292CentipedeAI Model: gemini-3.0-flashChapter 292: Naruto's Puppet
Naruto was momentarily stunned by Minato's question. Hadn't they agreed that the future and the past shouldn't intersect too much?
But despite his internal complaints, he answered honestly, saying, "Fifteen."
Minato looked thoughtful.
To be able to earn Kakashi's high praise at the age of fifteen was truly extraordinary.
He didn't ask anything else.
With his mature and calm personality, although he was curious about the future, he could still restrain himself.
Naruto couldn't help but feel some admiration.
If it were him, he definitely wouldn't be able to hold back.
After all, the lure of knowing the future was simply too tempting.
In a sense, he was a prophet because he knew the entire plot.
Shino Aburame's father, Shibi Aburame, spoke up: "I've already located him."
Minato shifted his gaze to him and asked, "What about Sara, the Queen of Loulan?"
"They are together."
"Then she might be in danger."
Naruto thought of the movie's plot and spoke up quickly.
Although things were already far from the original plot because of his actions.
For example, according to the plot, he should have met Sara right at the beginning, but he hadn't even seen a glimpse of her yet.
Hearing this, Minato immediately said, "Shibi, let's go."
The four of them quickly left the abandoned tower under Shibi Aburame's lead.
On the streets, countless people were cheering Sara's name, looking very lively.
Naruto took one look and realized there wasn't a single living person; they were all puppets, which made the atmosphere turn eerie.
They made their way all the way to the royal palace.
All four were elite Ninja and successfully slipped into the main hall.
A beautiful red-haired young girl, Sara, sat on the throne.
And Mukade, under the alias Anrokuzan, stood before her, looking quite respectful.
Before being exposed, he didn't intend to kill Sara.
It wasn't out of affection, but rather because he treated her as a puppet and a tool.
Mainly, Anrokuzan's puppetry skills hadn't reached the level of Sasori of the Red Sand; replacing Sara with a puppet would be easily noticed by the citizens.
But as his puppet army formed, the citizens were becoming irrelevant.
"Anrokuzan, I have something to ask you."
Sara spoke directly, asking, "Did you issue an order in my name to conscript the young men of Loulan?"
"How did you find out?"
Anrokuzan raised an eyebrow, not denying it.
The reason he used puppets to impersonate the citizens was that most of the people had been taken by him to manufacture puppets.
And it was the '007' type of work—no rest, working until the end of their lives.
So, without Sara's knowledge, Loulan was quickly becoming a land of women.
Because all the men had been 'voluntarily' recruited.
"Mako found me yesterday and asked me to return their husbands to them."
Sara ordered, "Anrokuzan, release them all."
If it were anyone else deceiving her like this, she would definitely be angry.
But Anrokuzan had watched her grow up; since her mother died, he was the person she trusted most.
"Why should I release them?"
Anrokuzan gave a faint smile. "It is their honor to contribute to the cause of Loulan."
Sara was stunned.
Anrokuzan, who had always been extremely obedient in front of her, would actually say such things?
"But mother's wish was for the people of Loulan to live and work in peace."
Sara argued earnestly.
"Yes, and that's why your mother died."
"What do you mean?"
Sara stood up abruptly and asked.
"Do you still not understand?"
Since it had come to this, Anrokuzan laid his cards on the table. "Back then, your mother didn't agree to me using the Ryumyaku, so I killed her."
Sara's eyes widened, unable to believe her ears.
The person she trusted most was actually her mother's killer.
"No need for sorrow."
Anrokuzan smiled sinisterly. "Because you'll be joining her down there very soon."
He reached out, and Chakra threads pulled shuriken, weaving them into a spider web that enveloped Sara.
The girl, who had been raised as a queen, clearly didn't have time to react.
Naruto drew Enma.
A wall of wind rose up.
All the shuriken were sent flying back.
"Konoha Ninja?"
Anrokuzan's smile vanished as he looked at the four people before him. "You're courting death!"
With a snort of anger, a hole suddenly tore open in the ceiling of the hall, and puppets filled the field of vision as they fell down.
"Take Sara and leave first."
Minato noticed the crumbling hall and quickly said, "Naruto."
"Uncle Shibi, I'll leave it to you."
Naruto immediately kicked the ball back.
Without waiting for Minato to say more, he thrust his sword out.
Flames instantly filled the area, covering the puppets in the sky, and in less than a second, they were all turned to ash.
The several people present momentarily looked dazed.
"Impossible!"
Anrokuzan shouted in disbelief.
The materials used for his puppets were extremely special; ordinary Fire Release wouldn't even leave a mark, let alone turn them directly to ash.
Minato was also surprised.
With his eyes, he could naturally tell that the power of this Fire Release was definitely that of an S-rank Forbidden Jutsu.
Thinking that a fifteen-year-old could master such Ninjutsu, he felt quite proud.
It seemed his future child was a genius no less than himself.
Ignoring their reactions, Naruto swung Enma again.
A white sword light condensed powerful Chakraand instantly closed in on Anrokuzan.
This move was very ordinary, just a basic attack.
But at Naruto's level, a basic attack was like an ultimate move.
Anrokuzan didn't even have time to react.
Because he was just a Puppeteer.
All his skills were in his puppets, not in honing Taijutsu or anything like that.
A scream was heard.
Anrokuzan was hit as if by a locomotive; the force was so great that he flew through the palace wall like a cannonball, soaring outward.
But Naruto knew he wasn't dead.
He leaped out to the exterior of the tower, seeing clouds of dust rising in the distance.
When the smoke cleared, an extremely hideous monster was revealed, shouting: "You shall all die!"
"What on earth is that?"
Minato couldn't help but ask.
A long worm over ten meters high, looking like half a centipede.
He finally understood why he was called Mukade.
He truly was a centipede.
"He used the Ryumyaku to transform himself into a puppet."
Naruto shook his head and explained.
Compared to Sasori's human puppets, Anrokuzan's could only be called a beast puppet.
And it had no aesthetic sense whatsoever.
It was just pure disgust.
Naruto thought for a moment and entered Kurama Mode.
It was a rare opportunity to use it.
This was, after all, the full version of Kurama.
If he didn't use it now, he might not get another chance; he had promised Kurama to let him out.
With a flash, he appeared above Anrokuzan's head and, simple and crude, stomped down on the head.
Instantly, this puppet shattered into pieces.
But a few seconds later, it reassembled under the power of the Ryumyaku, and all the wounds healed.
"Is that a Tailed Beast?"
Choza Akimichi was slightly startled and asked, unsure.
He had only heard rumors about Tailed Beasts.
Plus, this violent and cold Chakra truly didn't seem like something a human could possess.
And it was simply too vast.
Compared to Naruto's, his own Chakra was like a drop of water in the ocean.
Minato, however, recognized it; this was the Nine-Tailed's Chakra.
Because his wife was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
It also proved that Naruto was indeed his future son.
He quickly snapped out of it and said, "Because of the Ryumyaku, Anrokuzan has gained nearly infinite power. To defeat him, we must seal the Ryumyaku. Sara, please lead us to the source of the Ryumyaku."
(Some readers suggested continuing into new worlds, but the protagonist is currently too invincible. My personal ability makes it difficult to write an engaging 'invincible' story—my last book collapsed because of that. So, rather than wasting your money on subscriptions, it's better to start a new book. There's an operations officer event in the comments section; participating can earn you a title.)