The slender figure in front of Minato trembled, her eyes wide with terror as she looked at him, then at Kushina and Naruto standing just behind him. Her expression was one of pure fear.
"Don't be afraid; we're not here to hurt you," Kushina said gently, her voice soft and reassuring.
Seeing Princess Sara cowering there brought back memories for Kushina. She recalled the day the Konoha ninja had found her at the border of the Land of Fire. At that time, she had been just as terrified as this girl before her, like a small bird constantly fleeing from danger, uncertain if the next moment would be her last.
Despite Kushina's comforting words, Sara didn't look convinced. Her body remained tense, shrinking back as if to make herself invisible, her instinct for self-preservation taking over.
Naruto took a step forward, wanting to explain, but Minato stopped him with a gentle hand. He understood that words alone wouldn't break through Sara's defenses in this situation.
Minato's voice was calm as he spoke to Sara. "I know that to you, we must look like foreign invaders—the ones responsible for your mother's death, right?"
At his words, a flash of pain crossed Sara's face, and her eyes filled with tears. Summoning a strength she didn't know she had, she rose slowly, pressing her back against the wall for support. With tears brimming, she shouted, "You're the villains who killed my mother! You're here to kill me too, but I won't be afraid! I am the Princess of Rōran!"
She knew that resistance was pointless, but she was determined to retain her dignity as a princess. If this was her fate, she would face it with pride.
Naruto's face fell, unable to hold back any longer. "We didn't kill your mother! It was—"
Before he could finish, Sara interrupted, her voice sharp and pained. "Do you even know who killed my mother?!"
Naruto faltered, struggling to find the words. He was about to reveal the truth when Minato intervened, addressing Sara directly. "Right now, we're only making an educated guess," he said carefully. "But as your mother's daughter, don't you want to uncover the truth and bring her real killer to justice?"
Sara looked down, feeling a pang of helplessness. She was the princess, but her title meant little in the face of such powerful enemies. Even if she discovered her mother's murderer, she doubted she had the strength to confront them.
Minato chuckled softly, sensing her uncertainty. "You should trust your own eyes and judgment," he continued. "Don't let yourself be manipulated. Think for yourself, and find the truth on your terms."
Sara blinked, struggling to grasp his words, yet something about his tone struck a chord within her.
"Either way, you'll need to come with us for now. I believe that with time, you'll be able to see the truth clearly," Minato said, his voice gentle yet resolute.
Sara hesitated, watching him carefully. A part of her was beginning to believe that these strangers weren't the villains she had been led to fear.
Minato noticed her hesitation. "You're in no position to resist us," he added lightly, "and if it comes to it, we could forcefully remove you from here. But I hope you'll trust us enough to come willingly."
Kushina caught his glance, understanding his cue. She approached Sara, extending her hand with a warm smile. Sara, feeling a hint of reassurance, accepted the gesture without resistance.
"Let's go," Kushina said gently, her eyes radiating kindness.
Just as they reached the door, a loud crack resounded through the hall. One of Kushina's shadow clones had been destroyed by the advancing guards. One of the armored figures broke free and charged at them, his eyes locked onto the intruders.
Before he could get any closer, Minato appeared in front of him in a flash, a Rasengan forming in his outstretched hand.
"Rasengan!" Minato thrust his palm forward, the swirling chakra orb smashing into the guard's armor, cracking it instantly and sending the guard flying back.
The others barely had time to process what had happened. Kushina's eyes widened, realizing that damaging the armor would trigger the dragon vein's power, potentially revealing their presence to Mukade.
"Minato, you—" she began, but Minato cut her off, a determined glint in his eyes.
"Stay with Sara and keep her safe," he instructed, glancing back at her and Naruto. "Leave the rest to me."
Though puzzled, both Naruto and Kushina nodded, trusting his judgment implicitly.
In a swift movement, Minato leapt through a nearby window, disappearing from sight. Kushina tightened her grip on Sara, offering a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry. Everything will be fine," she promised.
The next moment, the three of them followed Minato's lead, leaping out the broken window and landing gracefully outside.
Meanwhile, Mukade, hidden in his chamber, felt the sudden resonance of the dragon vein and froze. His eyes narrowed as he realized the location. "Sara's palace… How did they manage to find it?"
A flicker of irritation crossed his face. I should have taken her somewhere safer, he thought angrily. With Minato's expertise in space-time ninjutsu, rescuing Sara would now be an impossible task if he let her slip away.
Yet, as he reached out to sense their movements, he realized that Minato and his companions, including Sara, hadn't yet left the vicinity of the palace. His lips curled into a smirk as he began forming seals, his eyes dark with resolve.
Minato, Kushina, Naruto, and Sara landed among the surrounding buildings, their breaths even and focused. Above them, a dark purple light began to glow at the top of a nearby structure, pulsing like a beacon. The light spread across the sky, casting a sinister hue over the city, transforming the heavens into a foreboding, violet canvas.
Minato took in the sight, a faint smile playing at his lips. "Kushina, Naruto—take Sara and find shelter."
Kushina and Naruto nodded, guiding Sara away from the impending battle.
"Stay close to me," Kushina whispered to Sara, who was watching the scene unfold with fearful eyes.
The dark purple light atop the building began to swell, forming into a series of energy orbs. With a powerful burst, the orbs launched themselves toward Minato, blazing through the air like meteors.
Minato remained calm, his eyes never leaving the projectiles as he anticipated their trajectory. With his speed, he easily dodged the falling orbs, each impact sending waves of destructive energy through the ground, scattering debris in all directions.
As the last orb struck the earth, four massive purple energy spheres remained in place, their surfaces crackling with electric ripples that sent gravitational waves rippling through the ground. The surrounding rocks and debris were pulled toward the orbs, clustering around them like metal to a magnet.
Minato observed carefully, his sharp mind analyzing the situation. So that's how it works.
He had suspected something unusual about these energy orbs. Now he understood—their gravitational force was only effective on materials infused with dragon vein energy, like the guards' armor and the Rōran palace stone. By controlling the dragon vein, Mukade had created a powerful resonance effect, allowing the stones to be drawn to the orbs.
As the rocks continued to gather around the orbs, they slowly took shape, molding themselves into four colossal figures nearly ten meters tall. Their massive bodies loomed ominously over Minato, each one crackling with dark energy.
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