dragging things out.
Facts spoke faster than words.
He suppressed space with spiritual force, appearing before her in an instant, placing a hand on her abdomen.
Immediately, a peaceful, gentle chakra poured into her, restoring the vitality, life force, and lifespan lost when the Nine-Tails was torn from her.
Once her body fully recovered, Franklin extracted all the chakra from her again—leaving just enough for her to move.
"I've healed your wounds. To prevent you from resisting, you'll get your chakra back later. Now we can talk about our deal."
Kushina could feel it clearly.
She was weak, but she would not die.
Her life force was fully restored—only her chakra had been drained again.
"What are you after? Are you doing this for Konoha, or something else? And what do you mean by 'future'?"
Franklin didn't hide anything.
With his Rinnegan, he converted the Naruto anime he'd watched into a visualized reality—selecting only the necessary parts—and showed them directly to Kushina.
She saw how Naruto was chosen to become the next Jinchūriki.
She saw the future the two of them chose—the future where they died, leaving Naruto to grow up alone.